LATEST NEWS & PUBLICATIONS

A new study described by The Atlantic as "part philosophical treatise and part shot across the bow," argues that neuroscientists have been led astray by new research technologies.

A new study by Consortium collaborator Kingshuk Sinha illustrates troubling lags in the recall of flawed medical devices. In the paper, Prof.

An article in The Nation, "What’s Killing America’s Black Infants?" provides a sobering analysis of the disproportionately high death rate among African-American babies.

Both of the legal project assistants (LPAs) currently working with Consortium chair Susan M. Wolf, JD, have received staff appointments for volume 102 of the Minnesota Law Review, an honor indicating high achievement in legal studies. Caroline Bressman was selected as Symposium Articles Editor, and Lauren Clatch is Lead Articles Editor. Ms. Bressman is a graduate of St. Olaf College who clerked at Nichols Kaster last summer. Ms.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested that countries across the globe increase their vigilance in monitoring avian flu in birds and the spread of the disease to humans. Almost 40 new outbreaks in wild birds have been reported since November with at least one case of human infection in China.

The long-awaited updated version of the Common Rule – the regulations safeguarding individuals who participate in research – was announced today by the US Department of Health and Human Services. The goal of the revision is to strengthen protections of research participants without adding undue administrative burdens for researchers, particularly in low-risk studies.

"Trace levels of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals may be harming fish in Minnesota rivers and lakes, according to a study released Thursday by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)," reports Minnesota Public Radio. The new study confirms that such chemicals as antidepressants, insect repellent and the X-ray contrast agent iopamidol are commonly found in the state's rivers.

A 2.3% excise tax on medical devices is among the many aspects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) likely to be repealed during the current congressional session. The tax was collected starting in 2013, with the intention of offsetting expected ACA-driven profits for companies benefiting from expanded federally-funded Medicare and Medicaid payments.

Emerging developments in scientific inquiry were the focus of a recent conversation between Consortium Chair Susan M. Wolf, science journalist Maggie Koerth-Baker, and Minnesota Public Radio host Kerri Miller.

Last Friday's Board of Regents meeting featured a report from Vice President for Research Brian Herman highlighting that University researchers successfully competed for a record $788 million in externally sponsored research awards in FY16, increased business and industry funding, and launched a record 17 startups.