Recent developments represent a dramatic change from long standing federal policy around these substances that has historically criminalized their use and blocked or delayed research efforts into their therapeutic potential.

A musician receives live donor cartilage that changes her life.

A research team, led by Michigan Medicine and in partnership with Hurley Medical Center, finds that nearly three-quarters of patients at a clinic in Flint, Mich., a community that is predominantly Black and socioeconomically disadvantaged, had neuropathy — of which 75% was undiagnosed.

The availability of clinical trials of new treatments for cancer varies greatly by geography, and a new study shows more socially vulnerable areas have far fewer.

An ophthalmologist and beloved comedian shares his thoughts on the field to aspiring clinicians.

A patient who has received two heart transplants years apart shares his story and the importance of advocating for organ donation.

Today on The Fundamentals is Dr. Maria Castro, the R.C. Schneider collegiate professor of neurosurgery, and a professor of cell and developmental biology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Her research program aims to develop immunotherapies for primary and metastatic brain cancer, studying basic immune biology mechanisms leading to clinical implementation. She has been inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the Latin American Academy of Sciences, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows. She has won numerous awards for her contributions to basic science and cancer research and is a diversity ambassador for the Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program. You can learn more about Dr. Castro here, and you can follow her @castro2355_mg, the Rogel Cancer Center @UMRogelCancer, the department of neurosurgery @umichneuro, Michigan Neurscience Institute @UM_MNI and the department of cell and developmental biology @UMCDB on X

On today’s The Fundamentals is Dr. Brummett, Professor at the University of Michigan where he serves as the Senior Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Anesthesiology. He has more than 280 publications, including articles in top journals such as JAMA, JAMA Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Annals of Surgery. He is the Co-Director of the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network or OPEN at the University of Michigan, which aims to apply a preventative approach to the opioid epidemic in the US through appropriate prescribing after surgery, dentistry and emergency medicine. Moreover, he is the Co-Director of the cross-campus Opioid Research Institute, which was launched in the spring of 2023. He leads multiple NIH grants studying these concepts and receives funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, CDC, and multiple foundations. You can learn more about Dr. Brummett here, and you can follow Dr. Brummett @drchadb and the department of anesthesiology @UMichAnesthesia on X.

A study builds on previous work that found depriving T cells of iron prevented cells from proliferating. The current study, published in PNAS, found that excess iron is just as problematic.

A mother relives congenital heart journey through newborn.

Today on The Fundamentals, our guest is Dr. Michelle Kahlenberg, an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, the Giles Bole and Dorothy Mulkey Research Professor of Rheumatology and the Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research in Internal Medicine. Her clinical work is centered on the care of patients with lupus, including those with refractory skin disease. In addition to running her lab, she's an active member of the Immunology Training Program and has received national recognition for her research.

Today on The Fundamentals, our guest Dr. Martin Myers, Director of the U-M Elizabeth Weiser Caswell Diabetes Institute, discusses diabetes research in the context of Ozempic, Wegovy, and other drugs that are changing how people think about weight loss. You can learn more about Dr. Myers here, and you can follow the department of molecular and integrative physiology @UMPhysiology on X.

Dr. Jody Platt. She is an Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School. Trained in medical sociology and health policy, her research focuses on issues at the intersection of informatics and ethics. She is interested in understanding what makes data-driven health trusted, and the pathways for earning, achieving, and sustaining trust across stakeholders. Dr. Platt is the Academy Health and ABIM Foundation Senior Scholar in Residence advising on issues of measuring and building trust.

Today on The Fundamentals is Dr. Kevin Boehnke, research assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center. His current research focuses on therapeutic applications of cannabis and psychedelics. His goal is to rigorously assess appropriate use of these substances and to help address the public health harms caused by their criminalization.

The NEPTUNE match study builds kidney atlas.