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
08.27.2025Northwestern scientists have discovered that the organization of a cell’s genetic material dictates cancer’s ability to adapt, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
07.24.2025Investigators led by Navdeep Chandel, PhD, have discovered how mitochondrial metabolism supports T-cell proliferation and also prevents T-cell exhaustion in cancer and chronic infection, according to a recent study published in Nature Immunology.
06.09.2025Feng Yue, PhD, the Duane and Susan Burnham Professor of Molecular Medicine in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, has been inducted into the 2025 class of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.
Cell and Developmental Biology
09.16.2025Scientists at Feinberg are reshaping scientific understanding of the cell’s tiniest components—structures once thought to be static, now revealed to be dynamic engines of cellular life.
08.29.2025A Northwestern Medicine study has uncovered new insights that may aid in understanding and potentially treating one of the most common and aggressive forms of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to findings published in Science Advances.
08.26.2025A team lead by Northwestern scientists has found that paraspeckles, found in the nucleus of many cells, form differently than previously thought, which may aid in the design of future cancer drugs.
Microbiology-Immunology
09.03.2025A new Northwestern Medicine study has uncovered a surprising molecular link between HIV-1 and a protein fragment associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
08.28.2025Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how a common virus linked to birth defects and chronic illness manipulates host DNA, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
06.10.2025Every year at Feinberg, a handful of start-up companies are born from discoveries in the lab. Paperwork is filed for hundreds of inventions and patents; patents are issued and the process for optioning and licensing technology through Northwestern’s Innovations and New Ventures Office (INVO) can be the launching point for scientists to bring their research to commercialization.
Pharmacology
08.05.2025Scientists have implemented a novel gene-editing approach that may be an effective treatment for alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder in children, according to a recent study published in Cell.
07.14.2025A recent Northwestern Medicine study has identified novel molecular mechanisms by which genetic mutations in the PKD2 gene cause the most common type of polycystic kidney disease, according to findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
04.30.2025A new Northwestern Medicine study has identified the molecular mechanisms that cause a commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug to produce harmful side effects similar to Parkinson’s disease symptoms, according to findings published in Molecular Psychiatry.
Neuroscience
- 04.30.2025
A new Northwestern Medicine study has identified the molecular mechanisms that cause a commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug to produce harmful side effects similar to Parkinson’s disease symptoms, according to findings published in Molecular Psychiatry.
04.03.2025D. James Surmeier, PhD, was awarded a two-year grant from Spark NS for the development of a calcium channel inhibitor to slow Parkinson’s Disease progression. This is one of only eight projects and principal investigators selected for the SPARK NS Translational Research Program 2025 Cohort. Participation in a SPARK NS program cohort lasts two years and includes milestone-based funding of up to $2,000,0001 for each project, education and training in drug development and translational research for participating teams, mentoring from 75+ industry expert advisors, and scientific and business networking opportunities.
12.20.2024From probing the human brain to elucidating mechanisms behind cellular responses, Feinberg investigators have provided stunning new snapshots of biological processes invisible to the naked eye.