Recent Research in the News

Prevention Research Center Funded to Address Causes of Obesity
Tulane researchers are slated to receive $3.6 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a five-year project to establish a Prevention Research Center.

Move from Country to City May Have Health Impact
Young adults growing up in rural areas often move to cities in search of work and excitement. Research shows that migration may have implications for the health of those who move and those who remain behind. Tulane researcher Mark VanLandingham recently received about $1 million from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to study the health of people between the ages of 15 and 29 migrating from rural to urban environments in Thailand.

Tulane Opens
Health Office for
Latin America in Peru

Tulane's historical ties to Latin America coupled with its recognition as an international leader in health areas relevant to the region have led to the opening of a health office in Lima, Peru. The office will promote collaborative public health research in Latin America between Tulane faculty and their Latin American research counterparts.

Secrets of Asthma Management May Be Found at Home
Housing conditions may contribute to the development and worsening of children's illnesses. Epidemiology researchers are studying home-based asthma and lead prevention as a part of the New Orleans Healthy Homes Initiative Project.

Human Industry in Kenya May Support Malaria
Between one and two million people around the world die because of malaria infection every year. According to Tulane University researchers, brick-making activities may be altering the environment to create pockets of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Drinkers More Likely to Miss Doses of HIV Meds
People who live with HIV in rural areas are less likely to keep up with their treatment schedules if they are problem drinkers, say Tulane University researchers. Overall, about one in three HIV positive people surveyed by the researchers reported skipping at least one dose of their medications in the past week.

Researcher Funded to Improve Collection of Health Data in Africa
Tulane University information systems specialist Frances Mather is slated to receive approximately $1.25 million from the Fogarty International Center to strengthen the collection and analysis of health data in West Africa.

Cholesterol Levels High in China, as in United States
Tulane University researchers report that one in three adults between 35 and 74 years of age in mainland China has borderline high or high total cholesterol levels and one in four has borderline high or high LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Developing Rapid Tests for Toxic Side Effects of Cancer Drugs
Tulane University researcher Charles Miller has been awarded $690,000 from the National Cancer Institute to develop methods of testing the possible toxic effects of cancer treatments.

Tracing Obesity, Insulin Problems from Childhood to Adulthood
Epidemiologist Wei Chen received a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to investigate the progression of the characteristics of metabolic syndrome (Syndrome X) -- obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, low "good" cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels -- from childhood to adulthood.

Exploring the Genetic Roots of Blood Pressure
A person's likelihood of getting high blood pressure may be affected by certain genetic variants, say Tulane University researchers.

Tulane Research Funding from NIH Doubles in Three Years
Research funding from the National Institutes of Health has doubled at Tulane University Health Sciences Center in the past three years, reaching more than $71 million in 2003 and placing Tulane among the top 2.5 percent of more than 3,000 grant-seeking institutions.

Helping Kids Raise Kids in Rwanda
There are countries in sub-Saharan Africa where more than 40 percent of the population has HIV or AIDS. These nations are looking at a future where large numbers of children will have lost both parents.