• Study Explores Mentions of Substance Use, Mental Health in Pop Music Since 2013

    The American Psychiatric Association highlighted new research by UTMB’s Alec Manning, Benita Lalani and Dr. Josheph Shotwell that examines trends in the way popular music reflects national trends in substance use and mental health. “As the world changed, so did the music—and the stories it told about how we’re coping,” the authors of the study write.

  • A young woman helps an older woman stand up with the help of crutches

    UTMB Study Showing Exercise, Not Testosterone, Aids Recovery After Hip Fracture

    Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) joined a multi-center team in conducting the largest randomized clinical trial to date on testosterone therapy in women recovering from hip fractures, finding that the hormone treatment did not improve physical function compared to supervised exercise alone.

  • Why dopamine matters and how to naturally boost it

    Dopamine plays a crucial role in our motivation, reward system, learning and even motor control. Understanding its importance and how to naturally influence its levels can significantly impact well-being and productivity, writes Dr. Hasan Yasin.

  • Why placebos don’t belong in vaccine trials

    Once a safe, effective vaccine already exists, giving some participants in a vaccine study a placebo means knowingly withholding protection, write Drs. Richard Rupp and Megan Berman. So, when scientists need to test an updated version of an existing vaccine, instead of giving half the group a placebo, scientists compare the immune response from the new version to what was seen in earlier, already successful trials, Berman and Rupp explain in their Vaccine Smarts column.

  • Something old becomes something new

    Because of the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, scientists are looking to bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, as a treatment for bacterial infections, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in this week’s Medical Discovery News column.

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