Health and Medicine

Too much confidence among teenage students can be harmful. In a study that reinforces the danger of indiscriminately bolstering a child's self esteem -- whether the child earns that distinction or not -- the results show a clear connection between overconfident students and low reading comprehension, and suggest recommendations for parents and teachers.

A new study by psychologists at the University at Buffalo and the F. W. Olin College of Engineering finds that in the aftermath of national trauma, the ability to make sense out of what happened has implications for individual well-being and that the kinds of stories people tell about the incident predict very different psychological outcomes for them.

Couples struggling with fertility problems have a new option for assessing their ability to have a child with the start-up of a new Buffalo-based company called LifeCell Dx, Inc. (LCDX).

Three new studies by psychologists at the University at Buffalo have found that after receiving negative feedback about one's appearance, individuals who are highly sensitive to appearance-based rejection withdraw from social interactions and prefer to avoid even those with whom they have close relationships.

Experiencing chronic stress day after day can produce wear and tear on the body physically and mentally, and can have a detrimental effect on learning and emotion. However, acute stress -- a short stressful incident -- may enhance learning and memory.

Timothy F. Murphy, M.D., University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in the Department of Medicine and an internationally recognized expert in respiratory tract bacterial infections, has been appointed to the new position of senior associate dean for clinical and translational research in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.

Young people with asthma have nearly twice the incidence of depression compared to their peers without asthma, and studies have shown that depression is associated with increased asthma symptoms and, in some cases, death.

Finding and keeping a good job can be a challenge for anyone in this economy. Imagine the extra difficulties for someone with a serious disability. The Center on Rehabilitation Synergy, a new center at the University at Buffalo, has done just that, and more. In a few short years, the center has become a leader in showing state agencies, schools, families and businesses how to help people with disabilities become independent by becoming successfully employed.

It is well documented that police officers have a higher risk of developing heart disease: The question is why. In the most recent results coming out of one of the few long-term studies being conducted within this tightly knit society, University at Buffalo researchers have determined that underlying the higher incidence of subclinical atherosclerosis -- arterial thickening that precedes a heart attack or stroke -- may be the stress of police work.

Improved communication among patients and primary care physicians increases the chances those due for colorectal cancer screening will follow their doctors' advice and complete the procedure, a University at Buffalo study has found.