PHILADELPHIA (February 17, 2026) – Penn Nursing is proud to announce Diane Dodge, Executive Director of Tiba Foundation, as the recipient of the 2026 Penn Nursing Renfield Foundation Award for Global Women’s Health. Dodge will be formally recognized on April 13, 2026, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, where she will receive a $100,000 unrestricted grant to further her transformative work in women’s health care access and economic empowerment. “We are proud to honor Diane Dodge for her visionary leadership,” said Antonia M. Villarruel, PhD, RN, ...

Maternal smoking during pregnancy may be associated with higher blood pressure and increased risk of hypertension in children, according to a new ECHO Cohort study led by Lyndsey Shorey-Kendrick, PhD, of Oregon Health & Science University and Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University. Blood pressure that is higher than normal in childhood, including diagnosed high blood pressure, can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure later in life, a major risk factor for heart disease. Previous studies examining prenatal smoking exposure and childhood blood pressure have produced mixed findings. Many relied on self-reported ...

Despite groundbreaking research, many cell and gene therapies do not make it all the way to the patients. Researchers and clinicians in Lund have now presented a new model for cooperation that will shorten lead times and reduce costs – with the aim to give more patients access to advanced, potentially curative treatments. In brief: Why promising cell and gene therapies fail to reach implementation – and how a Swedish model aims to solve the problem From discovery to reimbursement in healthcare: the ...

Researchers from North Carolina State University have used laser ablation to create ultra-stretchable, superomniphobic materials without the use of harsh chemical solvents. The materials – which are useful in applications ranging from soft robotics to artificial skin patches – retain their superomniphobic (i.e., super-repellent) properties when stretched up to five times their initial length and at over 5,000 stretch cycles. “Superomniphobic materials can repel virtually any liquid – such as ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence-based approach for detecting fatty deposits inside coronary arteries using optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. Because these lipid-rich plaques are strongly linked to serious cardiac events such as heart attacks, the method could eventually help doctors spot dangerous plaques before they rupture and cause damage. OCT is used during catheter-based procedures such as those used to open partially blocked blood vessels and place stents to help blood flow more freely. Although OCT provides very detailed images of the vessel ...

SeaCast is an innovative high-resolution forecasting system for the Mediterranean that harnesses AI to deliver faster and more energy-efficient predictions than traditional models. Unlike existing global AI models, which operate at lower resolutions and primarily rely on ocean data, SeaCast integrates both ocean and atmospheric variables, capturing complex regional dynamics. Its graph-based neural network accounts for intricate coastlines and lateral boundary conditions, overcoming one of the major challenges in regional ocean forecasting. The model operates at a high resolution of about 4 km (1/24°), the same ...

(Toronto, February 17, 2026) JMIR Publications invites submissions to a new theme issue titled “Bridging Data, AI, and Innovation to Transform Health” in its open access journal JMIR Bioinformatics and Biotechnology. The premier, peer-reviewed journal is indexed in PubMed- and Scopus and is the official journal of the MidSouth Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Society. This theme issue explores the convergence of computational biology, artificial intelligence (AI), and health care innovation. As AI continues to revolutionize diagnostics, treatment, ...

A team from the University of Freiburg led by neurobiologist and behavioural biologist Prof. Dr. Andrew Straw studied the flight behaviour of honey bees. Using a drone, the researchers tracked honey bees as they flew between their hive and a food source about 120 metres away in an agricultural environment. In order to observe the bees on their respective routes, the scientists used the ‘Fast Lock-On (FLO) Tracking’ method developed by Straw's working group. This involves attaching a small, highly reflective marker to the insect. On the drone, a computer uses image analysis of reflected light to reliably locate the bee within a few milliseconds and keep track ...

People with greater exposure to air pollution face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study by Yanling Deng of Emory University, U.S.A., and colleagues, published February 17th in the open-access journal PLOS Medicine. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting about 57 million people worldwide. Exposure to air pollution is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, and for several common chronic health conditions, such as hypertension, stroke and depression. ...

CHICAGO — Feb. 17, 2026 — A new study from the Advocate Aurora Research Institute — which is part of Advocate Health — published Tuesday in Hospital Pediatrics provides guidance for families and physicians caring for infants and young children hospitalized with a febrile urinary tract infection (UTI), one of the most common infections in early childhood.  The findings provide insight that could reduce the chances of unnecessary tests for children and added stress for families and could also help ...

The University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health, in collaboration with UC San Francisco and UCSF Health, have joined the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), expanding clinical trial access and advancing obstetric care for patients in Southern California. Established in 1986, the MFMU Network conducts research that focuses on pregnancy and newborn health.  “Joining the ...

Patients with triple-negative breast cancer have different treatment responses Computational tools that predict treatment response historically overlook gene expression changes relative to the tumor microenvironment New computational approach outperformed current methods for predicting chemotherapy response in patients with triple-negative breast cancer Biomarker also directs some patients to alternative therapy and highlights population-specific differences between Asian and European tumors Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new computational approach designed to better account for changes in gene expression within tumors ...

February 17, 2026 — The Brain Trauma Foundation has updated the 2001 evidence-based guidelines for the care of patients with penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI). A working group of more than 30 expert panelists developed over 30 new evidence-based recommendations. To provide a bridge between these recommendations and complexities of care at the bedside, panelists also used a rigorous Delphi process to develop consensus statements as well as treatment algorithms for the guidelines. The guidelines and algorithms are published together as a supplement to the March 2026 issue of Neurosurgery, the ...

A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), reveals that musicians face substantially higher rates of tinnitus, hearing loss, and hyperacusis compared to non-musicians. The study, which pooled data from 67 studies encompassing more than 28,000 musicians across 21 countries. The research found that 42.6% of musicians reported tinnitus (ringing in the ears), compared ...

People with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, are up to four times more likely to develop colorectal cancer than the general population. Low‑grade dysplasia (LGD) — abnormal or precancerous lesions — can be an early warning sign, but only a fraction of UC‑LGD cases progress to cancer. This makes it challenging for clinicians and patients to make informed care decisions, ranging from continued surveillance to preventative surgery. Now, a new study led by researchers at University ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic collaborated with New Phase Ltd. to install the first magnetic nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia machine for cancer research in the U.S. Hyperthermia is a procedure that uses heat to damage and kill cancer cells. The investigational machine will support research evaluating the safety, feasibility and potential effectiveness of this approach in cancer treatment. "We have known for more than a century that temperature is the Achilles' heel of cancer, but conventional hyperthermia has limitations and is not widely available," says Scott Lester, M.D., a radiation ...

La Jolla, CA and Palo Alto, CA—The Calibr-Skaggs Institute for Innovative Medicines at Scripps Research and Kainomyx, Inc., today announced a new research collaboration to accelerate the discovery and development of next-generation antimalarial drugs. This partnership, supported by the Gates Foundation, brings together Calibr-Skaggs’ world-class drug discovery platform and Kainomyx’s innovative focus on cytoskeletal targets in the Plasmodium species of the parasite that are responsible for the deadliest form of malaria. Meeting the Unmet Need in Malaria Malaria remains one of the world’s most devastating infectious diseases, with over 280 million ...

The Jackson Laboratory–New York Stem Cell Foundation Collaborative (JAX-NYSCF) today announced a five-year strategic research collaboration with GSK focused on advancing human cellular models of neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s disease. The collaboration reflects a strategic focus that brings together human stem cell research, advanced data science tools, and large-scale research systems to help close a long-standing gap between scientific discovery and the development of new medicines. The goal is to generate ...

(MEMPHIS, Tenn. – February 17, 2026) Liquid biopsies, which test body fluids that contain cancerous material, including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), are a noninvasive way to learn about a cancer’s biology. However, technological limitations with the small amount of ctDNA available from pediatric brain tumor liquid biopsies have previously stymied broad use of the approach for those patients. To address this, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists, in collaboration with scientists at the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), German Cancer Research ...

Cambridge, MA, February 17, 2025 — Insilico Medicine (“Insilico”, 3696.HK), a clinical-stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery company, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have entered into a collaborative research agreement aimed at discovering new therapeutic targets for gastroesophageal malignancies. The initiative builds on MSK’s global leadership in this field under the direction of Yelena Y. Janjigian, MD, Carroll and Milton Petrie Chair; Chief, GI ...

A new UCLA investigator-initiated study sponsored by the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center has found that adding immunotherapy to standard chemotherapy before surgery is safe and shows promise for some patients with borderline-resectable pancreatic cancer, a disease that has historically been difficult to treat. The findings, published in Nature Communications, show that while the combination did not produce a clear survival advantage for most patients, a notable subset experienced unusually ...

Imagine a “smart fluid” whose internal structure can be rearranged just by changing temperature. In a new study in Matter, researchers report a way to overcome a long-standing limitation in a class of “smart fluids” called nematic liquid crystal microcolloids, allowing for reconfigurable self-assembly of micrometer-sized particles dispersed in a nematic liquid crystal host. The persistent challenge has been that conventional microparticles can induce strong distortions and topological defects in the liquid crystal, which in turn can drive irreversible sticking and clumping, making ...

New York, NY — For years, rising rates of myopia — or nearsightedness — have been widely attributed to increased screen time, especially among children and young adults. But new research from scientists at the SUNY College of Optometry suggests the story may be more complicated — and more human. In a new study to be published in Cell Reports, researchers propose that myopia may be driven less by screens themselves and more by a common indoor visual habit: prolonged close-up focus in low-light environments, which limits how much light reaches ...

SEATTLE – February 17, 2026 – Fred Hutch Cancer Center scientists reached a crucial milestone in blocking Epstein Barr virus (EBV), a pathogen estimated to infect 95% of the global population that is linked to multiple types of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and other chronic health conditions. Using mice with human antibody genes, the research team developed new genetically human monoclonal antibodies that prevent two key antigens on the surface of the virus from binding to and entering human immune cells. Published in Cell Reports Medicine, the ...

In an early test of how AI can be used to decipher large amounts of health data, researchers at UC San Francisco and Wayne State University found that generative AI tools could perform orders of magnitude faster — and in some cases better than computer science teams that had spent months poring over the data.   Teams of scientists and scientists paired with AI were given the same task: predict preterm birth based on data from more than 1,000 pregnant women.   Even a junior research duo composed of a master’s student at UCSF, Reuben Sarwal, and a high school ...