UIC Today News
College of Medicine News at UIC
Monday, October 5, 2026
Listen to story summary Half of Americans living with HIV are age 50 or older — evidence of a decades-long crusade to manage the chronic condition. For researchers like Julie Bobitt, this evolving demographic presents an opportunity. Julie Bobitt. “People are living longer with HIV thanks to tremendous advances in treatment, which is fantastic,” said Bobitt,
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Improving lung cancer screening with AI, empowering teachers to deliver effective literacy education and monitoring wildfire risk using drones — these are just a few of the initiatives that brought the University of Illinois Chicago to nearly $498 million in research funding during fiscal year 2026. Awards from federal, state, industry and private sources sponsored 3,444 research projects on topics spanning Alzheimer’s disease,
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
UIC researchers have identified two therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) UIC researchers have identified two therapeutic targets for pulmonary arterial hypertension, an as-yet incurable disease that can be caused by a parasite laying eggs in the abdomen. The targets represent opportunity to diagnose, prevent and treat the life-threatening condition. “I do
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Eight UIC students have been selected as Schweitzer fellows for 2026-27. Top row, left to right: Athirai Ambikkumar, Abby Suleman, Bri Coleman, Emily Cyrwus. Bottom row, left to right: Maryam Amin, Niki Sabetfakhri, Shreya Kurup, Toi Johnson. Listen to story summary Niki Sabetfakhri didn’t set out to be a yoga teacher. As an MD/PhD student at the University of Illinois
Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Microscopic image. Magenta color shows the mitochondrial network in blood vessel endothelial cells. Green color shows mitochondria that are being degraded by the cells when they are stressed. (Image: Rehman Lab) Listen to story summary Mitochondria are often called the powerhouses of the cell. But their ancient origins may also make them drivers of inflammation.
Monday, July 20, 2026
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified a molecular switch that helps determine whether cancer cells remain soft and difficult to destroy or become stiff enough for the immune system to attack. An artistic rendering of a cancer cell being attacked by two immune T cells. When the attack hits a softer area (bottom left), the cancer cell bends and survives. When it hits a stiffer area (top right), the cell
Monday, July 20, 2026
Ying Hu (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Urine, blood, sweat, saliva. While unpleasant to dwell on, bodily fluids are a wellspring of health information. For example, particles called extracellular vesicles, which are in all bodily fluids, can signal chronic inflammation, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s. In a new ACS Nano study, UIC researchers published a guide for capturing and analyzing the extracellular vesicles that immune and cancer cells create. The work advances noninvasive early detection
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
A cell responds to an incoming signal by activating responses only where needed, as shown in yellow.(Image courtesy of Gary Mo) Listen to story summary Cells are crowded, dynamic places where thousands of molecules interact in tight quarters. Until now, scientists lacked a reliable way to see many of these molecular interactions as they happen. Researchers at the University of
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
Listen to story summary Widely recognized as the face of food poisoning, salmonella bacteria lurk in raw meat and poultry, on pets and in unpasteurized dairy products. If untreated, extreme cases can lead to full-body infections, like Typhoid fever. UIC researcher Kiwook Kim asked why some salmonella infections remain in the intestine, causing uncomfortable but nonfatal symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea, while others evolve into life-threatening infections. In a new study, he and his team of researchers found that immune cells
Monday, June 29, 2026
Listen to story summary In the U.S., Hispanic/Latino populations are disproportionately at risk for eye diseases like glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, or vision loss tied to diabetes. But the association between heart and eye health in Hispanic/Latino people remains under-researched, said Dr. Charlotte Joslin, UIC professor of ophthalmology. Dr. Charlotte Joslin In a new
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
UIC’s Tohru Yamada elected as NAI fellow for uses of microbe-based methods to battle cancer. (Photo: Martin Hernandez) Listen to story summary Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have been awarded a five-year, $2.67 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop and study novel treatments for childhood brain
Monday, June 15, 2026
UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda (left) and Provost Karen Colley hold falcon chicks. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Listen to story summary UIC’s two newest peregrine falcons, hatched in May on the 28th floor of University Hall, were recently welcomed to campus
Monday, June 1, 2026
Listen to story summary Marta Markiewicz-Potoczny. Marta Markiewicz-Potoczny studies molecular pathways: the stepping stones our cells use to send signals (like hunger) and substances (like hormones) throughout the body. Markiewicz-Potoczny, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics in the College of Medicine, identified a molecular pathway that’s critical for keeping DNA healthy. The discovery has implications for healthy aging and preventing diseases like cancer.
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Dr. Enrico Benedetti and Dr. Stephen Bartlett in the Surgical Innovation Training Lab. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Listen to story summary Researchers at UIC and UI Health are challenging accepted beliefs about telesurgery with the help of $9 million in funding from the Office of Naval Research.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have developed a drug-like molecule that can restore function in the lungs of people experiencing acute respiratory distress syndrome, a severe condition that can lead to respiratory failure and death. The therapy, which has been tested in mice, stops fluid from leaking out of lungs’ blood vessels and improves lung function, the scientists report in the Nature portfolio journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. Listen to story summary “We
Monday, April 20, 2026
Salman Khetani, professor of biomedical engineering, is this year’s Distinguished Researcher in Natural Sciences and Engineering. (Photo: Martin Hernandez/UIC) In today’s world, how can we make sure the many chemicals we encounter are safe? “There are roughly 40,000 chemicals currently active in U.S. commerce, the vast majority of which have never undergone comprehensive safety evaluation — and most people are routinely exposed to dozens or hundreds
Monday, April 20, 2026
Listen to story summary Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have developed an anti-cancer therapy inspired by bacteria found in cancer tumors. When tested in combination with radiation in animal models of prostate cancer, it was highly effective — the approach effectively shut down tumor growth. The therapy is made from a fragment of a bacterial protein, a peptide called aurB. In cancer tumors in the animal models, aurB prevented energy production in the tumor cells’ mitochondria, essentially cutting off
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
UIC leaders recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business (top row, left to right): Andy Mitchell, Andrew Boyd, Nicky Boothe, Karriem Watson and Niranjan Karnik; (bottom row, left to right) Jonathan Radosta, Tiesa Hughes-Dillard, David Chestek and Shikha Jain Each year, Crain’s Chicago Business recognizes professionals whose work strengthens Chicago through innovation, service and leadership. In 2025–26, leaders from the University of Illinois Chicago were honored across law, health care, technology, sustainability, and community health — each contributing in meaningful and distinct ways.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
University of Illinois Chicago researchers (left to right) Jun Sun, Zaijie Wang, Nancy Freitag and Philip Yu. University of Illinois Chicago faculty members Nancy Freitag, Jun Sun, Zaijie (Jim) Wang and Philip Yu have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, earning one of the most distinguished recognitions in the scientific community.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
UIC researchers repurposed the cancer drug doxorubicin to treat herpes. Standing (from left): Sudhanshu Singh, Xiang Shen and Chandrashekhar Patil. Sitting (from left): Pankaj Sharma, Divya Kapoor and Deepak Shukla. (Photo: Deepak Shukla) UIC researchers have successfully repurposed an FDA-approved cancer drug, doxorubicin, to treat drug-resistant strains of herpes. Their work appears in the journal Drug Resistance Updates.
Monday, March 23, 2026
Fourth-year medical students celebrate on March 20, Match Day, as they learn which residency program they have been matched with to continue their training. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/ UIC) There were tears and cheers as fourth-year medical students at the University of Illinois Chicago learned which residency programs they had been accepted to during the Match Day ceremony on March 20 at the Isadore and Sadie Dorin Forum.
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Time and time again, studies have shown that proximity to nature benefits your health. Now, research from the University of Illinois Chicago finds that nature can positively affect you even before you’re born. Listen to story summary A study from the Children’s Environmental Health Initiative, a research, education and outreach program led by UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda, found that women living in greener neighborhoods gave birth to babies with higher birth weights, a positive indicator of a baby’s health.
Monday, March 9, 2026
Dr. Frank Weinberg is leading a study that aims to detect and treat lung cancer at its earliest stages. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Studying the body’s smallest bacteria gave UIC researchers an idea for how to catch lung cancer at its source. Listen to story summary Led by oncologist and cancer
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Listen to story summary Brains of older adults with super healthy cognition grow more new neurons than those of their peers, according to a study from UIC, Northwestern University and the University of Washington. Researchers found that the brains of superagers — octogenarians with uncommonly nimble minds — were the most neuronally fertile, while those with Alzheimer’s disease had negligible new growth. “This is a big step forward in understanding how the human brain processes cognition, forms memories and ages. Determining why some
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
A breakthrough in CRISPR gene editing may allow scientists to more efficiently engineer cells for use in medical therapies, according to a new study led by UIC’s professor Brad Merrill. The team successfully tested a gene-editing technique that can program sequential edits in human cells, mimicking natural gene activation. The results were published in the journal Science Advances. Listen to story summary CRISPR is a gene-editing tool first described in the early 2010s that allows scientists to cut DNA at
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Dr. Anand Srivastava (left) and Dr. Santosh Saraf are studying chronic kidney disease in people with sickle cell disease. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago have been awarded a five-year, $3.78 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study chronic kidney disease in people with sickle cell disease. Chronic kidney disease affects over half of those diagnosed with
Monday, January 12, 2026
Researchers Andrius Kazlauskas (form left), Jennifer Lim and Maximilian McCann. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) The summer sun shone high over the Lions of Illinois Eye Research Institute. Inside, ophthalmology researcher Maximilian McCann examined cells extracted from an eyeball’s gelatinous insides, as he’d been doing on and off for the last five years. Listen to the story summary McCann,
Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Aparna Ramakrishnan has been named a 2025 Lincoln Academy Student Laureate. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) Thanks to the work of UIC senior Aparna Ramakrishnan, Illinois public school students in need of mental health resources now only need to look at their student identification cards to get help. While still in high school, Ramakrishnan led a student push for the passage of HB 1778, which amended the School Code and the Mental Health
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Strengthen critical thinking skills, don’t fear failure, work hard and “dream big,” Ara Tekian advises students interested in research careers. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) The University Scholars Program, sponsored by the Office of the
Thursday, November 20, 2025
UIC researcher Meenesh Singh and postdoctoral researcher Rohit Chauhan work in a lab. (Photo: Jenny Fontaine/UIC) The University of Illinois Chicago amassed $490.7 million in research funding during fiscal year 2025, which ran from July 2024 to June 2025. The total is a 27% increase since fiscal year 2019. Listen to story summary