Sixteen million family members in the US are caregivers for the more than 6 million people living with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). For many caregivers in rural areas such as northern Arizona, health disparities prevent them from accessing the healthcare and support services they need. COVID-19-related isolation is adding… Read more
disease
Top Northern Arizona University microbiologist joins COVID-19 Genomics Union to track virus, lead state’s response to pandemic
Team will use genomic sequencing to track new coronavirus, provide critical data for global biomedical researchers and give Arizona an edge in responding to the pandemic
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), an affiliate of City of Hope, The Pathogen and Microbiome Institute at Northern Arizona University and the… Read more
NIH awards NAU audiologist $455,982 to study genetic link to tinnitus
Tinnitus, more commonly known as ringing in the ears, is a serious audiological and neurological condition affecting nearly 50 million Americans. Noise and music exposure are the predominant environmental risk factors for tinnitus. There is no known cure, and there are no FDA-approved medications developed specifically to treat it. The fact is, tinnitus is very common… Read more
NAU evolutionary biologist uses bioinformatics to fight mosquito-borne pathogens in the Southwest
Illnesses from mosquito bites have tripled in the United States since 2004, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Northern Arizona University evolutionary biologist Crystal Hepp is on the front lines of fighting mosquito-borne pathogens in the region. She recently received a New Investigator Award grant—$75,000 per year for three years—from the Arizona Biomedical Research Centre (ABRC), a… Read more
From basic to translational research: NAU scientist uses microbial sequencing to understand and treat respiratory diseases
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 16 percent of adults in the United States have been diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis, or CRS—commonly defined as a sinus infection and inflammation that lasts more than 12 weeks. Not only do CRS patients report a significantly worse quality of life than those with asthma,… Read more
Protecting future generations: NAU scientists study Arctic community’s exposure to toxic pollutants
St. Lawrence Island, just south of the Bering Strait in Arctic Alaska, is one of the most isolated places on the planet. Wild, mountainous and remote, the island is inhabited by 1,600 indigenous Yupik Eskimos who subsist by hunting and fishing.
Although the island’s natural environment may appear pristine, residents are exposed to high levels of persistent organic pollutants—toxic chemicals that remain in the environment… Read more