Guardian caps attached to football helmets
Science & Technology
February 12, 2025

Football helmet covers do not reduce concussions for high school players

A study of 2,610 Wisconsin high school football players found that wearing soft-shell helmet covers, marketed as Guardian Cap helmet devices, during practice had no effect on the rates of sports-related concussions.

Paris skyline
Health & Wellness
February 6, 2025

Examining a climate-induced global health crisis

As dusk settles over Paris, those who wander the city streets hear the clattering sounds of shutters and windows closing. Richard Keller, a professor of medical history and bioethics who has studied 21st century Paris heat waves, has noticed this routine even on the hottest evenings, even in homes without air conditioning.

Illustration by Elisabeth Balistreri
Health & Wellness
January 30, 2025

A path for safer opioid prescribing

An approach to prescribing opioids that pairs clinician education with patient-centered monitoring and feedback could help primary care doctors minimize prescribing opioid medications to manage patients’ chronic pain, according to a University of Wisconsin–Madison research team.

Health & Wellness
December 16, 2024

Some childhood traumas may reduce adolescent mental health problems

An analysis of national data by University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health psychiatry researchers showed that the type of trauma a person experiences could be more impactful than the amount of trauma they encounter in youth.

A woman using a blood pressure monitor at home.
Health & Wellness
September 30, 2024

Maternal blood pressure program expands to help women facing health risks

A UW Health and UnityPoint Health – Meriter program designed to monitor blood pressure during pregnancy and after birth to decrease health complications and hospital readmissions is expanding outside the hospital walls.

Left to right: Jon Audhya, Robert J. Smith, Jr., Carla Vigue, Jennifer Mnookin, Leelyn VanZile, Robert VanZile Jr., Amy Kind, Rachel DeCorah Toyebo, Kurt Zimmerman, and Jomol Mathew
Health & Wellness
September 16, 2024

Trust is key to collaborating with Native community

From their home near the forested lakes of Mole Lake, Wisconsin, the Tribal Council of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community (SCC) traveled to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where they were welcomed by health sciences and biomedical researchers and staff.

Wisconsin Partnership Program: 20 years of moving health forward
Health & Wellness
September 5, 2024

Grants power two decades of statewide impact

The university’s medical school would not be the UW School of Medicine and Public Health without the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.

Aerial view of the west side of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus and lake Mendota, Photo by Bryce Richter /UW-Madison
Health & Wellness
August 30, 2024

RISE-THRIVE initiative focuses on immunology and healthspan

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health will play a significant role in the newest area of focus for the Wisconsin Research, Innovation and Scholarly Excellence (RISE) initiative: RISE-THRIVE, aimed at advancing health and improving lives.

A thermometer showing 102 degrees Fahrenheit with urban traffic and buildings in the background
Health & Wellness
July 31, 2024

Humid heat impacts dialysis patients

A large, population-based study shows that people receiving regular dialysis to treat kidney disease are vulnerable during heat waves, especially those living in cities in the humid southeastern states, resulting in higher death rates.

Bar charts showing how school absence data can help predict increases in illness in the general community
Science & Technology
July 29, 2024

UW researchers’ data informs community when sickness lurks 

What if you could check the “forecast” for respiratory illness as easily as you can check the weather? Would it influence your decision-making?

Close up of a lit sparkler at night
Health & Wellness
June 26, 2024

Protect your eyes this Fourth of July

Fireworks light up many Independence Day celebrations, but setting them off comes with the risk of serious eye injuries.

illustration of a hand holding a phone with stacked emojis going from sad to happy
Health & Wellness
May 30, 2024

Adolescent moods improve during smartphone use

According to a new study, adolescents report better moods when using their smartphones than when not using them, and that their moods improved while they were using their phones.