Wednesday, April 14, 2021
UM School of Medicine Researchers Map Brain Regions Responsible for Intoxicating Effects of Alcohol
The slurred speech, poor coordination, and sedative effects of drinking too much alcohol may actually be caused by the breakdown of alcohol products produced in the brain, not in the liver as scientists currently think. That is the finding of a new study led by researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. It was published recently in the journal Nature Metabolism and provides new insights into how alcohol may affect the brain and the potential for new treatments to treat alcohol misuse.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
UM School of Medicine Researchers Find Habitual Snoring Linked to Significant Brain Changes in Children
Children who regularly snore have structural changes in their brain that may account for the behavioral problems associated with the condition, including lack of focus, hyperactivity, and learning difficulties at school. That is the finding of a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), which was published today in the journal Nature Communications.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
UM School of Medicine Study Shows that Psychedelic Experience May Not be Required for Psilocybin’s Antidepressant-like Benefits
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have shown that psilocybin—the active chemical in “magic mushrooms”— still works its antidepressant-like actions, at least in mice, even when the psychedelic experience is blocked. The new findings suggest that psychedelic drugs work in multiple ways in the brain, and it may be possible to deliver the fast-acting antidepressant therapeutic benefit without requiring daylong guided-therapy sessions.
Monday, April 12, 2021
University of Maryland School of Medicine Study Identifies New Mechanism that May Cause Blindness in Older Adults
Using laboratory-grown roundworms, as well as human and mouse eye tissue, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified a new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration—the leading cause of blindness among older adults. The UMSOM researchers say that the findings suggest a new and distinct cause that is different from the previous model of a problematic immune system, showing that the structural organization of the eye’s light-detecting cells may be affected by the disease. The discovery offers the potential to identify new molecular targets to treat the disease.
Friday, April 09, 2021
Lowering Music Volume at Group Spin Classes Does Not Affect Intensity of Workouts, UM School of Medicine Researchers Find
Fitness center instructors often turn up music volumes significantly during classes sometimes loud enough to cause hearing damage -- based on an assumption that participants will work out more intensively when volumes are raised. A new University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) study, however, found that those who attend indoor cycling (“spinning”) classes do not lower the intensity of their workouts when the volume is reduced to a safer decibel level. The findings were published today in the journal Noise & Health.
Friday, April 09, 2021
Researchers Link Several Heart Disease Risk Factors to Increased Risk of COVID-19 Infections
As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, researchers have found associations between certain lifestyle factors and a person’s risk of getting infected. While it has already been established that those with Type II diabetes and a high body mass index (BMI) are at greater risk of experiencing hospitalizations and other severe complications related to COVID-19, they are also at greater risk of getting symptomatic infection in the first place. That is the finding of a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM)that was published in the journal, PLoS ONE.
Thursday, April 08, 2021
UM School of Medicine Genomics Scientist Claire M. Fraser, PhD, Delivers Passionate Address as Capstone to Her Presidency of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Genomic medicine pioneer and leader Claire M. Fraser, PhD, who is the Director of the Institute for Genome Sciences and the Dean’s Endowed Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), recently concluded her year as President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) with a stirring lecture at the group’s annual meeting.
Thursday, April 01, 2021
University of Maryland Medicine and the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance Mark One-Year Anniversary of Center for Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disorders and TSC Center of Maryland
Maryland’s only treatment centers for adults with autism, epilepsy, tuberous sclerosis complex, and other neurodevelopmental conditions fill critical need for clinical care and social support. Across Maryland, adults who have aged out of pediatric programs for neurodevelopment disorders such as autism, have found a critical resource in The University of Maryland Clinical Center for Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (UMCCAND) and the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Center of Maryland (TSCCM). Launched one year ago, the two centers provide clinical evaluation, care, and treatment for a range of complex neuro-disabilities including adult autism, epilepsy, tuberous sclerosis, and other neuro-disabilities.
Monday, March 29, 2021
Cancer Drug Lessens the Toxicity of a Protein from the Virus that Causes Covid-19, UM School of Medicine Study Finds
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified the most toxic proteins made by SARS-COV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19 – and then used an FDA-approved cancer drug to blunt the viral protein’s detrimental effects. In their experiments in fruit flies and human cell lines, the team discovered the cell process that the virus hijacks, illuminating new potential candidate drugs that could be tested for treating severe COVID-19 disease patients. Their findings were published in two studies simultaneously on March 25 in Cell & Bioscience, a Springer Nature journal.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Longstanding UM School of Medicine Dean and Widely Recognized Academic and Institutional Leader, Dr. E. Albert Reece, Announces He Will Transition from the Deanship in 2022; His Tenure Conti
University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, a widely recognized visionary leader who elevated the UMSOM into a top-tier biomedical research and patient-focused academic center, announced that he will complete his 16-year tenure as Dean, at the end of the next academic year. He will return to the UMSOM faculty where he will lead a new Center, and continue research and teaching.