Katie Au, M.D., and Katherine Jorda, M.D., speak to OPB about OHSU's Perinatal Trauma Clinic, one of only a handful of clinics nationwide that aims to support parents who have experienced trauma around birth or pregnancy.

Axios-Portland reports Oregon experienced one of the greatest decreases in life expectancy at birth from 2020 to 2021 due to the pandemic and rising drug overdoses, citing a new CDC report. The article also notes a five-fold increase in opioid overdose deaths from 2019 to 2023, according to the latest data from the Oregon Health Authority. Todd Korthuis, M.D., says: "What we're seeing can be attributed to the increase in fentanyl in our drug supply."

An OHSU study reveals negative health consequences for people who are overweight and ignore their body’s signals to sleep at night, with specific differences between men and women; Brook Shafer, Ph.D., says, "This study builds support for the importance of good sleep habits. Sleep practices, like going to bed when you’re tired or setting aside your screen at night, can help to promote good overall health.”

Central Oregon Daily reports on OHSU research led by Jonah Sacha, Ph.D., that could lead to a universal influenza vaccine; Sacha says: "It occurred to me after my son got infected with influenza that the annual influenza vaccine falls short and we need a ‘one and done’ shot. What we showed is proof of concept that has merit and should be further explored."

A bill being considered in California would ban synthetic food dyes in schools because some studies have raised concerns that they may have an effect on some children’s behavior. Joel Nigg, Ph.D., says no large, representative studies have been done on children in the United States, and researchers aren’t sure how, exactly, the dyes might increase hyperactivity.

A health system performance scorecard on Native American health care outcomes in Washington state, authored by David Radley, Ph.D., shows shorter life spans and higher rates of death before age 75 from preventable and treatable causes; he says: “If somebody only has access to health care through the Indian Health Service, they’re still considered to be uninsured, and that, I think, really starts to be the sort of the key differentiator here."

An article about when to get a COVID-19 shot and how long protection will last, Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., says people who are at high risk of developing severe disease should talk with a health care provider about the ideal interval between vaccines.

In a Medscape step-by-step guide for diagnosing Cushing’s syndrome, Maria Fleseriu, M.D., says an early diagnosis is important: “It is likely that delayed diagnosis might explain the long-term consequences of Cushing’s syndrome, including increased morbidity and mortality despite remission.”

MIT Technology Review explores the future of gene editing, including the irresponsible use of the technology in 2018 by a researcher in China. Paula Amato, M.D., says, “He created this blowback, and brought to a halt many people’s research. And there were not many to begin with.” The story notes that OHSU is one of only two U.S. research institutions to publish research on gene editing in early human embryos.

In a The New York Times article about when to get a COVID-19 shot and how long protection will last, Fikadu Tafesse, Ph.D., says people who are at high risk of developing severe disease should talk with a health care provider about the ideal interval between vaccines.