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Medicine & Health

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 22-Oct-2026 23:16 ET (23-Oct-2026 03:16 GMT/UTC)

U-M's Zhen Xu wins Golden Goose Award for development of noninvasive cancer treatment

University of Michigan
Grant and Award Announcement

Zhen Xu, University of Michigan Engineering professor and a co-inventor of the soundwave-based cancer treatment histotripsy, has been named a 2026 recipient of the Golden Goose Award.

How much do Americans spend on GLP-1 medications? VCU medical students measure drug affordability

Virginia Commonwealth University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study reveals trends in health spending, which soared to nearly $65 billion in 2023 for the popular weight-loss drugs. Among their findings: Nearly 1 in 5 of GLP-1 users spent at least 10% of their household income on the medications.

Journal: Journal of General Internal Medicine

Parks as public health infrastructure: research links green space to lower suicide rates

University of Chicago
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A recent study suggests that the built environment surrounding us — specifically, whether our community has accessible green space — may play a surprisingly powerful role in shaping suicide risk.

Journal: Landscape and Urban Planning

Microplastics and the law explained: What California's new rule means for plastic policy

Stanford University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

California provides a case study for other states and governmental bodies looking for ways to stem the tide of microplastic pollution. Stanford experts in medicine and policy explain what can be learned from the state's decade-long regulatory experiment.

Journal: Frontiers in Environmental Science
Funder: Stanford Center for Human and Planetary Health

Keck Hospital of USC recognized as Vizient Top Performer

University of Southern California - Health Sciences
Business Announcement

Keck Hospital of USC has been named a top performer in the 2026 Bernard A. Birnbaum, MD, Quality Leadership Ranking by Vizient®.

CU Anschutz research examines temporary firearm removal among service members and veterans

University of Colorado Anschutz
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As Suicide Prevention Month brings renewed attention to ways to reduce suicide risk, new research from CU Anschutz examines how extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), civil court orders that can temporarily restrict firearm access, are being used among service members and veterans in Colorado.

Journal: JAMA

Forest landscapes and birdsong soundscapes have independent physical health benefits

North Carolina State University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new study finds that exposure to birdsong soundscapes or forest landscapes reduce physiological stress. These findings of physical health effects compliment previous research showing mental health benefits associated with birdwatching and could be useful for urban planners with limited green space options.

Journal: Frontiers in Bird Science

Frequent cannabis use tied to more severe epilepsy

Washington University in St. Louis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A study led by WashU Medicine researchers found that adults with drug-resistant epilepsy who used cannabis most days had more frequent convulsive seizures and became resistant to antiseizure medications years sooner than nonusers.

Journal: Epilepsia

Blocking immune cells’ path into brain limits neurodegeneration

Washington University in St. Louis
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers at WashU Medicine kept harmful immune cells out of the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s-like damage by blocking the pathway the cells use to find their way in. The drug they tested, injected in the body rather than the brain, preserved brain tissue and memory.

Journal: Neuron