Decisions about the HPV vaccine among adolescents and their families are influenced by a web of social, cultural and trust-related factors, beyond simple awareness or access, a Cochrane review finds.

Veterans with Gulf War Illness experienced significant improvement in migraine symptoms after following a diet low in glutamate, a component of flavor enhancing food additives commonly found in processed foods, according to new research presented by Georgetown University and American University scientists. Brain scans also revealed decreased cortical thickness in patients on the diet — providing evidence, for the first time, that the improvement in symptoms was linked to measurable changes in the brain.  Because cortical thickening has previously been linked to migraines more broadly, the study also suggests that a low-glutamate diet could provide relief to a much larger population. 

The link between highly processed modern-day diets and inflammation-related chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, poor mental health) has been well-established. But what other factors influence the systemic inflammation and rising rates of chronic diseases experienced by industrialized nations?

USC researchers* recently reviewed the existing literature on diet-induced inflammation, climate change, and food systems – finding numerous scientific papers focusing on each of these areas but very few that looked at their overlap. With nutrition epidemiologist and inflammation expert James Hébert taking the lead, the team examined the intersection of these three factors – along with their collective impacts on health – publishing their insights in Advances in Nutrition.

As USC leadership and expertise in advancing brain health and healthy aging grows ever stronger, a recent scholarly paper perfectly exemplifies why South Carolina’s flagship university is excelling in these efforts. Led by health promotion, education, and behavior (HPEB) professor Daniela Friedman, 26 researchers representing 16 departments came together to integrate their knowledge and insights related to Alzheimer’s disease research in the Palmetto State. They published their collective perspectives in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports.

Using a second National Institutes of Health grant awarded this year, health promotion, education, and behavior assistant professor Leila Larson will examine the factors influencing childhood development from yet another angle: weather. With nearly $400,000 in funding support, Larson will examine the direct and indirect effects of extreme weather events – from extreme heat, precipitation, and drought to hurricanes, cyclones, and other storms – on pediatric health.

It detects a genetic signature for X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism, which primarily affects men of Filipino descent.