New methods make genetic testing simpler and faster

September is Tay-Sachs Awareness Month, highlighting a genetic disorder much more prevalent in the Jewish community than in the population at large. Concern about Tay-Sachs led to interest in screening for Jewish genetic diseases in the 1970s. Since then, the incidence of Tay-Sachs disease, which is invariably fatal, has fallen by more than 90 percent because of genetic screening. Jerry Feldman, M.D., a professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine and director of its Clinical Genetic Services, says the number of identified disorders more common in the Ashkenazi Jewish community has grown to more than 80, but he notes that beyond that, different labs may test for additional mutations that are found in many ethnic groups. 

September 27, 2017

$3.2M NIH Award To Wayne State To Improve Asthma Care/Outcomes In African American Youth

DETROIT – A research team led by Deborah Ellis, Ph.D., professor of family medicine and public health sciences in Wayne State University's School of Medicine, received a $3.2 million award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The grant will fund a study that will develop interventions to reduce barriers to optimal asthma management and reduce the risk for asthma-related deaths of minority children, with a focus on African American adolescents.

August 30, 2017

Brain imaging studies seek signs of autism before birth

Brain scans of people with autism reveal many things — structures that are unusually large or small, or atypical patterns of activity. But increasing evidence suggests that autism begins well before birth. By the time a person is diagnosed, her brain may have already adjusted to compensate for the condition.

August 17, 2017

Detroit seeks volunteers to help curb infant mortality

Detroit — The city of Detroit is seeking volunteers for a new program that links pregnant Detroit mothers with female mentors to guide them through their baby’s first birthday. Mayor Mike Duggan unveiled plans in February for SisterFriends Detroit, a community-based support program aimed at helping reduce premature births and infant mortality. Since then, SisterFriends has operated as a pilot program, matching volunteer mentors with 42 pregnant women in the city.

August 16, 2017

Infant mortality rates improve in Detroit, Michigan

Fewer babies overall are dying before their first birthday in Detroit and across the state, though infant mortality has increased for Hispanics and black infants still die at a rate double that of white babies, according to a report released Wednesday.

August 9, 2017

WSU gets $3 million NIH grant for improving diabetes care in youth

Wayne State University has received a $3.05 million grant from the National Institute of Health for a five-year trial focused on helping parents and other caretakers assist diabetic adolescents to complete their daily care.

June 8, 2017

'Power Over Pain' Intervention Tackles Perception of Cancer Pain

A new interventional model for self-management of cancer pain focusing on reinforcement of the perception of pain control shows efficacy in the treatment of African Americans with cancer pain in a longitudinal, randomized study and may have benefits in other populations. "Interventions to increase perceived control over pain have the potential to improve functional status by decreasing pain and pain-related distress," said first author, April Hazard Vallerand, PhD, from the College of Nursing at Wayne State University

May 23, 2017

Study explores disproportionately higher mortality among black cancer survivors

Researchers from Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine received a 5-year, $9 million grant from NCI to investigate why mortality rates are higher among black cancer survivors. “Disparities in cancer survivorship that disproportionately burden African Americans are the product of the complex interactions occurring among genetic and biological factors and social, behavioral and environmental factors,” Ann G. Schwartz, PhD, MPH, professor and deputy center director for population sciences at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine, said in a press release.

May 19, 2017

Patients fare worse with older doctors, study finds

Could your doctor’s age affect how you fare during treatment? Perhaps — though the impact is fairly small, according to a new study. Dr. Jack Sobel, a Detroit physician not affiliated with the study, said he is not surprised by the findings. “It’s not that clinical skills deteriorate,” he said. “People over the age of 65 are just not as familiar with the new methods. That’s what gives younger doctors the edge. It’s access to newer technology, and knowing the newer drugs.” Sobel, who is 74, said he tries to keep his skills current by reading five medical journals a day, in between treating patients and teaching students at Wayne State University, where he is dean of the medical school. “I happen to be addicted to keeping up to date,” he said. “But I’m not the norm.”

May 16, 2017

Wayne State environmental center gets $7.5 million from NIH

Wayne State University's Center for Urban Responses to Environmental Stressors (CURES) received a $7.5 million five-year renewal from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, the Detroit university announced. The previous grant was a three-year grant worth $2.4 million.

May 3, 2017

What will it take to make Detroit a "baby friendly" city?

In Detroit, 50 percent of infant mortality can be attributed to low birth weight, according to information from Make Your Date Detroit. Funded in part by the DMC Foundation, March of Dimes ,and WSU, Make Your Date works to identify and treat women at risk for preterm birth. "There are many long-term complications from early birth, including cerebral palsy, respiratory problems, cognitive and learning disabilities," says Dr. Sonia Hassan, associate dean of maternal, perinatal and child health at Wayne State University School of Medicine. "The focus of this program is to get evidence-based strategies—tested medical interventions that are known to reduce preterm birth—and make sure women have access to them."

April 17, 2017

Metro Detroit gets grant for historic study of black cancer survivors

Bester King remembers the moment his doctor told him he had prostate cancer. The Detroit native, who grew up in the North End, was 61, had just retired two years earlier and had known the pain of the disease’s prowess. Both his parents had died of cancer.

March 13, 2017

Roundup: Fuyao, WSU Translational Research, Deadlines Galore & More

Wayne State University has appointed Phillip Levy, a doctor and professor of emergency medicine, to head up its new Translational Science and Clinical Research Innovation program. Housed in WSU’s Integrative Biosciences Center, the Center for Translational Science and Clinical Research Innovation will become the hub of campus-wide clinical research aimed at improving healthcare in Detroit and southeast Michigan.

March 8, 2017

WSU Doc receives DMC support, expands healthLink program

Hayley Thompson, PhD, an associate professor of Oncology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and leader of the Population Studies and Disparities Research Program at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, has received a $99,984 award from the DMC Foundation to expand the Detroit HealthLink for Equity in Cancer Care to the Arab-American community in Dearborn.

March 8, 2017

Vaginal progesterone decreases preterm birth, infant mortality in twin gestations with short cervix

Treatment with vaginal progesterone reduced the risk of preterm birth, neonatal complications and death in pregnant women with twins and who have a short cervix— a risk factor for preterm birth— according to a meta-analysis of individual patient data by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, the Wayne State University School of Medicine, the Detroit Medical Center, and other institutions in the United States and abroad.

March 7, 2017

Wayne Law hosts interprofessional workshop on health disparities

Twenty Wayne State University students attended a half-day, interprofessional workshop on health disparities on Friday, Feb. 10, at Wayne Law.  

March 6, 2017

Wayne State University scientists discover the Zika virus can damage eyes, may cause blindness

DETROIT — Scientists with Wayne State University say they are the first to publish research to show the Zika virus can damage retina cells in the eyes, and in some cases cause blindness. “The key message of the study is that indeed the Zika virus can cause damage,” said Dr. Ashok Kumar, microbiologist and assistant ophthalmology professor with Wayne State University School of Medicine at the Kresge Eye Institute.

February 28, 2017

Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University receive grant to conduct nation’s largest study of cancer in African Americans

Following a five-year, $9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine today announced they will launch the nation’s largest study of African American cancer survivors to better understand disproportionately high incidence and mortality from cancer in this specific population.

February 27, 2017

Mind Over Matter: Healthy cognitive aging

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -- Alzheimer's Disease is 2 to 3 times more common among African-Americans than Caucasians, sometimes called "the silent epidemic." It is the 4th leading cause of death among older African-Americans and Dr. Keith Whitfield from Wayne State University is here to talk about why it is so important for people of diverse background to participate in Alzheimer's research.

February 23, 2017

Wayne State medical school restructures clinical research under new center

Wayne State University's School of Medicine is restructuring its clinical research activity with the creation of the Center for Translational Science and Clinical Research Innovation. The center, created at the end of last year, aims to consolidate existing resources at the Detroit university and work more closely with the community to improve health care for the region. At the helm is Phillip Levy, M.D., assistant vice president for the center.  

February 20, 2017