MARCH 2026 NEWSLETTER
The newsletter of the Feinberg School of Medicine Research Office
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Advancing Epilepsy Research Through Genetic Insights |
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Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting nearly one percent of people worldwide. The Department of Pharmacology at Feinberg is leading research to understand the genetic causes of childhood-onset epilepsy, and to investigate what is happening perinatally to brain development in these cases. |
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Pioneer in Infectious Disease Genetics Wins 2026 Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize |
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Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD, known for his discovery of the human genetic and immunological determinants of infectious diseases, is the recipient of the 2026 Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize in Medical Science. He is the Levy Family Professor at Rockefeller University, pediatrician at the Necker Hospital for Sick Children and Imagine Institute in Paris, and investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. |
Faculty ProfileUsing Computational Methods to Elucidate the Genetics Mechanisms of DiseaseRendong Yang, PhD, is an associate professor of Urology. His laboratory is interested in the integrative analysis of large-scale datasets to understand the initiation and progression of diseases by using highly accurate and sensitive computational methods for analyzing multidimensional omics data. |
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Post-Doc ProfileStudying Immune Modulators to Improve Transplant ToleranceShareni Jeyamogan, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of James M. Mathew, PhD, research professor of Surgery in the Division of Organ Transplantation. Jeyamogan collaborates with leading transplant scientists across Northwestern to develop innovative strategies for enhancing transplant tolerance through immunomodulatory cells. |
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Student ProfileUnderstanding How Chemical Imbalances Disrupt Neural Circuit FunctionJustin David Anair is a student in the Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN) program. Now in the laboratory of Jones Parker, PhD, assistant professor of Neuroscience, Anair studies how chemical imbalances disrupt neural circuit function and contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. |
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Campus Events |
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Research in the NewsChicago Tribune, February 27 NBC News, February 26 New York Times, February 23 |
NUCATS CornerFunding Opportunities for InvestigatorsTo support innovative and impactful translational research, NUCATS is now accepting applications for two funding mechanisms: the NUCATS Translational Science Pilot Awards (up to $50,000 over one year) and Translational Science Research Projects (up to $200,000 over two years). The deadline to apply for these mechanisms is March 20, 2026. Additional details, including eligibility criteria and application guidelines, are available on the NUCATS Funding Resources page. |
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Breakthroughs PodcastImproving Imaging of the Spinal Cord with Molly Bright, DPhilA novel functional MRI technique has been developed by Northwestern Medicine investigators to more accurately assess blood flow in the spinal cord. In this episode, Bright explains how his noninvasive method could one day help clinicians detect early signs of neurological disease or injury, monitor recovery and guide treatment decisions for patients with spinal cord conditions. |
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New FacultyPatrick Romani, PhD, joined Feinberg in November 2025 as associate professor of Pyschiatry and Behaviorial Sciences in the Division of Child Psychology. His research broadly focuses on identifying refinements to functional behavior assessment and treatment procedures for severe problem behavior exhibited by youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Prior to coming to Northwestern, he was associate professor of applied behavior analysis at University of Colorado, Denver. |
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Galter LibraryAre Your Metrics Doing Too Much Work?Evaluation is a constant feature of academic life: hiring, promotion, grant review, annual reviews, program rankings. Wherever evaluation happens at scale, metrics inevitably follow. But are the metrics we rely on actually measuring what we think they are? |
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High Impact ResearchVivarelli M, Verghese PS. TRPC6 inhibition: podocyte-targeted treatment for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis? Lancet. Feb 2026; 407(10528):549-551. Wang MM, Truica MI, Gattis BS, Oktawiec J, Sagar V, Basu AA, Bertin PA, Zhang X, Abdulkadir SA, Gianneschi NC. Heterobifunctional proteomimetic polymers for targeted degradation of MYC and KRAS. Nature Communications. Feb 2026; 17(1). Yeh JM, Seguin CL, Stratton KL, Leisenring WM, Armstrong GT, Henderson TO, Hudson MM, Nathan PC, Neglia JP, Oeffinger KC, Diller LR, Knudsen AB. Benefits, Harms, and Burden of Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Childhood Cancer Survivors Previously Treated With Abdominopelvic Radiation. Journal of Clinical Oncology. Feb 2026; 44(4):286-299. |
Featured CoreNMEDW Research Analytics Cloud ModernizationOver the last two years, the Northwestern Medicine Enterprize Data Wareheous (NMEDW) Research Analytics team has undergone a complete modernization of its infrastructure and services. The team has migrated the majority of their on-premises infrastructure over to the NMHC Microsoft Azure cloud tenant. In doing so, the team has rolled out a completely new data experience for end users to utilize our services. Some of the Research Analytics team expanded analytic functionality:
Learn more about the Research Analytics intake form instructions. |
NIH Policy NoticesNIH Proposes Embryonic Stem Cell Research Shift to Put Patients First In January, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a new NIH Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on the robustness of emerging biotechnologies to reduce or potentially replace remaining research reliance on human embryonic stem cells, which are derived from human embryos. Responses to the RFI will be accepted through April 24, 2026. Reminder of Requirement for Certification of IRB Approval This Notice is to remind the extramural research community that NIH requires certification that all nonexempt human subjects research has been reviewed and approved by an appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB). Applicants must submit the date of final IRB approval, which is the date that all protocols in the proposed research application received IRB review and approval (i.e., the date of the last protocol approval). |
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