Research

Science and Technology

Shifting tectonic plates gave Alaska’s Aleutian Islands a later-life lift

June 25, 2026

Researchers at Brown have shown the first direct evidence for a massive geologic uplift of the entire Aleutian Island archipelago driven by a rotation of the Pacific tectonic plate.

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Health and Medicine

Brown scholar offers Congress actionable solutions for Medicare Advantage overpayment issues

June 24, 2026

Speaking before the Joint Economic Committee, Brown University public health researcher David Meyers offered policy options to improve Medicare Advantage integrity and reduce waste for taxpayers.

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Health and Medicine

Follow the tau: This brain protein presents a possible path to earlier Alzheimer’s diagnosis

June 17, 2026

A cognitive researcher at Brown University is leading the Rhode Island team in a multi-city initiative, called the HEAD study, focused on detecting tau to speed Alzheimer’s diagnoses.

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Health and Medicine

Study suggests shingles vaccine may lower dementia risk

June 15, 2026

A study led by Brown University researchers found that older adults who received the shingles vaccine currently used in the U.S. were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia within four years.

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News and Events

Brown professors devise course to explore generative AI in computer science education

June 11, 2026

With a course offered this past spring semester, professors and students alike have begun grappling with the role automated AI agents have in teaching students the basics of software development.

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Health and Medicine

Brown researchers launch tool to map World Cup players, fans and potential to spread disease

June 10, 2026

Using data from FIFA, Brown epidemiologists developed a tracking tool aimed at assisting public health experts in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.

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Science and Technology

In a potential nanoscale breakthrough, scientists at Brown reveal 80-atom boron ‘buckyball’

June 10, 2026

Chemists at Brown University have shown the first experimental evidence that carbon buckyballs, which launched the nanotechnology revolution, have a cousin made from 80 atoms of the element boron.

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Health and Medicine

Delirium after surgery is a strong predictor of cognitive decline in older adults

June 8, 2026

Researchers found that postoperative delirium was strongly associated with long-term cognitive decline, highlighting the long-term impact of delirium on brain health.

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Health and Medicine

Chronic teen cannabis use may negatively impact brain's reward system, increase risk of addiction

June 4, 2026

Researchers explored the links between the adolescent dopamine system and cannabis use frequency, amount and addiction severity.

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Health and Medicine

Safe firearm storage may reduce pediatric lead exposure in households with guns

June 4, 2026

A new study led by epidemiologists at Brown University found that among firearm owners, less safe storage was associated with higher blood lead levels in children.

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Health and Medicine

Could violence prevention programs decrease tobacco use among teens? Yes, research suggests

May 29, 2026

Brown University researchers found that for adolescents, exposure to violence is strongly associated with increased usage of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

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Researchers create novel structural state of matter with exotic properties

May 28, 2026

In a study published in Science, researchers used silver nanoparticles to assemble a theorized, but never-before observed crystal metallic structure.

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Brown University computer scientists clear a path to stream 3D ‘volumetric’ video

May 28, 2026

A new method called PackUV compresses massive 3D video data into everyday video formats, potentially bringing immersive video experiences closer to home televisions and computers.

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Health and Medicine

Serotonin reduces ‘belief stickiness,’ which could explain how it works on people with OCD

May 20, 2026

A study co-authored by a Brown University computational cognitive neuroscientist showed how an SSRI improves cognitive flexibility, suggesting a new way of thinking about obsessive-compulsive disorder.

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Health and Medicine

Private equity acquisition can expand primary care use by expanding workforce, study finds

May 20, 2026

Brown University researchers used Medicare claims to track results of primary care practices after private equity firms acquired them, revealing surprising findings.

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Health and Medicine

Study finds payments to Medicare Advantage brokers potentially reached $10 billion annually

May 18, 2026

The analysis by Brown University researchers offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Medicare Advantage insurance broker market, drawing on data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

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News and Events

Brown’s National Labs Day spotlights collaboration in AI-enabled science

May 15, 2026

A daylong conference brought scientists from the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories to Brown to explore new collaborations and research pathways for faculty and students.

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News and Events

With support from Brown and other partners, Rhode Island’s first life sciences startup incubator opens

May 13, 2026

Brown University is among a series of organizations that have supported the launch of Ocean State Labs, which aims to propel growth among life sciences and biotech ventures in Rhode Island.

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Environment

Fire that scorched African mountain range was unprecedented in the last 12,000 years, research shows

May 13, 2026

A study of ancient lake sediments reveals that a recent wildfire high in the Rwenzori Mountains was the first in 12 millennia, signaling a novel threat to Africa’s unique alpine ecosystems.

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Health and Medicine

Tiny worms, with help from Brown University researchers, may hold key to treating rare childhood disease

May 12, 2026

Genetically modified nematodes provide a new disease model to screen potential treatments for a rare neurogenetic disorder that has no cure.

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Health and Medicine

Expanding Medicaid coverage lowered death rates for young adults with kidney failure

May 11, 2026

A study led by Brown University researchers suggests that expanded health insurance coverage may significantly improve survival and care quality in this high-risk population.

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Health and Medicine

Road infrastructure and traffic affect community members’ mental health, study finds

April 27, 2026

Researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health and the Columbia University School of Public Health found that urban communities isolated by roadways and traffic patterns are associated with more schizophrenia-related hospital visits.

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Health and Medicine

Measuring squishiness and stiffness of cells just got faster, easier and more reliable

April 23, 2026

Researchers from Brown, in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, developed a new approach to measuring cell elasticity, a factor of emerging importance in human health.

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Science and Technology

Do AI language models ‘understand’ the real world? On a basic level, they do, a new study finds

April 22, 2026

New research shows that AI language models can develop a mathematical “understanding” that differentiates between events that are commonplace, improbable, impossible or just plain nonsense.

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Science and Technology

Could the mathematical ‘shape’ of the universe solve the cosmological constant problem?

April 20, 2026

The cosmological constant has been a problem in physics since Einstein, but new research may show why it takes the value that it does despite quantum fluctuations that should make its value practically infinite.

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News and Events

Brown University plans new, unified home for world-class economics department

April 15, 2026

An extensive public engagement process will inform plans for a dedicated home that will unify economics scholars currently spread across five buildings and offer close proximity to other social sciences departments.

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Health and Medicine

Q&A: Brown psychologists on the unintended, fatal consequences of mixing psychiatric meds

April 13, 2026

Researchers from Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School discussed an emerging contributor to overdose deaths in America.

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Health and Medicine

Research showcase celebrates innovation, ideas from Brown public health students

April 7, 2026

National Public Health Week offered students at the Brown University School of Public Health the opportunity to discuss the impact of their research projects and learn about the work of others.

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News and Events

This Brown professor worked on Apollo — here’s what he says about NASA’s latest foray to the Moon

April 2, 2026

With the launch of Artemis II, Jim Head — who helped train astronauts, select landing sites and analyze samples during the Apollo Moon landings nearly 60 years ago — is excited about a new chapter in lunar exploration.

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News and Events

In lecture at Brown, Yann LeCun discusses a new approach to AI

April 1, 2026

No stranger to controversy, AI pioneer Yann LeCun told a capacity crowd that large language models are not the future of AI and that a new approach is needed if machines are to achieve human-like intelligence.

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Health and Medicine

Liver screening at health clinics can save lives, according to pilot study in Rhode Island

April 1, 2026

A small study in which patients were screened for liver disease at a community health clinic identified issues with enough time for patients to make changes and reduce risk.

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Health and Medicine

Unexpected findings on lung cancer CT scans may point to other non-lung cancers, study finds

March 31, 2026

An analysis of lung screening data led by Brown University researchers helps identify which abnormalities detected outside the lungs may warrant follow-up attention and treatment.

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News and Events

Brown engineering dean elected AAAS Fellow

March 25, 2026

The world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific society has honored Tejal Desai for contributions to the field of biomedical engineering.

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Science and Technology

Artificial neural network reproduces gait patterns of four-legged animals

March 23, 2026

In research that could be useful in making more capable robots, Brown University mathematicians developed an artificial neural network that can dynamically reproduce all sorts of animal walking and running movements.

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Science and Technology

Brown physicist awarded prestigious Department of Energy grant for research at Large Hadron Collider

March 23, 2026

Using cutting-edge AI, Loukas Gouskos aims to probe whether the Higgs boson holds the key to why the universe is made of something rather than nothing.

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Science and Technology

Smart wound dressing delivers antibiotics on-demand, accelerating healing and reducing resistance

March 20, 2026

To help in the fight against antibiotic overuse and resistance, researchers have developed a new wound dressing material that releases antibiotic nanoparticles only when harmful bacteria are present.

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Health and Medicine

Brown University scientists discover neuron pair in fruit flies that makes life or death decisions

March 18, 2026

Researchers at Brown’s Carney Institute for Brain Science identified a pair of neurons that integrate sweet and bitter signals to decide whether something is safe to eat.

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Health and Medicine

New research shows how to diagnose people with Alzheimer’s plus a hard-to-identify dementia type

March 16, 2026

The findings could help clinicians use neuropsychiatric symptoms to prepare patients and families for a type of dementia previously only diagnosed via autopsy.

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Science and Technology

Brain computer interface enables rapid communication for two people with paralysis

March 16, 2026

Implantable device research from the BrainGate clinical trial enables communication through rapid typing for a patient with ALS and a patient with a spinal cord injury.

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Science and Technology

What can dogs tell us about how robots can locate objects? Gestures may be as important as words

March 13, 2026

By incorporating insights from canine companions, researchers enable robots to use both language and gesture as inputs to help fetch the right objects.

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Science and Technology

Study: Electrical stimulation can restore ability to move limbs, receive sensory feedback after spinal cord injury

March 11, 2026

In new results from a clinical trial, researchers show that electrical stimulation of the spinal cord can restore the muscle control and sensory feedback required for coordinated walking movements.

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Science and Technology

New sensor network makes real-time flooding, air-quality data available to Rhode Island communities

March 10, 2026

Data from flood sensors that track coastal and roadway flooding, along with air-quality readings and weather information, are freely available to the public through a new dashboard.

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Science and Technology

Photos: Students capture lunar eclipse images from Barus & Holley rooftop

March 9, 2026

Students from Brown’s Astronomy Club and an introductory astronomy class gathered at the observatory atop the Barus & Holly building to photograph a total lunar eclipse.

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Health and Medicine

White House autism briefing linked to swift shifts in prescribing patterns, study finds

March 5, 2026

A new study showed a significant decrease in acetaminophen use during pregnancy and a surge in leucovorin prescriptions after a September 2025 announcement that included comments by the president and head of the FDA.

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Health and Medicine

Growth in telemedicine has not improved mental health care access in rural areas, study finds

March 5, 2026

While telemedicine provides convenience for patients who move to areas far from their providers, researchers found it does not substantially improve care access for those in rural or underserved areas.

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Science and Technology

How long does it take to get last liquid drops from kitchen containers? These physicists know the answer

March 4, 2026

In a research project that has real implications for their regular laboratory work, a pair of physicists at Brown University shed light on everyday fluid dynamics in the kitchen.

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Science and Technology

Brown University researchers launch AI legislation tracking and analysis portal

March 3, 2026

As a tool for researchers, lawmakers, journalists and the public, the CNTR AISLE Portal provides analysis of state- and federal-level AI bills pending across the U.S.

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Health and Medicine

With federal award of up to $22 million, researchers to study treatment to slow the human aging process

February 24, 2026

Researchers from Brown University and the University of Rochester will lead a multi-institution project to test whether reducing DNA-triggered inflammation can help older adults stay healthier for longer.

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Health and Medicine

Leaders gather for an authentic, lively conversation about health care policy in Rhode Island

February 11, 2026

A summit hosted by Brown University’s School of Public Health brought together policymakers, researchers, health care leaders and community stakeholders to discuss pressing health policy issues facing the state.

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Health and Medicine

Study finds outdated Medicare rule delays nursing care, wastes hospital resources

February 9, 2026

A new study by Brown University researchers found that Medicare’s “three-day rule” keeps patients in the hospital longer than needed without improving health outcomes or lowering Medicare costs.

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