http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/ Headlines from the University of California, Berkeley Steve McConnell - steve.mcconnell@berkeley.edu en-US http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/25_shortellqa.shtml Without reform, the current U.S. healthcare system will well make the federal government "go the way of GM - paying more, getting less, and going broke," President Obama warned recently. In a Q&A with the NewsCenter, Dean of Public Health Stephen Shortell, an adviser to the Obama administration on pending health care legislation, speaks about needed changes - from a center for comparing effectiveness of various treatment options to better incentives for doctors and hospitals to reduce costs. Published: 25 June http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/22_pesticide.shtml UC Berkeley researchers recommend that the U.S. EPA re-evaluate current standards for pesticide exposure in light of a new study finding that children's increased vulnerability to pesticides lasts much longer than expected. Published: 22 June http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/15_stress.shtml Stress is known to decrease fertility and sexual behavior, but researchers thought this was because stress hormones lower levels of a brain hormone called GnRH. UC Berkeley biologists now show that stress hormones also boost levels of another hormone that suppresses GnRH, creating a doublewhammy. The scientists hope it will be possible to block this system and restore fertility. Published: 15 June http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/05_arra_rev.shtml UC Berkeley faculty have submitted nearly 300 proposals to the federal government for stimulus funding through NSF, NIH and other agencies. An announcement this week of three new grants from NIH should bring the total received to $8.6 million. Published: 05 June http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/03_childobesity.shtml The 2009 Childhood Obesity Conference, titled "Creating Healthy Places for All Children," comes amid challenging times as more families struggle with limited food budgets, and communities struggle with fewer resources. Published: 03 June http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/05/26_stopsmoke.shtml A new analysis led by UC Berkeley researchers suggests that Web- and computer-based smoking cessation programs are worth a try, and fortunately during these tough economic times, many of them are free. Published: 26 May http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/05/12_kpucb.shtml"> <rssT>School of Public Health launches $5 million Kaiser Permanente Public Health Scholars Program</rssT> </a> </span><br /> <rssD>An ambitious initiative designed to meet the increasing need for highly educated public health workers launched today. The Kaiser Permanente <a href="http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/05/12_kpucb.shtml">Public</a> Health Scholars Program, funded by a $5 million grant to the School of Public Health, is expected to expand California's public health workforce, with an emphasis on recruiting students from underserved communities and placing them in health departments and other organizations that serve vulnerable populations.</rssD> <br /> <span class="date">(<rssDt>12 May</rssDt>)</span></p> <p><span class="headline"> <rssL><a href="http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2009/05/07_virus.shtml The H1N1 virus has proven to be less virulent than many imagined. Which is not to say that we know a lot about it, because we don't, a panel of Berkeley experts emphasized earlier this week. Published: 07 May http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/05/04_ddt.shtml The current practice of spraying DDT indoors to fight malaria is leading to unprecedented - and insufficiently monitored - levels of exposure to the pesticide, say experts concerned about the risk to human health. Published: 04 May http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/04/27_adhd.shtml Pediatricians and educators have long known that psycho-stimulant medications can help children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) concentrate on learning for short periods of time. But a new study from the UC erkeley has found evidence that grade schoolers with ADHD who take medications can actually improve their long-term academic achievement, and make greater gains in standardized math and reading scores than students with ADHD who do not take medications. Published: 27 April http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/04/20_tb.shtml University Health Services recently diagnosed a UC Berkeley student with active tuberculosis, and is getting in touch with close contacts of that student who may have been exposed to the TB bacteria. Published: 20 April http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/04/16_xchrom.shtml The sex chromosomes -- XX in women and XY in men -- date from the earliest mammals, but how did they evolve to look like they do today? While the male-determining Y chromosome has received all the attention, a UC Berkeley biologist has now focused on the X, and finds that it tells a fascinating story of adaptation to a shrinking Y. Published: 16 April http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/04/06_healthcare.shtml As the herculean and unpredictable political battle over national healthcare reform unfolds on Capitol Hill, a panel of experts explored "considerations for the Obama administration" at an April 1 campus event. Four experts in health policy, politics, law, and labor focused on needed changes, with emphasis on what is realistically achievable. Published: 06 April http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/03/19_mice.shtml UC Berkeley researchers have identified a gene that plays a critical regulatory role in the process of converting dietary carbohydrate to fat. Mice that had this gene disabled had lower levels of body fat than their normal counterparts, despite being fed the equivalent of an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet. Published: 19 March http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/03/17_pubhealthheroes.shtml A global health humanitarian, a health care system efficiency expert, a nursing advocate and an information technology non-profit group each will receive a 13th annual Public Health Heroes Award from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health on Wednesday, March 18. Published: 17 March http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/03/12_shapiro.shtml Leona R. Shapiro, a leading public health nutritionist who played major roles in pioneering research on child obesity, has died at the age of 89. Published: 12 March