In the News
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October 8, 2021
“We are at a moment, not just after the murder of George Floyd but also the pandemic, where we have seen structural racism in action in all sorts of places. We keep talking about a racial reckoning, and that racial reckoning is happening in science and medicine, as well,” said Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy, on a lawsuit against a biotech company accused of selling cells taken from a Black woman in 1951 without her consent.
The Associated Press -
October 8, 2021
“Our big finding … was there was not as much medical follow-up as one would anticipate following an infection with COVID-19,” said Sheria Robinson-Lane, assistant professor of nursing, whose research also shows that Black people are more likely to be readmitted into the hospital less than 60 days after being discharged.
WXYZ / Detroit -
October 8, 2021
Research by Lillian Min, associate professor of geriatric and palliative medicine, suggests two medications may be better than one for many older adults with high blood pressure, although doctors typically prescribe one medicine at a low dose and increase its strength as needed: “So now the question becomes: If we’re going to go up on the medicine, should we exhaust one before starting another or should we now implement that new advice?”
U.S. News & World Report -
October 7, 2021
Research led by Shawn Xu, professor of molecular and integrative physiology and research professor at the Life Sciences Institute, revealed that C. elegans, a tiny worm ubiquitous in biology research, doesn’t have a specialized hearing organ. Instead, its skin doubles as a sound-sensing membrane, effectively making the worm’s entire body an eardrum. “It was really exciting to find out that when you play sounds at the worms, they do move,” said Elizabeth Ronan, a graduate student in Xu’s lab.
National Geographic -
October 7, 2021
“The very definition of what development means in China is changing. In the past decades, the model was straightforward: It was one that prioritized the speed of growth over all other matters,” said Yuen Yuen Ang, professor of political science. “It is clear by now that (Chinese President Xi Jinping) wants to end the Gilded Age and move toward a Chinese version of the Progressive Era, with growth that is more equitable and less corrupt.”
The New York Times -
October 7, 2021
“The records are poor, and many of them have just been handwritten over decades,” said Eric Schwartz, associate professor of marketing, who along with other U-M researchers developed a machine-learning tool that can help cities predict where lead pipes are most likely to be, rather than spending thousands of dollars on costly digs to figure out whether a pipe buried underground is lead or copper.
Fast Company -
October 6, 2021
Laraine Washer, clinical professor of infectious diseases and internal medicine, said, “We do not have enough longitudinal experience with COVID-19 to firmly predict seasonality for the coming year or two.” But she does expect that COVID-19 will eventually evolve into an “endemic seasonal respiratory virus,” meaning it will be a consistently present virus circulating in pockets of global populations.
MLive -
October 6, 2021
“Philanthropy has been a boys club for a long time and we’re at this precipice where that’s starting to shift,” said Megan Tompkins-Stange, assistant professor of public policy, on the recent surge of charitable giving toward gender equality and philanthropic support for women and girls’ organizations.
The New York Times -
October 6, 2021
“It would be a real game-changer for kids, families and teachers, because it would allow us to have the elements in place to build a high-quality system,” said Christina Weiland, associate professor of education, commenting on a proposal by Democrats in Congress to overhaul how the United States finances child care so that, like K-12 education, it’s backed by taxpayers rather than families.
The Detroit News -
October 5, 2021
After a slow summer of COVID-19 cases in Michigan, “the reappearance of more rapid community spread of COVID is pushing the limits yet again,” said Brad Uren, associate professor of emergency medicine. Marisa Louie, assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine, said respiratory viruses are the most common reason for child ER visits currently: “Primary care offices are overwhelmed, and staffing shortages due to the pandemic across the board trickle down to affect kids.”
WDIV/Detroit
