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Findings from a new Northwestern Medicine study of 174 donated brains, including some from former high school and college football players, pump the brakes on the theory that playing contact sports like football and hockey may increase the risk of brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to a buildup of a specific protein in the brain. 

Introducing peanut-containing foods to infants can dramatically reduce the risk of peanut allergies later in childhood. But many parents — particularly those who are Black, Hispanic, lower-income or have less formal education — aren’t receiving this potentially lifesaving guidance from their pediatrician and are introducing peanuts at much lower rates, reports a large new Northwestern Medicine study.

The number of measles cases in the U.S. has reached its highest point in 33 years, and outbreaks are expected to continue, especially amid national and international travel, says Northwestern University pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Tina Tan.
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Northwestern University is accepting nominations for its $350,000 Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize in Medical Science. The biennial prize will be awarded in fall 2026.

From drugstore aisles to TikTok trends, consumers are bombarded with skin care products. But how do you know what really works, especially now with summer in full swing? A Northwestern Medicine study offers clarity, identifying the ingredients that dermatologists agree are most effective for seven common skin complaints.
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A new study published in Science Advances — and led by researchers at Northwestern University, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and University of Alabama at Birmingham — is the first to use consumer wearables to quickly and precisely predict postoperative complications in children and shows potential for facilitating faster treatment and care.

An international team of astrophysicists, led by Northwestern University and the University of Leicester in England, has uncovered a possible origin of fast X-ray transients (FXTs) — mysterious, fleeting bursts of X-rays that have long puzzled astronomers.

Senate Republicans, with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President Vance have passed President Trump’s ambitious budget bill, in an attempt to deliver it to his desk by the July 4 holiday. Sticking points include significant cuts to Medicaid and the SNAP food assistance program, as well as an estimated $3 trillion increase in the national debt.
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The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), an enormous ground-based telescope currently under construction in Chile’s Atacama Desert, is one vital step closer toward completion.

In radiation therapy, precision can save lives. Oncologists must carefully map the size and location of a tumor before delivering high-dose radiation to destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. But this process, called tumor segmentation, is still done manually, takes time, varies between doctors — and can lead to critical tumor areas being overlooked.