UI Health

Congratulations to the UI Health Green Team, whose work leading our sustainability programs recently earned two recognitions from Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to environmental sustainability in healthcare!

Receiving these prestigious awards wouldn’t be possible without your hard work and commitment to a cleaner earth ♻️💚

Marta Markiewicz-Potoczny studies molecular pathways: the stepping stones our cells use to send signals and substances throughout our bodies.

Markiewicz-Potoczny, an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular genetics in our University of Illinois College of Medicine, recently identified a molecular pathway that’s critical for keeping DNA healthy, and the discovery has implications for healthy aging and preventing diseases, like cancer.

Because of the pathway’s critical role in preserving telomeres, it might be used to reverse age-related telomere degradation and boost cell health throughout the lifespan. In cells that are already cancerous, sabotaging the NMD pathway could help prevent the disease from spreading.

“I’m excited to investigate NMD further to evaluate its value to both cancer prevention and healthy aging,” Marta said. “I am so lucky to do this work.”

Learn about the science behind the discovery: https://bit.ly/43NwFyY

Researchers at UI Health are challenging accepted beliefs about telesurgery with the help of $9 million in funding from the Office of Naval Research.

UI Health transplant surgeon Dr. Stephen Bartlett and his team of researchers believe telesurgery — a surgeon operating on a patient in a different physical location using robotic systems, high-speed data connections and real-time telecommunications — will one day improve care for combat soldiers.

Telesurgery has grown in use and effectiveness since its introduction in 2000. By 2023, over 15% of all surgical procedures in the US were performed with robotic assistance, and UI Health has spent the past two decades establishing themselves as leaders in telesurgery. We’ve pioneered techniques and procedures and work with the top robotics companies to educate the world’s surgeons on robotic surgery.

Our robotic surgery program, led by Dr. Pier Cristoforo Giulianotti and Dr. Enrico Benedetti, performed more than 1,600 surgeries in 2025 using seven robots, and we recently added two new robots to our fleet.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4vbFCOn

Skin-to-skin contact, or “kangaroo care,” has been shown to provide countless benefits for newborns, including more stable heart rates, better feedings, and lower stress levels.

So earlier this month, our NICU team celebrated Kangaroo Care Awareness Day to help ensure all families have access to the health and emotional benefits of skin-to-skin time with their newborn. That week, our NICU nurses and care teams helped facilitate more than 48 hours of skin-to-skin contact between our NICU babies and their parents.

Thanks NICU team! You’re helping promote healthier development and stronger bonds for our littlest patients 🧑‍🍼🫶

Late last summer, nearly 300 air-quality monitoring sensors were installed on light poles throughout the city. The partnership between UI Health and Chicago Department of Public Health, called Open Air Chicago, will track local air pollution over the next five years, making it the largest system of its kind in the U.S. and the second-largest in the world.

“By pairing air-quality data with Chicagoans’ lived experiences, we can reduce exposure to pollutants and their associated health risks, improving community and public health,” said UIC School of Public Health professor and project leader Serap Erdal.

Crews installed the solar-powered sensors across Chicago’s approximately 60 ZIP codes, each less than a mile from the next. 60% of the sensors were purchased with UI Health research grants.

Industrial neighborhoods with higher pollution levels received more sensors, and in each neighborhood, residents and environmental organizations gave input as to where the sensors would go.

“Community members know where cars and trucks tend to idle, and where high-risk groups like children and older adults tend to congregate,” Erdal said. “We placed many of the sensors near daycares, schools and hospitals. The goal wasn’t just to collect data, but to educate and empower citizens to take action.”

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4uVleAP

Thanks to everyone who joined our Liver Transplant Team at this year’s Liver Life Walk to surpass our fundraising goal and raise more than $30,000 to support research, education, and support services for all those impacted by liver disease.

Your generosity makes all the difference in our fight against liver disease 🫶