There has been a three-fold increase in prescriptions of opiate painkillers among older adults for chronic pain not related to cancer. Yong Fang Kuo, PhD, and Dr. Mukaila Raji, professors of internal medicine in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, were awarded $1.4 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to conduct the first nationally representative study to examine variations in use of opiates in older adults and their relationship to outcomes, different state regulations and federal policy.

In the first months of a baby’s life, parents usually concentrate on their newborn’s health. But the postpartum period is also a good time for mom to catch up on an important vaccination for herself. The many doctor’s visits needed for a newborn present a convenient way for mom to get all three shots of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine

Dr. Elena Volpi, director of UTMB’s Sealy Center on Aging, received a $2.7 million grant from the National Institute on Aging for a five-year project that will identify the mechanisms that can accelerate loss of muscle size, strength and physical function in older adults with Type 2 diabetes and those who have been hospitalized.

Thomas Geisbert, PhD, in collaboration with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation, has protected nonhuman primates against Ebola Sudan four days after exposure to the virus. The study results, which were recently published in Nature Microbiology, demonstrated that the treatment was effective at a point when animals had detectable levels of the virus in their system and were at an advanced stage of disease.

Many teens experience physical or sexual abuse within their romantic relationships, and now dating violence can also be perpetrated digitally by harassing, stalking or controlling a romantic partner via technology and social media.

The latest research from UTMB scientists found that a drug to treat Zika virus infections could already exist and be available on the market. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Mariano A. Garcia-Blanco, a professor and chair of the biochemistry and molecular biology department at UTMB, and Shelton S. Bradrick, an assistant professor in the department, tested more than 770 different U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapeutics and found that more than 20 of those decreased Zika virus.

Rakez Kayed, PhD, was recently awarded $1.9 million from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging to study the formation and propagation of tau oligomeric strains in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain cells depend on tau protein to form highways for the cells to receive nutrients and get rid of waste.

A new study by UTMB researchers found that pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) therapy among older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is underutilized, despite its health benefits and cost effectiveness.

Thanks to a $1.3 million agreement, researchers from UTMB’s National Biocontainment Training Center will embark on a two-year research development program to collaborate with and help train Cuban scientists at the Instituto Pedro Kouri in Havana to better fight infectious diseases, including the Zika virus, which is currently infecting millions internationally.

A multidisciplinary team led by Pei-Yong Shi, PhD, UTMB endowed professor of Human Genetics, is the first in the world to genetically engineer a clone of the Zika virus strain. For 60 years, the Zika virus remained obscure with few identified cases in people and mild disease symptoms. However, since 2007, the virus has sparked frequent epidemics associated with serious diseases such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome.

A five-person crew carrying loads of camera and lighting equipment headed up to the lab of Rakez Kayed, PhD, on the 10th floor of the Medical Research Building on UTMB’s Galveston Campus. Leading the way was well-known national reporter and correspondent, Stone Phillips.

An interdisciplinary research team has made a discovery that could lead to the development of a treatment for a deadly virus spread by rodents. Thomas Geisbert, PhD, professor of Microbiology and Immunology, reports that a laboratory-engineered antibody provided complete protection against the deadly Junin virus responsible for Argentine hemorrhagic fever.

Ramkumar Menon, PhD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has found that higher concentrations of Bisphenol A, or BPA, the common plastics chemical and environmental pollutant, in a pregnant woman’s blood may be a contributing factor in preterm births. The UTMB study found that pregnant women with higher levels of BPA in their blood are more likely to deliver their babies early compared to women with lower levels of BPA.

It’s early morning as Chris Roundy methodically checks the small black traps in a Galveston backyard, looking intently for the tiny treasures that might help scientists researching arboviruses, including Zika and dengue fever.

A laptop and Internet access are all researchers need to be on a path to discovering possible new drug candidates to fight a vast number of diseases, including obesity, cancer, influenza, dengue fever and leishmaniasis, a tropical disease transmitted by sand flies.

Patricia Aguilar, PhD, assistant professor of Pathology, has found that a recently discovered virus is able to spread to healthy neighboring cells by a mechanism previously unseen in other arthropod-borne viruses. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, a tick-borne bunyavirus discovered in China that causes severe fever and can lead to death, was first described by a team of scientists, including UTMB experts, in 2011.

CBS Evening News. National Public Radio. NBC Nightly News. The New York Times. Univision. The Washington Post. National Geographic. BBC News. KTRK-TV, Ch. 13Houston. KHOU-TV, Ch. 11 Houston. The Houston Chronicle. When it comes to emerging infectious diseases, local, national and international media outlets are turning to UTMB for accurate information

Rakez Kayed, PhD, associate professor of Neurology, and Bridget Hawkins, PhD assistant professor of Anesthesiology, have filled an important gap in understanding the link between traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Previously, UTMB researchers found a toxic form of tau protein that increases after a traumatic brain injury and may contribute to development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition experienced by many professional athletes and military personnel.