Skip to main content

Health

WVU earns reaccreditation for humane animal research

West Virginia University has earned reaccreditation from the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science.

WVU College of Law professors fought to disclose opioid pill data

Patrick McGinley and Suzanne Weise represented pro bono the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette-Mail and its parent company, HD Media, in a year-long federal court legal battle to force the public release of government information identifying the volume of prescription opioid pills that flooded the United States and fueled a national health crisis.

WVU researcher explores link between intercellular communication and incurable blindness

West Virginia University researcher Jianhai Du is investigating how the retina pigment epithelium turns proline—an amino acid—into fuel that the retina can easily burn. Using animal models and primary human cells, he and his team discovered that if the RPE can’t process proline properly, the retina is undernourished, and retinal degenerative diseases result. Their findings, which appear in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, may point to innovative treatments that make incurable blindness preventable.

Nutritional supplements and diets not always protective, WVU research suggests

Do the nutritional supplements people take or the diets they adhere to actually protect them against cardiovascular problems and death? Maybe not, suggests a new umbrella review of meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials by Safi Khan, an assistant professor in the West Virginia University School of Medicine. His findings appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

WVU researcher studies how nursing homes can accommodate obese residents

West Virginia University researcher Nicholas Castle is part of a team investigating how nursing homes can best meet obese residents’ healthcare needs. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality—a division of the Department of Health and Human Services—has awarded them nearly $2 million for the project.

WVU researcher studies new treatment for pancreatic cancer

One reason pancreatic cancer is so lethal is its resistance to traditional chemotherapy. But West Virginia University surgical oncologist Brian Boone is exploring whether FOLFIRINOX—a new combination of cancer drugs—can improve outcomes in patients whose pancreatic cancer is “borderline resectable,” meaning that a tumor may be too close to a blood vessel to be removed safely.

WVU School of Nursing receives 10-year accreditation

The West Virginia University School of Nursing today (June 13) announced that its baccalaureate degree, master’s degree, Doctor of Nursing Practice and post-graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurse certificate programs have been granted accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education for another 10 years.