Science & Research - The Brown Daily Herald

Science & Research

Pioneer of CRISPR genome-editing technology, Jennifer Doudna, opens inaugural Lemley Family Leadership Lecture Series

By Claire Liu | March 5

Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna, who co-invented CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology, joined President Christina Paxson P’19 for a virtual conversation on CRISPR’s wide-ranging applications and its ethical implications in medicine and beyond. Doudna and collaborator Emmanuelle Charpentier ...

Science & Research

The COVID Pod with Dr. Ashish Jha: Optimistic Outcomes and Overcoming Hurdles: Managing COVID-19 in March 2021

By Cate Ryan , Emilija Sagaityte and Rahma Ibrahim | March 3

In this episode of The COVID Pod with Dr. Ashish Jha, recorded Tuesday, March 2, Dr. Jha speaks to the importance of equitable vaccine distribution, ventilation over sanitation for public spaces and the promises of the recently authorized Johnson and Johnson vaccine amid the rise of new virus variants. ...

Science & Research

U. Cancer Center pilot projects: investigating cancer connections

By Kathleen Meininger | March 2

[lwptoc skipHeadingLevel="h1,h2,h3,h5,h6"] Eight labs who were recipients of the University Cancer Center’s funding in December for projects advancing cancer research will use the funds to delve into cancer biology, cancer therapeutics and population science. Four of the eight projects are investigating ...

Science & Research

U. Cancer Center pilot projects: developing cancer therapeutics

By Kathleen Meininger | March 1

[lwptoc depth="3" skipHeadingLevel=""] The Cancer Center at Brown University announced the funding of eight pilot projects that aim to innovate and pioneer in the field of cancer research last December. The intent of the funding was to “provide investigators with the opportunity to collect preliminary ...

Science & Research

’21 Rising study investigates social networks, alcohol use for class of 2021

By Claire Liu | February 25

’21 Rising, an ongoing social network study led by Principal Investigator and Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences Nancy Barnett, enrolls members from the class of 2021 in biannual surveys to find out how social networks play a role in their health behaviors. Students participate in the study ...

Science & Research

University Professor Michael J. Frank named one of two 2021 Troland Research Award recipients

By Jared Zhang | February 22

Michael J. Frank, professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences and director of the Carney Center for Computational Brain Science, was named one of two recipients of the Troland Research Award last month. The $75,000 Troland Research Award is given annually to “honor early-career ...

Science & Research

Four University students recognized by Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Awards

By Benjamin Schornstein | February 22

Four University computer science students were recognized during the selection process of the 2021 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Awards. Nishanth Kumar ’21 was selected as one of 23 finalists, and Sarah Bawabe ’21, Dylan Sam ’21 and Homer Walke ’21 were acknowledged as honorable mentions. The ...

Science & Research

Brown researchers posit region of brain’s role in planning movements based on sound

By Gabriella Vulakh | February 21

University researchers collaborated with the BrainGate clinical trial to identify the role of the middle frontal gyrus — an area in the front region of the brain — in planning movements based on auditory stimuli, including words and other sounds, through observations of a single participant in the ...

Science & Research

Dean Ashish Jha selected for incoming Governor McKee’s COVID-19 Advisory Group

By Rahma Ibrahim | February 17

Dean of the School of Public Health Ashish Jha will serve as part of Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor Daniel McKee’s COVID-19 Advisory Group. The announcement came as McKee prepares to assume the role of Rhode Island governor in place of Gov. Gina Raimondo, whose nomination for commerce secretary ...

Science & Research

Second annual Love Data Week explores social good of data

By Aubrey Li | February 16

The Office of the Vice President for Research and the University Library co-sponsored Brown's Love Data Week, which was hosted online this year in the form of webinars and workshops during the week of Valentine’s Day. LDW’s various events are designed to celebrate, raise awareness and build community ...

Science & Research

The COVID Pod with Dr. Ashish Jha: Virus Variants, Vaccines and Valentine’s

By Cate Ryan , Emilija Sagaityte and Rahma Ibrahim | February 12

On Friday, Feb. 12, the COVID Pod team sits down with Ashish Jha, dean of the School of Public Health, to discuss the variations underlying the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to stop its spread: virus variants, new vaccines in development — and even a COVID-19-conscious approach to socializing on Valentine’s ...

Science & Research

Brown researchers study airflow, COVID-19 transmission in passenger cars

By Jared Zhang | February 11

By studying vehicle airflow patterns, University researchers showed that opening windows opposite the side where a person is sitting in a car can help passengers reduce COVID-19 transmission. The study, published in early January, aims to fill a current gap in the understanding of the passenger car, ...

Science & Research

Annual Space Horizons conference discusses sustainability in space

By Tyler Jacobson | February 11

Scientists, researchers and space enthusiasts convened at Brown’s annual Space Horizons conference from Feb. 8-12, where they attempted to answer some of the most pressing questions in space exploration and research: How can we ecologically sustain human activity on the moon? How do you maintain a ...

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Science & Research

Maria Zuber ScM’83, PhD’86, P’11 selected for top science position in Biden administration

By Julia Grossman | February 9

Maria T. Zuber ScM’83, PhD’86, P’11 is no stranger to accomplishing “firsts” in science. She is the first woman to lead a NASA planetary mission and the first woman to lead a science department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Now, she will be one of the first women to chair the ...

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Science & Research

Ellen Stofan: leader in space research, exploration since time at Brown

By Kathleen Meininger | February 9

Planetary Geologist Ellen Stofan ScM’85 PhD’89 attended her first rocket launch when she was four years old. Since then, she has spent over 20 years at NASA, served as chief scientist of NASA from 2013 to 2016 and was named leader of President Joe Biden’s NASA agency review team in November. Since ...

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Science & Research

$25 million donation to fund brain science research at Brown

By Josephine Chen | February 8

A $25 million gift from an anonymous donor will support new, innovative research projects in the field of brain science at the University. The donation will also fund the Innovation Awards Program at the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science. “Research, discovery and innovation ...

Science & Research

UTRA program changes application process, now to fall under SPRINT

By Rahma Ibrahim | February 5

The Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards will now fall under SPRINT’s purview in order to centralize funding opportunities, according to a Jan. 26 Today@Brown announcement. As a result, students will have to use a different application process to receive UTRA grants compared to past years. The ...

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Science & Research

PANTHER research collaboration founded by former Brown professor receives $10 million federal grant

By Reem Ibrahim | February 2

PANTHER, a multi-institutional research collaboration, recently received a $10 million federal grant from the Office of Naval Research within the U.S. Department of the Navy. The goal of PANTHER is to understand, detect and prevent traumatic brain injuries. Achieving these three overarching goals ...

Science & Research

Brown neuroscience professor David Badre illustrates the science of cognitive control in first book

By Claire Liu | February 1

David Badre, professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences, released his first book “On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done” in early November. Badre’s debut book explores the topic of cognitive control, the process through which individuals connect goals, thoughts and norms ...

Science & Research

Study indicates global shift in sleep patterns after COVID-19 lockdown

By Benjamin Schornstein | January 31

A significant shift in sleep patterns was observed worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic among a group of more than 100,000 people whose sleep data was analyzed in a study led by Jeff Huang, associate professor of computer science and key member of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab. “In most countries, ...