UTMB News

Rev. Dr. Tammy Isaac, a chaplain at UTMB’s Angleton Danbury Campus, writes about her mother’s fight against breast cancer. “The battle with cancer doesn’t end with remission — it’s a lifelong journey of survival,” Isaac writes.

New research is delivering a promising advance on a male hormonal contraceptive, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column.

UTMB’s Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan spoke to the Times for a story on blood sugar and health. “Sometimes it’s one thing that they can cut out — and maybe they don’t miss it a whole lot,” Vaughan said about ways food choices can affect blood sugar.

bull horn spraying breast health icons - pointing toward a large pink circle with a dark pink ribbon in it

While the specific design and contents of the special section published through the Galveston County Daily News has evolved over the years, the goal remains to share information about breast cancer treatment and screening options, as well as resources for survivors.

The spices that are commonly used to make the fall favorite pumpkin spice flavor all have health benefits, writes Dr. Samuel Mathis.

The news of UTMB receiving a $46 million grant for research on vaccine development was highlighted in this editorial by The Galveston County Daily News. “When it comes fearsomeness, most other things pale in comparison to viruses, so this is money well spent,” writes Editor-in-Chief Michael A. Smith.

A new study poses a theory that accumulation of fat droplets in glial cells causes the plaques and subsequent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column.

“Computers and texting encourage a forward head position and make it harder to maintain good posture,” UTMB’s Dr. Lynne Hughes tells Consumer Reports. Hughes offered tips on how to maintain good posture.

As more farmworkers are diagnosed with bird flu, one possibility that hasn’t received much attention is that some individuals may carry the pathogen without ever having an immune response or developing symptoms, Dr. Gregory Gray tells the New York Times. “We haven’t really thought about that with respect to influenza,” Gray said.

An older man doing push ups on the sidewalk

Dr. Stanley Watowich discusses new research at the University of Texas Medical Branch holds promise for helping people maintain strength and mobility as they age.

Many crucial questions remain unanswered about the deadly Marburg outbreak in Rwanda, reports the journal Science. Dr. Thomas Geisbert spoke to Science about the outbreak and about the importance of figuring out the genetic sequence of the virus spreading in Rwanda. “They’re obviously all deadly viruses, but the mortality rates are a little different,” Geisbert said.

Dr. Victor Sierpina shares his recent experience learning Spanish and how we can benefit from building our bilingual skills. Those benefits included improved memory, sharper cognitive skills, adaptability in problem-solving, better self-control, and even forestalling dementia.