Michael J. Welsh, MD, University of Iowa professor of internal medicine, has won the 2025 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for his fundamental research on cystic fibrosis (CF), which paved the way to new therapies that have transformed the health and life expectancy of people with CF.

The Lasker Awards, which honor fundamental discoveries and clinical advances that improve human health, were given on Thursday to scientists for discovering hidden complexity in cells, new states of biological matter, and a potent treatment for cystic fibrosis.

Kevin Campbell, professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, will receive the 2025 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University. Campbell will share the prize, which is awarded annually for groundbreaking work in medical science, with fellow researchers Louis Kunkel and Eric Olson for discoveries that revealed the biological causes of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and provide the foundation for breakthrough treatments for this and related muscular diseases.

University of Iowa engineers have refined the design for an underwater vehicle to move more freely and with more maneuverability. The design changes mimic the octopus’ papillae muscles, which can be uncoiled on a moment’s notice for camouflage and to aid movement when flow conditions change in the water.

University of Iowa researchers have successfully tested a gene-treatment technique to prevent craniosynostosis, a condition that causes infants’ skulls to close prematurely. The experiments, conducted in mice, may lead to clinical human trials in the next one to two years.

University of Iowa scholars secured support for more than 2,300 projects in fiscal year 2025, pursuing research aimed at developing cancer treatments and patient care, advancing brain science and mental health, and building healthier and more resilient Iowa communities.

A study in which participants completed an overnight drive in a driving simulator indicates that drivers who feel drowsy benefit from taking breaks, though the gains in driving performance seem to be temporary.

A University of Iowa assistant professor led a study of older adults and what affect limited access to healthy food has on their cognitive decline.

Two University of Iowa professors are heading a research team that is exploring ways to prevent or reduce vision loss from a degenerative eye disease.

University of Iowa dentistry professor Steven Levy is interviewed about how fluoride affects children's health.

Michael Welsh, University of Iowa physician and professor of internal medicine, has received the 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award for his research on cystic fibrosis, which paved the way to new therapies that have transformed the health and life expectancy of people with the disease. The award, which is bestowed annually by the Gairdner Foundation, recognizes five 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates for seminal discoveries or contributions to biomedical science.

Seren Castellano, who is pursuing a double major in biology and anthropology and a minor in ancient civilizations, on March 28 learned she received the 2025 Goldwater Scholarship, the country’s premiere undergraduate scholarship for students pursuing research careers in the sciences, engineering, and math.

Four University of Iowa faculty members have been named 2024 fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general-scientific society and publisher of the journal Science.

The Innovation Awards highlight, recognize, and celebrate exemplary nurse innovators who improve patient safety and health outcomes within their communities.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord. It affects nearly one million people in the U.S. and over 2.8 million worldwide. While genetics play a role in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis, environmental factors such as diet, infectious disease and gut health are major contributors. The environment plays a key role in determining who develops multiple sclerosis, and this is evident from twin studies. Among identical twins who share 100% of their genes, one twin has a roughly 25% chance of developing MS if the other twin has the disease. For fraternal twins who share 50% of their genes, this rate drops to around 2%.

The 2025 Cancer in Iowa report highlights the array of needs for cancer survivors. The report notes that while there are nearly 172,000 cancer survivors currently living in Iowa, survivor needs vary by cancer type and by each individual survivor.

A seemingly small question has shifted how scientists understand the relationship between the brain and the body.