News Bureau

Research News Campus News About

blog navigation

News Bureau - Research

 

  • A survey of caregivers for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Illinois’ Medicaid wait list found disparities in the provision of services. The study was co-written by University of Illinois scholars Meghan M. Burke, a professor of special education at the Urbana campus, and Tamar Heller, the head of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education at the Chicago campus.

    Adults with disabilities on Medicaid wait list most likely to have unmet service needs

    Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Illinois’ Medicaid wait list who are minorities, in poor health or unable to speak are more likely to have unmet service needs, a new study by University of Illinois researchers found.

  • The licorice compound isoliquiritigenin (also known as “iso”) interferes with several steps (orange arrows) in the chemical pathway that leads to the production of steroid sex hormones.

    Licorice compound interferes with sex hormones in mouse ovary, study finds

    A study of mouse reproductive tissues finds that exposure to isoliquiritigenin, a compound found in licorice, disrupts steroid sex hormone production in the ovary, researchers report.

  • Researchers found that eight weeks of hatha yoga classes moderated stress levels and led to better performance on challenging cognitive tests.

    Yoga practice linked to lower stress, better cognitive performance in older adults

    Older adults who practiced hatha yoga for 8 weeks were better able to manage stress and performed better on cognitive tests than peers  in a stretching and weight-training program, researchers report.

  • Plant biology professor Lisa Ainsworth is one of eight Illinois faculty members on the Clarivate Analytics / Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers list, 2016.

    Eight Illinois researchers rank among world’s most influential

    Eight University of Illinois researchers have been named to the Thomson Reuters / Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers list for 2016. The list identifies scientists “whose research has had significant global impact within their respective fields of study."

  • Illinois biochemistry professor Satish Nair and his colleagues found a way to use a microbial enzyme to efficiently transform proteins by adding lipid (fat) molecules to them.

    Team finds new way to attach lipids to proteins, streamlining drug development

    A new study reveals an efficient means of attaching lipids (fat molecules) to peptides (the building blocks of proteins). This can improve the molecules’ drug-delivery capabilities.

  • An enzyme that metabolizes beta carotene may play a vital role in testosterone metabolism as well, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Illinois. From left to right, professor emeritus of food science and nutrition John W. Erdman Jr., molecular and integrative physiology professor Eric C. Bolton and professor emeritus of comparative pathology Matthew A. Wallig. Additional co-authors: Illinois alumni Joshua W. Smith and Nikki A. Ford, and Steven K. Clinton, Nancy E. Moran and Jennifer M. Thomas-Ahner, all of Ohio State University.

    Paper: Enzyme that digests vitamin A also may regulate testosterone levels

    An enzyme that converts the dietary carotenoid beta carotene into vitamin A in the body may also regulate testosterone levels and growth of the prostate, researchers at the University of Illinois found in a study.  

  • A new study links blood levels of a key nutrient to brain structure and intelligence in older adults.

    Study links nutrition to brain health and intelligence in older adults

    A study of older adults offers insight into how a pigment found in leafy greens that tends to accumulate in brain tissue may contribute to the preservation of “crystallized intelligence,” the ability to use the skills and knowledge one has acquired over a lifetime.

  • Professor Richard Kaplan

    What is driving Congress to potentially change Medicaid?

    Professor Richard Kaplan discusses the impetus behind congressional leaders’ desire to change Medicaid, the health insurance program with more than 74 million enrollees in the U.S.

  • A constellation of vesicles, tiny cellular transport packages seen here as blue dots, are released by cancer cells into the surrounding tissue. Illinois researchers found that these vesicles, coupled with molecular changes in metabolism, can signal big changes in the tissue around tumors.

    Tiny exports signal big shifts in cancer tissue, researchers find

    Microscopic shifts in metabolism and increases in tiny transport vesicles out of tumor cells preface larger changes to the tumor environment and could prepare the way for cancerous cells to spread and metastasize, University of Illinois researchers report.

  • A new study reveals how many extra calories Americans consume from sugar, fat and saturated fat when they flavor their coffee and tea drinks.

    Study tallies extra calories Americans consume in their coffee, tea

    A new analysis reveals just how much Americans are adding to their caloric intake by spicing up or sweetening their coffee or tea.

  • A new study explored Latinas’ attitudes toward lay community health researchers called “promotoras.” Co-authors on the paper were, from left front, Jennifer McCaffrey, assistant dean of family and consumer sciences; kinesiology and community health professor Andiara Schwingel; applied family studies professor Angela R. Wiley, and nutritional sciences professor Dr. Margarita Teran-Garcia.

    Cultural, linguistic gaps may deter Latinos from joining health programs

    The success of community health interventions targeting Latinos could be hindered by linguistic and cultural gaps unless researchers recognize the diversity that exists among Latino populations and work closely with community members to adapt programming accordingly, a new study led by University of Illinois researchers suggests.

  • Illinois researchers developed a way to target tumors using sugars that are metabolized by the cancer cell’s own enzymes. From left: postdoctoral researcher Yang Liu, professor Jianjun Cheng, postdoctoral researcher Zhiyu Wang, graduate student Kaimin Cai, research scientist Iwona T. Dobrucka, professor Wawrzyniec Lawrence Dobrucki and graduate student Ruibo Wang (seated).

    Tumor-targeting system uses cancer’s own mechanisms to betray its location

    By hijacking a cancer cell’s own metabolism, researchers have found a way to tag and target elusive cancers with small-molecule sugars. This opens treatment pathways for cancers that are not responsive to conventional targeted antibodies, such as triple-negative breast cancer.

  • Study: Changing the environment within bone marrow alters blood cell development

    Researchers at the University of Illinois report they can alter blood cell development through the use of biomaterials designed to mimic characteristics of the bone marrow.

  • Differences in the microbes that live in the lining of the colon of African-Americans and non-Hispanic whites  are linked to the risk of colon cancer in African-Americans.

    Study links sulfide-producing bacteria and colon cancer in African-Americans

    A new study reveals that African-Americans have measurable differences in the number and type of bacteria that live in the colon – and those differences are related to their higher-than-average colon cancer risk.

  • University of Illinois recreation, sport and tourism professor Liza Berdychevsky found in a recent study that young women who take sexual risks when traveling fall into five different clusters, based on their motivations for these behaviors and their perceptions of the risks involved. Sexual health campaigns should leverage this diversity in developing messages that are tailored to the needs and beliefs of particular groups of young women, Berdychevsky said.

    Tailored sexual health messages urgently needed for young female tourists, expert says

    With both tourism and casual “hookup” sex on the rise among college-age adults, there’s an urgent need for sexual health campaigns aimed at young female tourists who are sexual risk-takers, University of Illinois scholar Liza Berdychevsky suggests.

  • Illinois researchers used CRISPR technology to activate silent gene clusters in Streptomyces bacteria, a potential treasure trove of new classes of drugs. Pictured, clockwise from back middle: graduate student Behnam Enghiad, postdoctoral researcher Shangwen Luo, graduate student Tajie Luo and professor Huimin Zhao.

    CRISPR mines bacterial genome for hidden pharmaceutical treasure

    In the fight against disease, many weapons in the medicinal arsenal have been plundered from bacteria themselves. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, researchers have now uncovered even more potential treasure hidden in silent genes.

  • Kinesiology and community health professor Diana Grigsby-Toussaint and her colleagues found that many popular sleep apps fail to educate users about the benefits of sleep or risks of not getting enough of it.

    Study of sleep apps finds room for improvement

    An analysis of 35 popular phone-based sleep apps finds that while most help users set sleep-related goals and track and manage their sleep, few make use of other methods known to help the chronically sleep-deprived.

  • University of Illinois researchers developed a method to detect and map DNA methylation, which can be a sign of cancer, by threading the DNA through a tiny hole in a thin sheet of conductive material with a current running through it.

    Nanopores could map small changes in DNA that signal big shifts in cancer

    Detecting cancer early, just as changes are beginning in DNA, could enhance diagnosis and treatment as well as further our understanding of the disease. A new study by University of Illinois researchers describes a method to detect, count and map tiny additions to DNA called methylations, which can be a warning sign of cancer, with unprecedented resolution.

  • U. of I. psychology researcher Sanda Dolcos and graduate student Yifan Hu found brain differences among healthy college students that are linked to their risk of anxiety and negative bias.

    Study links brain structure, anxiety and negative bias in healthy adults

    Healthy college students who have a relatively small inferior frontal cortex – a brain region behind the temples that helps regulate thoughts and emotions – are more likely than others to suffer from anxiety, a new study finds. They also tend to view neutral or even positive events in a negative light, researchers report.

  • Illinois scientists are making advances in pharmaceutical chemistry (1); tracking invasive species (2) and emerging diseases (3); understanding pollinator biology, behavior and population status (4); exploring genomics (5); developing new imaging techniques (6); improving photosynthesis (7) and developing and harvesting biomass for bioenergy production (8).

    Science at Illinois feeds the world, furthers health, protects the planet

    Illinois scientists are helping power plants run more efficiently, designing better, longer-lasting batteries, finding new ways to target cancerous tumors, and developing robots that can aid in construction, in agricultural fields and even inside the human body.

  • Photo of Brenna Ellison, a professor of agriculture and consumer economics at Illinois and an expert in consumer food preferences and behaviors.

    Paper: Nutrition label readers favor food quality over quantity

    Although nutrition-label users eat roughly the same amount of food as less-discerning diners, the two groups diverge when it comes to the quality of the food they eat, says a new paper co-written by Brenna Ellison, a professor of agriculture and consumer economics at Illinois and an expert in consumer food preferences and behaviors.

  • Professor Aron Barbey led a team that found that the structural integrity of the hippocampus, a region in the brain, could mediate the relationship between fitness and memory.

    Brain tissue structure could explain link between fitness and memory

    Studies have suggested a link between fitness and memory, but researchers have struggled to find the mechanism that links them. A new study by University of Illinois researchers found that the key may lie in the microstructure of the hippocampus, a region in the middle of the brain involved in memory processes.

  • University of Illinois biochemistry professor Lin-Feng Chen, right, with, from left, postdoctoral researchers Xiangming Hu, Yan Bao and Jinjing Chen, study proteins that regulate the inflammatory response.

    Study offers new insight into powerful inflammatory regulator

    A new study in mice reveals how a protein called Brd4 boosts the inflammatory response – for better and for worse, depending on the ailment. The study is the first to show that this protein, while problematic in some circumstances, also can protect the body from infection.

  • The Carle Illinois College of Medicine’s nearly 100 faculty include prominent researchers, administrators and medical professionals with a broad range of expertise. Pictured, back row, from left: Jeff Woods, professor, College of Applied Health Studies; Dan Morrow, professor, College of Education; Dr. Priyank Patel, Carle; Wawryneic Dobrucki, professor, College of Engineering. Front row, from left: Margarita Teran-Garcia, professor, College of ACES; Susan Martinis, professor, College of LAS; and Janet Liechty, professor, School of Social Work.

    Carle Illinois College of Medicine announces inaugural faculty

    The Carle Illinois College of Medicine has announced nearly 100 inaugural faculty members.

  • Educational psychologist Daniel Morrow is leading a project aimed at helping people with low health literacy better understand their health data.

    Computer-generated doctor explains test results to patients

    A computer-generated physician, now under development at the University of Illinois' Beckman Institute, explains diabetes and cholesterol test results to would-be patients in videos designed for viewing on electronic medical record portals.

  • Researchers have found a way to penetrate the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria, overcoming a major barrier to the development of new broad-spectrum antibiotics.

    Antibiotic breakthrough: Team discovers how to overcome gram-negative bacterial defenses

    Scientists report that they now know how to build a molecular Trojan horse that can penetrate gram-negative bacteria, solving a problem that for decades has stalled the development of effective new antibiotics against these increasingly drug-resistant microbes. The findings appear in the journal Nature.

  • Molecular prosthetics are small molecules that can replace missing proteins to treat diseases. Illinois professor Martin Burke describes one that could treat anemia by replacing an iron transport protein.

    ‘Molecular prosthetics’ can replace missing proteins to treat disease

    Researchers have demonstrated that a small molecule can transport iron in human cells and live animals when proteins that normally do the same job are missing, a condition that often causes severe anemia in patients. Such “molecular prosthetics” might treat a host of incurable diseases caused by protein deficiencies, such as anemias, cystic fibrosis or certain types of heart disease.

  • Using public health and transportation data, Illinois professor Sheldon H. Jacobson and colleagues found that higher mass transit use is correlated with lower obesity rates.

    Study: Higher mass transit use associated with lower obesity rates

    Healthy mass transit systems could contribute to healthier communities, according to a new study by University of Illinois researchers that determined higher mass transit use was correlated with lower obesity rates in counties across the United States.

  • New studies link specific nutrients to the structure and function of brain regions that are particularly sensitive to aging and neurodegenerative disease.

    Studies link healthy brain aging to omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the blood

    Two new studies link patterns of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the blood to the integrity of brain structures and cognitive abilities that are known to decline early in aging.

  • Postdoctoral researcher Fengjiao Zhang and professor Ying Diao developed devices for sensing disease markers in breath.

    Sensors detect disease markers in breath

    A small, thin square of an organic plastic that can detect disease markers in breath or toxins in a building’s air could soon be the basis of portable, disposable sensor devices. By riddling the thin plastic films with pores, University of Illinois researchers made the devices sensitive enough to detect at levels that are far too low to smell, yet are important to human health.

  • Professor Kristopher Kilian led a research team that developed a chemical array to culture metastatic cancer cells so that different treatments can be tested on them.

    Chemical array draws out malignant cells to guide individualized cancer treatment

    Melanoma is a particularly difficult cancer to treat once it has metastasized, spreading throughout the body. University of Illinois researchers are using chemistry to find the deadly, elusive malignant cells within a melanoma tumor that hold the potential to spread.

  • Fred Kummerow, a professor of comparative biosciences at the University of Illinois, continued his research for more than seven decades. Kummerow died May 31 at his home in Urbana.

    Fred A. Kummerow, successful crusader against trans fats, dies at 102

    Fred A. Kummerow, a pioneer in the study of dietary contributors to heart disease who led a decades-long crusade to remove trans fats from the food supply, died Wednesday, May 31, at his home in Urbana, Illinois. He was 102.

  • Seasonings may entice adults who don’t generally eat vegetables at lunchtime into increasing their vegetable intake, suggests a new study led by Joanna Manero, a graduate student in food science and human nutrition.

    Herbs, spices on vegetables may increase their appeal to men, young adults

    Adults who don’t routinely eat vegetables for lunch -- especially men and younger adults -- may be more likely to consume them if the vegetables are seasoned, University of Illinois researchers found in a new study of more than 530 adults.

  • In two new studies, University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Naiman Khan, postdoctoral researcher Anne Walk and their colleagues found links between levels of lutein in the eye and cognition and academic performance in pre-adolescent children.

    Studies link nutrient, academic achievement in pre-adolescent children

    Researchers can look into your eyes to determine whether you’re getting your lutein, a pigment found in green leafy vegetables that is known to accumulate in the brain. Two new studies find that children with higher lutein levels in the eye tend to do better than others on tests of cognition and academic achievement, even after accounting for other factors known to influence academic performance such as IQ, gender, body composition and physical fitness.

  • The heart enlarges in response to growing demands from exercise or heart disease. A new study identifies a key molecular player in this process.

    Study identifies key player in heart enlargement

    The heart is a dynamic muscle that grows and shrinks in response to stressors such as exercise and disease. The secret to its malleability lies in individual cells, which get bigger or smaller depending on the heart’s needs. A new study of mouse hearts reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which heart cells control their size by ramping up or stopping the production of a key factor called PABPC1. The findings, reported in the journal eLife, could assist in the development of therapeutics that promote healthy heart growth and prevent disease.

  • A study led by University of Illinois social work professor Karen M. Tabb Dina found that postpartum women in Brazil who experienced domestic violence were three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts.

    Paper: New mothers abused by partners at greater risk of suicidal thoughts

    New mothers who are in abusive relationships are three times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, a new study suggests. Conducted with women in Brazil, the study is among a growing body of research to establish a link between suicidality and intimate partner violence among postpartum women in low- or middle-income countries.

  • University of Illinois researchers and physicians at Carle Foundation Hospital developed a rapid test for sepsis that counts white blood cells and certain protein markers on their surface to monitor a patient's immune response.

    Quick test finds signs of sepsis in a single drop of blood

    A new portable device can quickly find markers of deadly, unpredictable sepsis infection from a single drop of blood.

  • Graduate student Josephine Watson, professor Aditi Das, graduate student Megan Corbett, professor Kristopher Kilian and their colleagues discovered an enzymatic pathway that converts omega-3-derived endocannabinoids into more potent anti-inflammatory molecules.

    Study: Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids

    Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, THC, is responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits – but without the psychotropic high. 

  • Physics professor Klaus Schulten and postdoctoral researcher Juan R. Perilla conducted a 64-million-atom simulation of the HIV capsid. Schulten died in 2016.

    Massive simulation shows HIV capsid interacting with its environment

    It took two years on a supercomputer to simulate 1.2 microseconds in the life of the HIV capsid, a protein cage that shuttles the HIV virus to the nucleus of a human cell. The 64-million-atom simulation offers new insights into how the virus senses its environment and completes its infective cycle.

  • Lutein may play a protective role against age-related cognitive decline, suggests a study by University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor Naiman Khan and postdoctoral researcher Anne Walk.

    Lutein may counter cognitive aging, study finds

    Spinach and kale are favorites of those looking to stay physically fit, but they also could keep consumers cognitively fit, according to a new study from University of Illinois researchers.

  • Illinois postdoctoral researcher Diane Ehlers and professor Edward McAuley found that physical activity may have cognitive benefits for cancer survivors struggling with fatigue and “chemo brain.”

    Physical activity could combat fatigue, cognitive decline in cancer survivors

    A new study indicates that cancer patients and survivors have a ready weapon against fatigue and “chemo brain”: a brisk walk.

  • Illinois professor Aron Barbey led a study that examined how cognitive cross-training affects skill learning.

    Cognitive cross-training enhances learning, study finds

    Just as athletes cross-train to improve physical skills, those wanting to enhance cognitive skills can benefit from multiple ways of exercising the brain, according to a comprehensive new study from University of Illinois researchers.

  • Media portrayals of pregnant and postpartum women are unrealistic and may heighten women’s self-consciousness and dissatisfaction with their bodies, women said in a new study led by University of Illinois recreation, sport and tourism professor Toni Liechty.

    Media portrayals of pregnant women, new moms unrealistic, study says

    Media portrayals of pregnant and postpartum women tend to be unrealistic, and their focus on women's bodies may may be detrimental to women and their infants, suggests a new study by University of Illinois scholar Toni Liechty.

  • U. of I. psychology professor Nicole Allen is a co-author on a new analysis of sexual assault victimization and mental health outcomes.

    Increased risk of suicide, mental health conditions linked to sexual assault victimization

    An analysis of nearly 200 independent studies involving more than 230,000 adult participants finds that having been sexually assaulted is associated with significantly increased risk of anxiety, depression, suicidality, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder.

  • Disease-causing bacteria like Yersinia enterocolitica, pictured, communicate with chemical signals that allow them to respond collectively to environmental changes. Researchers hope to harness these signals to fight bacterial infections.

    Slowing dangerous bacteria may be more effective than killing them, researchers report

    A new study suggests it may be possible to slow dangerous infections by manipulating the messages microbes send to one another, allowing the body to defeat an infection without causing the bacteria to develop resistance to the treatment.

  • In a new study of more than 1,400 critically ill calves with diarrhea, Peter D. Constable and his colleagues found that clinical signs of disease were better predictors of mortality than the laboratory data that clinicians have relied upon historically. Constable is the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois.

    Paper: Clinical signs best predictors of mortality in critically ill calves

    Clinical signs may be better predictors of mortality in neonatal calves with diarrhea than blood pH levels and other laboratory findings, suggests a new study co-written by University of Illinois researcher Peter D. Constable.

  • Neuroscience graduate student Sara Schmidt and speech and hearing science professor Fatima Husain conducted a study that found that tinnitus patients have differences in the region of the brain called the precuneus, which cause the brain to stay more at attention and be less at rest.

    Ringing in ears keeps brain more at attention, less at rest, study finds

    Tinnitus, a chronic ringing or buzzing in the ears, has eluded medical treatment and scientific understanding. A new study by University of Illinois researchers found that chronic tinnitus is associated with changes in certain networks in the brain, and furthermore, those changes cause the brain to stay more at attention and less at rest.

  • Substituting foods low in saturated fat may not be as beneficial for high cholesterol and weight loss as previously thought, suggests a new study led by graduate research assistant Bridget A. Hannon, right. Co-authors included, from left, pre-doctoral fellow Sharon V. Thompson and Dr. Margarita Teran-Garcia, who holds appointments in nutritional sciences and human development and family studies.

    Study examines dietary fats’ impact on healthy, obese adults

    Metabolically healthy obese adults consuming a diet high in unsaturated fat and low in saturated fat may be able to decrease their total cholesterol by 10 points, a new University of Illinois study suggests.

  • Illinois professor Aron Barbey led a study that found the functional network organization in the brain mediates the relationship between nutrition and intelligence.

    Nutrition has benefits for brain network organization, new research finds

    A new study found that monounsaturated fatty acids are linked to general intelligence and the organization of the brain’s attention network.

  • Researchers at the University of Illinois worked with physicians at Carle Foundation Hospital in a new study that found one measurement of biomarkers in the blood can predict a patient’s sepsis status as well as monitoring the patient for hours. Pictured, from left: Professors Rashid Bashir and Ruoqing Zhu, Prenosis Inc. employee Ishan Taneja and professor Sihai Dave Zhao.

    Study: Biomarkers as predictive of sepsis as lengthy patient monitoring

    One measurement of key biomarkers in blood that characterize sepsis can give physicians as much information as hours of monitoring symptoms, a new study found.