In the news

Dr. Sindhu Ramchandren discusses goals for better CMT outcome measurements

Dr. Sindhu Ramchandren, assistant professor of neurology in Wayne State University's School of Medicine, is seeking a better way to determine the effectiveness of treatments for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, or inherited sensory-motor neuropathy, a disease that afflicts one in 2,500 people. With a four-year, $661,000 Mentored Career Development Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the National Institutes of Health, she is working to develop an outcome measurement that accurately reflects CMT progression in children.
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Times-Herald reports Troy Burrell making history at Wayne State

Port Huron High School graduate and redshirt senior receiver Tony Burrell is noted in this story as quickly making his way to the top of the Warriors record books. Last Saturday, in Wayne State\'s 31-25 victory against Minnesota-Duluth, Burrell led the Warriors with 11 catches for 163 yards and two scores to help the Warriors advance to the Division II national semifinals. With his performance against Duluth, Burrell became the Warriors\' all-time leader in receptions with 182. He is second on the all-time list in receiving touchdowns with 27 and is also second in receiving yards with 3,044. He is ninth all-time in all-purpose yards with 3,202 and is 10th on the all-time scoring list with 28 touchdowns.

Professor George Galster discusses Detroit race relations in Bloomberg Business Week

The law that threatens Detroit with direct state rule may be repealed through a petition drive powered by unions and residents opposed to white control of a city that's 82 percent black. George Galster, professor of urban affairs at Wayne State University, said the racial divide there is the deepest of any major U.S. city. Armed troops quelled riots there in 1836, 1863, 1943 and 1967, he said. "This town has been steeped in racial hatred for so long, white folks and black folks have a real hard time cooperating."

Warriors a tough team on the road

A local story about the upcoming regional final between the Wayne State "Road Warriors" and third-ranked Winston-Salem State discusses the season and prospects for the game at Bowman Gray Stadium on Saturday at 2 p.m. Warriors head coach Paul Winters comments throughout the piece. \"We\'ve got a determined group and they are very close-knit. We\'ve got some breaks along the way, but it\'s been a great ride.\" The Warriors hope to keep riding all the way to Florence, Ala., the site of the Division II national championship on Dec. 17. Jeff Weiss, Wayne State's sports information director, also is quoted in the story. Photos are included.

Wayne State gets grant to study fetal alcohol disorders

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are one of the most common causes of birth defects worldwide and are particularly prevalent in some South African communities. A team of researchers led by Sandra W. Jacobson and Joseph L. Jacobson, professors of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences in Wayne State University's School of Medicine, received a $413,440 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health to conduct a new study designed to improve the diagnosis of FASDs. The research "is addressing a critical research area that currently lacks specific diagnostic criteria and an understanding of the neural structures that underlie specific cognitive deficits due to repeated fetal alcohol exposure," said Hilary Ratner, vice president for research at Wayne State University.
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Law professor John Mogk talks about Detroit Works project

John Mogk, a longtime law professor at Wayne State University specializing in government and urban development issues, said he foresees four major obstacles that continue to hinder Detroit Works, an effort launched in 2019 to more broadly engage city residents and develop a long-range plan for city development. Those include political resistance among residents of distressed neighborhoods who don\'t like the idea of being downsized; the fiscal challenge of paying to implement any plan; the city\'s diminished administrative capacity to handle complex details of any major plan, and legal challenges that may be filed against whatever plan emerges next year.
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Sheila Cockrel comments in USA Today about Detroit emergency financial manager

Sheila Cockrel, who teaches at Wayne State University and is a former city council member for 16 years, commented about the challenges facing an emergency financial manager should Gov. Rick Snyder appoint someone to fill the slot. She said long-term relief is unlikely until the city changes the pension system to a 401(k)-style defined-contribution plan and puts more health insurance costs on employees and retirees. \"The entire structure of the city reflects a 1950s model in which the United States was the dominant economy of the world and automobile manufacturing was the core driver,\" said Cockrel. \"None of that is true anymore.\"

WSU research referenced on Medical News Today website

According to a study in The Journal of Pain, chronic pain suffered by one spouse can affect marital communication and influence the partner\'s ability to cope with a chronic pain condition. Researchers from Wayne State University and the Norwegian Center for Addiction Research tested how the sequences and base rates of couples\' affective interactions related to pain and emotional adjustment in both partners. According to their theory, invalidating behavior followed by undermining behavior by either partner would be linked to more severe pain, less marital satisfaction and depression.

Numerous media outlets report Warriors' advance to Division II semifinals

The cinderella story of the 2011 Wayne State University football team continued on Saturday as the Warriors (11-3 overall) claimed a 31-25 triumph at Minnesota Duluth (11-3 overall), the defending national champions. WSU, seeded sixth in Super Region 3, recorded three consecutive road wins (48-38 at #14-St. Cloud State, 38-26 at #4 Nebraska Kearney, and 31-25 at #9 Minnesota Duluth) to advance to next weekend\'s national semifinal contest at Winston-Salem. Matt Cunningham, director of athletic development, commented in the WWJ report. WDIV-TV viewers are informed about the game viewing at Starters Bar and Grill.

WSU's Robin Boyle quoted in Detroit News about downtown structures and buildings

Quicken Loans Inc. founder Dan Gilbert\'s accumulation of downtown properties might soon restore life in several big, empty buildings in Detroit. But vacant, blighted structures will dot the central business district for years to come, real estate analysts say. \"While there obviously has been an impact, and each acquisition (by Gilbert) gains a headline, the volume of vacant parcels is still significant,\" said Robin Boyle, chair of Wayne State University\'s Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Downtown has many obsolete buildings, Boyle said. The global financial crunch makes it difficult to put together financing to buy structures or fix them.