APRIL 2025 NEWSLETTER
The newsletter of the Feinberg School of Medicine Research Office
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Decoding the Epigenome |
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When the first complete human genome was sequenced in 2003, many thought understanding DNA would herald a new paradigm in medicine. More than 20 years later, scientists in Feinberg’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics are at the forefront of understanding epigenetics. |
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Public Health Summit Celebrates Advocacy and Community |
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Students, faculty, staff and public health leaders joined the Institute for Public Health and Medicine's (IPHAM) annual Public Health Summit at the Robert H. Lurie Medical Research Center on April 2. |
Faculty ProfilePursuing Collaborative Genome ScienceElizabeth Bartom, PhD, is an associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Biostatistics and Informatics. Her work aims to understand how the genome contributes to pathology and disease. |
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Student ProfileInvestigating Mast Cell Dysfunction in HIVKameron Walker is a fourth-year PhD student in the Driskill Graduate Program. In the laboratory of Thomas Hope, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology and of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walker’s current research focuses on HIV biology and immunology. |
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Staff ProfileDeveloping Administrative Practices to Support ResearchSusan Dennehy is an associate department administrator for the Department of Medical Social Sciences. She has been at Northwestern for nearly 11 years and is leading the development of standard operating procedures across the department. |
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Campus Events |
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Research in the NewsChicago Tribune, April 3 CBS, March 27 |
NUCATS CornerVoucher Program Now Accepting ApplicationsThe NUCATS Voucher Award program is designed to assist investigators in developing resources and/or preliminary data to facilitate hypothesis-driven research initiatives. The fund is intended for projects involving critical steps in the device and drug development pathway and projects that address a critical need in translational science that are too small to be suitable for conventional internal or external funding mechanisms. Proposals that address a specific translational barrier and have a high probability of external federal funding if the barrier is addressed are most likely to receive funding.
Funding decisions are typically communicated to applicants within five business days. |
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Sponsored ResearchDevelopment of a Calcium Channel Inhibitor to Slow Parkinson’s Disease Progression
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Breakthroughs PodcastInventing a Tiny Pacemaker with John Rogers, PhDWhat could be the world's smallest pacemaker was recently developed at Northwestern University, and details of the device were published in the journal Nature. This incredible innovation, about the size of a grain of rice, from the lab of John Rogers, PhD, is designed to be an alternative to bulky, wired temporary pacemakers. |
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New FacultyDeepika Laddu, PhD, joined Feinberg as associate professor of Preventive Medicine in the Divisions of Behavioral Medicine and Epidemiology in October 2024. Laddu leads a multidisciplinary research program focused on lifestyle and behavioral health promotion for chronic disease prevention, with an emphasis on aging and cardiovascular disease. With expertise in cardiovascular disease epidemiology, and with training as a lifestyle interventionist, Laddu designs interventions to examine the effects of physical activity across multiple domains of function. Her work particularly focuses on understanding how sarcopenia, frailty and functional decline relate to cardiometabolic health and associated risk factors. Previously, Laddu was associate professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago in the department of Physical Therapy. |
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Galter LibraryNavigating Systematic and Scoping ReviewsAs a practical resource for evidence synthesis projects, Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center recently launched its FAQs for Systematic and Scoping Reviews GalterGuide to address common challenges and questions. |
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High Impact ResearchVats A, Laimins L. How human papillomavirus (HPV) targets DNA repair pathways for viral replication: from guardian to accomplice. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews: MMBR. March 2025; 89(1):e0015323-e0015323. Wang Q, Wang J, Mathur R, Youngblood MW, Jin Q, Hou Y, Stasiak LA, Luan Y, Zhao H, Hilz S, Hong C, Chang SM, Lupo JM, Phillips JJ, Costello JF, Yue F. Spatial 3D genome organization reveals intratumor heterogeneity in primary glioblastoma samples. Science Advances. March 2025; 11(11):eadn2830-eadn2830. Wang Y, Yemelyanov A, Go CD, Kim SK, Quinn JM, Flozak AS, Le PM, Liang S, Gingras AC, Ikura M, Ishiyama N, Gottardi CJ. α-Catenin force-sensitive binding and sequestration of LZTS2 leads to cytokinesis failure. The Journal of Cell Biology. March 2025; 224(3). Zhang Y, Luo K, Peters BA, Mossavar-Rahmani Y, Moon JY, Wang Y, Daviglus ML, Van Horn L, McClain AC, Cordero C, Floyd JS, Yu B, Walker RW, Burk RD, Kaplan RC, Qi Q. Sugar-sweetened beverage intake, gut microbiota, circulating metabolites, and diabetes risk in Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Cell Metabolism. March 2025; 37(3):578-591.e4. |
Featured CoreDevelopmental Therapeutics CoreUnder the umbrella of Chemistry of Life Processes Institute (CLP), the Developmental Therapeutics Core (DTC) provides an operational laboratory that supports translational projects and fulfills the needs of the research community for exploratory drug development work. The aim is to rapidly and efficiently advance novel therapeutic interventions from basic research to the clinic. Services
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Funding OpportunitiesInnovation for HIV Vaccine Discovery (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Research Resource for Human Organs and Tissues (U42 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
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NIH NewsImplementation of New Initiatives and Policies Page Now Available NIH has posted an Implementation of New Initiatives and Policies page on the NIH Grants & Funding Website to bring together the latest information on recent and upcoming changes that impact applications and grant administration. The page includes these highlights: |
Thank You For ReadingWe are testing an updated format for this newsletter. We welcome your feedback. Please share it with us via email. |
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