Health

Dr. Ali Rezai, executive chair of the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, has received the 2025 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. In selecting Dr. Rezai, the Ellis Island Honors Society cited his pioneering work in neuroscience using technologies such as focused ultrasound and deep brain stimulation to unlock new potential in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, addiction and other conditions.

Sharing their knowledge with global audiences, West Virginia University experts have reached more than 10 million news readers through a partnership with The Conversation U.S., a nonprofit, independent publisher of explanatory journalism.

Some of the Mountain State’s most accomplished and talented students are set to begin their college careers at West Virginia University as the new cohort of Bucklew Scholars.

Supporters of West Virginia University donated a record $46.2 million Wednesday (March 26) during the University’s eighth Day of Giving. More than 10,300 gifts were made during the 24-hour online fundraising event held across the University system, also a record. The $46.2 million figure tops 2024’s WVU Day of Giving record of $30.4 million raised from over 8,500 gifts.

Participants in Wednesday’s (March 26) Day of Giving at West Virginia University will have multiple opportunities to boost the overall impact of their gifts through hourly and all-day challenges.

West Virginia University neuroscientists have discovered a way to control how much zinc is released to specific locations in the brain. The essential mineral plays a major role in the organ’s function, including improving memory and lessening symptoms of some neurological disorders, but getting the right amount to the right place is key.

Adults with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to misuse prescription drugs as adults without disabilities, according to research by Jeanette Garcia, associate professor in the West Virginia University College of Applied Human Sciences. She said the findings point to the urgency of curbing prescription misuse among adults with disabilities.

With a $2.7 million award from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Nursing Research that is one of the largest ever for the West Virginia University School of Nursing, three faculty researchers aim to support families while increasing access to care in the rural reaches of the Mountain State by testing an integrated, nurse-led intervention for family home care management of end-stage heart failure and palliative care.

Generations of alumni and friends will come together on March 26 as West Virginia University holds its eighth Day of Giving, an annual 24-hour fundraising effort organized by the WVU Foundation.

West Virginia University Vice President for Research Fred King shared the following message with the University community today (Feb. 17).