University of Minnesota Wins NIH Grant to Study Tuberculosis Immunity
A University of Minnesota Medical School research team was awarded a 5-year, $3.8 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to study early immune responses in the lung and how they influence tuberculosis infection outcomes.
Monument Health Partners With Community Research Program Walking Forward
For 24 years, Walking Forward has worked to close the gap in cancer outcomes for American Indian communities across western South Dakota. Now, the nationally recognized program is joining Monument Health once again, bringing more than two decades of community-based cancer navigation, research and education work under the health system and strengthening its ability to serve patients across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming.
University of Minnesota Experts Bust Five Common Mental Health Myths
Nearly one in five Americans lives with a mental health condition, yet myths and misinformation continue to shape how people seek — or avoid — care. During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, University of Minnesota experts are setting the record straight with evidence-based research, new treatments and workforce innovations that are changing how mental health conditions are understood and treated.
New Data Show Rising Stress and Physical Inactivity Threaten Heart Health
As people across the nation navigate higher levels of stress and spend more of their day sitting, finding time to move can feel challenging. Less than half of adults and fewer than one in five children in the U.S. get the recommended amount of physical activity needed for heart health, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart & Stroke Statistical Update. That’s why the Association invites communities nationwide to gather on Wednesday, April 1 for National Walking Day.
Explore LifeCircle: Click, Learn, Connect
Earlier this year, SDAHO launched an updated and expanded LifeCircle website, making it easier than ever to find resources, education, and opportunities to stay engaged.
Study Projects 6 in 10 U.S. Women Will Develop Cardiovascular Disease by 2050
Driven by rising rates in high blood pressure, nearly 6 in 10 women in the U.S. will have some type of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the next 25 years, according to a new scientific statement published today in Circulation, the peer-reviewed, flagship journal of the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.
Women With History of Stroke Have Increased Risk During or Shortly After Pregnancy
Having had a stroke caused by blocked blood vessels (ischemic stroke) more than doubled an expectant mother’s odds of having another stroke during pregnancy and within six weeks of childbirth, according to a preliminary study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026. The meeting was in New Orleans, Feb. 4-6, 2026, and is a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health.
Nebraska Medicine Introduces New Chair of Women’s Health
When Sarosh Rana, MD, MPH, FACOG, stepped into her new role as the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s chair of obstetrics and gynecology, she did so with a clear sense of urgency — and a proven record of translating urgency into action.
Movement Matters: Study Finds Light Activity Improves Survival Across Chronic Diseases
Light intensity activities, like walking or household chores, were linked to a lower risk of death for people with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) syndrome, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
Uterine Fibroids Associated With Elevated Risk of Heart Disease
Long-term heart disease risk in women diagnosed with uterine fibroids was more than 80% higher than in women without fibroids, according to new independent research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association.
Disrupting Bacterial “Communication” to Advance Human Health
Like all living things, bacteria adapt to survive. Over time, bacteria have been developing resistance to common antibiotics and disinfectants, which poses a growing problem for healthcare and sanitation. However, many species of bacteria are beneficial and even essential for human health. What if there was a way to change the behavior of bacteria in the body to prevent illness and poor health outcomes?
New BHECN Findings Shed Light on Nebraska’s Behavioral Health Workforce
A new report from the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska (BHECN) shows that Nebraska has made steady progress in addressing behavioral health workforce shortages—including in rural areas—but that more work remains to bridge the gap between available services and residents’ needs.
CIDRAP Unveils Updated Coronavirus Vaccine Roadmap Site to Strengthen Global Vaccine R&D Coordination
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) today announced the launch of a new Coronavirus Vaccines R&D Roadmap (CVR) Initiative digital home, a global, open-access platform designed to track scientific progress toward the development of broadly protective coronavirus vaccines.
Study Explores Link Between Whole-Fat Dairy and Improved Heart Health
For decades, Americans have been advised that cutting fat was key for a heart-healthy diet, spurring an industry of low-fat dairy products. A new generation of nutrition research is challenging some of those long-held beliefs — suggesting that for dairy products, the overall effects of whole-fat varieties on heart health may be positive.
The Science of Hope
Sanford Researcher Pilar de la Puente, PhD, is revolutionizing women's cancer research with groundbreaking work on chemoresistance and early detection. Her innovative approach has earned elite NIH recognition, accolades from her home town in Spain, and even the chance to featured in a comic book!
Mayo Clinic Research Enhances Dense Breast Cancer Screening and Early Detection
Early detection is key to breast cancer survival. But nearly half of all women in the U.S. have dense breast tissue, which can make detecting breast cancer difficult with a mammogram. Mayo Clinic researchers found that adding another test, called molecular breast imaging, or MBI, to a 3D mammogram improved the ability to find cancer in dense tissue by more than double.
University of Iowa Physician–Scientist Awarded Nation’s Top Biomedical Research Honor
Michael J. Welsh, MD, a UI professor and proud Iowa native, has received America’s preeminent biomedical research prize—the 2025 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award—for his pioneering discoveries in cystic fibrosis (CF) research, which paved the way for life-saving therapies for people with CF.
RISE-UP Interns Conclude Program with Successful Initiatives
For many years the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations (SDAHO) has participated as a host organization for the Maternal and Child Health Careers: Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement Undergraduate Program (MCHC/RISE-UP) Program, through a partnership with the University of South Dakota (USD) Center for Disabilities. The RISE-UP Program provides opportunities for enhanced public health leadership training in maternal and child health, focusing on social determinants of health, elimination of health disparities, and developmental disabilities.
Genetic Insights Project Update: Shifting Cancer Screening Trends
For more than a year, Nebraska Medicine has participated in the Genetic Insights Project (GIP), a research study that screens eligible participants for three CDC Tier 1 genomic conditions. Now, new data shows that GIP participants demonstrate improved cancer screening adherence after enrollment.
Safely Identifying Vulnerabilities in a Lethal Tick-Borne Virus
Powassan virus, a cousin to Zika and Dengue in the flavivirus family, is a rare tick-borne infection that is becoming more widespread in the northern U.S. Powassan symptoms include fever, nausea and headaches. In severe cases, it can lead to brain swelling and potentially be fatal. Given how dangerous this virus is, it can only be studied in special, high-security labs.