A Gene That May Increase Alzheimer’s Disease Risk in African-Americans

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report that two rare variants in the AKAP9 gene significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in African-Americans. This previously unknown association furthers the understanding of the role of genetic factors in the development of AD, according to the researchers, whose findings appear in Alzheimer’s & […]

Tagged: ,

Saying Goodbye to BU’s Former “First Lady”

Jasmine Chobanian remembered as a patron of the arts and a humanitarian. Jasmine Chobanian, who was regarded as the “First Lady” of Boston University during the many years that her husband Aram V. Chobanian, MD, served in University leadership, both as dean of the School of Medicine and the ninth president of Boston University (2003–2005), […]

Dr. Domenic Ciraulo Appointed Chairman of NIAAA Review Group

BUSM’s Domenic A. Ciraulo, MD, was appointed as the chairman of the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) study section AA-3, which reviews all grant applications requesting funding for clinical studies of treatments for alcoholism and health services research on alcoholism. He has been funded by NIAAA for more than 18 years, serving […]

Researchers Identify Potential Biomarker for Alzheimer’s

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) report variants in a new gene, PLXNA4, which may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The discovery of this novel genetic association may lead to new drug treatment options that target PLXNA4 specifically. These findings appear in the Annals of Neurology. AD is the most […]

Tagged:

Engaging Patients to Improve Health Care Outcomes

How can engaged patients improve health care? BUSM’s Suzanne Mitchell, MD, and other expert panelists tackled the question during a recent TEDMED#GreatChallenges discussion, “Examining the Case for Patient Activation Measures.” Research indicates clinical sites using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) — a tool developed by researchers at the University of Oregon to measure patients’ knowledge, skills […]

Tagged:

BUSM Study: Obesity May Be Impacted by Stress

A new study shows that stress may play a role in the development of obesity. Using experimental models, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) showed that adenosine, a metabolite released when the body is under stress or during an inflammatory response, stops the process of adipogenesis, when adipose (fat) stem cells differentiate into […]

Tagged: ,