UTMB was among 168 health systems and medical centers named to Optum’s Centers of Excellence network. UTMB was chosen as an ‘excellent’ option for kidney transplants.

“While lavender is typically touted for its scent and used in soaps, candles, lotions and diffusers, it actually has some wonderful health benefits as well,” writes Dr. Samuel Mathis in his latest column. From helping reduce stress and anxiety to sleep benefits and even pain reduction, lavender has numerous uses, Mathis writes.

Four University of Texas Medical Branch graduate programs have earned “Best Graduate School” honors from U.S. News & World Report.

Scientists are close to bioengineering mirror-image bacterium, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column. These are bacteria that are not seen in nature and raise many questions about how they would act and react to the world around them.

The acidity of lemon juice can stimulate digestive enzymes, which can aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, indirectly supporting liver function, says UTMB’s Dr. Samuel Mathis in this report on liver health.

Patients at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Angleton Danbury Campus Hospital can now find efficient, cost-effective and leading-edge minimally invasive care close to home thanks to the introduction of Vascular and Interventional Radiology at ADC.

UTMB’s School of Nursing was listed among the 47 best nursing master’s programs in the U.S. by Money, a personal finance website. Programs were ranked on quality, affordability and value, writes Becker’s.

The UTMB One Health Laboratory is working on an ongoing epidemiological study of respiratory viruses on livestock farms across the United States and Mexico, reports Farms.com. The UTMB One Health team is trusted by ranchers and farms and is able to work with them “to provide real-time surveillance of pathogens circulating among livestock and farm workers,” the article states.

The re-designation became official on March 10 and will be valid for three years.

Even with vaccines, “we may not be able to put out this fire,” UTMB’s Dr. Gregory Gray tells Ars Technica for this in-depth article on H5N1. Gray says the virus is likely to “be endemic, or we say ‘enzootic,’ for a long time.”

With declining vaccination rates in some communities, public health experts worry that rubella could resurface, write Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp in their Vaccine Smarts column. While rubella has been eliminated in the U.S., it could easily be reintroduced.

The blooming season in Houston is long, so those with multiple allergies can suffer all year with drainage, congestion, sinus infections, and sore throats. UTMB allergist Dr. Jennifer McCracken offers tips and guidance on how to cope.

In the U.S. there are close to 3 million infections by bacterial antimicrobial resistance resulting in almost 50,000 annual deaths, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column. The problem is that microbes are increasingly becoming resistant to current antibiotics and if things don’t change, AR microbial infections will become harder to treat.

Infusion therapy, the administration of medication through a needle or catheter, offers vital treatment for patients with a wide variety of medical conditions, including chronic and rare disorders.

Occupational therapy can be a valuable tool when dealing with migraines, says UTMB’s Dr. Sukanya Roy tells bezzy. “If you start noticing fewer migraine [episodes] or reduced severity and improvement in trigger management and daily function, it is a sign that OT is working,” Roy said.

From tips on feeding and notes on what to expect when it comes to things like fevers and poop, UTMB pediatrician Dr. Radhini Bell shares her top five tips for moms of newborns navigating the "fourth" trimester.

New research out of the University of Texas Medical Branch reveals findings that drug candidate NITD-688 utilized a unique way to stop dengue, a potentially life-threatening infection spread by mosquitos.

The Galveston County Daily News society reporter was on hand for the UTMB Health President’s Cabinet Award Celebration & Member Appreciation Reception last month. During the rodeo themed event, the six newest programs supported by the President’s Cabinet were introduced.

Murine typhus, once largely eradicated in the U.S., is on the rise, warns the CDC. UTMB’s Dr. Lucas Blanton told Medpage he’s seen many cases of murine typhus and patients tell him the headaches associated can be "the worst of one's life." Blanton urged medical professionals to not delay treatment for patients suspected of having the disease.

Six projects that address pressing health needs in the region received a University of Texas Medical Branch President’s Cabinet award at the recent UTMB Health President’s Cabinet Award Celebration & Member Appreciation Reception.