The association between parents’ body mass index (BMI) and their children's childhood BMI may be primarily due to genetic inheritance rather than to any direct biological effect of parental weight during pregnancy, according to a new study published June 23^rd in the open access journal PLOS Medicine by Tom Bond of the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues from the University of Queensland, Australia and more.

A night without sleep produced increased markers of connections between brain cells, showing that sleep in humans may be important for restoring cellular balance in the brain, according to a study published June 23^rd in the open access journal PLOS Biology by David Elmenhorst from the Forschungszentrum Jülich Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and colleagues.

Compelled by disparities in breast cancer outcomes, the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences and Novartis have joined forces in a pioneering collaboration to support medically underserved communities in Los Angeles County with the goal of eliminating barriers to screening and access. While Black women in the U.S. have higher screening rates for breast cancer than white women, the mortality rate for Black women with breast cancer is about 40% higher than white women —a disparity that is not yet fully understood but has been linked to a lack of access to timely, high-quality care and resources. Native American and Hispanic women also face significant disparities in breast cancer screening, often resulting in later-stage diagnoses compared to white women. The Keck School of Medicine of USC and Novartis bring complementary strengths to this collaboration, combining USC’s regional expertise in breast cancer health disparities and population sciences with Novartis’s experience and capabilities in advancing breast cancer care through collaboration and a passion for transforming patient care. The collaboration with Novartis will focus on the early detection of breast cancer, specifically reaching those in communities where access to breast cancer screening and quality care has been limited.USC’s researchers will examine the everyday obstacles that stand between women and timely care, including insurance coverage, language barriers, and access to reliable transportation.