Dr. Gregory Gray also spoke to ZME Science for an in-depth explainer on bird flu. Even with vaccines, though, “we may not be able to put out this fire,” Gray said. “It appears, to many of us, that these viruses are going to be endemic, or we say ‘enzootic,’ for a long time.”

Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel explore the science and scientists who study the bubbles that make champagne fizzy, in their latest column.

The common treatments for pain have not changed in years write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel but good news may be on the horizon. Scientists have found an entirely new class of pain drugs based on the sodium ion channels related to pain transmission, they write.

After more than 20 years at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Dr. Randall Urban is now vice president and research director of UTMB’s Institute for Translational Science. His work involves bringing scientists and medical professionals together to work on pressing public health issues and move new discoveries from the laboratory to the patient room.

The medical community shines a light on the damaging effects of sun exposure – namely, skin cancer, specifically calling on individuals to begin a lifelong habit of examining their skin for signs of skin cancer.

UTMB is the first academic healthcare center in Texas to add an artificial intelligence-based tool to routinely check for prostate cancer, reports KHOU. “AI allows the doctors to become much better at their work by recognizing patterns in medical images that they might otherwise miss,” UTMB’s Dr. Harsh Thaker tells the Houston TV station.

UTMB’s Dr. Gregory Gray tells CBS that he isn’t concerned about the CDC not identifying new human bird flu cases in months. "I don't think that anybody's hiding anything," Gray told CBS.

UTMB’s Dr. Shikha Wadhwani joined other experts to discuss the shift toward proteinuria-based endpoints that could finally bring a targeted drug to FSGS patients.

The American Psychiatric Association highlighted new research by UTMB’s Alec Manning, Benita Lalani and Dr. Josheph Shotwell that examines trends in the way popular music reflects national trends in substance use and mental health. “As the world changed, so did the music—and the stories it told about how we’re coping,” the authors of the study write.

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) joined a multi-center team in conducting the largest randomized clinical trial to date on testosterone therapy in women recovering from hip fractures, finding that the hormone treatment did not improve physical function compared to supervised exercise alone.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, UTMB Health's Dr. Kim Gushanas sat down with Houston Moms for a heartfelt discussion about grief, mourning and how to speak about death of loved ones to your children.

UTMB launched the Center for Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, a university-level initiative that will serve as a central hub for developing, supporting, and accelerating health and clinical outcomes research across the institution.

UTMB’s Dr. Sarah Samreen shared insights and advice regarding surgical weight loss with KPRC. “Surgery is safe and can allow patients to lose weight without being on medication for life,” she tells KPRC.

Dopamine plays a crucial role in our motivation, reward system, learning and even motor control. Understanding its importance and how to naturally influence its levels can significantly impact well-being and productivity, writes Dr. Hasan Yasin.

Once a safe, effective vaccine already exists, giving some participants in a vaccine study a placebo means knowingly withholding protection, write Drs. Richard Rupp and Megan Berman. So, when scientists need to test an updated version of an existing vaccine, instead of giving half the group a placebo, scientists compare the immune response from the new version to what was seen in earlier, already successful trials, Berman and Rupp explain in their Vaccine Smarts column.

Because of the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria, scientists are looking to bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, as a treatment for bacterial infections, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in this week’s Medical Discovery News column.

“My goal is to push innovation down to the desktop,” UTMB Vice President and CIO George Gaddie told Becker’s. UTMB signed a five-year deal with Microsoft to use the company’s AI and cloud computing capabilities. “We have not just made IT more innovative; we’ve made the organization more innovative, where if people have ideas, they can try them. They’ve got the tools necessary, the training necessary, they’ve got the expertise, the confidence,” Gaddie said. This news was also reported by hoodline.

For Patients of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) Bariatric Surgery Program, Weight Loss is Only Part of the Story Bariatric Surgery Program, Weight Loss is Only Part of the Story. With the expert care of surgeons such as Dr. Sarah Samreen and Dr. Lauren McTaggart, patients of the program are not only losing weight but also reclaiming their lives.

"Saying we're going to devote resources to studying therapies instead of enhancing uptake of the vaccine is a profoundly inefficient way of addressing a vaccine-preventable disease," UTMB’s Dr. Susan McLellan told AFP for a story on the continued measles outbreak in the U.S. The story was picked up and printed in news outlets around the world including France 24, The Strait Times, News Central and The Times of India, among many others.

There is science to back up the need for humans to experience awe in their lives, writes Dr. Samuel Mathis in his latest column. For example, one study found that individuals who experience awe daily had lower levels of stress, fewer sick symptoms, and a greater sense of well-being.