OHSU research finds that binaural pitch fusion, a process that involves merging different pitches from each ear into a single sound, is one type of central hearing processing that may still be developing in pre-adolescent children.

Research from a team of investigators at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) has found that alpha-synuclein (αSyn), a protein long associated with neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease, also plays a direct role in the development of melanoma by enhancing DNA repair in cancer cells.

OHSU research find a small protein involved in neurodegeneration leading to Parkinson’s disease also drives a type of skin cancer known as melanoma. Vivek Unni, M.D., Ph.D., says, “Developing drugs that target alpha-synuclein may be useful in both diseases.”

Since its inception in 2009, OHSU’s online nursing degree program has launched more than1,400 graduates’ careers in nursing.

Rajat Thawani, MBBS, leads a panel on considerations for tyrosine kinase inhibitor selection and sequencing in the first and second lines of treatment for patients with stage IIIB to IV ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer at the CancerNetwork “Meeting of the Minds” program. Thawani says, “Broadly the metabolic and neuropsychiatric [adverse] effects, both of them [can be] challenging in lorlatinib, but it seems like with holds and temporary discontinuations, you can get it under control”

The Oregonian writes about limited access to primary care in the Portland-metro area, in part due to a limited number of family medicine physicians. Deb Cohen, Ph.D., says, “It’s a labor economics issue. Family medicine physicians, in particular, carry a pretty heavy debt from medical school … they make significantly less money than a specialist would, and their workload is greater.”

In coverage of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeking to analyze and explain evidence on medical marijuana, Marijuana Moment mentions a website collaboration by the VA and OHSU designed to help clinicians and researchers evaluate the latest evidence around the health effects of cannabis.

OHSU scientists — Jonathan Pruneda, Ph.D., and Michael Cohen, Ph.D. — in different fields, realized their work complemented each other and revealed a new method to understanding how proteins work. Pruneda says, “This discovery expands our understanding of how complex cellular signals are integrated. Until now, it was thought that a single modification would control protein behavior, but our work reveals that different modifications can interact and affect a protein's function in unique ways.”

In a recent interview with Contemporary OB/GYN, Elinor L. Sullivan, PhD, and Elizabeth K. Wood, PhD, professor and assistant professor, respectively, at Oregon Health & Science University, discussed how infant neurodevelopment is influenced by maternal diet during the third trimester of pregnancy.

In a column for the Portland Tribune, two nurses (not affiliated with OHSU) highlight the damage that pulling back research funding will have on human health. They highlight OHSU’s significance both as a large employer and a leading research institution.