News and Announcements
Read the latest news from Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program. The links below take you to articles where you can learn more about our faculty’s latest achievements, awards and honors.
03.11.2026trueA first‑ever gene‑regulation therapy tested in early‑phase clinical trials co‑led by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago has proven safe in children with Dravet syndrome who have exhausted conventional treatment options, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
03.09.2026Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how disruptions in circadian rhythm impair metabolic function in fat cells, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms that cause obesity and metabolic disease, according to a recent study published in Nature Metabolism.
02.26.2026New research shows that the brains of “SuperAgers” continue to generate new neurons in the hippocampus at levels far higher than typical older adults, and even much younger individuals.
02.25.2026A team led by Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab scientists have developed a new technology that can eavesdrop on the hidden electrical dialogues unfolding inside miniature, lab-grown human brain-like tissues.
02.11.2026Using lab-grown human spinal cord organoids — miniature organs derived from stem cells — Northwestern scientists have modeled different types of spinal cord injuries and tested a promising new regenerative therapy.
01.28.2026Patients with long COVID-19 in the U.S. report far higher rates of brain fog, depression and cognitive symptoms than patients in countries such as India and Nigeria, according to a large international study led by Northwestern Medicine.
01.22.2026Northwestern Medicine scientists have zeroed in on a cellular gatekeeper that may hold promise for treating abnormal protein accumulation in neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
01.15.2026A Northwestern Medicine study has uncovered a promising new therapeutic approach for a rare genetic brain disorder, according to findings published in Nature Communications.
01.13.2026Northwestern University scientists have developed an injectable regenerative nanomaterial that helps protect the brain during the vulnerable window after a patient suffers a stroke.
01.05.2026Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that targeting neuronal signaling controlling aberrant learning in the striatum may improve the efficacy of a first-line therapy for Parkinson’s disease and has the potential to reduce therapy-related side effects, according to a recent study published in Science Advances.
12.19.2025In a new study, scientists have identified a previously unknown driver of Alzheimer’s disease, and an experimental drug developed at Northwestern University has demonstrated further promise as an early intervention to treat the disease.
12.15.2025A Northwestern Medicine study has shed light on a critical molecular mechanism underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to findings published in the journal Neuron.
12.08.2025Northwestern scientists have developed a wireless device that uses light to send information directly to the brain — bypassing the body’s natural sensory pathways, as detailed in a new study published in Nature Neuroscience.
11.07.2025Northwestern scientists, clinicians and people living with ALS gathered to learn about the latest research and celebrate advancements in patient care during the 15th annual Les Turner Symposium on ALS held at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on November 3.
11.06.2025Northwestern Medicine scientists have uncovered how a specific type of cell in the inner ear plays a commanding role in shaping the cellular landscape of the organ responsible for hearing, according to a study published in Science Advances.
11.03.2025A new Northwestern study has uncovered how a key disease protein drives overactive nerve cells in neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and frontotemporal dementia.
10.23.2025Lisa Beutler, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, was senior author of the study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
09.16.2025A new clinical trial has revealed encouraging results for a muscle-targeting therapy aimed at improving motor function in children and adolescents with spinal muscular atrophy, according to a study published in The Lancet Neurology.
09.03.2025The Les Turner ALS Foundation has announced that it will make a $500,000 gift to support ALS research at Feinberg; the historic gift will support researchers in pursuit of a cure for the disease during a federal funding freeze on Northwestern research.
09.03.2025A new Northwestern Medicine study has uncovered a surprising molecular link between HIV-1 and a protein fragment associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
08.12.2025Over a quarter-century of research, Northwestern scientists have been studying individuals over eighty with memory capacity of people at least three decades younger, to identify the biological and behavioral traits associated with “SuperAging.”
07.28.2025In a new study published in Nature, Northwestern neurobiologists have found that the brain’s internal GPS changes each time we navigate a familiar, static environment.
07.17.2025New Northwestern Medicine research has found that a usually harmless virus might be an environmental trigger or contributor to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
06.11.2025Scientists have developed a new method to track changes in synaptic protein lifetimes across the entire brain, according to a study published in Nature Neuroscience.
06.10.2025Scientists investigating severe malaria infections in children have uncovered key biological markers that could help guide future treatments, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
06.09.2025A compound found in the gut may reduce some of the manifestations of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
05.13.2025More than seven million Americans aged 65 years and older currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, according to recent estimates from the Alzheimer’s Association. As the prevalence of the disease increases, so does the need for research that identifies underlying mechanisms of disease to enhance the effectiveness of current therapies and inform new therapeutic strategies.
04.30.2025A new Northwestern Medicine study has identified the molecular mechanisms that cause a commonly prescribed antipsychotic drug to produce harmful side effects similar to Parkinson’s disease symptoms, according to findings published in Molecular Psychiatry.
04.11.2025A new Northwestern Medicine study published in Science has identified a new set of genes that contribute to the risk of Parkinson’s disease, opening the door to previously untapped drug targets for treating the disease.