Check out our new article! June 26, 2017 The Southern Illinoisan - New think tank at SIU School of Medicine looks for root causes of public health issues that plague southern Ilinois - Sameer Vohra, MD, JD, MA

Could your happy hour beverages be increasing your cancer risk? According to a recent study from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, as little as 10 grams of alcohol per day—that’s a small glass of wine, 8 ounces of beer or a shot of a harder liquor—can increase your risk of breast cancer. The study determined that this seemingly minimal amount increases cancer in premenopausal women by 5% and postmenopausal women by 9%. Dr. Anne McTiernan, the lead author of the report, told CNN , “I was most surprised by the alcohol result, that risk increases at

Could your happy hour beverages be increasing your cancer risk? According to a recent study from the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, as little as 10 grams of alcohol per day—that’s a small glass of wine, 8 ounces of beer or a shot of a harder liquor—can increase your risk of breast cancer. The study determined that this seemingly minimal amount increases cancer in premenopausal women by 5% and postmenopausal women by 9%. Dr. Anne McTiernan, the lead author of the report, told CNN , “I was most surprised by the alcohol result, that risk increases at

The inner ear is lined with two types of hair cells that help us to hear and balance. The cells respond to sound waves for hearing and head and body movement for balance. As we age, the cells are injured or die off, and our hearing and balance suffer as a result. Studies have shown that the hair cells in fish, frogs and birds can regenerate naturally. New research by scientists at the University of Washington and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine indicates that the hair cells involved with balance—called vestibular cells—may also be replenished in mammals. This could have

The inner ear is lined with two types of hair cells that help us to hear and balance. The cells respond to sound waves for hearing and head and body movement for balance. As we age, the cells are injured or die off, and our hearing and balance suffer as a result. Studies have shown that the hair cells in fish, frogs and birds can regenerate naturally. New research by scientists at the University of Washington and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine indicates that the hair cells involved with balance—called vestibular cells—may also be replenished in mammals. This could have

HSHS St. John’s Hospital broke ground June 27 on a new outpatient center. The 85,000-square-foot outpatient center set to open in 2018 will house providers from SIU Medicine and HSHS Medical Group and provide comprehensive services for women and children.“Providing access, convenience and the best possible care for our patients has been at the forefront of our minds in this planning process,” said Charles L. Lucore, president and CEO of HSHS St. John’s Hospital. This $48.4 million project includes a four-story medical facility, parking garage and a sky bridge across Ninth Street that will

HSHS St. John’s Hospital broke ground June 27 on a new outpatient center. The 85,000-square-foot outpatient center set to open in 2018 will house providers from SIU Medicine and HSHS Medical Group and provide comprehensive services for women and children.“Providing access, convenience and the best possible care for our patients has been at the forefront of our minds in this planning process,” said Charles L. Lucore, president and CEO of HSHS St. John’s Hospital. This $48.4 million project includes a four-story medical facility, parking garage and a sky bridge across Ninth Street that will

Whether you’re visiting the local waterpark, playing sports outdoors, working in your garden or resting in a car on a warm summer day, hot temperatures could spell a heat-related illness like heat exhaustion or heat stroke. While heat stroke and heat exhaustion both exist on a spectrum, the illnesses manifest themselves quite differently, and one could be fatal. Do you know the differences? We talked to Wendi El-Amin, MD, specialist in Family Medicine, to find out. Heat exhaustion The body is able to cool itself by sweating, but if sweating is unable to dissipate the heat generated within the

The Office of Population Science and Policy (OPSP) is recruiting for a research assistant professor/cancer health outcomes researcher. The primary purpose of this research position is to provide cancer epidemiologist insight and innovation to advance the mission and goals of the Office of Population Science and Policy (OPSP), and the Simmons Cancer Institute (SCI) at SIU. The candidate will be expected to develop and pursue a vigorous portfolio of externally funded research in rural cancer disparities and other designated high priority areas of OPSP and SCI. Read the Position Description Apply