Good morning, Chicago.

Mahari in Hyde Park was named Best Neighborhood Restaurant at the Banchet Awards over a year after opening and owner Rahim Muhammad said the accolade confirms the restaurant’s global appeal - local diners are now making more reservations amid growing buzz.

UIC’s 55-year-old Native American Support Program is expanding with an oral history project (supported by a Henry Luce Foundation grant) and a new $303,000 multiyear award from the 11th Hour Project, set to feature a permanent exhibit in fall at its Student Services Building office.

UIC's Native American Support Program marked its 55-year legacy by expanding its support and receiving a $303,000 grant; the program offers academic coaching and holds Heritage Days powwows at the Student Services Building (1200 W.

Harrison St.) to boost Native student success.

On Feb. 3, UIC College of Dentistry held Give Kids A Smile day at St. Malachy School on Chicago’s Near West Side, giving nearly 100 children free dental checkups + cleanings and oral health tips.

The college reinforced its commitment to community health as it helped improve young smiles.

UIC professor Brad Merrill and his Syntax Bio team tested a new CRISPR method to program stem cells into specialized cells—such as pancreatic beta cells that may help treat type 1 diabetes—in a study published in Science Advances.