UI Health

11/25/2025

11/25/2025

During fiscal year 2025, UI Health amassed more than $300 million in research funding awards from federal, state, industry, and private sources. These gifts funded thousands of projects across our health system on research ranging from nutrition policy to cancer treatment.

“As Chicago’s only public research university, UIC is making critical contributions to the innovation economy of Chicago, our state, our nation and indeed the world,” said UIC Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda. “UIC will continue to advance research that addresses some of society’s most vexing challenges while elevating the quality of life for the many wonderful communities we serve.”

Federal sources accounted for the majority of UI Health’s research funding in 2025. The agency contributing the most was the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which awarded UIC $250.4 million, including $201.4 million from the National Institutes of Health.

Learn how these grants are funding groundbreaking research: https://today.uic.edu/uic-pulls-490m-in-research-funding-in-fiscal-year-2025/

11/24/2025

Each year, University of Illinois Chicago's University Scholars Program honors faculty members across the university for superior research and teaching, along with great promise for future achievements. The award provides $15,000 a year for three years to enhance their scholarly activities.

This year, three UI Health researchers — Ara Tekian, Jun Sun, and Michael Federle — earned this recognition for their work advancing medical simulation technology, treating chronic disease, and understanding the spread of bacteria.

Learn how their work is helping us drive forward the future of healthcare: https://today.uic.edu/university-scholars-10/

11/23/2025

Do you know when someone’s epilepsy diagnosis is considered ‘treatment resistant’?

Hear UI Health epilepsy specialists Drs. Anna Serafini and Francesco Pucci explain the distinction and share some of the alternative treatment options available to patients at UI Health.

Learn more: https://hospital.uillinois.edu/primary-and-specialty-care/neurology-and-neurosurgery/neurological-conditions-we-treat/epilepsy

11/22/2025

Like most mammals, humans are diphyodont, meaning we have two sets of teeth — baby teeth and adult teeth. The technical term for our baby teeth is deciduous teeth because they fall out the same way deciduous leaves fall off trees in autumn.

So, when 11-year-old Ivy asked why we have two sets of teeth for The Conversation US’s ‘Curious Kids’ series, UI Health dentists Dr. Christina Nicholas and Dr. David Avenetti jumped in to provide the answer.

Learn more:

A pediatric dentist and an anthropologist explain how baby teeth and adult teeth help humans chomp their food over a long lifespan.

11/21/2025

This holiday season, we’re celebrating 30 years of giving back to our community with our annual Miracle on Taylor Street employee gift drive!

UI Health employees — we still need your help to make the holidays brighter for our community! Visit the intranet to sign up to sponsor individuals in need. We’ll be collecting sponsored gifts on Thursday, Dec. 4, but first, you must sign up as a sponsor!

Thank you in advance for your generosity and for all you do to improve the lives of our neighbors.

11/20/2025

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, is the most common type of pancreatic cancer. It’s the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S, is difficult to detect, and recurs about 70% of the time after treatment, leading only 13% of those diagnosed to survive more than five years.

But a team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and engineers at UI Health and the University of Illinois Chicago is studying how lidocaine, a common local anesthetic, affects pancreatic cancer cells released into the bloodstream during surgery, and their latest advancement evaluates a method for capturing these rogue cells.

“Science is based on little steps,” said Giulianotti, who is a world-renowned expert in the surgical treatment of hepatobiliary pancreatic cancer malignancies. “And this is a very good step. Most malignant cancers in humans spread through the bloodstream. Understanding how cancer cells are released into the bloodstream and being able to control this process is very, very important.”

Learn more: https://bit.ly/49QqEpu

11/19/2025

On July 23 of this year, we celebrated the important milestone of receiving Magnet Recognition®, joining a small, select group of U.S. healthcare organizations that exemplify the best in nursing care.

Our Chief Nursing Officer Tiesa Hughes-Dillard sat down with UIC Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Dr. Robert Barish to chat about the significance of this achievement for UI Health and for the patients and communities we serve.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3M5fdjW

11/18/2025

Women diagnosed with epilepsy face unique challenges balancing the management of their condition with a full and active lifestyle.

Dr. Anna Serafini, the director of UI Health’s Women with Epilepsy Program, sat down during this November to highlight some of the state-of-the-art resources our experts use to provide the highest quality epilepsy care for all women.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3uG1IhT

11/17/2025

Ed Augustin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 5 years old, and he regularly experienced severe low blood sugar and hypoglycemia unawareness. In one instance, Augustin recalled, he accidentally walked into a parked ambulance. When paramedics checked his blood sugar, it was at a dangerously low 10.

But this fall, Ed was the first patient to receive an islet transplant with the only therapy approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat brittle type 1 diabetes. And this month, he marks his first without needing daily, life-saving insulin injections.

“This is the first time in the United States that an islet transplant was no longer experimental, rather an FDA-approved medical procedure,” said Dr. Enrico Benedetti, head of surgery at UI Health. “I’m proud of the research that was done here at the University of Illinois Chicago to develop Lantidra with our doctors and our faculty.”

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Lzj20M

11/15/2025

Last month, our University of Illinois College of Medicine hosted their annual Community Health and Wellness Fair, bringing together a coalition of campus groups led by staff, faculty, residents, students and community partners to provide health screenings and promote holistic health and wellness!

The department partnered with UIC’s Black Cultural Center, Student National Medical Association chapter, Latino Medical Association chapter, the College of Dentistry, Division of Endocrinology, Community Intervention Outreach Projects, University of Illinois Community Clinic Network, the Center for Dissemination, and Implementation Science and Image Study to offer a range of free health services and information, including screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure, HIV, diabetes, dental health, and colon cancer screening information through Cologuard.

Yoga, mindfulness education, cooking demonstrations and nutrition education also helped participants learn healthy habits, while the Healthy Home exhibit showed how to create safe living environments that support emotional well-being.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3JUCLYd