university of illinois at chicago

Episode Summary Dr. Amy Lasek studies the biological foundation of alcohol and drug addiction, including the neurobiological differences between men and women as they pertain to alcohol use disorder. Dr. Lasek spoke about her efforts to understand the mechanisms of binge drinking behaviors in women, as well as the important role her drug discovery collaborators play in bringing the basic science

Episode Summary: Dr. Tara Mehta and her partners at Urban Initiatives talk about their efforts to improve children’s mental health by teaching recreational staff how to promote social-emotional learning during recess. Featured Researchers & Partners: Tara Mehta, PhD Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology Department of Psychiatry, UIC College of Medicine Consultant, CCTS Community Engagement &

Amy Lasek, a former UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science pilot grant awardee (2018-2020) and researcher at UIC’s Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, was published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. The study, “Transcriptomics identifies STAT3 as a key regulator of hippocampal gene expression and anhedonia during withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure,” builds on her

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified a potent new antiviral compound that can effectively block viral replication in human cells. The discovery, spearheaded by the UICentre for Drug Discovery, could lead to the development of a new therapy to treat patients infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The researchers say it could be a powerful new weapon in

In the hours after we die, certain cells in the human brain are still active. Some cells even increase their activity and grow to gargantuan proportions, according to new research from the University of Illinois Chicago. In a newly published study in the journal Scientific Reports, the UIC researchers analyzed gene expression in fresh brain tissue — which was collected during routine brain surgery

Rates of severe coal workers’ pneumoconiosis — or black lung disease — among coal miners have been on the rise recently despite regulations on exposure to dusts associated with mining. The higher rates of more severe lung disease may be due to greater exposure to silica, likely as a by-product of going after ever-narrowing coal seams that require cutting through more rock to reach. Silica dust is