News
Read the latest news from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s basic science academic departments. The links below take you to articles where you can learn more about our faculty’s latest achievements.
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Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
01.08.2026A Northwestern Medicine study has revealed a connection between two fundamental cellular processes, offering fresh insight into how human cells build and maintain chromatin, according to findings published in Molecular Cell.
12.22.2025In a landmark effort to understand how the physical structure of our DNA influences human biology, Northwestern investigators and the 4D Nucleome Project have unveiled the most detailed maps to date of the genome’s three‑dimensional organization across time and space, according to a new study published in Nature.
12.18.2025Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how molecular “traffic controllers” in cells influence aging and cellular senescence — a state where cells stop dividing but remain metabolically active.
Cell and Developmental Biology
12.15.2025The tiniest parts of the cell may provide new insights into challenging neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). New research from Northwestern University has revealed a key mechanism underlying the development of motor neuron diseases, such as ALS, offering new insights into potential treatment options. This new finding published in the Journal of Neuroscience, comes from the lab of Vladimir Gelfand, PhD, and may help inform the treatment of ALS and other motor neuron diseases.
12.09.2025Constadina (Dina) Arvanitis, PhD, director of Feinberg’s Center for Advanced Microscopy, has been honored with the 2025 Royal Microscopical Society (RMS) Vice President’s Award for her outstanding leadership and service to the global scientific imaging community.
10.31.2025A Northwestern Medicine-led study has identified mutations in the gene CEP76 as a new cause of ciliopathies, shedding light on a complex group of disorders that affect multiple body systems, according to a study published in Science Advances.
Microbiology-Immunology
12.10.2025Northwestern Medicine investigators have identified issues with most genomic sequence data for the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium, findings that could complicate future epidemiological and pathogenesis studies, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
12.02.2025A recent study has provided the first side-by-side comparison of how three major COVID-19 vaccine types differ in triggering immune responses and sustaining protection, according to an analysis published in JCI Insight.
- 11.24.2025
Northwestern Medicine scientists have identified previously unknown genetic mechanisms that promote antimicrobial resistance in gonorrhea, findings that may inform the development of more effective treatment strategies, according to a recent study published in PLoS Pathogens.
Pharmacology
01.02.2026In a new study published in Nature Communications, Northwestern scientists have uncovered how a critical membrane pathway controls the flow of chemical messages responsible for everything from brain activity to inflammation.
12.19.2025In a new study, scientists have identified a previously unknown driver of Alzheimer’s disease, and an experimental drug developed at Northwestern University has demonstrated further promise as an early intervention to treat the disease.
11.03.2025A new Northwestern study has uncovered how a key disease protein drives overactive nerve cells in neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and frontotemporal dementia.
Neuroscience
01.05.2026Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that targeting neuronal signaling controlling aberrant learning in the striatum may improve the efficacy of a first-line therapy for Parkinson’s disease and has the potential to reduce therapy-related side effects, according to a recent study published in Science Advances.
12.09.2025The human brain is often described as the most complex network in existence, with billions of neurons exchanging signals across intricate pathways. Recent research led by Feinberg investigators is revealing how different regions of the brain coordinate and process information, and how disruptions in these networks can impact health.
- 11.03.2025
A new Northwestern study has uncovered how a key disease protein drives overactive nerve cells in neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and frontotemporal dementia.