Maiken Nedergaard Elected to National Academy of Medicine for Pioneering Brain Research
Her research has reshaped understanding of sleep’s role in brain health and opened new avenues for studying and treating neurological conditions.
Stories
New Tool Could Help Researchers Better Understand the Brain’s Blood Vessels
The technology could help researchers investigate how changes in the brain’s blood vessels contribute to stroke, cognitive impairment, and dementia.
A Legacy of Teaching, Mentorship, and ‘Neurophilia’—Ralph Józefowicz Honored
As Neurology marks its 60th anniversary, colleagues will celebrate the career of Józefowicz, whose more than three decades of teaching and mentorship have left an enduring mark on the Department and ...
25 Years Later, Studying the Health Effects of 9/11
What began with researchers studying World Trade Center dust has evolved into 25 years of environmental health research, occupational medicine, and clinical care for those exposed during the 9/11 ...
What Is an mRNA Flu Vaccine? What to Know About the New Flu Shot
The first mRNA flu vaccine is now approved for adults 50 and older. Learn how the new flu shot works, its effectiveness, side effects, and who should get it.
Hidden Immune Cells in the Lung Could Lead to Better Flu Vaccines
The long-lived immune cells help the lungs build lasting protection against influenza. The findings could inform the design of next-generation nasal vaccines that provide broader, longer-lasting ...
New Retina Model Sheds Light on Early Vision Loss in Batten Disease
Researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind 3D human retina model that reveals how vision loss begins in CLN3-Batten disease, a rare inherited disorder that affects children.
Neuroscience and Innovation: Redefining Stroke Care & Recovery
URochester researchers and clinicians use mobile emergency treatment, regional telemedicine networks, and research, including understanding brain plasticity, rehabilitation, sleep, and clot biology, ...
Dialing Back Stiffness May Protect Muscles in Myotonic Dystrophy
New research suggests that myotonia—the delayed relaxation of muscles that causes stiffness—may be more than a symptom of myotonic dystrophy type 1. In animal models, eliminating myotonia improved ...
New Platform Combines Precision Gene Targeting with Brain-Wide Delivery
Researchers have developed a gene therapy platform that combines engineered viral vectors with the brain's glymphatic transport system to deliver therapeutic genes broadly and selectively throughout ...
Researchers Harness the Body’s Internal Clock to Improve Stroke Recovery
A new study suggests that reinforcing the body’s natural daily rhythms may improve stroke recovery by boosting the brain’s ability to clear waste and inflammatory molecules.
Air Pollution and Brain Health: What You Need to Know
Discover how air pollution affects brain health in children and adults. URochester Medicine researchers reveal links to learning difficulties, dementia, and Parkinson's—plus steps you can take to ...
A Single Mission: Protecting People and Places—Introducing Environmental Medicine and Public Health Sciences
The new department combines nationally recognized strengths in toxicology, epidemiology, policy, and community health research and will build upon decades of leadership in environmental health, ...
The Brain’s Night Shift: How Sleep, Waste Clearance, and Dementia May Be Linked
Disruptions in a coordinated sleep-related brain rhythm may explain why conditions such as aging, chronic stress, cardiovascular disease, depression, and fragmented sleep are associated with ...
When Minutes Matter: URochester Medicine Doubles Down on Mobile Stroke Care
A second Mobile Stroke Unit will expand the region's most advanced emergency stroke response program, bringing hospital-level care directly to patients.
New NIH-Funded Project Targets Early Drivers of Vision Loss in Macular Degeneration
The project will advance research on a new treatment approach for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), focusing on a protein identified as a potential early driver of disease.
Shedding Light on the Brain: New Method Controls Neural Pathways
A new optogenetic method precisely controls how different regions of the brain communicate, enabling scientists to study the brain networks underlying complex behavior and brain disorders.
Study Examines How Pregnancy May Help the Body Eliminate Mercury from Fish
New research examines whether pregnancy and the gut microbiome help eliminate mercury from fish and naturally protect the developing fetus.
A Smarter Map for the Brain: Surgeons Pioneer Next-Generation Navigation
The new technology is based on more than a decade of collaboration and research by URMC neurosurgeons and neuroscientists and helps plan procedures that maximize tumor removal while preserving ...
Team Science Showcase: The People and Partnerships Moving Microplastics Research Forward
Public concern about microplastics and health has grown sharply over the past several years. Questions like “Are plastic cutting boards safe?” and “Should I drink out of plastic water bottles?” are ...
Juliet Emamaullee Appointed to Lead Transplant Research at URMC
The nationally recognized surgeon-scientist will be the inaugural research director of the Transplant Institute and lead efforts to expand transplant research, grow clinical trials, and strengthen ...
Nedergaard Named 2025 NAI Fellow for Transformative Discoveries in Brain Waste Clearance
The honor recognizes Nedergaard's groundbreaking discovery of the brain’s glymphatic system, which continues to transform neuroscience and drive new efforts to develop therapies to enhance the ...
Rising Complexity in Pediatric Patients Is Reshaping Hospital Care
The new study shows sharp increases in hospitalizations, bed days, and costs for children with complex chronic conditions, care that is increasingly concentrated in urban teaching children’s ...
Translating Science into Hope: The CHeT Model for Neurological Drug Discovery
The University of Rochester Center for Health + Technology (CHeT) stands as one of academic medicine’s most successful experiments in translating science into patient benefit. Over nearly four ...
Simple Test Brings Clarity and Hope for Families with Inherited Neuropathy
A new low-cost urine test detects SORD deficiency, a common inherited neuropathy often linked to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. The test identifies cases some genetic screens miss, offering families ...
How Effective Is the RSV Vaccine, and Who Should Get It?
explains what last year's RSV season following the first vaccine approval revealed about their effectiveness, and why more eligible adults should get vaccinated.
UR Medicine Introduces Next-Generation da Vinci Surgical System
Strong Memorial Hospital has become one of the first hospitals in Upstate New York to adopt the newest generation of the da Vinci surgical system. The platform offers enhanced precision, real-time ...
Study Shows Hormone Combination Improved Strength and Function in FSHD Patients
A clinical trial found that six months of daily growth hormone plus biweekly testosterone was safe, well-tolerated, and produced meaningful gains in men with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.
How Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy Is Bringing Peace to Patients
Launched in June 2023, the URMC program was created to relieve psychospiritual distress in serious illness. Early patient stories show reduced fear, renewed agency, and spiritual peace.
AI-Driven, Instructor-Free Platform Could Transform Surgical Training
The surgical simulation system teaches and assesses skills with 99.9% accuracy and high trainee satisfaction, offering scalable, personalized, real-time feedback and objective performance analytics.
Forever Chemicals, Lasting Effects: Prenatal PFAS Exposure Shapes Baby Immunity
Study is first to identify specific infant immune cell changes resulting from prenatal PFAS exposure, patterns associated with weaker vaccine responses, increased allergy risk, and potential ...
How to Prevent Brain Risks Linked to Post-Surgery Confusion
Postoperative delirium is a serious, often preventable brain dysfunction after surgery. Recognizing risk and warning signs, sleep, and communication with care teams can help protect brain health and ...
Postoperative Delirium: Preventable “Acute Brain Failure” with Major Health and Cost Impacts
A new study identifies postoperative delirium as a common but preventable complication. Affecting 1 in 30 older adults after surgery, it significantly raises the risk of death, complications, and ...
AAP Appoints Lainie Ross as Chair of Committee on Bioethics
Ross begins a four-year term on July 1 and will lead American Academy of Pediatrics pediatric ethics policy development and liaison roles, building on over two decades of AAP ethics leadership.
Glial Replacement Therapy Slows Huntington’s Disease in Adult Mice
New research shows that transplanting healthy human glial progenitor cells into adult mouse models of Huntington’s disease can slow motor and cognitive decline and extend lifespan, underscoring the ...
Tanya Mayadas Appointed Chair of Microbiology & Immunology and Inaugural Director of New Institute
The University of Rochester alumna and leader in innate immunity and vascular biology will lead a new Institute that will bring together cross-disciplinary scientific and clinical teams to address ...
Is the Plastic in Your Kitchen Harmful?
Plastics in the kitchen may pose a risk, but their true health impact remains unclear. Researchers stress the need for more studies to understand how everyday plastic use affects our bodies.
Head Injuries in Sports: What Every Athlete (and Parent) Should Know
Sports head injuries can be serious. URMC expert Dr. Jeff Bazarian explains signs of concussions and hidden hits, safer play measures, treatments, and research.
Newborn Screening Expansion Sparks Research on Early Duchenne Intervention
A new study will investigate early stage Duchenne muscular dystrophy in infants and toddlers, with the help of newly implemented newborn screening for the disease. The research will enhance ...
Modulating the Brain’s Immune System May Curb Damage in Alzheimer’s
New research shows that enhancing norepinephrine signaling in microglia reduces inflammation and toxic amyloid buildup in Alzheimer’s models.
Transforming Parkinson’s Care for Underserved Communities
The new project is seeking to reshape care for patients with Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders and address disparities in care and outcomes in Black and Hispanic communities.
Brain’s Own Repair Mechanism: New Neurons May Reverse Damage in Huntington’s Disease
A new study shows that the adult brain can generate new neurons that integrate into key motor circuits, findings that may point to a new way to treat neurogenerative disorders.
A Perfect Fit: Medical Students Discover Their Residency Destinations at a Nationwide Ceremony
Representing a milestone in their medical careers, students at the University of Rochester today learned where they will train as residents.
How to Cut Dementia Risk: Expert-Backed Tips for a Healthier Brain
URMC experts share science-backed ways to support cognition and brain health, from diet and exercise to social engagement and cognitive training.
The Truth About Vaccine Safety
Vaccines have profoundly improved public health by eradicating or significantly reducing deadly diseases.
Fish, Mercury, and the Developing Brain
For decades a large-scale study lead by URMC researchers has helped informed scientists and policy makers on the right balance of fish consumption during pregnancy.
Biotin May Shield Brain from Manganese Damage, Study Finds
New research shows that the B vitamin reduces manganese neurotoxicity by enhancing dopamine production, improving mitochondrial function, and reducing neuron loss in model systems and human nerve ...
Common Sleep Aid May Leave Behind a Dirty Brain
New research shows how norepinephrine-driven oscillations during non-REM sleep activate the glymphatic system to clear brain waste, and that the sleep aid zolpidem disrupts this process, potentially ...
Navigating Memory and Cognitive Health: A Guide for Families Facing Dementia
Recognizing signs, adopting lifestyle changes, and accessing emerging treatments can improve outcomes. Support from healthcare providers and organizations is vital for navigating care and decisions.
Understanding the Link Between HIV and Brain Health
New research will help define the association between HIV, inflammation, and brain health, focusing on cerebral small vessel disease, which increases the risk for cognitive problems later in life.
Celebrating Gilbert Gottfried: Comedy Stars Unite in NYC to Support Muscular Dystrophy Research
Some of comedy’s biggest names gathered in New York City on Wednesday to honor the life of Gilbert Gottfried and raise funds for muscular dystrophy research at the University of Rochester Medical ...
Future COVID Boosters Could Be Nasal: URMC Researchers Lead Study on Next-Gen Vaccines
A team is exploring the efficacy of COVID nasal vaccines, which could could offer broader protection against different variants and potentially provide stronger immunity in the respiratory system.
FDA Taps URMC to Develop New Digital Measures for Huntington's Disease
The study aims to detect early signs of the disease through mobility and chorea monitoring and these digital tools could support clinical trials targeting early-stage Huntington’s.
New Research Offers Hope for Preventing Age-Related Blindness
Findings published in the journal Developmental Cell provides important insights into the cellular mechanisms behind AMD and offers potential avenues for new treatments.
Celebrating Decades of Advances in Myotonic Dystrophy Research
On September 15, Strong Memorial Hospital lit up green to commemorate Myotonic Dystrophy Awareness Day and the significant scientific progress achieved in Rochester and beyond over the past 30 years. ...
Is Mercury in Fish Bad for You?
Vital for a healthy diet and providing nutrients essential for brain development, fish consumption is safe if you follow guidelines.
URMC Named Batten Disease Center of Excellence
Designation acknowledges URMC’s multidisciplinary care and research advancements for Batten diseases, a family of rare neurodegenerative disorders.
Study Reveals Brain Fluid Dynamics as Key to Migraine Mysteries, New Therapies
New research describes for the first time the connection between the neurological symptoms associated with aura and the migraine headaches that follow, identifying potential new drug targets.
Michael Scott, Surgical Recovery Pioneer, Named Chair of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Michael James Scott, MB, ChB, whose work in quality improvement has helped enhance recovery after surgery, has been appointed chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine.
New Model Could Help Provide Expectant Mothers a Clearer Path to Safe Fish Consumption
New framework separates mercury exposure into fish intake and average mercury content of the consumed, findings that could reduce confusion, and produce clearer guidance on fish consumption for ...
What Is H5N1 Bird Flu, How it Spreads to Humans, and Safety Concerns
Infectious disease expert David Topham, who has studied bird and other influenza viruses for almost three decades, discusses the potential public health threat posed by the latest outbreak.
Tawil’s Retirement Marks Milestone in Neuromuscular Disease Research and Treatment
Rabi Tawil, MD, one of the world’s leading experts in rare neuromuscular diseases, is retiring after more than three decades with URMC.
Smartwatches Offer Window into Parkinson's Disease Progression
New research adds to growing evidence that widely used and user-friendly consumer devices can detect changes in Parkinson’s symptoms over time, findings that could help speed up the approval of new ...
In Memoriam: Ira Shoulson Leaves a Legacy of Hope for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s Patients
Shoulson's pioneering contributions in clinical research enhanced the quality of life for individuals battling neurological disorders.
Mobile Stroke Unit Extends Operating Hours, Expanding Reach of Lifesaving Care
The UR Medicine MSU, which brings the expertise and technology necessary to diagnose and treat stroke directly to the patient, has extended services and now operates seven days a week.
New Art Space in Neurology Embraces Diversity and Equity
A new art gallery in the Medical Center will feature diverse artistic voices. Under the stewardship of noted Rochester artist Shawn Dunwoody, the Unity Gallery will leverage art to provoke thought, ...
Microplastics Research Hub Aims to Unravel Health Impact in Changing Climate
A joint URMC and RIT research center will study the lifecycle of microplastics in the Great Lakes and how climate change could intensify the environmental and health threats posed by this pollution.
On World Parkinson’s Day, a New Theory Emerges on the Disease’s Origins and Spread
The hypothesis paper builds upon a growing scientific consensus that Parkinson’s disease route to the brain starts in either the nose or the gut and proposes that the likely source is environmental ...
David Gill to Lead Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
David Gill, MD, has been appointed chief of the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology at URMC. A highly respected local clinician and academic, he returns to the institution where he ...
New Imaging Method Illuminates Oxygen's Journey in the Brain
A new bioluminescence imaging technique has created highly detailed images of the movement of oxygen in the brains of mice, enabling researchers to more precisely study forms of brain hypoxia ...
Nedergaard Recognized with Nakasone Award for Pioneering Research
Maiken Nedergaard has been recognized by the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization for her “groundbreaking discovery and exploration” of the glymphatic system.
Jamie Capal Tapped as New Head of Child Neurology
Jamie Capal, MD, whose specializes in intellectual and developmental disabilities, will serve chief of the Division of Child Neurology at Golisano Children’s Hospital.
Calcium Channel Blockers Key to Reversing Myotonic Dystrophy Muscle Weakness, Study Finds
The study demonstrates that calcium and chloride channelopathy lies at the heart of the muscle dysfunction found in the disease and that common clinically available calcium channel blockers can ...
New Advanced Brain Injury Rehab Unit Opens at Strong Memorial Hospital
The state-of-the-art, 11-bed unit is dedicated to helping patients recover function and independence after traumatic brain injury and stroke.
Manipulating Fluid Flows in the Brain Could Save Lives, Improve Recovery Post-TBI
New research appearing in the journal Nature shows that a cocktail of drugs already approved to treat high blood pressure quickly reduces cerebral edema and improves outcomes in animal models of ...
From lab to life-changer: URMC neuromuscular researchers pave the way for gene therapy revolution
For almost five decades, researchers with the Medical Center have been studying myotonic dystrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and other rare neuromuscular disorders, and played a pivotal role in ...
Grant Boosts Drive to Transform Treatment Landscape for Rare Neurological Disorders
New funding will extend URMC's key role in national research network just a new gene therapies or neuromuscular and other disorders are emerging.
URMC Clinical Researchers Pave the Way for New Huntington’s Drug
The FDA has approved valbenazine as a treatment for Huntington’s disease chorea. A team of URMC researcher provided scientific, technical, logistical, and operational support for the phase 3 study ...
The Current and Future Role of Single-Port Robotic Surgery
The da Vinci single port robotic surgical system, which made its clinical debut in 2018, represents a significant technological advance in robotic surgery.
Trading Sickness for Health: Swapping Brain Cells Points to New Huntington's Therapies
New study answers important questions about the viability of treatments that seek to replace diseased and aged cells in the central nervous system with healthy ones.
Study Shows Surprisingly Low Use of COVID Antiviral Treatments in Nursing Homes
Only 18 percent of COVID cases in nursing homes received antiviral treatment, despite the known benefit of these drugs and the high risk of nursing home residents to adverse outcomes due to COVID.
An Unexpected Doorway into the Ear Opens New Possibilities for Hearing Restoration
An international team of researchers has developed a new method to deliver drugs into the cochlea, repair inner ear hair cells, and restore hearing in deaf mice.
New Gene Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy a “Monumental Advance”
Emma Ciafaloni, MD, describes how the new drug works, why the FDA chose to limit its use, and what it means for patients and their families.
Palliative Care: Creating a New Model to Address Suffering for Neurological Illnesses
In a review commissioned by the journal Lancet Neurology, an international team of experts argue that current models of care do not adequately address the needs of people living with neurologic ...
New Images Capture Unseen Details of the Synapse
Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D images of the synapse, a technical achievement that allows researchers to study the different cells that converge at individual synapses at a level ...
Digital Tools Paint Vivid Portrait of Parkinson’s Disease
Eight years ago, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) researchers helped launch the first smartphone application designed to track the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Apple featured the ...
What You Need to Know about the New Parkinson’s Biomarker
URMC neurologist Irene Richard, MD, discusses the importance of a recently discovered protein biomarker that can accurately identify Parkinson’s disease, even in undiagnosed and pre-symptomatic ...
Halting the Rise of Parkinson’s
The University of Rochester’s leadership in the field of environmental medicine stretches back to toxicology research programs developed at the University under the Manhattan Project. These programs ...
Telemedicine Extends Reach of Stroke and Neurological Care
UR Medicine neurologists are now providing 24/7 remote stroke and neurological care for 16 hospitals across upstate New York, creating one of the more comprehensive hub-and-spoke networks in the ...
Smartwatches may be key to development of new Parkinson’s treatments
Commercially available smartphones and watches, like the Apple Watch, are able to capture key features of early, untreated Parkinson’s disease.
Frequent COVID Testing of Nursing Home Staff Protected Residents, Saved Lives
A new study in NEJM shows that nursing homes that conducted staff surveillance testing more regularly experienced significantly lower rates of COVID infections and deaths.
Common Dry Cleaning Chemical Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
An international team of neurologists makes the case that the chemical trichloroethylene (TCE), a common pollutant found in contaminated sites, is driving the global growth in Parkinson’s.
NINDS Delegation Tours Neurology Research and Education Programs in Zambia
U.S. and Zambian researchers and clinicians have building a decades-long partnership to address he neurological burden of diseases like cerebral malaria, HIV, and stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Newly Discovered Anatomy Shields and Monitors Brain
The previously unknown component of brain anatomy, described in the journal Science, acts as both a protective barrier and platform from which immune cells scan the brain for infection and ...
Solar Panels for Cells: Light-Activated Proton Pumps Generate Cellular Energy, Extend Life
A team of U.S. and German researchers engineered mitochondria that can covert light energy to chemical energy, power cellular functions, and extend life in the roundworm C. elegans. The findings ...
What You Need to Know about Lecanemab, the Potential New Alzheimer’s Drug
Anton Porsteinsson, M.D., discusses results from a clinical trial for an experimental drug for Alzheimer’s, who benefits, and how the drug is an advance in care.
New DoD Partnership Will Pave the Way for Therapeutic Advances for Chronic Diseases
The Center for Health + Technology will partner with the Defense Department to develop tools that will allow patients to provide insight into the merit of promising therapies for four chronic, ...
Children with HIV at Greater Risk for Impaired Neurological Development
New research indicates that improved nutrition and faster diagnosis and treatment may help children who were born infected with HIV.
New Study Will Explore COVID’s Potential Link to Dementia
A new $3.7 million grant will allow researchers to more precisely understand how the virus triggers damage in the brain and the long-term impact on cognitive performance.
Brain’s Support Cells May Hold Key to New Huntington’s Treatments
A new study expands our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the disease, and reinforces the potential of therapies that target glia cells.