Staci Vernick is a contributing health and science writer. With expertise in healthcare, medical and science communications and a passion for evocative storytelling, Staci has directed communications for academic medical centers and biomedical research organizations, including Johns Hopkins Children’s, The Wistar Institute and the American Association for Cancer Research. A former journalist, she has written on topics ranging from children’s health to cancer biology to health policy.
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![woman smiling with man in michigan gear selfie](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2024-06/couple-smiling-sports-crowd-fans.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=adVGItvv)
Health Lab
Patient bypasses a life threatening aortic aneurysm with the help of Michigan Medicine's genetic counseling and a streamlined cardiac referral program.
![man smiling sitting](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-09/man-sitting-smiling-trees-porch.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=anjtLVt6)
Health Lab
MI-AORTA is a donor-funded initiative that facilitates collaboration within the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, U-M Health and referring provider networks, creating value for the patients, families, and communities they serve and allows them to continue to pioneer advanced therapies for aortic diseases.
![man standing](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/2023-09/man-kitchen-jacket-smile-glasses.jpg?h=f0fb51a5&itok=Jh2XExZx)
Health Lab
Learn about the latest advances in treatment for chronic total occlusion, a life-threatening condition that deprives the heart of oxygen. A team of cardiovascular surgeons perform advanced, minimally invasive surgery to help David Schneider get his life back on track.
![A model demonstrating how this type of novel drug is absorbed through the lymphatic system.](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Multfunctional_kinase_inhibitor_illustration_Press_release%255B39%255D-edited.jpg?h=7d69921e&itok=4ROnsbCO)
Health Lab
By using the lymphatic system as a storage reservoir, researchers found they could optimize drug concentrations to simultaneously target two molecular signaling pathways responsible for cancer growth.
![women scientist gloves laboratory vial](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Woman-Scientist-Gloves-Laboratory-Vial.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=39QRuiCb)
Health Lab
A common mutation in a rare cancer subtype leads researchers to an already-approved drug that shows promise against uterine serous carcinoma
![](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Mich-Gene-Discovery.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=HWjFKBzw)
Health Lab
Researchers identify genetic variants that lead to a severe developmental syndrome. The findings could mean better screening and diagnosis for patients with inherited syndromes.
![](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Mich-ALS-Protein.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=EZpaj__q)
Health Lab
Michigan Medicine researchers identify a potential therapeutic target for neurodegenerative conditions using animal models.
![](https://www.michiganmedicine.org/sites/default/files/styles/card/public/blog/Mich-COPD.jpg?h=bfaa3d24&itok=YJqH2uau)
Health Lab
A team led by U-M researchers discovered that a noninvasive imaging biomarker can identify small airway damage in COPD patients.