UR Health Research

09/24/2025

Millisecond windows of time may be key to how we hear

What happens when you listen to speech at a different speed? Neuroscientists thought that your brain may turn up its processing speed as well. But new research led by Sam Norman-Haignere, an assistant professor of biostatistics and computational biology, of biomedical engineering, and of neuroscience, shows that at least the auditory part of the brain keeps “listening” or clocking in at a fixed time.

What happens when you listen to speech at a different speed? Neuroscientists thought that your brain may turn up its processing speed as well. But it turns out that at least the auditory part of the brain keeps “listening” or clocking in at a fixed time.

09/16/2025

NCI Awards $3M for Pancreatic Cancer Research »

Surgeon-scientist Darren Carpizo, professor of Surgical Oncology and Biomedical Genetics, and tumor immunologist Scott Ge**er, associate professor of Surgery and Research, are collaborating at Wilmot to study a novel approach designed to kill pancreatic cancer cells while reprogramming the cancer microenvironment to make it less likely the disease will return. The NCI supported the five-year investigation, which will include a Phase 1 clinical trial.

A novel clinical trial is planned as part of the investigation.

09/12/2025

Phone-free schools will help with school performance, but responsible use should continue at home
New York is joining a growing list of states limiting student cell phone use during the school day. Policies vary, but the goals are similar: help kids focus on learning, improve classroom engagement, and support mental health.

Research from the University of Rochester Digital Wellness Lab suggests that reducing phone use during school can lift academic performance, promote face-to-face interaction, and lessen exposure to cyberbullying. Still, experts emphasize that building healthy tech habits isn’t just about school rules.

“Cell phones aren’t inherently ‘bad,’” says Melissa Heatly, PhD, a child psychologist at UR Medicine’s Golisano Children’s Hospital. “They’re powerful tools for communication and learning, but they can also be distracting and overwhelming for kids who are still developing self-regulation skills.”

09/12/2025

From the sidelines to the front lines, University of Rochester research is redefining how concussions are detected, treated, and prevented.

From the sidelines to the front lines, University of Rochester research is redefining how concussions are detected, treated, and prevented.

09/09/2025

Dr. Chad Heatwole: Hormone Treatment Helps Men with Muscle Disease Get Stronger and Move Better

A small study led by the head of the Center for Health + Technology showed that giving men with a muscle disease called FSHD a mix of growth hormone every day and testosterone twice a week for six months was safe and worked well. The treatment helped improve their strength and ability to move. This early success could lead to bigger studies to see if this hormone mix might become the first real treatment to help people with FSHD and similar muscle problems.

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.

09/02/2025

Brain’s immune cells key to wiring the adolescent brain

Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience have discovered that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, play a key role in how the brain adapts to the changes in the frontal cortex during adolescence, which may transform how neurodevelopmental disorders are treated during this window and, possibly, into adulthood. Explore the research.

Making a smoothie, going for an evening walk, or having empathy for a loved one are all examples of executive functions that are controlled by the brain’s frontal cortex. This area of the brain goes through profound change throughout adolescence, and it is during this time that abnormalities in ma...

08/28/2025

Including more females in cardiac device trials benefits all patients

A recent cardiac device trial led by Valentina Kutyifa, a professor of medicine, enrolled an unprecedented 48 percent females—and revealed that males were twice as likely to die or experience heart rhythm issues within a year of receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator. Read more on how improving the enrollment of females in such trials can better guide care for all patients.

Females are typically underrepresented in clinical heart research, but a recent study enrolled enough females to reveal that males with heart failure were twice as likely to die or experience heart rhythm issues within a year of receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator.

08/28/2025

Immune Cells Help Shape Teen Brains

Scientists Rianne Stowell and Kuan Hong Wang have found that special immune cells in the brain, called microglia, play an important role in how the front part of the brain grows during the teen years. Their study, published in Nature Communications, shows that these cells help build stronger brain connections by reacting to a chemical called dopamine. Learning how the brain changes during this time could lead to better ways to treat conditions like ADHD and schizophrenia, both during the teen years and later in life.

08/28/2025

Lynne Maquat’s Research Offers New Ideas About Fragile X Syndrome

In the science journal Molecular Cell, Lynne Maquat, who leads the University of Rochester’s Center for RNA Biology, explains how a protein called FMRP works and what happens when it’s missing. Her team used careful lab experiments and special imaging tools to challenge the popular idea that problems with ribosomes—tiny parts of cells that make proteins—cause the learning and thinking issues seen in Fragile X syndrome.

08/27/2025

Five common causes of stomach pain in kids

Occasional stomach pain in kids is normal, but when it happens often, it’s important to know the most common causes—and when to call your pediatrician. Here’s a breakdown from Medical Center experts.

08/19/2025

Nimish Mohile Writes Guidelines for New Brain Cancer Treatment »

WCI patients are benefitting from the first new targeted therapy in 20 years for low-grade brain tumors. Mohile, professor of Neuro-Oncology, has 30 patients taking the new drug and was on the national expert panel that published updated treatment guidelines to reflect advances in care.

08/19/2025

Is an overnight hospital stay necessary for breast cancer surgery?

A recent study from the Medical Center and Wilmot Cancer Institute shows that women ages 65 and older—including women in their 90s—can safely leave the hospital on the same day as having a mastectomy for breast cancer and are unlikely to suffer post-surgical complications. Explore the research here.

With proper screening, older women can go home right away after a mastectomy.