Underserved communities to benefit from population health approach To better address all aspects of patients’ health, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is thinking differently. “Think beyond the individual patient office visit,” said Janet Albers, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Health workers must take a population health approach to caring for patients. That means understanding how patients’ lifestyles and home environments can affect their health.” For example, families living in areas with high crime rates may not feel safe to

Underserved communities to benefit from population health approach To better address all aspects of patients’ health, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is thinking differently. “Think beyond the individual patient office visit,” said Janet Albers, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine. “Health workers must take a population health approach to caring for patients. That means understanding how patients’ lifestyles and home environments can affect their health.” For example, families living in areas with high crime rates may not feel safe to

Cox lab studying nov el gene to learn why hearing cells die Hearing loss is primarily caused by death of sound-sensing cells called hair cells, which are found in the inner ear, in the snail-shaped structure called the cochlea. These cells can naturally regenerate in birds, frogs and fish, allowing recovery of hearing. However, hair cells were not thought to regenerate in humans or other mammals until very recently. In 2014, Brandon Cox, PhD, discovered their ability to spontaneously regenerate in newborn mice. Cox is an assistant professor of pharmacology and a research scientist at Southern

Cox lab studying nov el gene to learn why hearing cells die Hearing loss is primarily caused by death of sound-sensing cells called hair cells, which are found in the inner ear, in the snail-shaped structure called the cochlea. These cells can naturally regenerate in birds, frogs and fish, allowing recovery of hearing. However, hair cells were not thought to regenerate in humans or other mammals until very recently. In 2014, Brandon Cox, PhD, discovered their ability to spontaneously regenerate in newborn mice. Cox is an assistant professor of pharmacology and a research scientist at Southern

Largest study of long-term health to launch later this year Patients of SIU HealthCare will soon have the opportunity to participate in one of the largest prospective studies of health and illness ever attempted in the United States. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has joined the national Precision Medicine Initiative , which was announced by President Obama in 2015 and is led by the National Institutes of Health . It aims to enroll 1 million or more volunteers to follow their health over time and improve medicine’s ability to prevent and treat disease based on individual

Largest study of long-term health to launch later this year Patients of SIU HealthCare will soon have the opportunity to participate in one of the largest prospective studies of health and illness ever attempted in the United States. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has joined the national Precision Medicine Initiative , which was announced by President Obama in 2015 and is led by the National Institutes of Health . It aims to enroll 1 million or more volunteers to follow their health over time and improve medicine’s ability to prevent and treat disease based on individual

Largest study of long-term health to launch later this year Patients of SIU HealthCare will soon have the opportunity to participate in one of the largest prospective studies of health and illness ever attempted in the United States. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has joined the national Precision Medicine Initiative , which was announced by President Obama in 2015 and is led by the National Institutes of Health . It aims to enroll 1 million or more volunteers to follow their health over time and improve medicine’s ability to prevent and treat disease based on individual

Program empowers patients The Department of Family and Community Medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has been awarded recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for its diabetes self-management education program. The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the national standards for diabetes self-management education programs. “The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” said Janet Albers, MD, chair of the Department of Family and Community

Program empowers patients The Department of Family and Community Medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine has been awarded recognition from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) for its diabetes self-management education program. The Association’s Education Recognition Certificate assures that educational programs meet the national standards for diabetes self-management education programs. “The process gives professionals a national standard by which to measure the quality of services they provide,” said Janet Albers, MD, chair of the Department of Family and Community

DoD Grant Funds New Microscope to Aid Hearing Research Auditory researchers at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine have acquired a new microscope to enhance work in laboratories studying tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing loss caused by toxins, noise exposure or aging. A $270,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funded the device. “Our research labs are making great progress on understanding and reversing hearing loss, and this new investigative tool will help us advance the work,” said Brandon Cox, PhD, assistant professor in