Recent study findings address an issue policymakers have been raising for years: Regional variation in imaging costs is part of an overall increase in healthcare spending, they say, and curbing geographic variations in healthcare service delivery should be a key effort. However, using geographical patterns as a guide—rather than evaluating the whole picture of how health services are provided across the U.S.—may not actually make healthcare more efficient. J. Michael McWilliams, associate professor of health care policy, led the research.
Metabolic changes in the mother during pregnancy have been linked to impaired fetal development and an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular problems as children reach adulthood, but the physiological origins of these changes in children are unknown. A research team used a mouse model of insulin resistance to find out how it affects metabolism and endocrine pancreas development in the offspring. The research team includes Sevim Kahraman, research fellow in medicine at Joslin Diabetes Center, Ercument Dirice, research fellow in medicine at Joslin Diabetes Center, Dario DeJesus, associate in medicine at Joslin Diabetes Center, and Rohit Kulkarni, associate professor of medicine at Joslin Diabetes Center.
Judith Edersheim, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, participated in a live-stream discussion about the execution of the mentally ill.
A new study gives more meat to the biological connection between longevity and the Mediterranean diet. Immaculata De Vivo, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, led the research.
Groundbreaking research is uncovering better ways to keep AIDS at bay and prevent HIV infection and transmission. Todd Allen, professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is mentioned.
Companies are using 3-D printers to make highly customized products, from running shoes to toys to jewelry. And the medical world is exploring many uses for the technology, including making replacement body parts and implants used to stimulate growth in damaged tissue. George Cheng, research fellow in medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
Hyperacusis, a nonspecific term that has assorted definitions, including “sound sensitivity,” is a poorly understood medical condition that is beginning to receive more serious attention. M. Charles Liberman, Harold F. Schuknecht Professor of Otology and Laryngology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, is quoted.
A Chinese baby formula company is backing a Boston nutritional research center that scientists say will change our understanding of how food influences cognitive function. George Blackburn, S. Daniel Abraham Professor of Nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will lead the new center.
Natalie Stavas, instructor in pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hosptial, authored this blog post about Resilient Coders, a program that teaches high-risk youth coding and to give them a chance at success in tech industry.
Simple bacteria have an immune system with a memory, which allows them to destroy invading viruses they have encountered in the past. In just two years, scientists have discovered how to repurpose the simple virus-shredding technique used by bacteria in more complicated creatures, a feat that is now revolutionizing research across the Boston area and beyond. George Church, professor of genetics, is quoted. Eric Lander, professor of systems biology and founding director of the Broad Institute, is quoted. J. Keith Joung, associate professor of pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, is quoted.
