In this robust roundup from the 2021-22 academic year, we highlight the top projects the team worked on by month.
New ISB research shows that different patient responses to statins can be explained by the variation in the human microbiome. The findings were published in the journal Med, and suggest that microbiome monitoring could be used to help optimize personalized statin treatments.
A just-published study provides new information about which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are most likely to need mechanical ventilation or to die. The ISB-led work shows that vital signs and lab results at the time of hospital admission are the most accurate predictors of disease severity, more so than comorbidities and demographics.
On April 7, 2022, Dr. Sui Huang spoke at a Research Roundtable event on the topic of “The Science Behind Masks.” In light of the recent changes to masking mandates, Dr. Huang explained the science behind how masks work and gave the tools to make an informed decision for yourself.
As part of a massive nationwide effort, ISB is leading a multi-site consortium for the NIH RECOVER (Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery) Initiative. The Pacific Northwest consortium is made up of ISB, Providence, Swedish, and University of Washington School of Medicine.
ISB kicked off the sixth year of our successful Innovator Award Program by announcing three collaborative projects. This internal program is designed to support novel research ideas that cut across disciplines and research groups. Washington Research Foundation once again generously pledged $100,000 to fund the awards.
Dr. Jim Heath was announced as a newly elected Fellow of the American Academy for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy Class of 2022. “I am honored and humbled to be recognized as part of this renowned group of researchers who have done so much to move our understanding of cancer forward,” Heath said.
A message to Ukrainian scientists Institute for Systems Biology expresses our solidarity with Ukraine. We are saddened by the invasion of Ukraine, and our thoughts are with those in affected regions. We highly encourage Ukrainian scientists to consider career opportunities in research at ISB, and we will give careful consideration to any who apply. It is our hope that peace is reclaimed in Ukraine and that a healthy, prosperous, sustainable…
In the first ISB-Town Hall Seattle Science Series of 2022, ISB President Dr. Jim Heath sat down with New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and bestselling author Matt Richtel for a wide ranging discussion that touched on the incredible immune system, distracted driving, social isolation, and much more.
Who is most likely to suffer from long COVID? In this PBS NewsHour segment, William Brangham interviews Swedish’s Dr. Jason Goldman, an author and collaborator on the ISB-led study on long COVID published in the journal Cell.
In an article published by Sumathi Reddy for the Wall Street Journal titled, “The New Clues About Who Will Develop Long Covid ,” findings of an ISB-led study published in the journal Cell are covered, along with two complementary Long Covid studies conducted by other research organizations.
In an article published by Pam Belluck for the New York Times titled, “New Research Hints at 4 Factors That May Increase Chances of Long Covid,” findings of an ISB-led study published in the journal Cell are covered in depth, including quotes from ISB president Dr. Jim Heath.
Researchers have identified several factors that can be measured at the initial point of COVID-19 diagnosis that anticipate if a patient is likely to develop long COVID. They also found that mild cases of COVID-19, not just severe cases, are associated with long COVID. Their findings were published by the journal Cell.
On January 18, 2022, Dr. Jim Heath gave a talk on COVID at the first Research Roundtable event of 2022. Research Roundtable is a series of ISB hosted conversations with our leading scientists on the latest research happening at ISB. Designed for a lay audience, this series is open to all. Attendees have the opportunity to ask questions directly to our scientists.
An ISB-led study examined the electronic health records of more than 18,000 people with SARS-CoV-2 tests during pregnancy, and found that those who contracted COVID-19 while pregnant were more likely to have poor birth outcomes including preterm birth, small for gestational age, low birth weight, and stillbirth.
Dr. Anna Kuchina has joined ISB as assistant professor, and is our newest faculty member. Kuchina comes to ISB after completing her postdoctoral training in the Seelig Lab at the University of Washington. In this Q&A, we delve into Kuchina’s research career to date, her research areas of interest, and much more.
This past fall, AmeriCorps member Miranda Johnson packed her bags and left her home state of Illinois to join ISB as a Systems Thinkers in STEM Coordinator. Johnson is the first AmeriCorps member at ISB, so we had quite a few questions about how she got here, her experience thus far, and her future plans.
The quest to create cultivated meat has been a true multidisciplinary puzzle. It’s biology, engineering, physics, bioinformatics, mathematics, computer science, and more. Enter systems biology. ISB and other organizations are toiling to better understand how to create lab-grown meat in a safe, effective manner that can eventually scale up to compete with traditional meat.
