News & Announcements

Using MRI, EEG and clinical characteristics, the pre-surgical workup can predict if patients with epilepsy will benefit from a more invasive examination.

Northwestern investigators have discovered the molecular signature of a subset of dopaminergic neurons that increases their vulnerability to degeneration.

A new study has shown that the degeneration of brain motor neurons in ALS is not merely a byproduct of the spinal motor neuron degeneration, and is a target for future treatments for the disease.

A recent study identified a gene that is critical for daily behavioral rhythms, involved in a molecular pathway by which the core circadian clock controls daily sleep-wake cycles.

The damaging effects of toxic proteins created in one inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are mediated by an enzyme called SPOP.

A new Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature explains why dopamine neurons are lost in Parkinson's disease, and demonstrated that a gene therapy targeting the brain's substantia nigra can substantially boost the benefits of levodopa, an important medication for treating the disease.

T-cells respond to buildup of alpha-synuclein with a harmful auto-immune response, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Science.

A unique interaction between an excitatory neural receptor and a chloride transporter are critical for development of adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus.

Throughout the weekend of September 3-5, triathletes in Bentonville, Arkansas, and their supporters around the nation rallied around an important cause: encouraging the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. Proceeds from the Rampy MS Research Foundation’s 10^th annual triathlon, Trifest for MS, support a few select institutions that are currently conducting MS research—including Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Trifest for MS is one of the few triathlons in the country that offers a paratriathlete race class. Multiple sclerosis is a condition that falls into the paratriathlete classification.

Specifically, funds raised from this event help advance the research of Brian J. Popko, PhD, scientific director of MS and Neuroimmunology and the William Frederick Windle Professor of Neurology at Feinberg.

MS is a potentially disabling disease of the central nervous system and the most common chronic neurological disorder to affect young adults. Dr. Popko studies the myelin sheath (an insulating layer that forms around nerves), with the goal of developing new therapies for patients with MS.

The generous funding from the Rampy MS Research Foundation has facilitated all aspects of Dr. Popko’s research program, including pre-clinical studies, access to state-of-the-art technologies and equipment, and conference attendance for scientists in the Popko Laboratory.  

“The Rampy funds have been a great resource for furthering our MS research efforts. Moreover, the enthusiasm and commitment of the triathlon organizers and participants for the cause of MS research have been inspiring,” shared Dr. Popko.

Trifest for MS is hailed as one of the top five triathlons in the nation by Triathlon Business International and was initially inspired by Scott and Jo Rampy, president and CEO (chief encouragement officer) of the Rampy MS Research Foundation, respectively. The triathlon started as Mrs. Rampy’s personal ambition in 2011. To her surprise, it became a community event that has now brought together thousands of triathletes and encouragers over the years.

The event is a culmination of cause, community, corporations, and competition with a family atmosphere where participants of all ages and fitness levels (kids ages 5-18, adults ages 18-75, and para-athletes) can compete in four different events.

During the opening remarks each year, Mr. Rampy tells the triathletes: “Today all of you will cross the finish line, and we’ll celebrate with you. Our research doctors’ finish line is ahead of them and not in sight until a cure is upon them—you are helping them today to reach their finish line.”

Learn more about the Rampy MS Research Foundation at researchms.org.

For more information about supporting multiple sclerosis research at Feinberg, please contact Andrew Christopherson at 312-503-3080 or andrew.christopherson@northwestern.edu.

Priscilla Ambrosi, a student in Northwestern University’s Interdepartmental Neuroscience (NUIN) PhD program, investigates midbrain dopamine circuits and how they control the automation of motor programs.

Children born to women with epilepsy who took anti-seizure medications during pregnancy versus children born to women without epilepsy did not differ in terms of cognitive outcomes and overall neurodevelopment, according to findings published in JAMA Neurology.

In a new study, Northwestern University and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab researchers have discovered that, in an attempt to adapt to this impairment, muscles actually lose sarcomeres — their smallest, most basic building blocks.

A new Northwestern Medicine study has found the hippocampus also plays a role in short-term memory and helps guide decision-making.

Patients with ischemic strokes due to large or small vessel disease should undergo long-term monitoring for atrial fibrillation, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA.