Past News & Announcements

November 2013:  Dr. David Hahn, MD, Director of the Wisconsin Research and Education Network recently published a book entitled: “A Cure for Asthma?”  The book challenges the conventional wisdom about the causes and treatments for asthma with the use of strong scientific evidence and compelling case histories. Dr. Hahn is a long-time collaborator on asthma research with the Webley Lab and part one of the book consists of stories told by patients whose asthma has been cured by antibiotic treatment to eliminate Chlamydia pneumoniae from their lungs. These patients had their blood and bronchial lavage samples tested in the Webley Lab as part of a case series study. The work performed by the Webley is repeatedly highlighted in this book and Dr. Webley wrote one of the forewords for the book and is one of three colleagues who statements can be found on the back cover. The stories highlighted in this publication and the conclusions drawn provide unmistakable validation of the clinical importance of the work currently being undertaken in the Webley Lab.

September 2013:  Wilmore Webley, Associate Professor of Microbiology, has been chosen by the UMass Commonwealth Honors College as the Faculty Lecturer for the 2013-2014 academic year.  Dr. Webley's first lecture, "A Cure for Severe Asthma:  New Hope for the Future," will take place on Tuesday, October 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Auditorium. The lecture is offered as part of the honors seminar course "Ideas That Changed the World." Read more

August 2013:  James Holden, Associate Professor of Microbiology, and a team of researchers will embark on back-to-back research expeditions on September 3.  The expeditions will explore the Axial Volcano which is 300 miles off the coast of Oregon and one mile below the ocean's surface.  Holden's research will not be funded by government sources as it has in the past but from private sources: The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI).  The Moore Foundation, started by the co-founder of Intel and his wife, is dedicated to advancing environmental conservation and scientific research.  SOI was founded by Eric Schmidt of Google and his wife, are dedicated to funding oceanographic research projects. Read more

August 2013:  The Los Angeles Times reported on research findings recently published in Science Translational Medicine on the increased effectiveness of antibiotics when trace amounts of silver were added.  Wilmore Webley, Associate Professor of Microbiology, provided insight on the recent discovery. Read more

June 2013:  Derek Lovley is involved in one of 14 research projects underway through the U.S. Department of Energy's electrofuels program.  Researchers are genetically engineering microorganisms that produce chemicals which burn directly in gas tanks.  Read more