Latest Releases
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Pocketbook realities reshape Americans’ commitment to democratic ideals
January 6, 2026
The new study from the Center for Communication & Public Policy examined how U.S. residents conceptualize democracy and whether their support for democratic principles remains consistent when financial issues and other trade-offs are considered. Researchers found that support for democratic principles is far more conditional than traditional surveys suggest and declines substantially when economic hardship is taken into account.
Microbes may hold the key to brain evolution
January 5, 2026
A new study from Northwestern University provides the first empirical data showing the direct role the gut microbiome plays in shaping differences in the way the brain functions across different primate species.
Hidden molecular switch controls taste, metabolism and gut function
January 5, 2026
Northwestern University scientists have uncovered a hidden molecular “control switch” inside a protein that helps the body sense taste, control blood sugar and defend the gut. The discovery could lead to new drugs that boost insulin release, curb cravings and reduce gut inflammation.
Orgasm-related laughing, crying, nosebleeds and more are normal, albeit rare
January 5, 2026
A new survey-based Northwestern University study is the first to break down how frequently and consistently women experience unusual physical and emotional responses during orgasm.
Gestational diabetes rose every year in the US since 2016
December 29, 2026
Gestational diabetes rose every single year in the U.S. from 2016 through 2024, according to a new Northwestern Medicine analysis of more than 12 million U.S. births. The condition, which raises health risks for both mother and baby, shot up 36% over the nine-year period (from 58 to 79 cases per 1,000 births) and increased across every racial and ethnic group.
Scientists map the human genome in 4D
December 22, 2025
In 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.
Artificial metabolism turns waste CO2 into useful chemicals
December 22, 2025
New system successfully transforms simple carbon molecules into acetyl-CoA, a building block of life that can be used to make a variety of materials.
With overdose deaths down, new dashboard watches for rebound
December 18, 2025
Northwestern University scientists have launched The OD Pulse, a new national, regional and state dashboard designed to track drug overdose deaths between January 1999 to April 2025, with unprecedented timeliness and precision.
Cosmic crash caught on camera
December 18, 2025
Astronomers directly imaged two separate collisions between rocky objects in the Fomalhaut star system.
NU-9 halts Alzheimer’s disease in animal model before symptoms begin
December 18, 2025
Scientists tested experimental drug NU-9 in a pre-symptomatic animal model of Alzheimer’s disease. Drug dramatically reduced brain changes that emerge near the disease’s onset.