Archive for Research News

No Shortcuts to the Past: Holly Cowan Shulman Takes on Biography
U.Va. Today
Her office is tiny and windowless, with barely room enough for two chairs. But cramped quarters can't limit Holly Cowan Shulman's expansive mind.
Posted 05/06/08

U.Va. Researcher Receives Hartwell Award for Work on Pediatric Brain Tumors
U.Va. Today
Richard Price is the first U.Va. scientist to receive a Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Award.
Posted 05/06/08

U.Va. Research Aims to Optimize Traffic Light Timing to Reduce Gas Consumption and Emissions
U.Va. Today
Traffic lights have implications beyond streamlining traffic flow.
Posted 05/06/08

George T. Rodeheaver Named 2008 Inventor of the Year
U.Va. Today
U.Va. professor honored for wound-healing technology developments.
Posted 05/06/08

U.Va. Graduate Students Secure Esteemed NSF Fellowships
Justin Henriques, David Hondula, and Isabelle Stanton receive research funding.
Posted 05/06/08

FEST Funding Supports Cutting Edge Junior Faculty Research
Four rising faculty members win seed money for their research.
Posted 05/06/08

University of Virginia's Daniel Pitti Appointed to National Archives and Record Administration
U.Va. Today
Advisory Committee to address challenges to the preservation of the records of the U.S. Government.
Posted 04/30/08

University of Virginia Graduate Student's New Method for Processing Rape Evidence Could Eliminate Crime-Lab Backlogs
U.Va. Today
Jessica Voorhees Norris, a Ph.D. candidate in forensic chemistry at U.Va., has developed a method for handling rape kit evidence that reduces part of the DNA analysis time from 24 hours to as little as 30 to 45 minutes and improves the sperm cell recovery rate by 100 percent.
Posted 04/30/08

NIA Grant to Further Novel Research Methods Training
Innovative methods used to map the cognitive behavioral changes that occur with age.
Posted 04/30/08

University of Virginia Physician-Researcher Helping Soldiers as Part of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine
U.Va. Today
Dr. Adam Katz will study the use of fat grafting to improve the healing of wounds and severe burns and to minimize their associated scarring.
Posted 04/23/08

Gregory Gerling: Working with Feeling
U.Va. Today
Engineering professor is interested in the neural and mechanical mechanisms underlying touch.
Posted 04/23/08

University of Virginia Patent Foundation Licenses Silver Nanoparticle Technology to U.Va. Start-Up PluroGen Therapeutics Inc.
U.Va. Today
Enhanced anti-microbial agent fights infection and promotes wound-healing.
Posted 04/23/08

New Book Reveals Entrepreneurial Thought Process
Saras Sarasvathy analyzes the logic of leading entrepreneurs.
Posted 04/23/08

NEH Awards Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant to Virginia Center for Digital History to Develop 'Jefferson's Travels HistoryBrowser'
U.Va. Today
NEH grant to fund development of an interactive, Web-based platform for the visualization and dynamic manipulation of historical information.
Posted 04/22/08

'Homegrown' Engineering Researcher at University of Virginia Lands Prestigious Truman Fellowship
U.Va. Today
Fellowship will give U.Va. postdoctoral researcher Patrick Hopkins the chance to work with some of the nation's best scientists and engineers.
Posted 04/18/08

Combining Liver Cancer Treatments Doubles Survival Rates According to Researchers at U.Va.
U.Va. Health System
U.Va. physicians combine treatments, increase cholangiocarcinoma survival rates.
Posted 04/18/08

University of Virginia Computer Science Professors Receive National Science Foundation CAREER Awards
U.Va. Today
Kim Hazelwood and Jason Lawrence recently won NSF CAREER Awards, recognizing their promising research and teaching.
Posted 04/16/08

Muscular Modeling Sheds Light on Common Injuries
E-News Online
Silvia Salinas Blemker builds computational models of muscle.
Posted 04/16/08

University of Virginia, Norton City Public Schools Team to Win $1 Million Federal Grant to Enhance Teaching of American History
U.Va. Today
Grant will enhance the teaching and learning of American history in Southwest Virginia.
Posted 04/10/08

University of Virginia Health System Breaking Ground April 12 for $74 Million Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center
U.Va. Today
New Cancer Center will be both technically advanced and designed for compassionate care.
Posted 04/10/08

Flowers' Fragrance Diminished by Air Pollution, University of Virginia Study Indicates
U.Va. Today
Air pollution is destroying the fragrance of flowers and thereby inhibiting the ability of pollinating insects to follow scent trails to their source.
Posted 04/10/08

University of Virginia Faculty Senate Awards $25,000 Dissertation-Year Fellowships to Six Graduate Students
U.Va. Today
Six U.Va. graduate students have each received a $25,000 dissertation-year fellowship to help them in their last year of doctoral work.
Posted 04/10/08

Vanessa Ochs Explores the Evolution of Jewish Ritual
Religious Studies professor studies new Jewish rituals and the material culture linked to them.
Posted 04/10/08

University of Virginia Environmental Thought and Practice Majors Travel to Panama As Part of New Panama Initiative
U.Va. Today
For nine University of Virginia Environmental Thought and Practice students, spring break this semester did not include a break from their studies. Instead, it provided an opportunity to further explore their major by observing sustainable development efforts under way in Panama.
Posted 04/02/08

Two U.Va. Students Selected as Davis Peace Winners
U.Va. Today
A water purification system designed by two University of Virginia students has been selected as one of the 100 "Projects for Peace" to be funded by centenarian philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis.
Posted 04/02/08

Fragrant Flowers Being Destroyed by Pollution
Telegraph.co.uk
New study by U.Va.'s Jose Fuentes suggests that pollution is destroying plants' natural perfume.
Posted 04/02/08

University of Virginia Study Links Gene With Nicotine Dependence in Two Major Ethnic Groups
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia Health System researchers have identified a gene associated with nicotine dependence in both European and African Americans. Their research adds vital new evidence to a previous study linking the neurexin 1 gene (NRXN1) with nicotine dependence.
Posted 04/02/08

The Office of Naval Research Awards Hilary Bart-Smith $6.5M
U.Va. Today
Hilary Bart-Smith was awarded a highly competitive Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Program grant. The grant will lay the groundwork for the possible eventual creation of an autonomous underwater vehicle that would mimic the graceful motions of a manta ray.
Posted 04/02/08

State Fund Backs U.Va. Research with Commercial Potential
U.Va. Today
John Herr and Stuart Wolf receive funding from the Commonwealth Technology Research Fund.
Posted 04/02/08

Musical Frankensteins: When a Robot Makes Music, What Does it Sound Like?
The University of Virginia Magazine's e-newsletter
Three doctoral students in U.Va.’s composition and computer technologies program created an avant-garde music robot.
Posted 03/28/08

Tyler Environmental Prize Goes to U.Va.'s James Galloway
U.Va. Today
The Tyler Prize is the premier award for environmental science, energy and environmental health, and widely considered as the equivalent of a Nobel Prize in those fields.
Posted 03/27/08

Curry School of Education Professors Release First Findings of Virginia High School Safety Study
U.Va. Today
New U.Va. research finds that conditions in Virginia high schools are generally safe and that serious acts of violence are rare.
Posted 03/26/08

Sociologist Examines the Commodification of Childhood
Allison Pugh studies how families deal with the increasing demands of a consumer culture.
Posted 03/26/08

U.Va. Researcher Finds Urban Sprawl May Be Deadly for Teen Drivers
U.Va. Today
Study finds that sprawl results in more miles driven by teens, who have a higher rate of fatalities per miles driven than adults.
Posted 03/26/08

Fund Established to Support Biomedical Innovation and Research at U.Va.
U.Va. Today
New funding will promote biomedical translational research.
Posted 03/26/08

U.Va.'s Curry School of Education Taps Dan Berch as Inaugural Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development
U.Va. Today
New position will enhance Curry's research activities.
Posted 03/26/08

Research: Local Produce Saves Energy in Huge Way
Daily Progress
U.Va. student studies Charlottesville City Market energy consumption.
Posted 03/26/08

Sloan Fellowship Will Further U.Va. Astronomer Philip Arras's Research on Giant Planets Beyond Our Solar System
U.Va. Today
Philip Arras, assistant professor of astronomy, won a 2008 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, which includes a two-year $50,000 grant.
Posted 03/19/08

U.Va. Researchers Say Removing Gear of Injured Players Harmful
Daily Progress
New research suggests that removing protective gear could worsen injuries in young football players.
Posted 03/19/08

New Study Sheds Light on Why Patients in Some States Have More Allergic Reactions to Widely-Used Cancer Drug
U.Va. Today
Dr. Thomas Platts-Mills and colleagues find clues to suggest that geography may influence allergic reactions.
Posted 03/19/08

U.Va.'s Wladek Minor is Putting Proteins on the Molecular Map
U.Va. Patent Foundation 2007 Annual Report
Wladek Minor's inventive software has dramatically transformed the field of protein crystallography.
Posted 03/19/08

Adolescent Girls with ADHD Are at Increased Risk for Eating Disorders, Study Shows
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia psychologist Amori Yee Mikami
Posted 03/19/08

U.Va. Engineering School Professor Receives 'Outstanding Academic Title' Distinction for Book
U.Va. Today
Joanne Cohoon contributed to and co-edited book on the declining participation of women in computer science since the late 1980s.
Posted 03/14/08

Analyze This: U.Va.'s Stephen Macko Checks Out Diane Sawyer's Hair
U.Va. Today
Environmental sciences professor slated to be an “on-air” science consultant for "Good Morning America."
Posted 03/12/08

'Learning Barge' Earns U.Va. Architecture Professor Phoebe Crisman a Major Award from the American Institute of Architects
U.Va. Today
The vessel, a collaborative research, design and fabrication initiative from U.Va., incorporates research and sustainable design principles to promote environmental education.
Posted 03/12/08

Community as Classroom: Urban Studies and Service Learning in Cape Coast Ghana
U.Va. Today
Multidisciplinary group of students works together on community-based research projects.
Posted 03/12/08

Curry Professor Strives to Make Math More Relevant to Students
Robert Berry's curriculum aims to make math education socially and culturally relevant for all students.
Posted 03/12/08

U.Va. Professor Della Coletta's Book Seeks to Give Italian World's Fairs Their Due
U.Va. Today
In the grand showcase that is the World's Fair, Italy was never considered as important a host as countries like France and Great Britain, according to Della Coletta.
Posted 03/12/08

U.Va. Researcher's Sperm-Check Home Test Receives FDA OK
U.Va. Today
New device lets men test their post vasectomy fertility status at home.
Posted 03/05/08

On Thin Ice in the Arctic
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Two researchers from U.Va. warn of what global warming could mean to animals.
Posted 03/05/08

Recurrent Brain Cancer Responds to New Treatment
U.Va. Health System
U.Va. research shows promise in fighting the most common form of primary brain cancer.
Posted 03/05/08

U.Va.'s First Emergency Stent-Graft Procedure Saves Life of Waynesboro Resident
U.Va. Today
James Taylor received U.Va.'s first-ever emergency stent graft for an abdominal aortic aneurysm earlier this month.
Posted 03/05/08

Snake-fright? Study Suggests Reptiles Elicit Natural Phobia
Daily Progress
U.Va. researchers have found that humans have a genetic predisposition to fear snakes.
Posted 03/05/08

Institute on Aging Sponsors Technology Presentation to U.S. Senate
U.Va. Today
U.Va. researchers working to address problems of aging through technology.
Posted 02/27/08

U.Va. Study Finds Hispanic Population Varied and Growing
U.Va. Today
New Weldon Cooper Center study shows a tripling of the Hispanic population in Virginia between 1990 and 2006.
Posted 02/27/08

Statewide Forum Showcases Graduate Student Research
U.Va. graduate students present their research to legislators, government officials, and the public.
Posted 02/27/08

Group Demonstrates Security Hole in World's Most Popular Smartcard
U.Va. Today
U.Va. student Karsten Nohl and colleagues break encryption in widely used security chip.
Posted 02/27/08

Commerce Professor Reveals Hidden Workplace Networks
Rob Cross studies the informal networks people form in order to get their work done.
Posted 02/27/08

U.Va. Professor Leading Endeavor to Make Dietary Staple Tougher
Daily Progress
A University of Virginia researcher is at the forefront of a global endeavor to genetically engineer a better black-eyed pea.
Posted 02/20/08

University of Virginia's James Galloway Named a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
U.Va. Today
Environmental sciences professor's research is in the area of biogeochemistry.
Posted 02/20/08

U.Va.’s Nanotechnology Institute Represented at Statewide Event
U.Va.'s nanoSTAR presents at Nanotechnology Day at the General Assembly.
Posted 02/18/08

Chemist and Microbiologist Honored with Distinguished Scientist Award
Lester Andrews and Ian Macara are acknowledged for their extensive contributions.
Posted 02/18/08

Changing Our Clocks: New Research Explores How Our Bodies Keep Time
ScienceDaily
Recent findings from U.Va. suggest that circadian rhythms are intricately tied to weight gain.
Posted 02/13/08

U.Va. Scholar Traces Voting Technology Controversy to the 1890s
U.Va. Today
Bryan Pfaffenberger studies the history of voting machines.
Posted 02/13/08

U.Va. to Host Public Workshop Feb. 21-22 on Global, National and Local Issues of Health and Sustainability
U.Va. Today
The multidisciplinary workshop will explore linkages between sustainability and community health in Charlottesville.
Posted 02/13/08

U.Va.'s Hudson Elected to National Academy of Engineering
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia engineering professor John Hudson was named to the National Academy of Engineering on Feb. 8.
Posted 02/13/08

Stuart Wolf Named New Leader of U.Va.'s Nanotechnology Efforts
Nanotechnology institute has new director, new focus.
Posted 02/13/08

Landers receives ALA Innovation Award at LabAutomation2008
U.Va. professor receives Innovation Award from the Association for Laboratory Automation
Posted 02/07/08

Students Take on a Community Goal: Help Charlottesville Become America's Healthiest City
U.Va. Today
Architecture students help Charlottesville define strategies for a healthier future.
Posted 02/06/08

Doctoral Students Earn ‘Excellence in Scholarship’ Awards
Students receive fellowships from U.Va. based on their original scholarship and academic merit.
Posted 02/06/08

Myth and Memory: Maurie McInnis Mines Material Culture
U.Va. Today
McInnis' new exhibition focuses on themes of race, slavery and the plantation from the 19th century to today.
Posted 02/06/08

U.Va. Researcher Probes ADHD's Effects on Safety of Young Drivers
U.Va. Today
Daniel Cox and his colleagues to monitor and analyze driving of young adults with ADHD.
Posted 02/06/08

Becoming Dr. Rock
C-Ville Weekly
Grad student seriously studies local music

U.Va. Engineering School Student Probes Facebook's Vulnerabilities
U.Va. Today
Facebook users should be concerned about security.
Posted 01/30/08

Woodson Fellows Give Talks This Spring
U.Va. Today
Offering topics as varied as the lives of diamond miners and the meanings of drum songs, residential fellows at the Carter G. Woodson Institute for Afro-American and African Studies will present their research in three separate talks this spring, beginning January 30.
Posted 01/30/08

Metro Area Gains, Rural Counties Lose Population, U.Va. Cooper Center Study Finds
U.Va. Today
Virginia increasingly becoming an urban state.
Posted 01/30/08

U.Va. Professor Asserts HIV/AIDS Epidemic Has Reached ‘State of Emergency' Among African Americans
U.Va. Today
Dr. Cato Laurencin leads study on the status of HIV/AIDS among African Americans.
Posted 01/30/08

Two at U.Va. -- An Innovative Engineering Professor and a Pioneering Neonatologist -- Receive State Outstanding Faculty Award
U.Va. Today
Edward Berger and Dr. John Kattwinkel were named recipients of the 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award, administered by the SCHEV.
Posted 01/30/08

Students Advance Synthetic Biology Research at U.Va.
Undergraduates form a team to study the emerging discipline of synthetic biology.
Posted 01/30/08

U.Va. Health System Researchers Unravel Mystery of Cell Division
Research may have implications for controlling cancer cells.
Posted 01/24/08

New Book Finds Surprising Positive Effects of Political Advertising
U.Va. Today
U.Va. professor finds that political ads help to educate and engage citizens.
Posted 01/24/08

In Quest for Medical Insight, U.Va. Biomedical Engineers Develop Novel Research Method
E-News Online
New method could forever change the way scientists think about drugs and medical therapies.
Posted 01/23/08

Making a Smarter Crash Test Dummy
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Researchers simulate a child abdomen for crash testing.
Posted 01/23/08

School of Engineering and Applied Science Receives $1.3 Million to Explore Nano Microelectronics
U.Va. Today
Interdisciplinary team to investigate the modification of electrical properties by adding molecules to silicon semiconductor surfaces.
Posted 01/23/08

Architects Defy Convention with Experimental Designs
Nataly Gattegno and Jason Johnson are pushing architectural bounds.
Posted 01/18/08

U.Va. Health System Identifies A Way to Control Parasite That Kills and Eats Human Cells
U.Va. researchers are helping to stop one of the world’s most voracious parasites.
Posted 01/17/08

Weldon Cooper Center Releases Study on Cemeteries
U.Va. Today
Study recommmends new Nelson County veteran's cemetery.
Posted 01/16/08

Visions of a Brave New Washington
The Washington Post
U.Va. School of Architecture faculty collaborative compete in History Channel design competition.
Posted 01/16/08

Sexual Conflict Resolution? Mating Frequency And Fitness In Fruit Flies
ScienceDaily
New U.Va. research suggests that frequent mating females receive fitness benefits from an unexpected source: their daughters.
Posted 01/09/08

Would You Vote for this (Black) Man?
C-Ville Weekly
UVA prof explores political implications of skin color.
Posted 01/09/08

U.Va. Environmental Sciences Professor Stephen Macko 'Stars' in Film, 'King Corn'
U.Va. Today
Documentary features Stephen Macko and his stable isotope lab at U.Va.
Posted 01/09/08

Neurochemist Receives Young Investigator Award from Eli Lilly
Jill Venton's research could lead to new medications for neurological diseases and injuries.
Posted 01/09/08

U.Va.'s Cato Laurencin Named to the 2007 Scientific American 50
Laurencin recognized for his groundbreaking technology for regeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) using a bioengineered matrix.
Posted 01/02/08

McIntire Professor David C. Smith Awarded Grant from Norwegian Research Council
U.Va. Today
Smith and Colleague to Study “Corporate Governance in a Free Contracting Environment.”
Posted 01/02/08

Female Testosterone Drug Being Tested
U.S. News & World Report
U.Va. and 99 other medical research facilities are testing a new drug that could help women who have lost interest in sex.
Posted 01/02/08

Power Of Pictures
The Post-Journal
Photograph Books Play Key Role In Baby’s Development
Posted 01/02/08

Study Demonstrates the Healing Value of Magnets
U.Va. study shows magnets can reduce swelling when applied after an inflammatory injury.
Posted 01/02/08

High Blood Sugar Hurts Thinking
Online-International News Network
High blood sugar levels can hamper thinking, new U.Va. research shows.
Posted 12/28/07

In Search of the 'God Particle'
The Daily Progress
U.Va. researchers' main goal: Unlock universe's mysteries.
Posted 12/28/07

Do Women Work Harder than Men?
The Daily Progress
U.Va. research explores this question.
Posted 12/28/07

Deforestation Hits Nutrient Cycle
BBC News
The benefits of cutting down tropical forests in order to convert the nutrient-rich soil into farmland are only short-lived, scientists suggest.
Posted 12/19/07

U.Va. Reports Surprising Findings Related to Role of Heart Protein in Type 1 Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy
U.Va. Today
Researchers found that mice and individuals with DM1 overproduce NKX2-5, yet experience the same kind of heart problems associated with too little of it.
Posted 12/19/07

Engineering Authors: Students Collaborate on ecoMOD Book
U.Va. Today
Engineering class completes analysis and exploration of the ecoMOD project.
Posted 12/19/07

Math Modeling in U.Va. Research Lab May Lead to Customized Treatments for Cancer, Other Major Illnesses
U.Va. Today
Researchers at U.Va. recently developed and validated a mathematical model to understand why some mutations in a protein, known as Ras, cause cancer.
Posted 12/19/07

University of Virginia's Elizabeth Fowler One of Four Editors to Compile Work of Canonical English Poet Edmund Spenser
U.Va. Today
National editorial team wins $150,000 NEH grant to compile the first major collection of Spenser's works since 1912.
Posted 12/19/07

Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center Names New Director
U.Va. Health System News
Gary K. Owens is named director of the Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center.
Posted 12/13/07

Virginia Governor Kaine Praises ecoMOD3's Focus on Affordable Housing and Sustainability
U.Va. Today
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for U.Va.'s ecoMOD3 project.
Posted 12/13/07

Challenges of Obesity Crisis Require Different Approach, According to Cooper Center Report
U.Va. Today
Tanya Wanchek examines existing programs that have been established to tackle obesity.
Posted 12/12/07

Engineering Faculty Market Their Solution to Cell-Tracking Riddle
U.Va. Today
SEAS cell-tracking software tracks cells in vivo.
Posted 12/12/07

Darden Professor Betters Society Through Business
Peter Rodriguez and his students deliver free business expertise to Latin America.
Posted 12/12/07

U.Va. Receives National Award for Efforts to Support Graduate Student Diversity
U.Va. Today
U.Va. received the prestigious CGS/Peterson's Award for Promoting an Inclusive Graduate Community.
Posted 12/07/07

Cause and Effect: Images of Lung Damage From Secondhand Smoke
The New York Times
Researchers for the first time have an image of lungs apparently damaged by secondhand tobacco smoke.
Posted 12/05/07

The Wired Mind
The University of Virginia Magazine
Plugging into the heart of the brain.
Posted 12/05/07

AAAS Names Anindya Dutta and William Pearson 2008 Fellows
Two U.Va. School of Medicine researchers have just been named AAAS fellows.
Posted 12/05/07

U.Va. Doctor Streamlines Medical Billing, Improves Patient Care
Updated PDA software makes medical billing more efficient and accurate.
Posted 11/29/07

Surveys of British and American Employees Conclude Women Must Work Harder
U.Va. Today
Study finds that women have to work harder than men to prove themselves in the workplace.
Posted 11/28/07

Secondhand Smoke Damages Lungs, MRIs Show
ScienceDaily
For the first time, researchers have identified structural damage to the lungs caused by secondhand cigarette smoke.
Posted 11/28/07

"Rogue" Dwarf Shines New Light on Tiny Galaxies
National Geographic News
A fast-moving "rogue" on the outskirts of the Andromeda galactic system may provide new insight into the nature of so-called dwarf galaxies and their potential role in galaxy formation. The newly discovered dwarf, dubbed Andromeda XIV, may also indicate that the large spiral galaxy Andromeda—known to researchers as M31—is far more massive than had been thought. ...Andromeda XIV appears to be moving too fast to be locked in orbit around M31, said team leader Steven Majewski of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Posted 11/28/07

U.Va. Researchers Develop HemoShear 2.0
U.Va. Today
New device could save pharmaceutical companies significant time and money in screening drug compounds.
Posted 11/21/07

An Element of Mystery in Zinc Cold Treatments
Los Angeles Times
Are zinc treatments effective on the common cold?
Posted 11/21/07

Partnership with Rolls-Royce Boosts Engineering, Business Education and Research at U.Va.
U.Va. Today
U.Va. Research and Education to Benefit From New Rolls-Royce Plant
Posted 11/21/07

University of Virginia Chemists Create Novel Uranium Molecule
U.Va. Today
Chemists at the University of Virginia have prepared the first uranium methylidyne molecule ever reported.
Posted 11/14/07

New Hydrogen Storage Material Found
United Press International
University of Virginia scientists said they discovered a new class of hydrogen storage materials that could make storing and transporting energy more efficient.
Posted 11/14/07

Early Teen Sex May Not Be a Path to Delinquency, Study Shows
U.Va. Today
Early sex may help teens develop better social relationships in early adulthood.
Posted 11/14/07

New Partnership to Advance Medical Research at U.Va and EVMS
U.Va. Today
Eastern Virginia Medical School and the University of Virginia School of Medicine have signed an historic agreement that will advance medical research at both schools.
Posted 11/14/07

University of Virginia Researchers Take Issue with State's Abusive Driver Fees
U.Va. Today
Paper argues that the goal of improving driving should not have been merged with the goal of raising revenue.
Posted 11/07/07

U.Va. Scholar Traces Voting Technology Controversy to the 1890s
U.Va. Today
Research focuses on the introduction of voting machines in New York State.
Posted 11/07/07

U.Va. Health System Team Uncovers Gene's Role in Type 1 Diabetes
U.Va. Today
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have identified an enzyme thought to be an important instigator of the inner-body conflict causes Type 1 diabetes.
Posted 11/07/07

CAREER Award Enables Adaptive Active Storage Research
Sudhanva Gurumurthi's research may unify data storage and processing.
Posted 11/07/07

U.Va. Start-up Adenosine Therapeutics Secures Financial Backing from Novartis
TechJournal South
Company goes the route more and more biotech’s do, a big pharma deal.
Posted 11/01/07

Professor Taking Tech into Classroom/ Awarded $500,000 Science Grant for Efforts
Charlottesville Daily Progress
Ed Berger’s experiments with Web 2.0 technologies--meaning blogs, podcasts, wikis, video, RSS feeds and more--may be the future of higher education.
Posted 10/31/07

Lack of Sleep May Turn "A" Students into "B" Students
ABC 4 News (Salt Lake City)
...A University of Virginia study showed sleep-deprived kids lost seven points on vocabulary test scores.
Posted 10/31/07

U.Va. Engineers’ Self-Driving Car, Tommy Jr., Competing in $2-Million National Challenge
U.Va. Today
An autonomous, robotic car developed by a team of U.Va. students, alumni and faculty is competing this week in the semifinals of the 2007 Urban Challenge
Posted 10/31/07

Nursing Student Seeks Solutions to Rural Healthcare Problems
Melissa Sutherland's research is driven by patient interactions.
Posted 10/31/07

Mercury Tetrafluoride Synthesized
Chemical & Engineering News
Fundamental advance by W. Lester S. Andrews, professor of chemistry, and his colleagues opens new possibilities for mercury compounds.
Posted 10/25/07

Wireless Medical Monitoring
Impact, Fall 2007, Volume 8, No. 1
SEAS student and faculty research promises pertinent medical applications.

U.Va. Engineering Expert’s ‘Nanospikes’ Add New Dimension to Solar, Biomedical, Microelectronics Research
E-News Online, October 2007
Professor Mool C. Gupta's performance-enhancing nanostructures could have a big impact on many aspects of our everyday lives.
Posted 10/24/07

When Less is More: Too Much Happiness May Be Too Much of a Good Thing
U.Va. Today
U.Va. psychology professor Shigehiro Oishi looks explores happiness across cultures.
Posted 10/24/07

U.Va. Study Finds At-Risk 4-Year-Olds Missing Out On Preschool
U.Va. Today
Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service study describes Virginia’s 4-year-old population and its participation rates in preschool.
Posted 10/24/07

Business Professor’s Research Tackles Corporate Cheating
Assistant Professor Jared Harris examines financial misrepresentation.
Posted 10/24/07

Dr. Karen C. Johnston to Chair U.Va. Department of Neurology
U.Va. Today
Dr. Sharon L. Hostler, interim vice president and dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and R. Edward Howell, vice president and chief executive officer of U.Va.’s Medical Center, have announced the appointment of Dr. Karen C. Johnston as chairwoman of the Department of Neurology.

U.Va. Engineering Professor Receives First-Ever Robert A. Moore Jr. Award in Chemical Engineering
U.Va. Today
Matt Neurock, Alice M. and Guy A. Wilson Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been named the first recipient of the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Robert A. Moore Jr. Award in Chemical Engineering for teaching, research and outreach activities that best represent the interests of industry.

Testosterone Turns Male Juncos Into Blustery Hunks -- and Bad Dads
U.Va. Today
In the December issue of The American Naturalist (now online), University of Virginia, Indiana University Bloomington and University of Southern Mississippi researchers report the results of the first study to examine, in the wild, the way in which natural changes in testosterone levels determine how a male spends his time.

Dr. R. Ariel Gomez Earns Prestigious MERIT Award
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia Professor of pediatrics and biology R. Ariel Gomez, M.D., has been awarded the prestigious Method to Extend Research in Time Award from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Posted 10/16/07

U.Va. Leads Research on Next Generation of Heart Surgeries
The University of Virginia Health System is one of seven medical centers in the United States and Canada that have been chosen to establish a Network for Cardiothoracic Surgical Investigations in Cardiovascular Medicine.
Posted 10/17/07

ARCS Foundation Promotes Graduate Student Research
Three U.VA. students win $15,000 scholarship.
Posted 10/10/07

U.Va. Researcher Obrig Defends Against E. Coli’s Deadly Kidney Punch
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia researcher Tom Obrig has been awarded a $3.9 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop treatments to block the actions of the toxins in the kidney.

Chuck Perdue Preserves, Documents Folk Culture from the Inside
U.Va. Today
Charles Perdue is a storyteller, a dirt farmer's son, mechanic, cryptographer, folk singer and geologist who documents the lives of working people not unlike himself. His work will continue to benefit the University and the study of folklore and music for years to come.

Professor Fairchild Wins MacArthur Grant
U.Va. Today
Darden professor Greg Fairchild has won a three-year, $850,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support his research into the business models of successful Community Development Financial Institutions and their evolution.

Astronomer Kelsey Johnson Named Packard Fellow
U.Va. Today
Kelsey Johnson, an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia, recently was named a Packard Fellow, a prestigious distinction awarded to 20 top young researchers nationwide from a variety of scientific disciplines.

U.Va. Researchers Know More About How Our Cells Respond to UV Rays that Can Cause Damage
U.Va. Today
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have published a new study that helps scientists around the world expand the body of knowledge on how cells protect themselves (or do not) from DNA damage caused by UV rays.

Dr. Arthur Garson Elected to Institute of Medicine
U.Va. Today
Dr. Arthur Garson Jr., an internationally recognized pediatric cardiologist and executive vice president and provost of the University of Virginia, has been elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

‘Divine’ Music Enhances Web-Based Dante Research Project
U.Va. Today
The musical group Zephyrus, under the direction of Paul M. Walker, associate professor of music, recently recorded approximately 20 musical pieces for Italian professor Deborah W. Parker's Web-based research project "The World of Dante," with funding from Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

Engineering School Gives Dr. Cato Laurencin Inaugural Robert A. Bland Award for African-American Achievement
U.Va. Today
Dr. Cato Laurencin, University Professor, Lillian T. Pratt Professor and chairman of the University of Virginia Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been named the first winner of a new award that honors the first African-American to receive an undergraduate degree from U.Va.

A Fitting Tribute to a National Leader: Alumna Establishes Jeanette Lancaster Fund for Faculty Excellence
U.Va. Today
Earlier this month, the School of Nursing Advisory Board announced that Nursing School alumna Rebecca Ruegger gave $500,000 to establish the Jeanette Lancaster Fund for Faculty Excellence. Others are being encouraged to contribute to this endowment fund to raise the invested principal to $1 million. The goal is to have the funding in place by the time Lancaster steps down as dean in the spring after 19 years of service.

New Professor Studies the Impact of Slavery on Religion
Jalane Schmidt joins the University of Virginia as an assistant professor of religion this fall. She studies African diaspora religions of Latin America and the Caribbean to better understand how the legacy of slavery and colonialism has shaped contemporary belief systems.
Posted 10/03/07

Power-law Patterns Seen in Nature
Research by Todd Scanlon, assistant professor of environmental sciences, is featured in a recent issue of Nature. This work reveals that patterns of plant growth can follow power laws, a finding that lends insight into the driving forces underlying their formation.
Posted 09/28/07

U.Va. Engineering School Launches Symposium to Tackle Global Energy Dilemma
U.Va. Today
Leading the University of Virginia’s efforts to engage in energy issues of national and global proportions, the School of Engineering and Applied Science has launched an innovative energy lecture series, titled “The Future is Now: Perspectives on Global Energy Issues.”

U.Va. Scholar and Educator Awarded France's Highest Honor in Ceremony at Carr's Hill
U.Va. Today
In a late-afternoon ceremony held Sept. 21 at Carr's Hill, John D. Lyons, chairman of the University of Virginia's Department of French Language and Literature, received France's highest honor. Michel Schaffhauser, Consul Général de France in the embassy in Washington, presented Lyons the five-tipped star pin, a symbol of the Legion of Honor, in front of a crowd of friends and colleagues. The award signifies Lyons' membership in the rank of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur.

Hair Cell Research Breakthrough Could Lead to Cure for Deafness
(London) Daily Mail / Guardian / Press Association (the AP of the UK)
Scientists have successfully grown inner-ear hair cells in the laboratory, raising hopes of speeding up research into deafness and other hearing and balance conditions. Damage to sensory hair cells, which can be regrown by birds, fish and amphibians but not generally by humans and other mammals, can cause deafness, tinnitus and balance problems. Until now, research in this area has been difficult because the cells had to be taken from the internal ear, or created and then put into embryonic ears or grown via other tissues. But Zhengqing Hu and Jeffrey Corwin, from the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, have now managed successfully to create the cells "in vitro". ...

University Startup Microlab Delivers Speedy Diagnostic Tests
James Landers, professor of chemistry, professor of mechanical engineering, and associate professor of pathology at the University of Virginia, conducts research on a miniature scale, but his startup company, Microlab Diagnostics, has very big plans.
Posted 09/26/07

Explaining the World: Professor Lou Bloomfield Demystifies the Physics of Everyday Life
The University of Virginia Magazine
Sometime next year, the Discovery Channel will launch a new series called Some Assembly Required. The show will take viewers into factories and assembly lines to watch everyday objects being manufactured—and will feature physics professor Lou Bloomfield explaining the science behind those objects and how they are made.

U.Va. Economist Amalia Miller Wins Arrow Prize for Paper on Impact of Midwifery Public Policies
U.Va. Today
Amalia Miller has won the 2006 Kenneth J. Arrow Prize for Junior Economists. The Arrow Prizes for Junior and Senior Economists recognize two papers that make an outstanding contribution to their field, out of approximately 400 published in 2006 in the five Berkeley economics journals.

Health System Researcher Receives $3.6 Million Grant to Combat Bacterium's Deadly Effects
U.Va. Today
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded a University of Virginia researcher a $3.6 million grant to combat a growing international health crisis.

U.Va. Infectious Disease Researchers Awarded $5.2 Million from NIH to Develop Tests and Treatments for Gastrointestinal Parasites and Bacteria
U.Va. Today
Two University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have been awarded grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop treatments and tests for some rapidly emerging trouble spots in the area of gastrointestinal diseases.

SEAS Students and Serendipity Work to Bring Water to Wum
U.Va. Today
Almost 40 years in the making, it is as if this project — involving University of Virginia engineering students, a United Nations representative and a retired IBM executive — were meant to happen.

Dr. Mark Yeager Joins the U.Va. School of Medicine
The University of Virginia has appointed distinguished researcher and cardiologist Mark Yeager, M.D., Ph.D., as Chair of the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics.
Posted 09/19/07

From Queen Elizabeth I to Michael Vick, University of Virginia Professor Exploring Six Centuries of Dogfighting
U.Va. Today
Perhaps the most well-known of history’s so-called “blood sports,” dogfighting is the unlikely subject of a forthcoming book, “Bulldog Nation,” by the University of Virginia’s Edmund P. Russell, associate professor in the Department of Science, Technology and Society.

Online Tool 'PrimaryAccess' Lets Youth Make Documentaries
U.Va. Today
Research Will Examine How Much New Technology Enhances Student Learning in Social Studies

Perry’s Role Expands to Postdoc Professional Development
Wendy Perry was recently appointed as director of graduate student & postdoctoral professional development programs. This position was established to assist with the transition of graduate students and postdoctoral research associates into the workplace.
Posted 09/05/07

Darden Professor Investigates Gendered Market Effects
Erika James, associate professor of business administration at the Darden School, is asking questions about women’s advancement into senior-level corporate positions. She recently published an article in Strategic Management Journal regarding the influence of female CEO hiring announcements on stock prices.
Posted 08/29/07

Inside the Brain of a Crayfish: Mellon Looks at Integration of Dissimilar Senses
U.Va. Today
DeForest Mellon, a University of Virginia biology professor, wants to understand how Southern swamp crayfish use their brains to detect, integrate and use co-joined but dissimilar sensory inputs.

U.Va.'s Sleep Disorders Center Operates at Nation's Highest Level of Excellence
U.Va. Health System
The Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Virginia Health System has received a five-year accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, making it the only sleep laboratory in Central Virginia operating at the nation's highest level of excellence.

New Faculty Book Addresses Research Funding Conflicts of Interest
Patricia Tereskerz, associate professor and research director of the School of Medicine’s Program in Ethics & Policy in Healthcare has just published a new book about the financial conflicts that emerge from the relationship between private industry and academic institutions that are conducting clinical research.
Posted 08/22/07

Q&A with Jerry Stenger, a Research Scientist in U.Va.'s Climatology Office
U.Va. Today
During the course of a year, Jerry Stenger, a research scientist in U.Va.’s climatology office, answers a lot of questions about weather and climate in Virginia. His office, housed in the Environmental Sciences Department, is charged with getting current, accurate weather information out to a variety of constituents.

U.Va. Alum and Southwest, Va., Native Returns to Cameroon to Aid in Water Filtration Project
U.Va. Today
In an effort to help the people of Tourou obtain cleaner water, Ezekiel “Zeke” Fugate, of Gate City, Va., first traveled to the village with other University of Virginia students last winter. He returned at the beginning of this summer to continue work on the task.

ecoMOD3 Expands Modular, Sustainable, Affordable Housing Research
U.Va. Today
ecoMOD3, the third prototype in the ecoMOD project, a multi-year sustainable design/build effort at the U.Va. School of Architecture, in partnership with the School of Engineering and Applied Science is near completion.

SEAS MURI Award Paves Way for All-Electronic Navy
U.Va. Today
Electronic devices produce heat — and the inexorable progress of Moore’s law means that as components are more densely packed with ever smaller transistors, the amount of heat they produce grows exponentially as does the difficulty of dissipating it. The resulting high temperatures degrade device performance and shorten device life. The Office of Naval Research has awarded Professor Pam Norris and her team of multiuniversity, multidisciplinary investigators a $7.5 million Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative award to solve this problem.

Retooled Office Helps Translate Discoveries into Applications
U.Va. Today
Research universities generate a lot of ideas that can impact society, but an idea's path from ivy to impact is not always clear. The University of Virginia’s newly renamed Office of Economic Development can be seen as a navigator who can help guide ideas to market, and the market to ideas.

U.Va. Engineering Expert's 'Nanospikes' Add New Dimension to Solar, Biomedical, Microelectronics Research
U.Va. Today
New technology in development at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science could lead to more successful hip and bone replacement surgeries, make better use of solar power and even prevent your computer from overheating.

Cannon Teams Up with Former Student on Book About Reclaiming Toxic Waste Sites
U.Va. Today
A book co-edited by Professor Jonathan Z. Cannon, director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program, and a former student of his, Gregg P. Macey ’06, now a patent litigator in New York City, may help the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local governments devise strategies for putting former hazardous waste sites back into productive use.

U.Va. Researcher Gets $2.9M Grant to Test Teaching Method
U.Va. Today
The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Educational Sciences is supporting research by Sara Rimm-Kaufman, associate professor at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education, with a three-year, $2.9 million grant to expand her earlier study, which found that children taught with the Responsive Classroom approach for two or three years showed greater increases in math and reading tests scores than children in comparison schools.

Chemical Engineering Research to Fuel the Hydrogen Economy
Matt Neurock, professor of chemical engineering and chemistry, combines theory with large-scale electronic and atomistic simulations to understand electrocatalysis, which is at the heart of fuel cells. Neurock recently earned one of only 13 grants from the Department of Energy to support projects that advance hydrogen fuel technology.
Posted 08/15/07

U.Va. Engineering Professor Thomas Baber Assesses Impacts of Minneapolis Bridge Collapse
U.Va. Today
For Thomas Baber, associate professor of engineering at the University of Virginia, the collapse of the Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis last week has two very different implications.

U.Va. Seeks to Restore Seagrass to Eastern Shore Bays
U.Va. Today
Karen McGlathery, an environmental scientist, is the University of Virginia’s lead investigator on a project to restore seagrasses to the waters of Hog Island Bay, one of three major lagoons on the oceanside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Paradise Found
The University of Virginia Magazine
Stephen Leatherman is Dr. Beach

College Science Success Linked to Math and Same-Subject Preparation
U.Va. Today
Researchers at the University of Virginia and Harvard University have found that high school coursework in one of the sciences generally does not predict better college performance in other scientific disciplines. But there’s one notable exception: students with the most rigorous high school preparation in mathematics perform significantly better in college courses in biology, chemistry, and physics.

Chemistry Professor Receives Pimentel Award
Lester Andrews, professor of chemistry, was presented with the George Pimentel Award for lifetime contributions to the spectroscopy of matrix isolated species July 19 at the Gordon Research Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Matrix Isolated Species at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.
Posted 08/01/07

U.Va. Engineering School-Developed Nanocomposite Material Wins Nanotech Award
E-News Online
Combining attributes of plastics and metals, ultra-lightweight, conductive material may revolutionize electromagnetic shielding and more

Garrett’s Study of First 200 Post-Conviction DNA Exonerations Shows Flawed Criminal System
Law School News
University of Virginia law professor Brandon Garrett’s groundbreaking study examining the cases of the first 200 wrongly convicted people later found innocent through DNA testing reveals fundamental flaws in the criminal system.

U.Va. Engineering School Announces Department’s New Research Focus and Name
U.Va. Today
To reflect an evolving focus on sustainable development and adaptive infrastructure, the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Civil Engineering Department has been renamed the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Breakthrough Approach Matches Tumor Profiles to Best Possible Anticancer Treatments
U.Va. Today
Dan Theodorescu, M.D., Ph.D., a University of Virginia oncologist and cancer biologist, and Jae Lee, Ph.D., a computational biologist and bioinformatics statistician, have pioneered an algorithm that could help rapidly sort molecular information about a patient's particular tumor and help match this information to the right drug treatment.

Kerrigan's Unique Research May Unlock Elder Gait Enigma
D. Casey Kerrigan, M.D., professor and chair of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, may have discovered the “holy grail” of physical aging research. Kerrigan’s novel analysis of the deterioration of gait—or walking—in older adults has attracted a major National Institutes of Health grant.
Posted 07/25/07

Menaker Awarded Farrell Prize in Sleep Medicine
U.Va. Today
Michael Menaker, professor of biology and an international leader in the field of circadian rhythm research, received the Peter C. Farrell Prize in Sleep Medicine from the Harvard Medical School Division of Sleep Medicine during an event there on June 6.

U.Va. Health System Specialties Honored By U.S. News & World Report
U.Va. Health System
Seven medical specialties at the University of Virginia Health System are listed in the 18th annual survey of "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report.

U.Va. Engineering Students' Ideas Take Flight
U.Va. Today
A team of 28 University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science undergraduates won second place — and a $3,000 award — in the NASA-sponsored Fundamental Aeronautics Competition for their design of a compact, fast and fuel-efficient commercial transport system.

Researcher Explores Ethics and End-of-life Care
Helen Chapple is not someone who fits easily into a slot. She worked as a nurse and stock broker before deciding to continue her education at U.Va. Chapple became interested in the ethical questions surrounding dying patients and the medical care they receive while pursuing a master’s degree in clinical ethics.
Posted 07/18/07

U.Va. Biologist Michael Timko Helps Africans Breed Disease-Resistant Plant
U.Va. Today
Michael Timko, a U.Va. Professor of Biology, is working hard to solve "the Striga problem," as it's called in west Africa. He and other scientists have sequenced the cowpea genome and are using this information to help develop Striga-resistant cowpea plants.

Sensing the 'Ground Truth'
U.Va. Today
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Kamin Whitehouse hopes to use empirical data gathered by a network of wireless sensors to provide one of the first competitive applications to break down the barriers between the physical and digital worlds.

U.Va. Engineering School Researchers Develop Tool for Clearer Ultrasound Images
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia Engineering School Associate Professor William F. Walker and Research Associate Francesco Viola have developed a new tool — an advanced imaging algorithm — that is, quite literally, transforming the way we see things.

Cognitive Scores Vary as Much within Test Takers as Between Age Groups
U.Va. Today
Timothy Salthouse, PhD, a noted cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia, has demonstrated that giving a test only once isn’t enough to get a clear picture of someone’s mental functioning. It appears that repeating tests over a short period may give a more accurate range of scores, improving diagnostic workups.

U.Va. Brings In More Than $1 Billion Locally, Generates More Than $600 Million From Out-Of-State Sources
U.Va. Today
A new study by economists at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service found that the University of Virginia brings in $4.71 from outside the commonwealth for every $1 the institution receives in state support.

Faculty-launched Company Cultivates Cell Solutions
Traditionally, cells have been painstakingly cultivated in shallow glass or plastic “Petri” dishes. Frustrations with the limitations of this two-dimensional format led Robin Felder, professor of pathology, to seek new cell culturing methods.
Posted 07/10/07

Where's Your Computer's Hotspot?
E-News Online
U.Va. Engineering School Professors Create Thermal Modeling Tools to Better Inform Chip Design

$5 Million National Science Foundation Grant: U.Va. to Create Eight-School Alliance with Goal of Doubling Number of Minority Science and Engineering Graduates
U.Va. Today
The University of Virginia’s Office for Diversity and Equity and School of Engineering and Applied Science will lead a cooperative program among eight colleges and universities throughout Virginia and North Carolina that will focus on increasing the number of students from underrepresented groups who pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Infrared Vision: Skrutskie's Instruments Give Telescopes Special Powers
U.Va. Today
Astronomer Mike Skrutskie can neither leap tall buildings nor fly through space, but he does have the ability to observe the expanses of the universe in unusual detail. Skrutskie specializes in designing and building infrared cameras and spectrographs, devices that are able to penetrate cosmic haze and detect and measure heat radiation coming from stars and other distant bodies.

Biomedical Engineer Obtains Coveted CAREER Grant
Jason Papin, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, has earned a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program for his cutting-edge use of systems biology and computer modeling to investigate infectious disease processes.
Posted 06/28/07

U.Va. Researchers Develop Way to Restore Genes in Human Inner Ear Cells
U.Va. Health System
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have discovered a way to transfer genes, which they hope will restore hearing, into diseased tissue of the human inner ear. This important step brings scientists closer to curing genetic or acquired hearing loss. Their discovery will appear Thursday, June 14, in the online issue of the scientific journal, Gene Therapy.

U.Va.'s Wright Wins Top Poetry Prize for 'Scar Tissue'
U.Va. Today
Charles Wright, an English professor at the University of Virginia, is a winner of the seventh annual Griffin Poetry Prize for his volume “Scar Tissue.”

FEST Award Promotes Inventive Heart Research
Jeff Saucerman, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, uses live-cell imaging and quantitative computer models to better understand complex cardiac signaling networks and how they regulate the heart’s behavior. His cutting-edge research recently netted him a $50,000 Fund for Excellence in Science and Technology Distinguished Young Investigator Grant.
Posted 06/19/07

U.Va.-Led Team Uncovers Important Secret in Gene Replication
U.Va. Health System
A team of researchers led by University of Virginia Health System geneticists has uncovered a major secret in the mystery of how the DNA helix replicates itself time after time. It turns out that it is not just the sequence of the bases (building blocks) in the DNA, but also how loosely or tightly the chromatin (the material that makes up chromosomes) is packed at different points of the chromosome that is critical.

U.Va.-Coulter Research Partnership Enters New Stage
With the goal of creating a model to encourage and sustain translational research on a broad scale, the U.Va.-Coulter Translational Research Partnership announces a second round of research funding. Seven projects were selected for funding in 2007-08. Four projects were funded at the $100,000 level while three were funded at $50,000.
Posted 06/13/07

Cure for post-traumatic stress?
C-Ville Weekly
Scientists think solution is a good night’s sleep

U.Va. Astronaut Patrick Forrester Spacewalks on June 13 to Work on Space Station; May Repair Shuttle Heat Shield on June 17
U.Va. Today
University of Virginia alumnus Patrick Forrester is one of the seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis on its current mission to the International Space Station.

Refugee Family's Survival Story Nets Peabody Award
U.Va. Today
Afghan immigrant Sahar Adish—now 19 and preparing for her fourth year as a pre-med student at U.Va.—received a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for a film she helped to make in high school retelling her family’s story.

Conference Challenges and Aids Teachers to Reach "New Horizons" of Digital Education
U.Va. Today
The impact of the information age on education will be transformative and unavoidable, so higher education institutions should be engaging in bold experimentation to reinvigorate their utility to society, suggested Ann Kirschner, the University Dean of Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York, in her keynote speech at the first annual New Horizons in Teaching and Research Conference.

International Team Rebuilds Ancient Rome Digitally
U.Va. Today
On June 11, Rome's Mayor Walter Veltroni officiated at the first public viewing of "Rome Reborn 1.0," a 10-year project based at the University of Virginia and begun at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to use advanced technology to digitally rebuild ancient Rome.

FEST Grant Supports Massive Astronomical Possibilities
Kelsey Johnson, assistant professor of astronomy, has attracted notable recognition with her innovative research, including a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development grant in 2006 and most recently a $50,000 Fund for Excellence in Science and Technology Distinguished Young Investigator award.
Posted 06/13/07

Altered States: Scientists Analyze the Near-death Experience
The University of Virginia Magazine
For the past 30 years, U.Va. psychiatrist Bruce Greyson has tried to reach a scientific understanding of the phenomenon known as the near-death experience.

More Effective Treatments
IMPACT, Research at the U.Va. School of Engineering and Applied Science
The improvements in health care that we enjoy today are not simply the result of advances in medical science. They also reflect the mind-set and specialized knowledge that engineers bring to the table. As research under way at U.Va. shows, engineers are essential partners in reducing suffering around the world.

U.Va. Environmental Scientist Advocates Impact Assessments for Wind Energy Projects
U.Va. Today
Imagine 3,500 wind turbines, each at least as tall as a 40-story building, lining the ridges of Virginia’s mountains for about 400 miles (Shenandoah National Park is 100 miles in length). That is what would be needed, according to a U.Va. environmental scientist, to satisfy proposed legislation to make nine percent of Virginia’s energy “renewable” by 2020.

Researchers Find a New Way to Engineer Complex Systems Creating Complex Dynamics from Simple Rhythms
U.Va. Today
When signals in complex systems — like hearts and brains — go haywire, dangerous conditions, such as irregular heartbeats and epileptic seizures, can develop. Researchers are seeking new ways to control such systems without burning them out.

Electrical Engineering Student Wins Research ‘Gold’
When it comes to highly competitive research awards, third-year electrical engineering student Gary B. Shambat can’t get enough. After winning the University of Virginia’s esteemed Harrison Undergraduate Research Award in 2006 — and again in 2007 — Shambat continued to prove his mettle by earning research “gold,” or a Goldwater Scholarship, in the spring of 2007.
Posted 05/31/07

Architecture and Robotic Ecologies
ZDNet.com
The University of Virginia School of Architecture has started a new program about 'robotic ecologies' which wants to answer the question: Will robots take over architecture? As said the program leader, "This research is not just about architectural machines that move. It is about groups of architectural machines that move with intelligence."

U.Va. Education Expert Discusses the Pros and Cons of Spelling Bees
U.Va. Today
Marcia Invernizzi, an expert on spelling and learning language at the University of Virginia, says that while spelling bees are terrible teaching tools, they offer a glimpse of how spelling is “a rich, language-based phenomenon.”

U.Va.’s Center for Global Health Teams with NIH to Offer New Courses Related to Global Health
U.Va. Today
Issues relating to global health are becoming ever more popular and students at the University of Virginia can look to the Center for Global Health for new, dynamic course offerings about the hot topic.

U.Va. Researcher Is First Rachel Fund Grant Recipient, Will Study Congenital Disease that Cripples Newborns
U.Va. Today
Each year, the parents of an estimated one in 20,000 newborns are shocked to learn their child has type 1 congenital myotonic dystrophy (CDM1), a progressive and crippling genetic disorder. Although doctors know that babies inherit CDM1 from their mother and prenatal tests are available, many children are not diagnosed until they are born.

Novel Biological Timing Research Nets FEST Award
Herman Wijnen, assistant professor of biology, recently won a $50,000 Fund for Excellence in Science and Technology Distinguished Young Investigator Grant for his research into the effects of environmental temperature on circadian rhythms.
Posted 05/31/07

FEST Winner's Research May Revolutionize Computer Design
Kim Hazelwood, assistant professor of computer science, is tackling modern computer design challenges in an entirely new way. Her proactive idea for a virtual interface that enables hardware and software to communicate and problem-solve earned her a $50,000 FEST grant.
Posted 05/24/07

U.Va. Students 'Engineer a New Path to Study Abroad:' New Curricular Design Tool Allows U.Va. Engineering Students to More Easily Study Overseas
U.Va. Today
When University of Virginia Engineering Student Council President Emily Ewell was asked to apply her engineering knowledge to solve a real-world problem for her “Engineering in Context” capstone project, she immediately knew what problem she wanted to tackle: studying abroad.

Clock Gene Plays Role in Weight Gain, Study Finds
U.Va. Today
Scientists at the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Wisconsin have discovered that a gene that participates in the regulation of the body’s biological rhythms may also be a major control in regulating metabolism.

Revealing the Origins of Morality -- Good and Evil, Liberal and Conservative
U.Va. Today
In a review published in the May 18 issue of the journal Science, Jonathan Haidt, associate professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, discusses a new consensus scientists are reaching on the origins and mechanisms of morality.

U.Va. Students 'Engineer a New Path to Study Abroad'
U.Va. Today
New Curricular Design Tool Allows U.Va. Engineering Students to More Easily Study Overseas
Posted 05/17/07

U.Va. Spin-off PluroGen is a Burning Success
When George Rodeheaver, Ph.D., and his colleagues in the Department of Plastic Surgery began developing a new topical gel to treat burns and open wounds in the 1970s, they did not consider themselves burgeoning entrepreneurs, they just wanted to provide the best possible treatment to suffering patients.
Posted 05/17/07

Sounding Off: The Virginia Center for Computer Music is Making Noise
The University of Virginia Magazine
The Virginia Center for Computer Music is out to change people’s minds about what kind of noise emerges when musicians and computers collide.
Posted 05/17/07

U.Va. Patent Foundation Announces 2007 Inventor of the Year
The University of Virginia Patent Foundation has selected Wladek Minor as the 2007 Edlich-Henderson Inventor of the Year. A professor of molecular physiology and biological physics in the University’s School of Medicine, Minor is a pioneering researcher and inventor in the field of protein crystallography.
Posted 05/17/7

Graduate Student Diversity Programs: Year-end Highlights
Cheryl Burgan Evans joined the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies as director of Graduate Student Diversity Programs in June 2006. Evans’ newly created position is based on a recommendation made by the President’s Commission on Diversity and Equity. Since her arrival, Evans has been working diligently to enhance graduate student diversity at the University of Virginia.
Posted 05/17/07

Translational Research Could Boost Rape Convictions
John Herr, professor of cell biology, has been concerned with characterizing sperm proteins and the testicular genes that encode them for nearly 30 years. Fundamental discoveries made in his U.Va. lab were recently translated into a product that could vastly improve the field of sexual assault forensics.
Posted 05/16/07

U.Va.'s Learning Barge Project Wins $75,000 EPA P3 Award for Sustainable Design
U.Va. Today
A team of University of Virginia architecture and engineering students won the EPA's prestigious Third Annual P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) Award in the National Sustainable Design Expo, a student design contest for sustainability, held on the Washington, D.C. Mall on April 24 and 25.
Posted 05/10/07

U.Va. Biomedical Engineering Department to Lead Global Network for Innovation
The University of Virginia’s Department of Biomedical Engineering is now leading the formation of the world’s largest bioengineering network, thanks to a National Science Foundation “Partnerships for Innovation” award totaling $600,000 over three years.
Posted 05/10/07

U.Va. Professors Elected to American Philosophical Society
University News Services
William A. Wulf, a professor in the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Cora Diamond, professor emerita of philosophy and professor of law, have been elected to the American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States. The society, which was founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1743 with the goal of “promoting useful knowledge,” announced the election of new members on April 27.
Posted 05/10/07

U.Va. Archaeologist Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Stephen Plog, Commonwealth Professor in the University of Virginia’s department of anthropology, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Election to the academy is among the highest distinctions for a scientist, and is based on outstanding and ongoing achievements in original research.
Posted 05/10/07

Chemistry Student Honored with Gwathmey Prize
Jonathan Lyon, doctoral candidate in the Department of Chemistry, was recently awarded the Allan T. Gwathmey Memorial Award for his journal article: “Electron Deficient Carbon-Titanium Triple Bonds: Formation of Triplet XC÷TiX₃Methylidine Complexes.”
Posted 05/10/07

Forty-seven U.Va. Students Receive Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards
One local resident is among 47 students who have received Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards at the University of Virginia.
Posted 05/03/07

Four U.Va. Innovators Secure FEST Funding
Four talented, young investigators from the University of Virginia will receive $50,000 each from the internal Fund for Excellence in Science and Technology Distinguished Young Investigator Grant program. Among this year’s diverse, winning FEST applications are proposals to understand both the formation of globular star clusters and the death of cancerous stem cells.
Posted 05/03/07

MicroRNAs Can Be Tumor Suppressors
University of Virginia researchers have discovered that microRNAs, a form of genetic material, can function as tumor suppressors in laboratory studies.
Posted 05/03/07

U.Va. Presents First Faculty Mentoring Awards at 17th Annual Teaching Awards Banquet
The University of Virginia has bestowed its first Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Awards on Darden professor Sherwood C. Frey Jr. and environmental sciences professor Janet S. Herman.
Posted 05/03/07

Dr. Arthur Garson, U.Va.'s Dean of School of Medicine, Named University's Next Vice President & Provost
Dr. Arthur “Tim” Garson Jr., an internationally recognized pediatric cardiologist who has served as vice president and dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine since 2002, has been named vice president and provost, effective July 1, 2007.
Posted 05/03/07

Robert Pianta, Early Childhood Expert, to Become Curry School of Education Dean
Robert C. Pianta, a longtime faculty member in the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education, has been named its eighth dean
Posted 05/03/07

Researcher Investigates the Brain/Immune System Link
Go back and think about the last time you were sick with the flu or a cold. In addition to symptoms like fever and cough you may remember feeling tired or depressed. Lisa Goehler, assistant professor of psychology, works to determine the biological basis of these alterations in mood and cognition.
Posted 05/03/07

Learning Barge: Vessel Connects Community to River, Gives Students Research-Design-Build Opportunity
Even for the resourceful architect, finding a way to connect individuals living in the heavily industrialized regions around Norfolk, Va., with the Elizabeth River that’s right in their backyard is challenging.
Posted 04/26/07

Newer Antipsychotic Drugs Not Better, Swartz Says
The second generation of antipsychotic drugs, introduced in the 1980s and 1990s, are not more effective than the first generation produced decades earlier, a recent news-making study revealed.
Posted 04/26/07

Dispatches from the Bering Sea: Studying Walruses and Climate Change
For the next six weeks, University of Virginia professor of environmental sciences G. Carleton Ray will probe the role of the Pacific walrus in the ecosystem of the Bering Sea — one of the most biologically rich areas on the planet, exceeding the tropical oceans with its array of seabirds, whales, seals, clams and other marine life.
Posted 04/26/07

Two U.Va. Engineering Students Receive 2007 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarships
University of Virginia computer science graduate students Isabelle Stanton and Wei Le are among the 20 students nationwide who were honored by Google this April with 2007 Anita Borg Memorial Scholarships.
Posted 04/26/07

Nobel Laureate Lecture Reflects on Science and Life
Nobel Prize-winning chemist John C. Polanyi gave a public lecture titled “A Life in Science” on April 19 in the Rotunda’s Dome Room as a part of the University of Virginia Nobel Laureate Science Lecture Series.
Posted 04/26/07

Largest Gift in University History: Frank Batten Sr. Gives $100 Million to Create New School of Leadership and Public Policy at U.Va.
On the eve of University of Virginia Founder's Day, University President John T. Casteen III and Frank Batten Sr., one of the University's most loyal supporters, announced that Batten is giving $100 million to create the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
Posted 04/18/07

Developmental and Behavioral Problems Can Plague Children with Asthma
Much of the research surrounding childhood asthma has sought new approaches to managing the disease. However, little was done to address other conditions that often appear along with asthma including depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which can negatively affect a child’s ability to cope. Research completed at the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital asserts that until these extra conditions or “co-morbidities” are addressed, asthma education programs will not be able to help young patients to the fullest. The results will be published in the April 12 issue of The Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Posted 04/18/07

U.Va. Recruits Joseph S. Takahashi, World-Renowned Circadian Biologist
Joseph S. Takahashi, one of the world’s leading biological clock researchers and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, has been recruited to the faculty of the University of Virginia. President John T. Casteen III announced the agreement April 13, 2007 during a University Board of Visitors meeting.
Posted 04/18/07

U.Va. Graduate Students Earn Coveted NSF Fellowships
Five University of Virginia students recently secured highly esteemed National Science Foundation fellowships for projects beginning in 2007-08. The fellows will conduct research on a variety of original topics in a diverse range of fields, from archeology to engineering.
Posted 04/18/07

UVa School of Medicine Achieves Its Highest Ever Ranking In U.S. News & World Report Survey
The University of Virginia School of Medicine improved its ranking to 23rd in the nation for research-intensive schools in this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Posted 04/12/07

Three U.Va. Students Named Goldwater Scholars
Three University of Virginia students are among the 317 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship recipients for 2007. The national scholarship, valued at $7,500 a year for up to two years, is open to rising third- and fourth-year students pursuing degrees in science, mathematics and engineering.
Posted 04/12/07

Virtual Lab an Actual Reality at U.Va.
In a world of virtual reality, online socialization and instant gratification, where does a child whose curiosity can only be satisfied by taking something apart and putting it back together again fit in?
Posted 04/12/07

U.Va. Hosts ACC Undergraduate Research Conference April 13-14
Although the Atlantic Coast Conference is known for competition among its members’ varsity sports teams, a two-day event hosted by the University of Virginia this month demonstrates that the league is about more than fun and games.
Posted 04/12/07

Nobel Laureate in Chemistry to Speak at U.Va.
Nobel Prize-winning chemist John C. Polanyi will give a public lecture titled “A Life in Science” on Thursday, April 19th at 5:00 p.m. in the Rotunda’s Dome Room as a part of the University of Virginia Nobel Laureate Science Lecture Series.
Posted 04/12/07

Biomedical Engineering Utilizes Coulter Foundation Award to Improve Treatments, Diagnostic Processes
In November 2006, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation awarded the Department of Biomedical Engineering at U.Va. one of nine $4.5 million Translational Research Partnership Awards in Biomedical Engineering. The goal of this partnership is to focus on outcomes that improve patient care.
Posted 04/05/07

Taxpayers Can Now Designate Donations for Cancer Research in Virginia
Citizens who want to provide more support to funding cancer research in Virginia may now do so on their 2006 income tax forms.
Posted 04/05/07

Elementary School Classrooms Get Low Rating on High-Quality Instruction
For all the current emphasis on standardized testing and teaching requirements, the quality of elementary school instruction is mediocre at best, according to a study from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development published in the March 30 issue of Science magazine.
Posted 04/05/07

University of Virginia Earns High Marks in U.S. News & World Report Guide to ‘America’s Best Graduate Schools 2008’
The University of Virginia once again received high marks for the quality of its graduate schools in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, released today in “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2008.”
Posted 04/05/07

U.Va. Spin-out Holds Promise for New Cancer Therapy
What if cancer could be treated with a daily pill? That is the innovative vision behind Tau Therapeutics, a development stage biotechnology company with roots at the University of Virginia.
Posted 04/05/07

Noninvasive Assessment of Plaque Deposits May Help Determine A Patient's Stroke Risk
A new study by researchers at the University of Virginia Health System may change the way physicians assess a patient's risk of having a stroke.
Posted 03/29/07

Aging with Grace
When you’re a student in your early 20s, being 93 may seem a long way off —perhaps even unimaginable. The 28 nursing students in a fall nursing class learned first-hand what it means to be a healthy older adult when Grace O’Brien, who was just a few weeks shy of her 94th birthday, visited the class and regaled them with stories about her life, which was not without illness or hardship.
Posted 03/29/07

Engineering School Professor Brings Tablet PCs, New Enthusiasm to Computer Engineering Course
Engineers are widely known for their desire to take things apart and put them back together in a way that makes them more effective. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Mircea Stan, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Virginia, is applying these classic engineering traits to the very process of engineering education.
Posted 03/29/07

U.Va. Projects Win NCARB Prizes; EcoMOD Sweeps Major Architectural Education Awards
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Prize jury has selected the University of Virginia as the $25,000 grand prize winner and one of five $7,500 finalists of the 2007 NCARB Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy.
Posted 03/29/07

U.Va. Chemical Engineer Acquires Esteemed CAREER Award
David Green, assistant professor of chemical engineering at U.Va., recently obtained a $400,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development grant for his breakthrough research in polymer nanocomposites.
Posted 03/29/07

U.Va. Engineering School Secures Three MURI Grants from Department of Defense
The University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science has won three of the 36 program awards from the highly competitive federal Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Program. The awards will bring in almost $20 million in funding over the next five years.
Posted 03/22/07

Age Estimates Show Rural Communities Short of Younger Workers
Providing a competitive workforce will become significantly more difficult in some areas of the commonwealth in the near future, according to 2006 population estimates by age and gender developed by the Demographics and Workforce section of the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Posted 03/20/07

Architecture Dean Designs a Space for Women’s Work
Female faculty members are still in the minority at academic institutions across the country. Karen Van Lengen, dean of the School of Architecture, has established “Women’s Work”—a forum for women’s research to help counteract some of the effects of this disparity at U.Va.
Posted 03/20/07

University of Virginia Engineering Professor Wins "Rising Star" Grant
Benton Calhoun, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Virginia, is among 24 faculty from 19 universities identified as “rising stars in microsystems research” and selected to receive Young Faculty Awards from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Posted 03/15/07

With Journey to India, Students Bring Human Rights Research to Life
Frequent terrorist attacks, human trafficking, police corruption, refugee crisis, and widespread poverty aren’t usually words used in concert with “democracy,” yet they are problems that can exist in any democracy, even the largest in the world: India.
Posted 03/15/07

U.Va. Medical Center, Morrison Management Specialist Fighting Obesity with Red, Yellow, Green Traffic Signals for HealthTM
The University of Virginia Medical Center in cooperation with Morrison Management Specialist continues its fight against obesity with the launch of the Signals for HealthTM program.
Posted 03/15/07

Climate Change in Bering Sea Could Adversely Affect Humans and Walruses Alike
G. Carleton Ray, his wife and research partner, Jerry McCormick-Ray, and colleagues Peter Berg and Howard Epstein, all of the Department of Environmental Sciences, think they know one of the secrets to the Bering Sea’s incredible biological productivity – the walruses’ prodigious feeding habits coupled with the dynamics of their relationship with the drifting sea ice.
Posted 03/15/07

Need More Shut Eye? New Online Study to Help People with Insomnia
If you are among the 30 percent of Americans who report having insomnia, a new Internet intervention may one day help you get better quality sleep. Dev