New Registry Tallies Exonerations Since 1989

The Center on Wrongful Convictions and University of Michigan Law School launched Monday, May 21, the Registry of Exonerations -- a comprehensive database containing extensive searchable information on the cases of 900 men and women who have been exonerated in the United States since 1980. In addition, more than 1,100 other defendants have been exonerated following convictions stemming from 13 separate police corruption scandals, according to a registry report. CNN BLOG

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Bilingualism May Boost Attention, Working Memory

Dual language speakers better able to encode basic language sounds and patterns. THE ATLANTIC

NATO Summit Cements Afghanistan End Game

Ian Hurd, associate professor of political science, talks to Chicago Tonight's Phil Ponce about what leaders accomplished at the Chicago NATO summit. WTTW

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Fear of Spiders Can Be Cured Quickly and Forever With Exposure Therapy

Northwestern researcher Katherina Hauner says the therapy is so successful, adults were able to hold a tarantula in their bare hands six months after treatment. ABC NEWS.

Mother's Weight and Blood-Sugar Levels Linked to Health of Newborns

Pregnant women with weight and blood-sugar levels even slightly above average may pose a risk to their pregnancies and the health of their newborns. WALL STREET JOURNAL BLOG

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Second Chance for a Donated Organ

After a transplanted kidney failed in one patient, Northwestern surgeons transplanted the organ into another patient, who is now thriving. LOS ANGELES TIMES

Why One in 10 People Are Left-Handed

Professor Daniel Abrams and his student Mark Panaggio sought to figure out why about 10 percent of the population is left-handed, and found that competition causes more disparity. DAILY MAIL

This is Your Brain on Politics

Jennifer Richeson, professor of social psychology at Northwestern University, discusses how the brain instinctively weighs decisions and forms political beliefs. MSNBC

You Are What You Wear

Adam Galinsky, professor at the Kellogg School of Management, shows in his research that the particular clothes we wear affect how we think. If you wear a white coat that you believe belongs to a doctor, for example, your ability to pay attention increases sharply. NEW YORK TIMES

Diagnosed With Cancer? Remember to Preserve Your Fertility

Kate Waimey Timmerman, program director for the Oncofertility Consortium, discusses why doctors should discuss fertility issues with their patients before starting cancer-battling treatments. TIME MAGAZINE

Playing an Instrument Helps Tune the Brain

Nina Kraus, professor of neurobiology and principal investigator of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, found that lifelong playing of musical instruments pays off as we age with a positive impact on the brain. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Smart Transportation Decisions Need Good Data

Bridges are falling down and highways are getting more congested. Yet, Northwestern's Professor Joseph Schofer argues, the Senate dropped a modest provision of a recently passed highway bill to support data that would go a long way to keep people and freight moving safely and efficiently. DC STREETS BLOG

Beware of Soda Pop

If you can't get through the day without a couple of sugary beverages, you could be putting your heart health at risk. Clyde Yancy of Northwestern Medicine says the authors of a new study found an association between men who drank sugar-sweetened beverages and cardiovascular risk. Yancy says these findings may also be the result of "other lifestyle changes over the 22-year study period involving men 40 to 75 years of age." FOX CHICAGO

Get Healthy at 20, Be Fit at 40

Kiang Liu, professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, found that eating less and exercising more in your 20s will lead to a healthier 40s if you keep up the good work. MARIE CLAIRE

Does Having Power Make You Foolish?

Adam Galinsky, professor at the Kellogg School of Management, was part of a research team that found that power dependably breeds overconfidence, and overconfidence dependably leads to bad decisions. FORBES MAGAZINE

Standout in Music and Math

Senior Kyle Kremer, who majors in music and physics, is a winner of the prestigious Churchill Scholarship. He is headed to the University of Cambridge to study astrophysics.

Chasing Fiscal Purity

Cristina Traina, professor of religion, weighs in on contraceptive controversy with personal story. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Why You Think Your Candidate Will Win

Charles Manski, professor of economics, co-authored a study on the "false consensus effect," a phenomenon in which people project their preferences onto others. FOX CHICAGO

Enhancing Election Coverage, One Widget At A Time

Knight Lab's new website mines social media and news sites to provide enhanced coverage of the upcoming Illinois primary elections. PBS

Family Support Can Prevent Suicide

Brian Mustanski, professor of medical social sciences and lead author of the study, discusses how LGBT teens who have supportive families are less likely to act on suicidal thoughts. CNN

Find Love Face-To-Face

Eli Finkel, associate professor of psychology, explains why online dating systems are inadequate in predicting ideal love matches. NEW YORK TIMES

Putting Love Before Work

Neal Roese, marketing professor at the Kellogg School of Management, found that people most regret mistakes made in romantic, not professional, relationships. TIME MAGAZINE

Low Birth Weight, Higher Autism Risk

In a study on twins in Sweden, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine researchers found that low birth weight was a strong predictor of autism spectrum disorder. MSN

The Coming Tech-Led Boom

Julio M. Ottino, dean of the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored an opinion piece on three future breakthroughs in technology. WALL STREET JOURNAL

The Next Capitals of Progress

Sally Blount, dean of the Kellogg School of Management, comments on globalization and which business schools are ready for the future. FINANCIAL TIMES

Federal Jury Award After 16 Years in Prison

A federal jury awarded Bluhm Legal Clinic client Thaddeus Jimenez $25 million in damages for the harm he suffered for his wrongful incarceration from 1993 until his exoneration in 2009. J. Roderick MacArthur Center Director Locke Bowman was part of a team that handled this civil case. A team of students and faculty from the Center on Wrongful Convictions, including Director Steve Drizin (JD '86), Ali Flaum, and Josh Tepfer, along with attorneys from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, represented Jimenez in the proceedings that culminated in his exoneration. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Welfare Becomes a Talking Point

Welfare -- who's on it and how much is being distributed -- is a frequent topic of discussion among Republican presidential candidates. Celeste Watkins-Hayes, professor of sociology and African American studies, discusses why it's a hot issue and how candidates distort the facts. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

A Helping Hand

A class at the Kellogg School of Management partnered with Chicago House, an organization dedicated to providing housing and support to people living with HIV and AIDS. The two groups explored viable business models that would assist those in Chicago House's employment program. WINDY CITY TIMES

Justice for Juan Rivera

After more than two decades behind bars, Juan Rivera was released on Jan. 6. The Center on Wrongful Convictions represented Rivera in the appeal that led to his release. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Friends Get E-Mail Priority

Researchers, including Kellogg professor Brian Uzzi, studied e-mail correspondences and found that the better we know someone, the quicker we respond to their e-mail messages. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Faster in the Water

Researchers from the Feinberg School of Medicine found that the full-body high-tech swimsuits worn by elite swimmers gives them a big advantage. LOS ANGELES TIMES

Lower Costs, Lower Quality

John C. Panzar, professor emeritus of economics, outlines the future of the United States Postal Service, if proposed budget cuts are instituted. NEW YORK TIMES

Don't Stress Out

Leah Bloom, therapist at the Family Institute at Northwestern, shared some tips on how to overcome stress this holiday season. FOX CHICAGO

You Can't Hide From Twitter

Michele Weldon, professor at the Medill School of Journalism, explains how social media has made it more difficult for public figures to hide the truth. HUFFINGTON POST

The Dangers of Being a Southpaw

Robin Nusslock, a clinical psychology professor who uses neuroimaging to study mood disorders, explains why studies on how the brain works often leave out lefthanded people. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Alumna Named Rhodes Scholar

Sarah Smierciak, who graduated in 2011 from Northwestern University summa cum laude, won a Rhodes Scholarship, one of the most prestigious international fellowships in the world. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dean Blount Featured

Sally Blount, dean of the Kellogg School of Management, writes on the future of business schools and what university leaders should focus on. FINANCIAL TIMES

Fighting Breast Cancer

Dr. William Gradishar, director of the Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, spoke about Maggie Daley, breast cancer and why all prognoses are different. WTTW

The Dry Run Protest

Wes Skogan, professor political science, comments on the possible impact of the upcoming NATO and G-8 summits and how they'll differ from Occupy Chicago. NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

Fighting for Justice

The work of the Center on Wrongful Convictions' Jennifer Linzer and Jeffrey Urdangen to help free a man who has been behind bars for almost two decades on murder charges is featured in a story about DNA prosecutions. NEW YORK TIMES

Getting to Know Celeste Watkins-Hayes

Watkins-Hayes, chair of the African-American studies department, discusses growing up in a Detroit suburb, her 2009 book on welfare bureaucracy and her research on people living with HIV/AIDS. CHICAGO MAGAZINE

Easing the Pain of Arthritis

A study led by Dorothy Dunlop, professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine, found that arthritis patients who exercise are helping lessen the stress of the painful disease. NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO

Help Your Heart and Ward Off Cancer

Dr. Laura Rasmussen-Torvik, assistant professor of preventive medicine, wanted to see if healthy behaviors that lower heart disease would also protect people against common cancers. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

A Breakthrough in Batteries

Professor Harold Kung led a team of scientists in reinventing the lithium-ion battery by giving it a 10-fold increase in both battery life and charging speed. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR

What You Want Might Not Actually Be What You Want

Professors Eli Finkel, Paul Eastwick and Alice Eagly, along with researchers at Texas A&M University, found that people might think they want certain traits in a mate, but are sometimes attracted to other characteristics. WASHINGTON POST

Preventing Injuries in Teenage Female Athletes

A study led by Cynthia LaBella, associate professor of pediatrics, found that warm-up exercise routines help prevent injuries in teenage girls who play sports. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Bad News About Kids' Heart Health

Donald Lloyd-Jones, chief of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, studied the cardiovascular health of a group of American children and found troubling results. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Book Award for TriQuarterly

Nikky Finney won a National Book Award for poetry at a ceremony in New York Nov. 16. Finney's fourth collection, “Head Off & Split,” published by TriQuarterly, is an imprint of Northwestern University Press. NEW YORK TIMES

Old People, Young Brains

Researchers from Northwestern's Super Aging Project studied magnetic resonance imaging scans of seniors and found something surprising. THE ATLANTIC

VIctimized Twice

Laura Beth Nielsen, a researcher at the American Bar Foundation and an associate professor of sociology and law at Northwestern University, explains how victims of sexual harassment can be emotionally devastated after they come forward. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

A Stroke of Genius in the Golden Years

Researchers, including Benjamin Jones, professor of management and strategy, analyzed 525 Nobel Prizes and found that many winners since 2000 did their best work after the age of 40. MSNBC

Is Your World Awash with Germs?

A study by the Laboratory for Human Biology Research at Northwestern University detailed how children who are exposed to germs at a young age develop their immune systems. THE GUARDIAN (UK)

Convictions Reversed

Three men were released from prison after spending almost 20 years behind bars. Josh Tepfer, of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, commented on the overturned convictions. WASHINGTON POST

Greek Economic Stability is Familiar

Stephen Nelson, professor of political science, discusses the debt crisis in Greece and how it resembles the economic collapse of Argentina in 2002. WBEZ

Baby Talk

Researchers measured the brain activity of a group of boys and girls and found that cognitive skills are acquired differently by each gender. HUFFINGTON POST

Health Guideline Panels Struggle With Potential Conflicts

Dr. Neil J. Stone, of the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, comments on the federal panels that are developing public health guidelines. Dr. Stone is chairman of the cholesterol panel. NEW YORK TIMES

The Sleep-Weight Connection

A recent study explores the effects of extra weight on sleep, and also examines how gender may play a role in the equation. HUFFINGTON POST

Study Finds Parents Help Kids Lie to Get on Facebook

A study co-authored by Eszther Hargattai, professor of communication studies, found that Internet privacy laws aren't working because parents are lying about their kids' ages. WASHINGTON POST

The Economic Gap

Robert Gordon, professor of social sciences, comments on income inequality and the real gap between productivity and median wages. WASHINGTON POST

How Being Socially Connected May Sap Your Empathy

While being socially connected is good both physically and mentally, a study led by Kellogg professor Adam Waytz found that it can also decrease empathy. TIME MAGAZINE

Finding Love in Pronouns

By studying the conversations of couples at a speed dating event, researchers were able to predict which couples were compatible. NEW YORK TIMES

Northwestern Alumna on Growing List of Female CEOs

Virginia Rometty, newly named CEO of IBM, is one of the latest in an increasing number of women taking the lead at major corporations. CBS

No More Peanut Allergies

Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine researchers Paul Bryce and Stephen Miller have found a way to tweak the immune system so certain foods don't attack it. MSNBC

Professor Disputes Social Phobia Claim

Christopher Lane, professor of literature, argues against the findings of a study on teeenagers and shyness. TIME MAGAZINE

Calling Philosophers of Education

Morton O. Schapiro, the president of Northwestern University, suggested that the 5 percent of college students who are admitted to highly selective institutions benefit enormously from a lifetime of prestige and likely material well being. CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Trapped in Guantanamo

Joseph Margulies, a lawyer with the MacArthur Justice Center and a law professor at Northwestern, writes on the lessons that can be learned about the prison at Guantanamo. LOS ANGELES TIMES

Why They Won the Nobel

Economics professor Lawrence Christiano comments on the work of Princeton professor Christopher Sims, who was recently awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. NEW YORK TIMES

Behind-the-Scenes with Eric Howitt

Eric Howitt, assistant athletic director of equipment operations, was profiled to get an idea of what it's like to oversee the athletic equipment for Chicago's Big Ten team. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

How Important are P.S.A. Tests?

The debate is on over the validity of P.S.A. (prostate-specific antigen) tests in determining a patient's prostate cancer risk. Dr. William Catalona, professor in urology at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, was an early advocate of using the tests, which he found to be more accurate than digital rectal exams. NEW YORK TIMES

History in the Palm of Your Hand

Just in time for the 140th anniversary, a new iPhone app detailing the events of the Great Chicago Fire has launched. The app is the result of a collaboration between Northwestern and the Chicago History Museum. WTTW

One More Month at the Museum

Kevin Byrne, a graduate of Medill's Intergrated Marketing Communications Program, is the second winner of the Museum of Science and Industry's Month at the Museum contest. Last year's winner was also a Northwestern graduate. NBC CHICAGO

Finally Exonerated

Jacques Rivera, in prison on murder charges for 21 years, was freed Oct. 4 after the sole eyewitness in the case recanted to the Northwestern University School of Law's Center on Wrongful Convictions. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Star of the Parade

Alumnus and 'Saturday Night Live' head writer Seth Meyers will be the grand marshal at this year's Homecoming Parade on Friday, Oct. 21.

A Mouth-Watering Find

Professor David Gal, of the Kellogg School of Management, wanted to see if people literally salivate over objects of desire. An article on the research outlines his interesting discoveries. NEW YORK TIMES

New Discoveries Up Above

Astrophysicist Fred Rasio comments about a rare find: a Tatooine-like planet that orbits two stars. WALL STREET JOURNAL

Engaging Kids, One Story at a Time

The Story Pirates, a children's theater group started by Northwestern students, is profiled. The group was mentioned by Jon Stewart when he appeared on "Larry King Live" in October 2010. TIME OUT CHICAGO

Heather Headley Gears Up for 'The Bodyguard'

Alumna Heather Headley, a Tony and Grammy winner, is set to take over a role made famous by Whitney Houston. The musical adaptation of the movie "The Bodyguard" is expected to debut in the fall at a theater in London's West End. BROADWAY.COM

Desire Leads to Drool

Objects of desire - flashy cars and piles of money - can literally make someone salivate. Kellogg professor David Gal explains that a mouth-watering response to unfulfilled goals may be a biological response. THE MIRROR (UK)

In Study, Fatherhood Leads to Drop in Testosterone

A new study found men's testosterone levels lower after becoming fathers for the first time, suggesting men are biologically wired to care for their offspring. NEW YORK TIMES

Turning Data Into News Articles

A collaboration between the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Medill School of Journalism has produced a start-up company, Narrative Science, whose software uses data to write articles. Kris Hammond and Larry Birnbaum, co-directors of the Intelligent Information Laboratory, co-founded the company. NEW YORK TIMES

Tales About Tails

Alumnus and humor writer Wade Rouse has compiled stories from well-known writers about their relationship with their dogs. He will be signing the book, titled "I'm Not the Biggest Bitch in This Relationship," on Sept. 14 at the Book Cellar, 4736 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Sept. 11 Anniversary Can Bring Back Fear, Anxiety

Dr. Michael Maslar, a psychologist at the Family Institute, appeared on Fox Chicago to discuss the memories that the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2011 attacks could bring back. FOX CHICAGO

Luke Donald Can Make You a Better Golfer

The Wildcat golf alumnus shares with Golf Digest readers short game do's and don'ts including the tips on chipping, pitching and putting that made him world no. 1. GOLF DIGEST

Black Children Twice as Likely to Have Food Sensitivities

Northwestern pediatricians have shed new light on why some children develop sensitivities to foods such as eggs, peanuts and milk. Their reason? Race and ancestry. Findings reveal black children are twice as likely to have an immune response to certain foods, especially peanuts, eggs and milk. HUFFINGTON POST

Electronic Tattoos: Circuits that Wrinkle, Stretch and Bend on Skin

Engineer Yonggang Huang has developed wireless electronics so flexible and thin they can be applied to the skin and forgotten. The device could be used for medical diagnostics, sensing, communications and human-machine interfaces. The research, discussed here in the first segment of Chicago Tonight's "Scientific Chicago," blend electronics and biology -- no easy feat. WTTW

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Rising Star of the Backup Quarterback

Nine months ago, Kain Colter started the TicketCity Bowl as a slotback, making his first ever college start. He was jumpy and hyper in the pregame and his emotions were boiling over. Now starting in place of injured Dan Persa, Colter is the picture of poise. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Law School Grad's Profile in Courage

Recent graduate Omar Newell is doing research to determine whether or not his native country of Jamaica has the necessary institutions, infrastructure and culture to foster innovations in economic development. JAMAICA OBSERVER

In Journalism, Thinking Audience First

Rachel Davis Mersey of Medill encourages students to "think about crafting [publications] to solve problems that the audience has, or doesn't even know it has," arguing that the key factor in designing a new media product must be the audience's needs and preferences. PBS

In Journalism, Thinking Audience First

Rachel Davis Mersey of Medill encourages students to "think about crafting [publications] to solve problems that the audience has, or doesn't even know it has," arguing that the key factor in designing a new media product must be the audience's needs and preferences. PBS

The need for kidney transplantation doesn't match our capacity.

Lorenzo Gallon of Feinberg is among those to say doctors should consider trying to reuse more organs to ease a shortage