Jennifer Tank elected President of the Society for Freshwater Science
Jennifer Tank, Galla Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame and director of the Environmental Change Initiative, has been announced as the president-elect of the Society for Freshwater Science (SFS).
Notre Dame Research Funding reaches Record-breaking Levels
The University of Notre Dame has received $138.1 million in research funding for fiscal year (FY) 2017, surpassing the previous record of $133.7 million set in FY 2015.
Undergraduate students present research at 2017 COS-JAM
More than 500 students attended the 11th College of Science Joint Annual Meeting (COS-JAM) on Friday, May 5, in the Jordan Hall of Science. The event highlighted the research achievements of undergraduate students and is part of the Undergraduate Scholars Conference.
The Power of Computational Modeling to Combat Diseases
For people living in the US, the Zika epidemic of 2016 seemed to have come out of nowhere and to have now almost disappeared. Zika infections and microcephaly in newborns were daily headline news. Now where are we?
Researchers improve method to identify aquatic species using environmental DNA
According to a new study, researchers have improved their method of tracking species by using the biological material those organisms leave behind known as environmental DNA (eDNA).
In memoriam: Robert McIntosh, professor emeritus of biological sciences
Robert P. McIntosh, a renowned ecologist and historian of ecology and wonderful husband, father and grandfather, died at 3:45 pm July 7, 2017. He was born Sept. 24, 1920, in Milwaukee, Wis., and was a football…
Researchers Use Light to Manipulate Mosquitoes
Scientists at the University of Notre Dame have found that exposure to just 10 minutes of light at night suppresses biting and manipulates flight behavior in the Anopheles gambiae mosquito, the major vector for transmission of malaria in Africa, according to new research published in the journal Parasites and Vectors.
Xin Lu wins 2017 Indiana CTSI Young Investigator Award
Dr. Xin Lu, the John M. and Mary Jo Boler Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, in the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, has been awarded a Young Investigator Award from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI).
Students receive Fulbright Awards for 2017-2018
Four students from the Department of Biological Sciences have been awarded grants by the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to study abroad in 2017-18.
Biological Sciences faculty win awards for teaching and advising
David J. Veselik, director of undergraduate studies and associate teaching professor in the department of biological sciences, was one of three recipients of the Dockweiler Awards for the 2016–2017 academic year. Veselik is the coordinator for the cell biology laboratory, as well as the biology club advisor. He has taught upper level cell biology labs and lectures. With his guidance, students have participated in several initiatives, including networking with the career center, vertical peer mentoring, lab shadowing and alumni mentoring.
Notre Dame Grad Student Chosen to Present Work at 2017 Future Fellow Research Conference
Alyssa Lesko, fourth-year Biology graduate student, was recently selected to present her work at the 2017 Future Fellow Research Conference (FFRC) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Lesko will present her work on how the loss of tumor suppressor Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (APC) and subsequently how its normal functions leads to tumorigenesis. Read more.
Scientists Reveal New and Improved Genome Sequence of Daphnia Pulex
By understanding how they respond to toxic elements, scientists can look at how environmental changes caused by agriculture and road runoff or warming temperatures and climate change could impact populations in lakes, rivers and standing bodies of water.
Notre Dame researcher receives grant to study spinal cord injuries
The Indiana State Department of Health and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) has awarded Cody J. Smith, the Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and affiliated member of the Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, a Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund (SCBIRF) grant.
Funding scientific research fuels job creation
The University of Notre Dame is highlighted in a new report on the importance of scientific research to economic growth. The study, which was conducted by The Science Coalition, identifies more than 100 companies that exist due to funding received by academic researchers from federal government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Science Foundation.
Biological Sciences Students and Alumni win Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awards
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the winners of the 2017 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), with 15 current Notre Dame students, affiliates and alumni winning the prestigious award and another 18 earning honorable mention. Overall, 11 students in the Department of Biological Sciences were recognized by the NSF.
Kasturi Haldar wins 2017 Ganey Award for community-based research
Professor Kasturi Haldar has received the 2016 Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D., Community-Based Research Award for a project that has helped improve rare disease recognition and treatment in northern Indiana. The award is a $5,000 prize presented annually to a regular faculty member at the University of Notre Dame who has completed at least one research project that addresses a need within South Bend or the surrounding area. Haldar is a molecular cell biologist and the Rev. Julius Nieuwland Professor of Biological Sciences and Parsons-Quinn director of the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases at the University of Notre Dame.
Researchers develop predictive model measuring nitrous oxide emissions in streams and rivers
Jennifer Tank, Galla Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences co-authored new research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Notre Dame Professor Siyuan Zhang wins CTSI grant
Siyuan Zhang, Nancy Dee Assistant Professor of Cancer Research, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and affiliated member of Harper Cancer Research Institute at the University of Notre Dame, recently won a grant from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI). Awarded Pilot Funding for Research Use of Core Facilities, Zhang is planning on using his funding to learn more about brain metastasis in cancer patients. The award was designed to promote the use of technologies and knowledge made available by Indiana CTSI-designed cores available at partner institutions.
Tuberculosis Research Sheds Light on Disease-related Protein
The WHO names Tuberculosis (TB) as one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and over 95 percent of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. To improve the global health community’s understanding of TB and provide information that could help treat it, Notre Dame researchers have developed a new strain of the bacteria along with a new method to better study this deadly disease.
Tuberculosis: The Disease of Antiquity
Jeff Schorey, a world-renowned expert with pioneering work on the role of exosomes in infectious diseases, has been studying mycobacterial disease for almost two decades.