Research at Rush University

Research is thriving at Rush University. We’re invested in clinical, basic science and community-based research to advance our understanding of how diseases work and how best to treat them, which can improve care for patients at Rush and around the globe.

Here you can learn more about research efforts across Rush: our laboratories and collaborations, facilities and services, and technologies for licensing.

Rush Research Portal

Research Profiles

ITM @ RUSH

Institute for Translational Medicine

Rush partners with the University of Chicago and other local hospital systems to help drive research breakthroughs and bring those discoveries into the real world to improve health.

Departmental Research

Every day Rush University researchers are working to fight disease and improve health outcomes.

Research Collaborations

We embrace collaboration among our departments, as well as with other institutions and organizations.

Core Facilities

Our robust core facilities are available to faculty and offer opportunities for researchers outside Rush.

Research Affairs

We support faculty to propose studies, seek funding, negotiate contracts, secure patents and licensing, and much more.

Services for Investigators and Sponsors

We provide a wide range of services to researchers and research sponsors.

Innovation and Technology Transfer

Rush University helps connect faculty inventors to those interested in using their technologies.

Regulatory Compliance

We promote a culture of high-quality research, compliance and research integrity.

Vice Provost for Research

Under the leadership of Joshua J. Jacobs, MD, vice provost for research, Rush University is embarking on an exciting new phase of our research enterprise.

A Breath of Fresh Air in Lung Cancer Research

Chien-Ching Li, PhD, MPH, studies how minorities in the U.S. understand their health, health challenges and the health care system, with a special interest in lung cancer prevention.

Meeting Autism in the Middle

Lauren Little, PhD, develops occupational therapy programs to help autistic children while considering the circumstances of their families.

College of Health Sciences researcher Sandra Gomez-Perez, PhD, RD, LDN

Ignore the Role of Fat in Health? VAT Chance

Clinical nutrition researcher Sandra Gomez-Perez, PhD, RD, LDN, seeks to understand how abdominal fat contributes to disease.

Research News

Exploring the Meth-Parkinson’s Link

People who use methamphetamine have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. A team of Rush researchers is trying to understand why.

Combination of More Hospitalizations and Brain Pathologies Linked to Faster Cognitive Decline

Older people who experienced more hospitalizations and also had more Alzheimer’s pathology in their brain experienced the fastest rates of cognitive decline, according to study results published in the Oct. 15 online issue of the Annals of Neurology.

In-Home Visits May Be Key to Reversing Childhood Obesity

Behavioral medicine experts from the Rush University Prevention Center at Rush University Medical Center are going straight to patients’ homes to see if they can find solutions to address childhood obesity.

Rush Leads in Fight Against Substance Misuse

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently awarded Rush a $2 million grant to establish a research center to improve the delivery of scientifically based treatments to substance misuse patients.

Reprogramming Pancreatic Cancer

Findings published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine suggest that a type of white blood cell called tumor associated macrophages that have been deceived by pancreatic cancer cells into not attacking them can be “reprogrammed” by a specially designed molecule that activates a protein found on their surfaces.

Scam Susceptibility May Be Early Sign of Dementia

Decreased scam awareness among older adults may be a warning sign of future cognitive decline or dementia, according to researchers with the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center.