26 students and alumni win NSF fellowships or honorable mentions
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced the winners of its 2019 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), with 14 University of Notre Dame students and alumni winning the highly coveted award and another 12 receiving honorable mentions.
Kasturi Haldar receives 2019 College Research Award
Congratulations to Kasturi Haldar, the Rev. Julius Nieuwland Professor of Biological Sciences and recipient of the 2019 College Research Award. Kasturi is an internationally recognized scientist who joined the Department of Biological Sciences in 2008 as the Director for what is now the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases. During her research career, she has made ground-breaking discoveries to advance the understanding of malaria pathogenesis and to develop novel therapies in both infectious and genetic diseases. Her work over the past several years has revealed a molecular mechanism of how Plasmodium falciparum malaria develops resistance to artemisinins, front line antimalarials for which there are still no replacement therapies.
Jennifer Tank named Hoosier Resilience Hero
Tank, who also currently serves as the current president of the Society for Freshwater Science, is being recognized for her research that sits at the intersection of freshwater systems and agriculture in the Midwest.
Microglia, cells thought restricted to central nervous system, are redefined in new study
Inside the body, disease and injury can leave behind quite the mess — a scattering of cellular debris, like bits of broken glass, rubber and steel left behind in a car accident. Inside the central nervous system (CNS), a region that includes the brain and spinal cord, it is the job of certain cells, called microglia, to clean up that cellular debris. Microglia have counterparts called macrophages that serve similar function outside the CNS in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the region that contains most of the sensory and motor nerves.
Biologist's indoor-outdoor laboratory will further research into intersection of wildlife and human health
Finding solutions for worldwide shortages propels new University of Notre Dame biology professor Jason Rohr to find unique ways to research some of the most pressing issues. These include food shortages. Energy shortages. Even “shortages” of amphibians because of disease. Rohr, the Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla College Professor of Biological Sciences, completes research in areas that span the intersection of wildlife and human health.
Notre Dame biologist investigates genetics behind kidney development and regeneration
Rebecca Wingert, Elizabeth and Michael Gallagher Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, recently published findings in ELife that have revealed new insights into the genetic pathways that control kidney cell development.
Research demonstrates how immunotherapy may be effective for fighting TB
New research from the University of Notre Dame suggests that structures released by the infected cells may be used in tandem with antibiotics to boost the body’s immune system, helping fight off the disease.
Conservation model benefits both ecological and economic needs of Great Salt Lake
To balance the needs of the animals and the industry that rely on brine shrimp cysts, a University of Notre Dame researcher and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) completed a study over 20 years to evaluate and improve management of Utah's Great Salt Lake.
Open-source application creates super-resolution images of cell development in living animals
A new tool may allow researchers to see more of the physiological state of living organisms at the cellular level, according to a study by the University of Notre Dame. Published in Development, the study shows how an open-source application, created by Notre Dame researchers, can utilize two different conventional microscope images obtained at low excitation powers to create one high-resolution, three-dimensional image.
Researchers determine how nerve fibers enter spinal cord during early development
New research from Notre Dame could lead to regenerative therapies for people with injuries to their brachial plexus, a group of nerves that starts at the spinal cord and goes into the arm.
Notre Dame researcher honored for outstanding work in aquatic sciences
Jennifer Tank, the Galla Professor of Biological Sciences, has been honored with the 2019 Ruth Patrick Award from the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO).
Notre Dame receives its largest research award to study spatial repellents against mosquito-borne diseases
Notre Dame will lead a five-year program to determine the efficacy of a spatial repellent product in preventing mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue and Chikungunya.
Notre Dame researchers accepted to join vaccination impact research consortium
Alex Perkins, Eck Family Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, and Sean Moore, research assistant professor of biological sciences, have been accepted to join the Vaccine Impact Modeling Consortium. The consortium “aims to deliver a more sustainable, efficient, and transparent approach to generating disease burden and vaccine impact estimates.
Notre Dame announces awardees of the Science of Wellness Catalyst Seed Grant Program
Sixteen faculty members from the University of Notre Dame have been awarded funding from the University’s Science of Wellness Initiative’s Catalyst Seed Grant program. Nearly 100 pre-proposals were submitted and faculty from five different colleges and schools received awards.
Study: Tuberculosis survives by using host system against itself
In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, scientists at the University of Notre Dame have discovered that the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) releases RNA into infected cells.
Zhang lands DOD breast cancer research award
Siyuan Zhang, the Dee Associate Professor of Biological Sciences who is also affiliated with the Harper Cancer Research Institute, landed a nearly $1.1 million Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award through the Department of Defense in August.
The Graduate School Launches Training Program for Leaders Advancing Socially Engaged Research (LASER)
This year, the Graduate School launched a new experiential training program focused on leadership skills and social responsibility. Leaders Advancing Socially Engaged Research, or LASER, is aimed at Notre Dame doctoral students in their 3rd or 4th years of study, and is intended to complement students’ individual research pursuits in their various fields. This year’s cohort consists of seventeen students completing individual LASER projects and hailing from each of the Graduate School’s four academic disciplines (engineering, humanities, social sciences, and science).
Scientists neutralize reactive nitrogen molecules to enhance cancer immunotherapy
Immunotherapy — harnessing T-cells to attack cancer cells in the body — has given hope to patients who endure round after round of treatment, including chemotherapy, to little effect. For all of its promise, however, immunotherapy still benefits only a minority of patients — a reality driving research in the field for ways to improve the relatively new approach. One method for improving efficacy is the development of bio- and activity-based markers to better predict which patients will respond to immunotherapy and identify why some don’t. In a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers at the University of Notre Dame studying tumors in prostate cancer models found that nitration of an amino acid can inhibit T-cell activation, thwarting the T-cell’s ability to kill cancer cells.
Committee identifies priorities for nation’s future water resource challenges
Jennifer Tank, Galla Professor of Biological Sciences and director of the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative, served as one of 15 experts on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Committee on Future Water Resource Needs for the Nation.
Notre Dame researcher to study dengue virus vaccine
Guido Camargo España Guido Camargo España, postdoctoral research associate of biological sciences, has received a Postdoctoral Training Award in Translational Research from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute…