Breakthroughs

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Breakthroughs is a podcast about groundbreaking research and the scientists leading these discoveries at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. We are driven by our mission to transform the practice of medicine and profoundly impact human health beyond the individual patient. We believe better answers only come from discovery.

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23 episodes
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Avg 21 min
English

Episodes 23

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October 26 · 23 min
Decoding the Immune Response in Early-Stage Bladder Cancer with Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD
Why does a standard immunotherapy work remarkably well for some bladder cancer patients, but fail for others? In this episode, Northwestern Medicine physician-scientist Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, breaks down his recent research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and European Urology uncovering how the tumor microenvironment and immune cellular communication influence response to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy. Find out how single-cell RNA sequencing, macrophage–T-cell interactions, and urinary tumor DNA biomarkers are paving the way for targeted, personalized bladder cancer care.
October 12 · 19 min
Rewind: Decoding Metabolism and Why When You Eat Matters with Joseph Bass, MD, PhD
We are re-sharing an episode that we originally released in March 2023 about circadian rhythms and metabolism, looking at how the timing of food consumption can impact weight gain and health. Since this episode was released Dr. Bass has led several other studies looking at circadian rhythms and weight loss. Most recently, his team published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences about an experimental RNA therapy that induces the body to burn calories and preserving lean mass, thereby enhancing the benefits of GLP-1s. More on the recent study can be found here: https://news.feinberg.northwestern.edu/2026/09/21/rna-therapy-may-help-preserve-muscle-during-glp-1-weight-loss/
September 28 · 17 min
How Our Genes Predispose Us to Infection with Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD
Why does one person become critically ill from a virus while another person exposed to the same microbe remains completely healthy? This is the "infection enigma," and Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD, has spent his career trying to solve it. A French pediatrician and immunologist, Casanova is the winner of Northwestern University's 2026 Mechthild Esser Nemmers Prize in Medical Science. In this episode, Casanova discusses his paradigm-shifting discoveries and what they reveal about immunity, genetic predisposition and why some people develop life-threatening infections while others do not.
September 14 · 22 min
Why It's Important to Analyze Research Data by Sex with Nicole Woitowich, PhD
For decades, biomedical research relied heavily on male subjects, leaving important gaps in our understanding of how diseases and treatments affect women. In 2016, the NIH introduced a policy requiring that all eligible funding applicants consider the influence of sex in their research to better understand health and disease for all. Nearly a decade later, has research truly changed? In this episode, Nicole Woitowich, PhD, executive director of Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (NUCATS), discusses her new study examining how well biomedical research is incorporating sex differences, and where science is still falling short. Read more about Woitowich's appointment as executive director of NUCATS. Check out the study published in Nature Communications Medicine. Learn more about the research from a Northwestern Now story.
June 8 · 21 min
What is the Genetic Overlap Between Autism and Schizophrenia? with Peter Penzes, PhD
In this episode, Peter Penzes, PhD, director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses a recent discovery of a schizophrenia biomarker and how this research could one day offer earlier diagnosis, more precise treatment, and better outcomes for patients. Learn more about how the field of neurodevelopmental research has evolved over the past decade with major advances in genetics, brain imaging and laboratory models. Large genomic studies have uncovered many more genes associated with risk of developing autism, schizophrenia and related conditions, while new technologies, including brain organoids grown from patients' stem cells, are giving scientists new insight into how these disorders develop and affect brain function.
May 26 · 20 min
How a Tiny Device Could Transform Fetal Surgery with Aimen Shaaban, MD
Fetal surgery can be lifesaving for babies diagnosed with complex conditions before birth, but it comes with significant challenges, including limited ability to monitor the fetus in real time. A Northwestern Medicine team has developed a first-of-its-kind flexible probe, designed for continuous real-time fetal monitoring during surgery. This innovation is the result of a collaboration between Northwestern University bioelectronics pioneer John Rogers, PhD, and Aimen Shaaban, MD, director of the Chicago Institute for Fetal Health. In this episode, Shaaban explains how the device works, how the collaboration took place and what it will take to bring this technology out of the lab and into clinical care.
May 11 · 16 min
Is Antimicrobial Resistance Threatening Modern Medicine? with Jennie Kwon, DO
As the new chief of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Jennie Kwon, DO, is working in a rapidly evolving field rich with opportunities for discovery and impact. Her own research focus is one of the most pressing challenges in medicine today: antimicrobial resistance. In this episode, she discusses the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance and why this crisis could fundamentally disrupt modern medicine.
April 20 · 23 min
New Insights Into Dopamine with Raj Awatramani, PhD, and Daniel Dombeck, PhD
We are re-sharing this episode on dopamine and subtypes of dopaminergic neurons that may provide new insights into how we think about the role of dopamine. Rajeshwar Awatramani, PhD, and Daniel Dombeck, PhD led this research, and in this episode they explain how the results could change the field of dopamine research and pave the way for new research possibilities, especially concerning Parkinson's disease, a condition marked by a loss of dopamine neurons and motor system challenges.
April 6 · 19 min
Improving Testing and Diagnosis of Hepatitis C with Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH
A new, rapid Hepatitis C test developed by Northwestern University scientists could change the future of Hepatitis C care by delivering faster diagnosis and treatments for a disease that is estimated to impact 50 million people around the world. The research behind this new test, which was built on the DASH (Diagnostic Analyzer for Specific Hybridization) Rapid PCR system developed at Northwestern University was published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. In this episode, Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH, explains this study and the impact this test could have on the global effort to eliminate Hepatitis C.
March 23 · 31 min
Decoding Long COVID's Impact on the Brain with Igor Koralnik, MD
Our understanding of how viral infections can affect the brain has changed dramatically in recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic and research into long COVID has accelerated some of this new knowledge. Igor Koralnik, MD, chief of Neuro-Infectious Diseases and Global Neurology in the Department of Neurology at Feinberg has studied the long-term neurological effects of COVID-19 and developed tools to support patient recovery. In this episode, Koralnik shares the latest research on long COVID and talks about recent findings from his lab identifying a common virus in the brains of some patients with Parkinson's disease that may influence how Parkinson's develops.
February 23 · 23 min
Improving Imaging of the Spinal Cord with Molly Bright, DPhil
A novel functional MRI (fMRI) technique has been developed by Northwestern Medicine investigators to more accurately assess blood flow in the spinal cord. In this episode, Molly Bright, DPhil, explains how his noninvasive method could one day help clinicians detect early signs of neurological disease or injury, monitor recovery and guide treatment decisions for patients with spinal cord conditions.
February 2 · 27 min
New Paths for Diagnosing and Treating Lyme Disease with Brandon Jutras, PhD
Lyme disease, the bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, with nearly half a million people diagnosed and treated each year, according to the CDC. Two pivotal studies on Lyme disease from the lab of Brandon Jutras, PhD, provide important insights into what may cause persistent Lyme disease symptoms in a subset of patients. This research points to some promising new directions for both diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.
Dec 15, 2025 · 15 min
How Cell Function Can Shed Light on Neurodegeneration with Vladimir Gelfand, PhD
The tiniest parts of the cell may provide new insights into challenging neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). New research from Northwestern University has revealed a key mechanism underlying the development of motor neuron diseases, such as ALS, offering new insights into potential treatment options. This new finding published in the Journal of Neuroscience, comes from the lab of Vladimir Gelfand, PhD, and may help inform the treatment of ALS and other motor neuron diseases.
Dec 1, 2025 · 19 min
Advancing Health and Longevity by Analyzing the Retina with Manjot Gill, MD
One of the many ways the Human Longevity Laboratory at Feinberg is studying aging is through the lens of the retina. Manjot Gill, MD, a Northwestern Medicine retina specialist, explains the unique multi-disciplinary approach of the lab and how she is using AI in retinal imaging to predict biological age and help validate interventions that may slow aging. She is vice chair of clinical performance in the Department of Ophthalmology and Professor of Ophthalmology and Medical Education.
Nov 12, 2025 · 26 min
The Art and Science of Bedside Medicine with Brian Garibaldi, MD
Brian Garibaldi, MD, the founding director of Northwestern Medicine's new Center for Bedside Medicine, discusses the importance and future of bedside medicine. A renowned pulmonologist and medical educator, Garibaldi addresses how modern technology can integrate with traditional clinical skills to improve diagnosis, deepen patient relationships and reduce physician burnout. He also explains how the new center aims to train the next generation of physicians to understand and embrace the power of the physical examination and the doctor-patient relationship.
Nov 3, 2025 · 18 min
Rewind: Leading Neuroscience Research to Inform Mental Health Treatment with Sachin Patel, MD, PhD
Sachin Patel, MD, PhD, is the chair and Lizzie Gilman Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Feinberg and diretor of the Stephen M. Stahl Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience. In this episode, he talks about the current mental health crisis in this country, his research and vision for the department. Since this episode was originally released, Patel has published findings in the journal, Cell Reports, which uncovered new insights into the synaptic connections of subgroups of interneurons. These findings may improve the understanding of fear responses and could inform new targeted therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Oct 20, 2025 · 19 min
Studying T-Cell Therapy for Potential Lung Tissue Repair with Benjamin Singer, MD
Viral pneumonia can cause severe lung damage and make recovery long and life-threatening for patients. Current treatments only provide support, not repair, but Northwestern Medicine scientist Benjamin Singer, MD, wants to change that. In this episode, he details a recent discovery from his team that found laboratory-modified T-cells or induced regulatory T-cells (iTregs), can promote lung tissue repair in mice with severe influenza pneumonia. Singer discusses this breakthrough and how it could lead to an effective cellular therapy for patients with severe viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome in the future.
Aug 25, 2025 · 22 min
Rewind: The Role of Dopamine in Habit Formation and Compulsive Behavior with Talia Lerner, PhD
We're resharing an episode from October 2022. How are habits – both good and bad – formed in the brain, and what role do habits play in diseases of the brain? These are some of the questions neuroscientist, Talia Lerner, PhD, is investigating in her lab. Her recent study, published in Cell Reports, may change the overall understanding of how habits are formed and could be broken. Since this episode was first recorded in fall 2022, Lerner's team has published new research looking at sex differences. In a paper in Neuropsychopharmacology, her team discovered how novel sex-specific mechanisms control how stress hormones impact dopamine transmission and motivation.
Aug 4, 2025 · 20 min
Rewind: Exploring Immune Tolerance and Food Allergy Pathways with Stephanie Eisenbarth, MD, PhD
Uniting scientists and harnessing the power of the immune system to fight disease is at the heart of the Center for Human Immunobiology (CHI). Stephanie Eisenbarth, MD, PhD, leads the center, and she is also the chief of Allergy and Immunology in the Department of Medicine. Since this episode was first recorded in fall 2022, Eisenbarth's team has launched a clinical trial to study a new treatment for food allergy. She has also brought together more than 150 trainees and faculty through the CHI. Here, she discusses the variety of immunology research taking place within the center and the continued work to discover and translate innovative science into cures for immune-related diseases.
Jul 7, 2025 · 19 min
A Promising Drug for Alzheimer's Disease with William Klein, PhD, and Richard Silverman, PhD
An experimental drug called NU-9 was invented at Northwestern University by Richard Silverman, PhD. It has been approved for clinical trials for the treatment of ALS and found to improves neuron health in animal models of Alzheimer's disease according to a new Northwestern Medicine study published in PNAS. This discovery is giving scientists hope that the drug could be effective in multiple neurodegenerative diseases by addressing the underlying mechanisms of these diseases. Silverman and Northwestern University Alzheimer disease expert, William Klein, PhD, discuss the potential of NU-9 in this episode.

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