This time last year, no one could have predicted the uncertainties we have experienced in the last 12 months at Michigan Medicine. Unprecedented pressures have challenged us to evaluate our strategic approach to supporting research and have called us to reiterate our commitment to world-class discoveries leading to world-class care for our patients. Despite this, I’m happy to report that in FY2025 the Medical School research enterprise successfully navigated these tumultuous waters. We continued to thrive, receiving $819.4 million in sponsored research support and remaining a leading Medical School in national funding. The University of Michigan achieved $2.16 billion in research expenditures in 2025, and the Medical School was responsible for 44% of those dollars.
To help patients and policymakers better understand the Medical School’s history of breakthroughs and the ultimate impact of our work and those research dollars, earlier this year, we launched a research impact web page. You’ll find data and storytelling about our research innovations, clinical trials, and partnerships with foundations and industry.
In our 175 years of history at the Medical School, it has remained a constant that when we face adversity together, we achieve new heights. Back in 1918, our own dean, Victor Vaughan, helped lead a national investigation into the causes and treatments of the influenza pandemic. Speaking of deans, several leadership changes have occurred this year, and moving forward, I’m confident Medical School research will benefit immensely from the steady hand and innovative ideas that Dr. Wang and Dr. Miller bring to the table.
Earlier this fall, the University of Michigan launched its “Look to Michigan” fundraising campaign, with health and well-being as top priorities. The campaign underscores the university’s commitment to our biomedical research mission, and to the faculty, staff, and learners behind the scenes – our great minds working towards greater discoveries. As 2025 closes, Michigan Medicine remains one of the premier academic medical centers in the world. Each day reminds me that we serve and collaborate within a research enterprise known across the globe for excellence, and the citizens of Michigan have every reason to be proud of this great institution they support as patients and taxpayers.
During these uncertain times, the University of Michigan Medical School remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing research and discovery for the benefit of patients. We also are dedicated to supporting our outstanding faculty and staff who are leading scientific inquiry that is advancing health in Michigan and around the world.
In 10 Seconds, AI Model Detects Cancerous Brain Tumor Often Missed During Surgery
Researchers have developed an AI-powered model that, in 10 seconds, can determine during surgery if any part of a cancerous brain tumor that could be removed remains, a study published in Nature suggests. The technology, called FastGlioma, outperformed conventional methods for identifying what remains of a tumor by a wide margin.
FastGlioma works faster and more accurately than current standard-of-care methods for tumor detection and could be generalized to other pediatric and adult brain tumor diagnoses. It could serve as a foundational model for guiding brain tumor surgery.
Histotripsy Liver Tumor Trial Successful, Early Clinical Adoption Recommended
The #HOPE4LIVER trials, testing the safety efficacy of histotripsy as a treatment for primary and metastatic liver tumors, met its goals for technical success and safety. The result, published in Radiology, supports early clinical adoption for the procedure. Histotripsy is a noninvasive procedure that uses focused ultrasound to mechanically break down tumors. The technology was pioneered by University of Michigan faculty and students over the prior two decades.
We feel fortunate to have treated the most patients in the trial, since the technology was discovered at our university. These results are very encouraging, and our multidisciplinary approach will hopefully continue to improve the care of liver cancer patients.
Ultra-High-Speed Imaging for Advanced Ultrasound-Based Theranostics Mitra Aliabouzar, Ph.D.
Gene-Editing Therapeutics for Hereditary Eye Diseases Shahzad Mian, M.D., Lev Prasov, M.D., Ph.D., and Yan Zhang, Ph.D.
Computational Modeling of Cell-Paired Morphological and Gene Expression Data Joshua Welch, Ph.D.
Neurotransmitter Switching: An Epilepsy Pathomechanism Hiding in Plain Sight? Joanna Mattis, M.D., Ph.D.
Reverse Age-Associated Neurodegeneration and Sarcopenia by Tissue Regeneration Longhua Guo, Ph.D.
Epigenetics, Inflammation, and the Human Immune System
People with diabetes often have a host of other conditions, including cardiovascular disease and kidney disease driven by inflammation. Medical School researchers are studying how epigenetics – the influence of environmental factors and behaviors' impact on gene expression – might explain changes in the immune system in people with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other conditions related to inflammation.
We've identified epigenetic programs that are altered in the immune cells in diabetics, and we're using nanotherapy, or specific cell-targeted engineering therapy, to reverse the changes in these immune cells and make them normal again and try to improve the wound healing in the diabetic patients.
Researchers Engineer a Herpes Virus to Turn on T Cells for Immunotherapy
Recent research points to the potential utility of a familiar sounding foe–herpes virus–in the fight against cancer. The idea: the virus has evolved to commandeer cellular machinery in order to activate signaling pathways inside cells and these strategies can be repurposed to bolster immunotherapy against diseases like cancer. T cells are front line defenders against pathogens, like viruses, and cancer because they can kill infected or malignant cells.
Today, our learners and scientists in training play a vital role in research across the university, making significant contributions that showcase the curiosity and innovation driving our scientific community forward. Yating and all our trainees are developing rigorous scientific skills and creative approaches that will fuel groundbreaking discoveries, such as re-engineering viruses to fight cancer, for decades to come.
Same Person. Different Place. Twice the Odds of a Dementia Diagnosis
With new medications on the market or in the works for Alzheimer’s disease and other kinds of dementia, a study suggests that getting the diagnosis needed to access these new treatments may depend on where you live. The percentage of people who get a new dementia diagnosis each year varies a lot across regions of the United States, the study finds. And the differences between regions of the country are even larger for people on the young end of the dementia risk age range, ages 66 to 74, and for those who are Black or Hispanic. In fact, the same person would have as much as twice the chance of getting a dementia diagnosis in some areas of the U.S. as in others, the study shows. The findings suggest that the chance of being diagnosed may be more about the health system than about individual factors that affect dementia risk.
For communities and health systems, this should be a call to action for spreading knowledge and increasing efforts to make services available to people. And for individuals, the message is that you may need to advocate for yourself to get what you need, including cognitive checks.
A Scleroderma Clinical Trial Brings a Better Quality of Life for One Participant
Previously used in cancer care, a clinical trial of CAR-T to treat scleroderma provides a deep immune reset that removes a person’s own T cells from the body that are then sent to a lab to be genetically modified to express chimeric antigen receptor, also known as CAR. Once the CAR-T cells are expanded and administered to the patient, the CAR-T cells activate and attack B cells involved in scleroderma. It’s a form of immunotherapy that activates one’s own immune system to fight cells causing autoimmune disease.
Susan’s case shows that CAR-T is an exciting treatment for those with severe or progressive scleroderma who are not responding to standard care therapy. Seeing her feel better in her own body is exciting and a testament to what this treatment can do.
Sleep Apnea Contributes to Dementia in Older Adults, Especially Women
A common, yet underdiagnosed, sleep disorder contributes to the development of dementia among adults — particularly women, a Michigan Medicine study suggests. Investigators uncovered this by examining survey and cognitive screening data from more than 18,500 adults to determine the potential effect of known or suspected obstructive sleep apnea on the risk for dementia. For all adults age 50 and older, having known obstructive sleep apnea or its symptoms — as people often do not know they have the problem — was associated with a higher chance of having signs or a diagnosis of dementia in coming years. At every age level, women with known or suspected sleep apnea were more likely than men to be diagnosed with dementia. In fact, the rate of dementia diagnosis decreased among the men and grew larger for the women as they aged.
Estrogen starts to decline as women transition to menopause, which can impact their brains. During that time, they are more prone to memory, sleep, and mood changes that may lead to cognitive decline. Sleep apnea increases significantly post-menopause yet remains underdiagnosed. We need more epidemiologic studies to better understand how sleep disorders in women impact their cognitive health.
Primary Care Physicians are Hesitant to Accept Chronic Pain Patients Using Opioids or Cannabis
The amount of stigma associated with both opioids and cannabis for pain relief has changed dramatically over the past decade, both influenced by the explosion of the opioid epidemic and relaxing laws around cannabis for medical and recreational use. Michigan Medicine research found that patients with chronic pain who use either substance may find it harder to find a primary care physician than those who don’t. Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 United States primary care physicians about whether they were accepting new patients with chronic pain. Of the 852 who answered yes, 20% said they wouldn't accept patients who take prescription opioids, and 12% said they wouldn't take patients using cannabis for pain.
I empathize a lot with the patients, as well as the prescribers out there, trying to treat people in pain because we’re trying to do the right thing, and yet, we’re flying in the dark when it comes to having access to high-quality evidence to guide next steps for cannabis and opioids.
Stories courtesy of Michigan Medicine Health Lab. Department of Communication story credits: Noah Fromson, Kara Gavin, Kelly Malcom, and Sam Page.
Credits:
University of Michigan, Medical School Office of Research