UTMB News

A recent study sheds light on the way women’s brains change and reorganize during and after pregnancy, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their Medical Discovery News column.

Dr. Jochen Reiser, president of UTMB and CEO of the health system, was among the 100 included in the Houston Business Journal’s list of impactful Texans who are likely to make headlines in the coming year. This news was also shared by the Greater Houston Partnership.

“The more you get out in nature, the more you experience better moods and less stress,” says UTMB’s Dr. Kimberly Gushanas. She provides tips and tricks to get the most out of your time in nature. “Explore the world around you, allow your brain the space and time to connect with nature,” she said. “In the process, you’ll likely reconnect with yourself.” This news also reported in Outdoors.

One way to keep your brain healthy is by making plans with others explains UTMB’s Dr. Agenor Limon for this Good House Keeping article on staying mentally sharp. Everything from planning where and when to meet to making conversation and learning new things feeds your brain, Limon tells the magazine.

Studies have shown that individuals who have meaning and purpose in their lives live longer and are healthier than those without, writes Dr. Samuel Mathis for the Daily News. Mathis encourages his readers to come up with their own values and guiding principles that help guide and define their meaning and purpose.

Painting in the 17th century was a risky business write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel. Research has found a number of different toxic compounds including arsenic, sulfur, tin and lead in the paint used at that time.

Joy is an inside job, not based on external achievements, material goods, fame, power or wealth, writes Dr. Victor S. Sierpina in his column for the Daily News. Gratefulness and joy have scientifically demonstrated health benefits and it’s something Sierpina says he will be focusing on in 2025.

Did you know that reindeer need vaccines to stay healthy? Drs. Richard Rupp and Megan Berman explain in their latest Vaccine Smarts column.

Recent biomedical research suggests that gender and sex utilize different areas of the brain and have distinct communication networks, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their Medical Discovery News column.

Becker’s reports on the newly announced partnership between UTMB and the Wyss Center. The partnership aims to implement Wyss Center technologies at UTMB's new Moody Brain Health Institute to enhance therapies for neurological and mental health disorders, Becker’s reports.

The Daily News reviews some of the groundbreaking advances in health care and science that occurred at UTMB during 2024. Some highlights featured in the article include UTMB researchers logging $168 million in sponsored research, the first robotic uniportal lobectomy, a nasal spray designed to treat Alzheimer’s and many other exciting developments.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system, which is designed to protect the body from infections and other harmful agents, begins attacking the body’s own cells, writes Dr. Hasan Yasin. Recent research, he writes, has highlighted the growing connection between environmental toxins and the rise of autoimmune diseases.

UTMB’s Dr. Jochen Reiser was featured on Becker’s Healthcare podcast. Reiser discussed cybersecurity, advancements in AI for clinical and operational use, and fostering partnerships to enhance cancer care in Southeast Texas.

Healio reports on a UTMB study that found that hypothyroidism may be associated with increased perioperative and implant complications after shoulder arthroplasty. “This is a valuable finding which holds significant importance for both surgeons and hypothyroid patients, influencing their choices between shoulder arthroplasty and non-surgical options,” Jad J. Lawand, medical student at UTMB, and colleagues wrote in the study.

Recently more than 20 cases of Oropouche virus infections were identified in the U.S. in people who traveled to Cuba write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column. Oropouche virus causes a disease that resembles Zika virus disease.