Claudio Mello M.D., Ph.D., shares insight on how parrots can give clues to the evolution of human intelligence: “Parrots have acquired duplicate copies of various genes, some of which are known to be important for brain development and speech in people.”

In a column for Stat News, Ben Hoffman, M.D., calls on Congress to approve a bipartisan tax package that would help the child tax credit reach more families: “We need our lawmakers to act without delay if we are to reverse the alarming trends in child poverty we’ve witnessed. When we support children with evidence-based programs and services to address their basic needs, we support their lifelong health and development, improving their well-being and decreasing risk for adverse outcomes. Simply put, this can set up future generations for success.”

Gordon Mills, M.D., Ph.D., will give a webinar presentation to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine on the impact of personalized medicine on the FDA approval process and the results of the SMMART Clinical Trial, which tracks a patient’s cancer over time through biopsies and tests, and uses that information to adjust drug combinations to stay ahead of the cancer.

A story by Vice cites an OHSU study that found people recently released from incarceration face a 10 times-greater risk of overdosing on opioids than the general public.

The National Minority Quality Forum released a report to the Cancer Moonshot team at the White House Office of Technology, raising a national alarm about disparities in cancer risk, screening, prevalence and mortality in medically underserved communities across the U.S. Tom Beer, M.D., says: “Cancer affects all of us, but the disease has a notably greater impact on communities of color. As a practicing oncologist, I see the importance of early cancer detection in each of my patients and know that working with the NMQF can help us achieve the White House’s goal of cutting cancer deaths in half through early detection, especially in vulnerable communities."

The National Minority Quality Forum released a report to the Cancer Moonshot team at the White House Office of Technology, raising a national alarm about disparities in cancer risk, screening, prevalence and mortality in medically underserved communities across the U.S. Tom Beer, M.D., says: “Cancer affects all of us, but the disease has a notably greater impact on communities of color. As a practicing oncologist, I see the importance of early cancer detection in each of my patients and know that working with the NMQF can help us achieve the White House’s goal of cutting cancer deaths in half through early detection, especially in vulnerable communities.”

A Corvallis woman is the first person on West Coast to undergo robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery. Jay Gantz, M.D., Ph.D., says, “Inserting a cochlear implant electrode into an inner ear is an extremely delicate process. Even very experienced surgeons are at the limit of what they can do with their own dexterity.”

A Corvallis woman is the first person on West Coast to undergo robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery. Jay Gantz, M.D., Ph.D., says, “Inserting a cochlear implant electrode into an inner ear is an extremely delicate process. Even very experienced surgeons are at the limit of what they can do with their own dexterity.”

A study by OHSU and University of California-Davis Health finds members of historically marginalized communities have a higher risk of hospitalization and more aggressive, life-sustaining treatment near the end of their lives.

OHSU recently developed an electronic health record tool that adjusts medication doses for older adults, resulting in fewer adverse drug events.