‘Greatest honor I could possibly receive’ September 12, 2025 Above: Phyllis “Lissy” Coley at the newly named Phyllis D. Coley Trail on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Credit: Jorge Aleman “I first went to Barro Colorado Island in 1975, where I did my thesis, postdoc and many more years of research, most with Tom,” says Phyllis […]
Read MoreSeptember 8, 2025 Above: A 36 kg male wolf (Canis lupus) named “Shaggy” by taggers with the environmental organization Kuzey Doga. Not more than five minutes after being tagged, the animal was gone. Nathan Murthy, a senior at the University of Utah majoring in Earth and Environmental Science recently returned from doing field work in Turkey. This is the second […]
Read MoreAugust 19, 2025 Above: “Rufous-tailed Scrub Robbins in-hand: These Scrub Robbins were caught in the same round. Alva found one and Maria found one. Since they are good friends, they were excited to show each other their cool finds. They were surprised to find out that they had found the same birds.” All photos: courtesy […]
Read MoreAugust 14, 2025 Above: Great Salt Lake Utah’s Great Salt Lake is a place of extremes, and its ecosystem is evidence that life can thrive under some of Earth’s most hostile conditions. Scientist say it may hold clues for life on other planets, too, especially Mars, which was once replete with salty lakes. Specifically, researchers […]
Read MoreJuly 30, 2025 Carbon ‘off-sets’ are not working. U-led research results in roadmap for harnessing Earth’s natural processes to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide A lot of the climate-altering carbon pollution we humans release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels gets drawn into Earth’s oceans and landscapes through natural processes, mostly through photosynthesis as plants […]
Read MoreJuly 1, 2025 Above: In his lab, David Carrier: “If you’re going to study fighting, sometimes you have to get punched in the face.” An evolutionary biologist, boundary pusher and occasional lab hazard, Dave Carrier didn’t just study evolution. He tested it — on himself, on treadmills, and sometimes in the ring. Over a career spanning more […]
Read MoreJune 19, 2025 Above: William “Bill” Anderegg at the opening session of the 2025 Wilkes Center Summit in May. Credit: Todd Anderson Inaugural Director William Anderegg has established a legacy of communicating science and convening innovators at The Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy After three years as the founding director of the Wilkes Center […]
Read MoreResearch carries the power to go beyond the horizons of what healthcare can be, allowing for the innovation of more tailored solutions that account for a wider range of patients. My research journey began in the Lamb Lab, where I studied cerebral malaria, a severe complication of the malaria infection that can be fatal due […]
Read MoreMarch 18, 2025 Above: Shrinivasan “Cheenu” Raghuraman “If you close your eyes and put your fingers together above your head, you know exactly where the tips of your fingers are, right? That property is called ‘proprioception’, your body knows where your limbs are in three dimensional space.” The same property is there for fish too. […]
Read MoreJune 4, 2025 Above: Ryker Ray (left) and Hunter Hastings One of the newest majors available for undergraduate students at the University of Utah is Earth & Environmental Science (EES). The program fuses principles from atmospheric science, geology, and ecology to address key questions about the environment — including freshwater availability, the effects of extreme weather, and […]
Read MoreBirds regularly shed and regrow their body and wing feathers in a process, called molting, that is critical for flight, migration, insulation, breeding and survival. A new study by University of Utah biologists examined molt phenology, or the timing of feather replacement, in response to climate change and made some startling discoveries. Using 13 years […]
Read MoreMay 20, 2025 Above: Thure Cerling Whether it’s roadkill livestock or his own beard hairs, Thure Cerling’s keen eye for objects to analyze has led to scientific discoveries, both unexpected and groundbreaking. Over the course of an academic career spanning five decades, the University of Utah geoscientist has developed numerous forensic tools, such as isotope […]
Read MoreMay 13, 2025 Originally from Tennessee, moving across the country was daunting, but it also was the start to a transformative journey filled with leadership, discovery, and lasting connections. From the beginning, biology felt like a natural fit. “Both of my parents studied microbiology, so I grew up viewing the world through a microscopic lens,” […]
Read MoreMay 7, 2025 Salt Lake City—The office of the Governor of Utah announced that University of Utah biologist M. Denise Dearing is this year’s recipient of the prestigious 2025 Utah Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology in the Academia/Research category. The selection for this significant honor follows a rigorous process involving peer nominations, evaluation by […]
Read MoreMay 2, 2025 Cholera kills thousands of people and infects hundreds of thousands every year—and cases have spiked in recent years, leaving governments with an urgent need to find better ways to control outbreaks. Current public health guidelines discourage treating cholera, a severe diarrheal disease caused by waterborne bacteria, with antibiotics in all but the most […]
Read More“Growing up in an immigrant household where my parents instilled the importance of education.” “Language and culture have always been important in my family and integral to my upbringing and life at home. I was born in the U.S. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from El Salvador in 2002, looking for employment and educational […]
Read MoreApril 23, 2025 “After I got out of the military, I was planning on going into nursing and was taking classes in Washington. I took a microbiology class and I loved the course. When I completed it, I asked the professor for a letter of recommendation and when he gave it to me, he told […]
Read More“I have learned that research is hard and that it does not always work,” Kayla says, “But perseverance and dedication pays off and I hope to bring this attitude into graduate school and the future!” Over the past two years Kayla Marks has worked in the Judson-Torres lab at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, contributing to […]
Read More“As the first in my family to pursue a college degree, I carry with me the hopes and dreams of my family.” –Mimi Tran My mother and grandparents lived through the Vietnam War, enduring hardships that cost them many opportunities, says Mimi who lives in a multigenerational household with her mom, brother, grandparents and extended […]
Read MoreAdapted from a press release produced by the University of Michigan. The power of a rattlesnake’s venom to incapacitate its prey may depend on more than just its potency, or even the prey animal’s tolerance for the poison. According to a new study published Tuesday in Biology Letters, it also depends a bit on the weather. “Even across […]
Read MoreI am from Quebec, Canada, and will be the first in my family to earn a college degree. My dedication to both athletics and academics earned me a full athletic scholarship for track and field at a Division 1 college in the U.S. As a high school student I thought my path to college and […]
Read MoreMy experiences at the U have shown me how science can be a powerful tool for change, and I’m excited to keep building on that foundation. As I progressed through my undergraduate courses, I found myself increasingly curious about the social determinants of health—especially how factors like bias, policy, and sociocultural norms interact to shape […]
Read More“People only get brave when they have nothing to lose. Be brave anyway.” Tanya Vickers – School of Biological Sciences “As I entered college, I was in renal failure and had two choices: Return home and enjoy the rest of my declining life, or make one last effort to achieve my childhood dream. I chose the […]
Read More“I’ve met so many different people interested in so many things. I have been able to make the most of my experience because of the people surrounding me,” says Annabelle Rockne, a senior in the School of Biological Sciences. One of Annabelle’s most fulfilling roles has been serving as a College of Science Ambassador. “As […]
Read MoreMarch 19, 2025 Above: Stanley Maloy “The atmosphere in the lab was really phenomenal,” post-doctoral researcher alumnus Stanley Maloy recalls of his time in what is now the University of Utah’s School of Biological Sciences. “People talked to each other and argued with each other and made suggestions to each other. I thought it was […]
Read MoreMarch 13, 2025 Above: Cecil O. Samuelson Equal parts University of Utah and Brigham Young University, Cecil Samuelson has managed to bleed purple throughout his long career as a higher education leader and physician. A three-time alum of the U, Samuelson worked as a rheumatologist, medical school dean and as the U’s vice president of […]
Read MoreLast week, a select group of students from the University of Utah and Utah State University showcased their research to Utah state legislators and community members at the 25th annual Research on Capitol Hill (ROCH). This event offers a glimpse into the groundbreaking work happening in labs across the state and on the University of Utah campus. […]
Read MoreAngelina Skedros and Professor (Lecturer) Emeritus, Mark Nielsen, looking for brine shrimp at the Great Salt Lake.Photo credit: Brenda Nielsen How a U of U Summer Camp Experience Shaped My Path in Science When I was 11 years old, I attended a comparative anatomy summer camp at the University of Utah. One day we toured […]
Read MoreSophie Hansen received her first liver transplant as a teenager, an experience that drives her passion for medical research and patient care. Now a senior in the School of Biological Sciences, Hansen navigates the challenges that come with having a chronic illness as a college student. National Donor Day on Feb. 14 recognizes the impact of […]
Read MoreJanuary 29, 2025 Above: Megan Duval in the Longino lab, School of Biological Sciences “Through research, I’ve been able to find a community at the U, build relationships with mentors, learn valuable research skills and I’ve worked with some really amazing ants in some really cool places! I first became interested in ants when I […]
Read More2024 GSA Awards Seminar Series. Parental chromosomes separate during meiosis and segregate into sex cells, like sperm or egg, transferring genetic information to the next generation. For successful inheritance to occur, chromosomes must communicate with each other to ensure they remain intact throughout the process. Ofer Rog, who is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at […]
Read MoreJanuary 23, 2025 Above: William Anderegg In his last week in office, President Biden awarded nearly 400 scientists and engineers the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers. William Anderegg, professor of biology and director of […]
Read MoreJanuary 13, 2025 Above: Luiza Aparecido Luiza Aparecido is a new assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences and an expert in plant ecophysiology, focusing on how plants respond to a changing climate. Born and raised in the São Paulo State in Brazil, her journey to the University of Utah is rooted in her […]
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