health

Feb 12, 2013

Mobile Screenings on Campus

The Rex mobile mammography unit will be on campus from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28. 

Jan 16, 2013

Nifty Image of the Day – Neurons!

Troy Ghashghaei, assistant professor in NC State’s Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences and researcher in the Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, wanted to know more about the function of Sp2, a cell cycle regulator that helps control how cells divide. Using genetic tools, Ghashghaei’s team got rid of Sp2 in certain neural stem cells in… 

Dec 10, 2012

Innovation to Save Lives: A Student’s Story, Part II

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by NC State grad student Tate Rogers. Rogers came up with an idea to address the life-threatening challenge of human waste disposal in the developing world, and was part of a team that received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pursue the idea further. Rogers presented… 

Dec 6, 2012

7 Ways to Stay Healthy Over the Holidays

NC State dietitian Lisa Eberhart offers tips on staying healthy over the festive season. 

Nov 15, 2012

Thanksgiving: Simple Tips Can Keep Foodborne Illness at Bay

Thanksgiving is the only U.S. holiday that revolves entirely around food. We spend all day in the kitchen or dining room with loved ones, so it makes sense to pay special attention to food safety this time of year. Why should you care? The CDC estimates that 128,000 people were hospitalized in 2011 due to… 

Nov 7, 2012

Navel-Gazing Researchers ID Which Species Live in Our Belly Buttons (But Don’t Know Why)

Researchers have discovered which bacteria species are most commonly found in our bellybuttons, but have still not discovered what governs which species will be found on which people. These are the first published findings of the Belly Button Biodiversity project led by NC State’s Dr. Rob Dunn. The researchers swabbed the belly buttons of 66 study… 

Oct 29, 2012

In Particulate Matter, the Particulars Matter

When statisticians start talking about PM, they aren’t referring to political leadership. PM stands for particulate matter, and it’s important because it has a direct effect on the health and well-being of anyone who breathes. Statistician Montserrat Fuentes has built a career on looking at the effects of PM 2.5 (the 2.5 means that the… 

Oct 15, 2012

Probing the Brain’s Chemistry

Our brains are constantly awash in chemicals that serve as messengers, transporting signals from one neuron to another.  It’s a really nifty system, although scientists still aren’t clear on how, exactly, those chemical messages end up being converted into behaviors like kicking a ball or doing really complicated mathematical computations. If scientists could get a… 

Sep 20, 2012

Experts: Food Safety Audits Need an Overhaul

Much of the food industry relies on third-party audits of practices, processes and facilities to ensure the food that ultimately reaches consumers is safe. But a new paper from food safety researchers at NC State and Kansas State University argues that these audits need to be overhauled in order to protect public health. Food product buyers… 

Aug 14, 2012

Green Is Good

Editor’s note: The following guest post was written by Leah Chester-Davis, coordinator of communications and outreach for the Plants for Human Health Institute in Kannapolis, N.C. Bad news, Bluto: Mustard greens and cabbage could rival Popeye’s spinach when it comes to building muscles and increasing physical performance. Recent studies show that brassinosteroids present in mustard… 

Jun 21, 2012

Innovation to Save Lives: A Student’s Story, Part I

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by NC State grad student Tate Rogers. Rogers came up with an idea to address the life-threatening challenge of human waste disposal in the developing world, and was part of a team that received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to pursue the idea further. Rogers will… 

Jun 18, 2012

Got Ticks? There’s an App for that.

We’ve all heard the stories – Mild winter!  Longer tick season!  Disease! Pestilence! Hide your pets and children!  But it’s summer, and at some point you’re most likely going to be out and about amongst the blood-sucking vermin.  And even when you take the recommended precautions – protective clothing, insect repellents, flea and tick treatments… 

Jun 14, 2012

The Strain Remains the Same

Sid Thakur is an expert on the kinds of pathogens that like to make their homes in and around our pig populations. He spends most of his time testing the pigs and their environment, identifying potential dangers such as Campylobacter – a nasty little critter that we definitely don’t want in our food supply, particularly… 

Jun 1, 2012

Bartonella: The Epidemic You’ve Never Heard Of, Part 3

This is the final installment of a three-part series on Bartonella, bacteria that are being linked to a wide variety of ailments – many of them chronic, and some of them life-threatening. In part one, we talked about what Bartonella is, and its growing recognition as a potentially wide-ranging and serious infectious disease. Part two… 

May 30, 2012

Bartonella: The Epidemic You’ve Never Heard Of, Part 1

This is the first installment of a three-part series on Bartonella, bacteria that is being linked to a wide variety of ailments – many of them chronic, and some of them life-threatening. In part one, I’ll talk about what Bartonella is, and its growing recognition as a potentially very serious infectious disease. Part two will…