Latest Releases

During the first half of the 20th century, many states passed labor laws in response to the influx of women into the modern workplace. The so-called protective labor laws enacted by U.S. states restricted women’s economic opportunities through maximum hours restrictions, minimum wage laws and nightshift bans until the civil rights reforms of the 1960s ended these laws on the basis of gender discrimination. New research led by economist Matthias Doepke at Northwestern University seeks to understand why these laws were introduced in the U.S. during this period, and what led to their overturning decades later.

Experiencing food insecurity in early childhood is associated with worse heart health two decades later, especially higher BMI. But participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) significantly mitigates that risk, reports a long-term Northwestern Medicine study published today, May 14, in JAMA Cardiology.

In many neurodegenerative diseases, proteins misfold and clump together around brain cells, which ultimately leads to cell death. The innovative new treatment effectively traps the proteins before they can aggregate into the toxic structures capable of penetrating neurons. The trapped proteins then harmlessly degrade in the body. The “clean-up” strategy significantly boosted the survival of lab-grown human neurons under stress from disease-causing proteins.

To take the guesswork out of breastfeeding, an interdisciplinary team of engineers, neonatologists and pediatricians at Northwestern University has developed a new wearable device that can provide clinical-grade, continuous monitoring of breast milk consumption.

Innovation in sustainability and energy is at the core of the Industry Affiliates Program (IAP) announced today by the Paula M. Trienens Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern University.

By creating a more true-to-life representation of DNA’s environment, researchers at Northwestern University have discovered that strand separation may take more mechanical force than the field previously believed.

Robert Orsi, professor of religious studies and history at Northwestern University has provided the following quote on the announcement of Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost as the first pope from the U.S. Quote from Professor Orsi “It is thrilling to have the first pope from the United States, Chicago-born Robert Francis Prevost. This is a historic day. Robert Francis Prevost was a favorite of Pope Francis, who made him cardinal only two years ago. The new pope’s namesake, Leo XIII, was known for his outspoken defense of the rights of working people to a living wage. By taking this name, Pope Leo XIV clearly signals his priorities. Pope Leo XIII was also profoundly wary of nationalists, especially those who would divide the church over political disputes. The Pope Leo of the early 21st century, who spent most of his 69 years outside the United States, appears already to be calling Catholics back to a truly global, truly open-hearted faith. And he deeply touched all Catholics by inviting them to join him in reciting the Hail Mary in the very first moments of his papacy.”
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Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, economist and the current administrator of the Panama Canal Authority through 2026, will discuss the Canal’s role in global trade across time during the 43rd Annual William A. Patterson Distinguished Transportation Lecture on Wednesday, May 7 at Northwestern University.
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Researchers at Northwestern University and Israel’s Tel Aviv University have overcome a major barrier to achieving a low-cost solution for advanced robotic touch. The authors argue that the problem that has been lurking in the margins of many papers about touch sensors lies in the robotic skin itself.

Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr.’s proposal to require that all new vaccines undergo safety testing in placebo-controlled trials “is ethically problematic and will slow testing down for no good reason.”
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