Research

Science and Technology

Why do woodpeckers peck? New discovery about bird brains sheds light on intriguing question

September 20, 2022

A team led by a Brown biologist discovered that the same specialized brain area that helps songbirds learn their songs also exists in woodpeckers, suggesting that the communicative drumming evolved in a similar way.

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Science and Technology

NASA’s InSight hears its first meteoroid impacts on Mars

September 19, 2022

The Mars lander’s seismometer picked up vibrations and sounds from four impacts in the past two years, a development detailed in a study co-authored by Brown planetary scientist Ingrid Daubar.

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News and Events

Brown ranks among nation’s top universities, employers

September 16, 2022

From U.S. News and World Report to Forbes, prominent rankings in the last year gave the University high marks for its distinctive student experience, world-class teaching and research, and inclusive environment.

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Health and Medicine

New grant aims to improve understanding of aging differences between females and males

September 9, 2022

Three Brown scholars are part of a multi-institutional research team studying how multiple biological processes contribute to differences in aging between the sexes.

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Health and Medicine

Researchers discover how a brain area implicated in Alzheimer’s may be vulnerable to degeneration

September 1, 2022

In a finding that could inform therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, a team of Brown University neuroscientists reports on a mechanism of degeneration for the locus coeruleus region of the brain.

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Science and Technology

With superconducting diodes, scholars advance work toward ultra-efficient quantum electronic devices

August 30, 2022

A research team including Brown University faculty and students created a superconducting diode without a magnetic field in multi-layer graphene, a development that could form the basis for future “lossless” electronics.

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Environment

Nina Lee: Investigating the impact of noise pollution on children’s health outcomes

August 30, 2022

As a research assistant in the Brown Community Noise Lab, Nina Lee has spent years monitoring noise levels across New England, advocating for environmental justice every step of the way.

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Science and Technology

Using new technique, researchers make surprising discoveries about how flies’ brains respond to tastes

August 22, 2022

The study is an example of how brain imaging technology — in this case developed by researchers at Brown University — can be adapted to advance knowledge of brain processes and prompt new questions about behavior.

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Science and Technology

Rebecca Ward-Diorio: Diving deep into research in the Galápagos

August 22, 2022

In a culmination of her Brown biology education, the rising senior is studying the biodiversity of marine life in the Galápagos Islands for the effects of decreased human presence due to the pandemic.

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Environment

Olivia McClain: Exploring hyperlocal air pollution in Providence

August 17, 2022

As a summer research assistant in Brown’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, McClain is supporting research and building community connections.

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Science and Technology

NASA fellowship to fund Brown physicist’s work on groundbreaking lunar telescope

August 10, 2022

Jonathan Pober, an assistant professor of physics, was one of six early-career researchers from across the U.S. to receive NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowship in Astrophysics.

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Health and Medicine

Brown professors offer a program to reduce suicide in high-risk individuals

August 10, 2022

A new guide for clinicians, researchers and mental health practitioners details an evidence-based suicide prevention program to save lives and reduce strain on an overtaxed mental health care system.

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Social Sciences

People who disagree with scientists often overestimate their own scientific knowledge, study finds

August 9, 2022

After surveying thousands of Americans on the COVID-19 vaccine, climate change and other contested issues, scholars found a correlation between how much people think they know and deviation from scientific consensus.

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News and Events

Research teams at Brown to investigate solutions to nine pressing pandemic challenges

July 29, 2022

The projects, which address problems ranging from mental health to food security to the impact on K-12 education, will receive $643,029 in research support from a new Peter G. Peterson Foundation fund.

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Health and Medicine

Brown epidemiologist breaks down ‘forever chemicals’ and the research on their health effects

July 28, 2022

As communities confront the persistent presence of chemical pollutants, Joseph Braun, an associate professor of epidemiology, discusses new research findings and what individuals can do to decrease their exposure.

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Health and Medicine

Brown researchers aim to save lives by testing illicit drugs for secret, often-deadly ingredients

July 27, 2022

A partnership with local harm reduction organizations and Rhode Island Hospital’s toxicology lab aims to decrease overdose deaths by revealing the amount of fentanyl and other unknown substances in the local drug supply.

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Science and Technology

Defense Department to fund Brown faculty work on neural networks for AI

July 20, 2022

George Karniadakis, a professor of applied math and engineering, was one of nine faculty scientists and engineers from across the U.S. to receive a Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship.

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Social Sciences

Renovation of Churchill House, Rites and Reason Theatre to usher in new era for Africana studies

July 20, 2022

The 50-year home to Africana studies at Brown, Churchill House will undergo an expansion to make room for new faculty, give graduate students more space, and create new opportunities for one of America’s oldest Black theaters.

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Social Sciences

Study identifies barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and the powerful influence of family and friends

July 20, 2022

Research led by staff from Brown’s Policy Lab found that perceptions of others’ behavior predict intentions to get vaccinated, raising implications and questions around public health policy and intervention strategies.

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Social Sciences

Using newly unsealed archives, Brown professor takes fresh lens to Pope Pius XII at war

July 15, 2022

Professor David Kertzer and his research team delved into the controversial question of Pius XII during WW-II, specifically tackling his failure to publicly condemn the Holocaust.

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Science and Technology

Brown professor develops AI system to detect danger in blood vessels

July 15, 2022

The lab of George Karniadakis, professor of applied mathematics and engineering, leads the charge of developing physics-informed neural networks to diagnose and predict the severity of arterial aneurysms.

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Environment

Brown researchers turn up the heat on climate change solutions

July 15, 2022

From researching the history of Indigenous land stewardship to developing nonpartisan policy ideas, collaborative scholarship at Brown aims to overcome obstacles to meaningful action on climate change.

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Arts and Humanities

Expressive arts program at Brown grants freedom of movement, peace of mind

July 15, 2022

Co-founded by distinguished lecturer Julie A. Strandberg and her former student, Artists and Scientists as Partners (ASaP) symposiums enable people with certain neurological disorders to find joy, connection and longed-for freedom.

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Health and Medicine

For Brown biostatistician, machine learning is key to unraveling DNA

July 15, 2022

Lorin Crawford, an assistant professor at Brown’s School of Public Health, takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding gene interactions.

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Social Sciences

Program spearheaded by Brown’s Annenberg Institute translates research into results for educators

July 15, 2022

In partnership with the policy group Results for America, EdResearch for Recovery provides resources to effectively implement evidence-based strategies in schools nationwide to combat pandemic-related learning losses.

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Health and Medicine

Ashish Jha: Moving the needle on public health

July 15, 2022

Ashish K. Jha, dean of the School of Public Health, unravels the pandemic’s most teachable moments and how to apply them to the way public health research is conducted at Brown and beyond.

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Arts and Humanities

'Creatively driven': First artistic director details vision, priorities for Brown Arts Institute

July 15, 2022

Avery Willis Hoffman, artistic director of the Brown Arts Institute, shares how the fruitful intertwining of scholarship, research and practice will shape the future of the arts at Brown.

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Science and Technology

At home, on College Hill and off-campus, undergraduate research maintains momentum

July 15, 2022

From conducting fluid dynamics experiments in a home lab to spearheading a statewide COVID-19 relief plan, Brown undergraduate students pursued, developed and adapted research projects despite challenges posed by the pandemic.

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Health and Medicine

Scientists at Brown develop new method and device to isolate single cells using electric fields

July 14, 2022

The new process, which is more effective and efficient than conventional methods, has the potential to significantly impact cancer diagnostics as well as other fields of research.

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Health and Medicine

Thyroid problems linked to increased risk of dementia, study finds

July 13, 2022

A study of patients in Taiwan led by a researcher at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School showed an association between hypothyroidism and dementia in older adults.

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Science and Technology

With major contributions from a Brown team, massive dark matter detector is up and running

July 7, 2022

The long search for dark matter, estimated to comprise 85% of all mass in the universe, took a major step forward with the underground LUX-ZEPLIN experiment in South Dakota now delivering initial results.

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Health and Medicine

Researchers discover brain pathway that helps to explain light’s effect on mood

July 6, 2022

Improved understanding of a neural pathway connecting light-sensitive cells in the retina with the cortical brain regions involved in mood and cognition has implications for the development of treatments for mood disorders.

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Science and Technology

Three esteemed Brown scholars to speak at the International Congress of Mathematicians

July 6, 2022

Kavita Ramanan, Richard Schwartz and Joseph Silverman landed the opportunity, considered a career pinnacle for many, to present at next week’s prestigious ICM conference, an event held once every four years.

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Environment

Interactive Climate Opportunity Map shows benefits of future net-zero energy policies

July 6, 2022

Created by scholars at the Climate Solutions Lab in Brown University’s Watson Institute, the map reveals what economic benefits individuals and communities could reap if the U.S. pursues a net-zero energy policy.

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Science and Technology

Brain practices new tasks while people sleep, study finds

June 29, 2022

A new study associated with the BrainGate consortium offered significant clues about how humans learn and form long-term memories; the findings could provide insights for developers of assistive tools for people with paralysis.

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News and Events

Brown acquires portfolio of Jewelry District properties to support aspirations for research growth

June 29, 2022

In support of a plan to expand its overall research activity, the University closed on the purchase of 10 parcels home to four Care New England buildings, all in close proximity to existing Brown research and education spaces.

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Environment

Flooding exacerbates pollution exposure in at-risk urban communities, study finds

June 28, 2022

A new study found that in Providence, R.I., and other cities, rising floodwaters are exposing more people to industrial pollution, and the issue is disproportionately affecting lower-income communities of color.

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Arts and Humanities

Education scholar at Brown sparks civic engagement in Central Falls and Providence

June 28, 2022

In a series of recent collaborations with local cities and schools, Jonathan Collins has shown how “participatory budgeting” can empower and engage people whose voices are often excluded from conversations about public spending.

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Health and Medicine

Brown plans new integrated life sciences building in Providence’s Jewelry District

June 28, 2022

The Brown Corporation authorized a process to select an architect and launch a full programming phase for the building, a critical step in a long-held vision to create new laboratory space for cutting-edge life sciences research.

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Environment

Melting Arctic ice could transform international shipping routes, study finds

June 22, 2022

Melting ice in the Arctic Ocean could yield new trade routes in international waters, reducing the shipping industry’s carbon footprint and weakening Russia’s control over trade routes through the Arctic, a study found.

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Arts and Humanities

Brown scholar partners with R.I. educators, musicians to study music’s effect on equity in schools

June 21, 2022

Kenneth Wong, an education scholar at Brown, will assess whether a longstanding music enrichment program in Pawtucket is helping to close opportunity and education achievement gaps for low-income students of color.

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Health and Medicine

Disability compensation among Vietnam-era veterans associated with declines in hospitalizations

June 16, 2022

A new study by researchers at Brown University and the Providence V.A. Medical Center shows that disability compensation payments have a positive impact on veterans’ health.

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Health and Medicine

Higher fish consumption associated with increased melanoma risk, study suggests

June 9, 2022

A new analysis from a Brown University team shows a connection between eating fish and developing skin cancer, and the researchers say bio-contaminants like mercury are a likely cause.

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Health and Medicine

Brown physician, medical student urge stronger federal support for overdose prevention centers

May 23, 2022

Elizabeth Samuels, an assistant professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School, and medical student Aneeqah Naeem argued for federal action supporting harm reduction centers such as those authorized in Rhode Island.

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Science and Technology

Eavesdroppers can hack 6G wireless frequency with DIY metasurface, research team demonstrates

May 19, 2022

Scholars from Rice and Brown universities say that next-generation wireless networks that use the technology could be designed with built-in defenses against the ‘metasurface-in-the-middle’ attack.

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Science and Technology

Researchers highlight more equitable way to analyze DNA data from understudied groups

May 4, 2022

New methods of analyzing DNA will allow for a better understanding of how genetic conditions affect different populations, ultimately enabling more targeted treatments.

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News and Events

Research Achievement Awards honor early, mid-career Brown scholars

May 2, 2022

The annual awards program recognizes outstanding faculty scholarship; new this year were awards for Brown inventor and startup of the year.

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Health and Medicine

Postpartum insurance loss decreased during COVID-19 pandemic, study finds

April 22, 2022

Brown researchers found that temporary changes to Medicaid eligibility meant that women who were due to lose coverage 60 days after giving birth were able to stay on their plans.

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Health and Medicine

For young adults, mindfulness habits for life and the promise of better mental, physical health

April 12, 2022

In ‘The Mindful College Student,’ Eric Loucks, director of Brown’s Mindfulness Center, teaches essential mindfulness skills to help young adults flourish during this transition period and throughout their lifetime.

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Science and Technology

Differences between the Moon’s near and far sides linked to colossal ancient impact

April 8, 2022

New research shows how the impact that created the Moon’s South Pole–Aitken basin is linked to the stark contrast in composition and appearance between the two sides of the Moon.

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