In a talk last week sponsored by Harvard Law School's Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics, Prof. Francis Shen, JD, PhD, raised the question of how to grapple with powerful people who show signs of dementia.
The Institute on the Environment (IonE), a Consortium member, celebrated its tenth anniversary on Thursday, Nov. 16. IonE is a cross-disciplinary institute that focuses on solving major environmental challenges, and a leader in the field of ecological economics — the science and practice of incorporating externalities and the value of nature into decision making.
A recent conference sponsored by US News & World Report was dedicated to the "Healthcare of Tomorrow," with a focus on integrative health. According to a related article, "As health care systems work to transition from fee-for-service to value-based care, some are finding that keeping people healthy may be more cost effective that simply treating symptoms." Dr.
An article in Science Magazine describes the case of a 7-year-old boy who suffers from "a severe form of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), an often-fatal group of conditions that cause skin to blister and tear off at the slightest touch." He has made a dramatic recovery after being treated with genetically modified stem cells that were used to grow new skin, which was then grafted onto his body.
New guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend farmers and the food industry stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals.
Air pollution in urban environments causes many premature deaths each year, and that number will grow as urban populations increase. Anu Ramaswami, PhD, led an international research team that recently published a study showing that using the heat generated from industrial processes for heating and cooling other buildings would result in fewer pollutants being generated by cities.
The first annual Chainbreaker bicycle ride has raised more than $1.3 million, according to the Star Tribune. More than 1,000 cyclists took part in the August event, with all proceeds going to fund cancer research. The effort is spearheaded by the Masonic Cancer Center, a Consortium member.
Steven H. Miles, MD, has been recognized by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) for his contributions to the field. Miles is Professor Emeritus at the Center for Bioethics, a Consortium member, and is best known for his work to hold people who perform and enable torture to account.
Plans for a replacement pipeline called Enbridge Line 3 is roiling conversations across Northern Minnesota. According to an article in the Duluth News Tribune, the state's "Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has to weigh the adequacy and reliability of energy supplies, decide which forecasts to trust and — if it is to approve the project — be convinced there's no better alternative." Prof.
Jakub Tolar, MD, PhD, has been appointed the next dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School pending Board of Regents approval. Prof. Tolar is an internationally recognized leader in regenerative medicine who has been with the University of Minnesota for 25 years.