Focus: Hidden - Massachusetts

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The Vestibular Disorders Association (VEDA) has recognized Steven D. Rauch, M.D., Director of the Vestibular Division at Mass. Eye and Ear and Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School, with the 2015 Champion of Vestibular Medicine Award. Dr. Rauch is an otologist and researcher specializing in disorders of the ear and vestibular system, a complex network that relies on sensory inputs to maintain the body’s position and balance.

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Massachusetts Eye and Ear researchers surveyed 337 patients with hearing loss to better understand the language they use with communication partners to disclose their disability. Their findings, published online in the journal Ear and Hearing on October 28, 2015, may be used to develop resources for health care professionals to provide their patients with strategies to disclose hearing loss successfully and effectively in interactions with others.

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A large multi-center clinical trial has found that a combination of antiviral medications can eradicate hepatitis C infection in more than 90 percent of patients with advanced liver disease.

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Biologists at Tufts University have succeeded in inducing one species of flatworm to grow heads and brains characteristic of another species of flatworm without altering genomic sequence. The work reveals physiological circuits as a new kind of epigenetics – information existing outside of genomic sequence – that determines large-scale anatomy.

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A gentle vibration therapy known as stochastic resonance stimulation, when used in specially developed mattresses, can successfully treat preterm infants in the NICU who are experiencing apnea and related symptoms.

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Massachusetts Eye and Ear investigators have shown that sound deprivation in adult mice causes irreversible damage to the inner ear. The findings, published in PLOS ONE, suggest that chronic conductive hearing loss, such as that caused by recurrent ear infections, leads to permanent hearing impairment if it remains untreated.

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Whitehead Institute researchers have determined the organization of a protein complex that is critical during chromosome segregation. Without the foundation it supplies, the link between chromosome and kinetochore would fail, as would chromosome segregation and cell division.

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In one of the first studies of its kind, Tufts researchers show that even among Americans in their mid-70’s and older, being more active, including walking at a reasonable pace or distance, is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular events.

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A new study from researchers at Tufts University found that coconut oil controlled the overgrowth of a fungal pathogen called Candida albicans in mice. In humans, high levels of C. albicans in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to bloodstream infections, including invasive candidiasis. The research suggests that it might be possible to use dietary approaches as an alternative to antifungal drugs in order to decrease the risk of infections caused by C. albicans.

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A clinical trial among more than 300 patients has found that the drug ranibizumab (Lucentis) is highly effective in treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), a complication of diabetes that can severely damage eyesight.

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Backed by a growing body of research, investigators at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are calling for all hospitals to establish bereavement programs for families of deceased patients.

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A popular and well-used building on the Williams College campus will attempt to live for one year with only the electricity it can generate on its own and the water it can recycle on-site. This endeavor will earn it a Living Building Challenge certification, the highest environmental performance standard for a building.

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New research led by scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center helps explain the role of an immunosuppressive pathway associated with irritable bowel disease, a condition that develops in genetically susceptible individuals when the body's immune system overreacts to intestinal tissue, luminal bacteria or both.

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The Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma awarded C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., Chief Academic Officer and Senior Investigator at Joslin Diabetes Center and the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the Harold Hamm International Prize for Biomedical Research in Diabetes in a ceremony in Oklahoma City, OK.

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Nearly 100 entrepreneurs from the Boston area will introduce their ventures to a crowd of fellow entrepreneurs, investors, partners, and members of the community at Babson’s signature Rocket Pitch event on November 5th, 2015. Eligible businesses include those run by current students at Babson College, Wellesley College, and Olin College of Engineering, as well as Babson alumni.

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Researchers have identified a small molecule that treats animal models of aged related macular degeneration and retinopathy of prematurity by preventing the overgrowth of blood vessels that are characteristic of these two retinal diseases.

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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center announced today the launch of a new research center that will use rigorous scientific methods to evaluate and transform the delivery of care for cardiovascular conditions in the United States.

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Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center researchers Anders Berg, MD, PhD, and David Friedman, MD, are awarded the 2015 Dvorak Young Investigator Award for their investigations into the genetic changes underlying kidney disease.

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A Tufts University chemist has discovered a way to select specific surfaces of single-crystal ice for study, a long-sought breakthrough that could help researchers answer essential questions about climate and the environment.

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All four hospitals in the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) system have been recognized for their commitments to patient safety with "A" grades in The Leapfrog Group's Fall 2015 Hospital Safety Score.

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The Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research has pledged $20 million to the Bridge Project, a collaborative research program of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT and Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC), to accelerate the translation of interdisciplinary cancer solutions toward the clinic.

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A new method to grow 3D organoid cultures of pancreatic tumors directly from patients' surgical tissue offers a promising opportunity for testing targeted therapies and drug responses and personalizing treatments in a rapid, cost-effective manner.

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MyICU, a new two-way communication tool created by patients, family members, clinicians and others at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), aims to help make the ICU stay a little bit better.

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Most science and engineering majors don't have the flexibility to take courses outside their core technical field. The Gordon Institute at Tufts University's School of Engineering is launching a one-year M.S. in innovation & management to equip recent engineering and science graduates with additional skills needed to lead in the technology sector.

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A discovery made by investigators from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the Boston University School of Medicine may help lead to the development of a cell-based regenerative therapy which could be used to restore thyroid function in cancer patients or children born with congenital hypothyroidism.

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Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School and Boston University have successfully shown neuroprotection in a Parkinson’s mouse model using new techniques to deliver drugs across the naturally impenetrable blood-brain barrier. Their findings, published in Neurosurgery, lend hope to patients around the world with neurological conditions that are difficult to treat due to a barrier mechanism that prevents approximately 98 percent of drugs from reaching the brain and central nervous system.

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Tufts University junior Khuyen G. Bui has won the 2015 Global Peter Drucker Challenge, selected from among 148 students from dozens of countries in an essay contest focused on managing oneself in the digital age. As grand prize winner, Bui will be recognized in early November at the annual Peter Drucker Global Forum in Vienna, Austria, where he will meet with thought leaders and members of prominent business media. He will receive a prize of 1,000 euros, approximately $1,125.

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The remarkable recovery of a dog nursed back to health from the brink of death by Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University highlights the value of a simple genetic test that can help owners determine if their pets are vulnerable to what in most cases is a safe, commonly-used drug.

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Joan Whitten Miller, M.D., Henry Willard Williams Professor of Ophthalmology and Chair of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and Chief of Ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Massachusetts General Hospital, has been elected to membership in the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Dr. Miller is an internationally recognized expert on retinal disorders, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinal degenerations, and diabetic retinopathy.

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New research by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists raises the prospect of cancer therapy that works by converting a tumor’s best friends in the immune system into its gravest enemies.

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Scientists at Whitehead Institute and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have for the first time identified the universe of genes in the human genome essential for the survival and proliferation of human cell lines or cultured human cells.Their findings and the materials they developed in conducting the research will not only serve as invaluable resources for the global research community but should also have application in the discovery of drug-targetable genetic vulnerabilities in a variety of human cancers.

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Manuel Hidalgo, MD, PhD, has been named Director of the Clinical Cancer Center and Chief of Hematology-Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

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Whitehead Institute scientists have at last answered the long-standing question of how the growth-regulating pathway known as mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) detects the presence of the amino acid leucine—itself a key player in modulating muscle growth, appetite, and insulin secretion.

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James Munro of Tufts University School of Medicine is a recipient of the 2015 National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award. Munro is using imaging of glycoproteins to investigate how Ebola and related viruses enter host cells. Understanding this process is expected to help develop vaccines for Ebola and related viruses.

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North Dakota University System faculty are just beginning to understand the potential for open educational resources (OER) according to a new report from Babson Survey Research Group (BSRG) and the North Dakota University System (NDUS).

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Williams College professor Matt Carter has received a three-year $361,539 NIH grant to conduct research into how the brain controls food intake.

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A new drug for renal cell carcinoma slowed the growth of advanced kidney cancer in patients who became resistant to the first-line therapies that had previously kept it in check, according to results from a clinical trial led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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Williams College professor Ronadh Cox has received a grant from the NSF to continue her work studying coastal erosion by storm waves. Cox has been studying this issue since 2008 along the coast of Ireland.

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Babson College Professor of Film Julie Levinson and Framingham State University Associate Professor of English Claudia Springer have co-edited Acting, a new book from the Rutgers University Press series, Behind the Silver Screen.

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Whitehead Institute researchers have developed a tool that allows scientists to monitor changes in DNA methylation over time in individual cells. Certain diseases, including cancer, cause changes in DNA methylation patterns, and the ability to document these alterations could aid in the development of novel therapies.

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To help prospective students and their families more easily see what colleges will cost them, Williams College and the University of Virginia have implemented My inTuition, the groundbreaking tool developed by Wellesley College that is the quickest college cost calculator available to the public.

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Wellesley College welcomes renowned writers Salman Rushdie and Amitav Ghosh to the Boston area this fall for the new program, entitled, “Distinguished Thinkers” at the Susan and Donald Newhouse Center. Both authors will read from selected work then engage in an open dialogue with the audience.

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Entrepreneurs and business leaders from around the world will converge at Babson College on September 24, 2015 for the first-ever U.S. Global Entrepreneurial Leaders (GEL) Summit. Launched in the UK in 2013 by WildHearts, a renowned British group of social businesses, this Babson event follows the success of the inaugural GEL Summits in Edinburgh and London in showcasing the power of social innovation for business and societal prosperity.

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Edward Chiu has been named Senior Vice President for Advancement at Babson College. In his new position, Chiu will provide leadership and strategic vision for Babson’s Development, Alumni and Friends, and Advancement Communications teams. He will also serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet, reporting directly to Babson President Kerry Healey.

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Dr. Peter Amenta has been named President and CEO of Joslin Diabetes Center. Joslin Diabetes Center has 300 scientists working toward a cure for diabetes and its complications. Each year more than 100 clinical trials and human subject studies are conducted at Joslin; and 21,000 adult and pediatric patients visit the Joslin Clinic for appointments. Joslin has received National Institute of Health (NIH) funding of $18M every year since 2012.

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Babson College is one of the nation’s best institutions at offering its undergraduate students both outstanding academics and experiential learning opportunities, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company profiles the school in its new book, Colleges That Create Futures: 50 Schools That Launch Careers by Going Beyond the Classroom.

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A new study finds that the characteristics of one’s community may be as important as individual factors on the decision to become an organ donor. A study shows an association between social capital and organ donor registrations. To increase donations, the research suggests that future health policies adopt a community-level focus.

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Researchers conducting clinical trials of drugs that might prevent AD are exploring how best to inform participants of their increased risk for the disease, and studying how they cope with this information. Alzforum reports in a two-part series.

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Babson College professor Candida G. Brush has been appointed the Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership. In her expanded role, Dr. Brush will coordinate and connect all that is entrepreneurial across campus, and broaden Babson’s external reputation to advance economic and social value around the world.