Researchers at OHSU have been awarded more than $7.5 million in funding to develop gene therapies that could one day provide lasting treatments for inherited kidney diseases — which currently leave patients facing lifelong medical complications, dialysis or organ transplantation. Hiroyuki Nakai, M.D., Ph.D., says, “Our aim is to develop new technologies to deliver genes to the kidney, particularly podocytes and renal tubules, which are critical targets for treating these diseases.”

A new OHSU study documents an increase in the correlation between people who reported late-night eating — defined as eating after dinner or after bedtime — and a heightened risk of two types of liver disease. Robert Wilechansky, M.D., says, “A few studies have hinted at this idea, but this is among the first long-term analyses to explicitly draw the connection to fatty liver disease.”

KLCC-Radio covers BRIDGES-NBS, an NIH-funded research initiative from OHSU and the Northwest Newborn Screening Program to study how optional, consented genomic testing could be integrated into newborn screening programs.

BBC Science Focus covers the historic lack of research on the female clitoris. Blair Peters, M.D., says, “There’s a tendency, particularly in women’s health, to tie everything to reproductivity. But that’s not what [the clitoris’] primary purpose is.”

In a Vox story about the roots of male loneliness and mental health starting with ingrained gender roles in childhood, Christopher Reigeluth, Ph.D., says, “If we’re really going to make a bigger difference with having healthier men who have connected friendships, who are emotionally expressive and connected in their friendships, it’s got to start with boys.”

A new OHSU study documents an increase in the correlation between people who reported late-night eating — defined as eating after dinner or after bedtime — and a heightened risk of two types of liver disease. Robert Wilechansky, M.D., says, “A few studies have hinted at this idea, but this is among the first long-term analyses to explicitly draw the connection to fatty liver disease.”

A new OHSU study documents an increase in the correlation between people who reported late-night eating — defined as eating after dinner or after bedtime — and a heightened risk of two types of liver disease. Robert Wilechansky, M.D., says, “A few studies have hinted at this idea, but this is among the first long-term analyses to explicitly draw the connection to fatty liver disease.”

Media cover a new labor guide from OHSU to help combat misinformation. Sam Melville, M.D., says, “In an era where we are seeing a lot more misinformation on social media, patients getting misinformation from AI, we are trying to support our ability to provide evidence-based information."

Tradeoffs podcast covers Oregon’s legislation to help patients to avoid medical debt, noting that OHSU spent $39 million on aid for patients with insurance in the law’s first full year — about five times as much as they spent before the law.

The American Academy of Pain Medicine recently published new guidance in the journal Pain Management on managing acute low back pain. Devan Kansagara, M.D., says, “We tried to prioritize the self-management aspect of caring for acute low back pain to try to empower patients to understand that there is a lot they can do to get the ball rolling on recovery.”