The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Center is the first hospital in the Midwest to offer the newest molecular breast imaging device - GE Healthcare's Discovery* NM750b. This molecular breast imaging (MBI) technology makes it possible to detect breast cancer in women considered to be at high-risk, especially those with dense breast tissue. "Although molecular breast imaging does not take the place of mammography, it offers another option for patients who need additional imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)," said Dr. Sharon Helmer, clinical service chief, Imaging Department, and director, Breast Imaging, Karmanos Cancer Center; and clinical associate professor, Wayne State University School of Medicine. "The MBI system allows better detection of very small lesions in women with dense breast tissue. Not only will this help eliminate false positives, it may help to detect breast cancers earlier when the disease is highly survivable."

Barbara Redman, dean of Wayne State University's College of Nursing, wrote an op-ed about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and its implications on health care delivery, in particular. "Millions of heretofore uninsured Americans will gain health insurance through a private insurer or a state agency; Michigan alone has 1.2 million uninsured. Many of these individuals already have been regular visitors to emergency rooms and urgent care facilities, often for conditions that are not emergencies. Others received care only when experiencing a severe health problem," Redman wrote. "With health insurance, more people than ever before are likely to seek preventive health care, also known as primary care. This is a good thing, as early detection of health issues can lower treatment costs." Redman added: "A responsible way to broaden the availability of primary care is to increase the number of advanced-practice registered nurses and define their role so they may practice to the full extent of their education and ability. However, this critical need for growth in the nursing workforce is hampered by insufficient funding for nursing education and often outdated state regulations."

Saptarshi Kar, a post-doctoral research fellow in the Wayne State University Department of Biomedical Engineering, won the Young Investigator Award at the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine annual meeting. Meeting attendees included scientists from around the world working in fundamental and translational research related to the role of free radical biology in cardiovascular diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and gastrointestinal diseases. Kar's presentation, "Exploring the Role of SOD during eNOS Uncoupling through a Computational Approach," was selected for the award from a highly competitive pool of approximately 600 abstract submissions.

Cynthia Bir, professor of biomedical engineering at Wayne State University and a regular guest on ESPN's Emmy-winning "Sports Science," comments about crash test dummy technology used in the automotive industry. "As crash test dummies become more lifelike, it's important to know that their improvements in saving lives come from others dying," said Bir. She said the new technologies developed in the auto industry are adapting, and cadaver research is helping companies develop smarter dummies. "We want to make sure whatever innovation is being put in a vehicle doesn't create new injuries," Bir said. "We're now getting down to where we have hit all the major injuries, and dummies are becoming more sophisticated in injuries that aren't life threatening."

The American Civil Liberties Union and four female members of the U.S. military are filing a federal lawsuit challenging the ban against women serving in direct combat positions. They claim the ban limits women from rising through the ranks - even those who have been in firefights. WDET's Quinn Klinefelter talked about the suit with Wayne State law professor Kingsley Brown, who specializes in the legal implications of gender differences. Brown argues the military has good reasons to keep female troops away from combat.

Record numbers of soldiers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious spinal cord injuries (SCI). Medical advancements can help heal their physical wounds, but little is known about how these veterans re-engage with their communities and rebuild meaningful lives. "How do they transition back to family and community life? How do they adjust to their physical impairments? And how do they reconfigure their homes, their work and their lives?" asked Cathy Lysack, professor of occupational therapy and gerontology at Wayne State University. Lysack and Mark Luborsky, professor of anthropology and gerontology at Wayne State University, are co-principal investigators on a new $456,000 grant from the Department of Defense to explore those questions. The three-year grant, shared between WSU's Institute of Gerontology and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will study how service members and veterans with SCI reintegrate into society. Luborsky believes "the time is ripe to discover how military personnel with SCI create a sense of connection."

The Southeast Michigan Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for November is at 51.9, dropping eight points from the October PMI of 58.9 and indicating slowing growth in the Southeast Michigan economy. Declines in production activity, new orders and hiring were the factors contributing to this month's decrease. "A PMI value greater than 50 generally suggests an expanding economy, so at 51.9 the Southeast Michigan economy still experienced growth this month, but at a significantly slower rate than last month," said Ken Doherty, assistant vice president for procurement and strategic sourcing at Wayne State University and a member of the Southeast Michigan chapter of the Institute for Supply Management. "Purchasing managers expressed a variety of concerns about the economic environment over the next six months," said Nitin Paranjpe, a supply chain faculty member at Wayne State University's School of Business Administration who interpreted the results of the purchasing managers survey. "The 'fiscal cliff,' tax reform, economic conditions in Europe, China and the Middle East; and the implementation of new heath care laws were some of the concerns they shared in our survey."

It is hard to doubt Angela Martin's passion for helping families and individuals with disabilities. Not only is the Berkley resident committed to helping her younger sister with a disability live an independent lifestyle, but she also works tirelessly at Wayne State University's Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) to be an advocate on behalf of everyone with a disability to give them a voice. As a result of her work, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities is honoring her with the 2012 Leadership in Advocacy Award at its annual conference Dec. 4 in Washington, D.C. Martin has been involved with DDI for 13 years, starting as a social work intern while she was getting her master's degree. In her work, she is specifically focused on the community service aspect, working with Michigan Partners for Freedom, the Sibling Leadership Network and the Mount Pleasant Monitoring Project.

More than 80 scholarships, fellowships, awards and prizes were presented to accomplished students at the Wayne State University Law School Honors Convocation Nov. 14. The ceremony recognizes exceptional students and gives some of them a chance to meet their scholarship donors in person. Forty-nine percent of Wayne Law's JD candidates received scholarships for the 2011-12 school year. Many of the awards are funded by former and current faculty members, alumni and law firms.

A Wayne State University researcher is working to advance understanding of the movement of chemical compounds through the world's oceans. Mark Baskaran, professor of geology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has received a three-year, $190,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a project that will follow the pathways and cycling of two trace elements in the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Tahiti. During a two-month cruise beginning in October 2013, Baskaran and WSU student John Niedermiller will collect thousands of liters of water samples from up to 5,000-meter depths for polonium and lead analysis in various types of waters, including those with high biological activity, those with low oxygen, and hydrothermal plumes (areas of warmer water). Such plumes can affect a number of biological processes, including large areas of algae bloom.

When a child grows up in the foster care system, they face some unique challenges as college students. They may lack the financial and emotional support their classmates get from families. The Michigan Department of Human Services is trying help them out. They awarded seven universities in Michigan shares of an $800,000 grant. The money will pay on-campus coaches at Wayne State University, Michigan State University, Baker College of Flint, Ferris State University, Saginaw Valley University, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan-Flint who will work with former foster youth.

Wayne State University has announced it will host a memorial service next week for the late broadcaster Sonny Eliot. The well-known media personality and longtime broadcaster on WWJ-AM (950) radio died Nov. 16 at age 91. In his honor, Wayne State announced Thursday that it is putting on an event Dec. 6 called "Always Sonny!" at the Community Arts Auditorium. A dozen friends and colleagues are scheduled to speak at the celebration, including local football broadcaster Jim Brandstatter and Detroit Zoo executive director and CEO Ron Kagan. Eliot hosted movies on local TV and voiced countless commercials. But his longest-lasting gig was as a weathercaster, a job he held for well into the 21st Century.

The Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University's medical school are enrolling patients in a study that tests a new approach to fighting treatment-resistant high blood pressure. The university and health system say patients with the disease may be at risk for heart attacks, strokes and other life-threatening cardiovascular disorders triggered by high blood pressure. The trial will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a procedure called renal denervation, which aims to deactivate overactive nerves in the renal artery leading to the kidney.

More than 75 participating venues, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Detroit Public Library and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History will swing open their doors 5-9:30 p.m. Saturday welcoming "Noel Night" attendees inside free of charge. There will be exhibits, food, horse-drawn carriage rides, children's activities, plenty of holiday shopping options and performances by more than 120 area music, theater and dance groups. Parking is available in area lots and structures such as Wayne State's Parking Structure 6 at 61 Putnam and Parking Structure 8 at 91 West Forest Avenue. Both are located between Woodward and Cass Avenues.

A new study conducted by the University of Michigan's Comprehensive Cancer Center has shown that many women chose to over-treat their breast cancer because of unsubstantiated fears that it may return. The study - released Tuesday night - revealed 70 percent of breast cancer patients that receive a double-mastectomy don't have a clinical reason for having the procedure done. The study found 90 percent of women who had surgery to remove both breasts reported being very worried about the cancer recurring. The research team, including Kendra Schwartz of Wayne State University, had observed a noticeable rise in the number of women that were choosing to have both breasts removed as a part of their cancer treatment strategy - a trend the team suspected was due to more than just clinical attributions.

A federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday challenges the Pentagon's long-standing policy barring women from serving in direct combat positions. The 1994 combat exclusion policy bars women from being assigned to ground combat units, which are smaller and considered more dangerous because they are often in the thick of battle for longer periods than the other units. Supporters of lifting the ban say women are already being wounded and killed in war, and the policy keeps them from being recognized for their battleground experience, which could lead to promotions and higher pay. Opponents include some female troops who question whether women are physically capable of handling the rigors of being assigned to ground combat units. The first and so far the only two women to volunteer for the Marine Corps' grueling 13-week infantry training course at its base in Quantico, Va., were unable to complete it. Wayne State University law professor Kingsley Browne said physical differences do matter in battle - particularly in ground combat.

Nick Schroeck, executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and a 2007 graduate of Wayne State University Law School, is profiled in this article. In May, he received the Recent Alumni Award from the WSU Alumni Association for outstanding professional achievement, community contributions and service to the university. Schroeck frequently appears in the media as an expert on high-profile environmental law issues, including the ongoing dispute over how to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes and the controversy over oil and gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing or "fracking."

A feature story profiles Regina Ann Campbell, who was named as one of 29 Detroit Revitalization Fellows as part of program run by Wayne State University with funding by Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation and the Skillman Foundation. The Fellows program matches rising professionals with organizations working at the forefront of Detroit revitalization efforts. Since September 2011, 29 Fellows have been working in key positions throughout the city. Nine of the Fellows selected out of 647 applicants from 48 states were already in the area, and half of the others had previously lived in Detroit. She is Director of the Milwaukee Junction Business Center in the city's North End, where she oversees all operations ranging from implementation of business development practices to data analysis and strategic partnerships. Her goal is to build the capacity of the business center to support start-up companies and small businesses, as well as, facilitate and engage in business outreach activities for North End Detroit Business owners. "Small businesses stimulate revitalization," she says. "That's where the jobs are for our residents."

By using common materials found pretty much anywhere there is dirt, a team of researchers has developed a new thermoelectric material. This is important, they said, because the vast majority of heat that is generated from, for example, a car engine, is lost through the tail pipe. It's the thermoelectric material's job to take that heat and turn it into something useful, like electricity. The researchers expect this discovery could pave the way to many new, low-cost thermoelectric generation opportunities with applications that include waste heat recovery from industrial power plants, conversion of vehicle exhaust gas heat into electricity, and generation of electricity in home-heating furnaces. The work, a partnership with Wayne State University and other institutions, is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy/Office of Science.

Wayne State University may set its sights on a $750 million fundraising goal for its current campaign by 2018, in time to commemorate the public research university's 150th anniversary. The Division of Development and Alumni Affairs, which previously had said only that it had a capital campaign goal above $500 million, recently sent a request to the deans of all 13 colleges and schools to identify major program needs and possible donors by next summer, said David Ripple, vice president of development and alumni affairs. Ripple estimates Wayne State had, as of last week, raised about $212 million since the quiet period of its new capital campaign began in fall 2010 and hopes to be halfway toward its fundraising goal when the campaign goes public in the fall of 2014. He said he doesn't quarrel with reports of the $750 million figure that have circulated the campus in recent weeks, but the actual campaign goal isn't finalized and will be tailored to the college dean feedback he receives in the next few months.