The University of Iowa College of Pharmacy has obtained a grant to evaluate medication usage by patients in central Iowa. The goal: Improve the rate at which patients take prescribed drugs.

John Wemmie, a UI neuroscientist, shares insights from an experiment on how SM, a woman with a rare illness that damaged her amygdala and left her unafraid, recently experienced a panic attack, which may have practical value in the study of panic attacks.

Don't be surprised to find Debra Schwinn, the new dean of the UI Carver College of Medicine, in the violin section of the UI Health Care Faculty-Staff Orchestra. Throughout her medical training and academic career, she's found time to pursue her interest in music.

Kristi Williams, a University of Iowa professor of gerontological nursing, says a 2011 study she co-authored found that seniors who challenge their brains, keep moving, eat well, and maintain social connections experiencing positive effects in maintaining memory and thinking ability.

Researchers at the University of Iowa say the human brain has a new, second gatekeeper that registers fear. The region, perhaps the brainstem, diencephalon or insular cortex, signals fear from internal dangers. The finding could lead to more precise treatment for people suffering from panic attacks and other anxiety disorders. Results appear in "Nature Neuroscience."

A study by University of Iowa researchers found significant associations between heart attacks and influenza, particularly in those over age 80.

The University of Iowa has partnered with health-care organizations to create the Iowa Liver Center. The center will expand care and patient service to people with diseases of the liver and biliary tract in central and western Iowa.

Gary Johnson with the UI Center for Disabilities and Development shares how he helps Iowans with disabilities find technology to assist them with completing tasks in his role as an Iowa Program for Assistive Technology behavioral consultant.

University of Iowa students volunteering with Dance Marathon are helping children like 22-month-old Nora Sanderson who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. (Note: A paid subscription may be required.)

James Potash, head of the Department of Psychiatry in UI Hospitals and Clinics, and John Hosp, chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning in the UI's College of Education, were two of more than a dozen experts who participated in a recent mental health roundtable discussion.

A study led by UI researchers discovered that best friends might play the biggest role in influencing when teens have their first sip of alcohol.

Taking down one of four parking ramps in preparation for a new Children's Hospital has meant many changes in parking for both patients and staff at UI Hospitals and Clinics.