Major medical findings from UVA Health are closer to being crowned 2024’s most important scientific discovery after advancing to the second round of STAT Madness, a fun online tournament highlighting the year’s most significant and influential research.
Round winners were determined by an online vote, and the public eagerly threw its support behind UVA Health’s contenders. The School of Medicine’s important discovery of how malfunctioning immune cells can fuel harmful lung inflammation long after a COVID-19 infection easily blew past a notable-but-early Whitehead Institute finding about the role of “slow” proteins in chronic diseases.
Meanwhile, a UVA Health Children’s discovery revealing that almost a quarter of recurrent wheezing cases in children are caused by “silent” lung infections – and would be better treated with antivirals than ineffective steroids that can carry lifelong side effects – handily defeated Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s admirable early efforts to develop a vaccine for the RSV virus that sickens many children each year.
Finally, an antibiotics discovery from Notre Dame – a school known for its large and devoted fan following – managed to squeak by a fascinating UVA discovery revealing how our body’s “fight or flight” response can determine the severity of C. difficile infections that plague hospitals and nursing homes. UVA’s entry put up a strong showing throughout the voting period, backed by the many people who appreciated its potential life-saving implications.
Voting continues nonstop throughout the STAT Madness tournament, which operates like the NCAA basketball tournament, until a final victor is crowned.
Keep voting for UVA’s contenders who won during round one: https://www.statnews.com/feature/stat-madness/bracket-voting-now-open
The STAT Madness championship round concludes April 6.
Filed Under: Research