Research

Science and Technology

Brown Ph.D. student working to correct skin color bias in pulse oximeters

April 7, 2022

Pulse oximeters often provide inaccurate readings for people with darker skin, a significant health disparity that physics Ph.D. student Rutendo Jakachira is working to eliminate.

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Health and Medicine

Communicating for impact: Public health students get comfortable talking about why their work matters

April 7, 2022

A poster conference during National Public Health Week offered Brown public health students the opportunity to discuss the significance of their research to the community — and to their own educational experience.

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Social Sciences

For vaccine text-message campaigns, Brown researchers confirm success is all about timing

April 6, 2022

A new study from researchers at the Policy Lab offers important information on when text-message vaccination campaigns work and when they don’t.

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Science and Technology

How boas save themselves from suffocation when constricting and digesting dinner

April 1, 2022

Researchers from Brown University show how boa constrictors breathe with different sections of their rib cage, an adaptation that likely helped them evolve into successful predators.

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Science and Technology

Seen and ‘herd’: Collective motion in crowds is largely determined by participants’ field of vision

March 21, 2022

Researchers at Brown University developed a new model to predict human flocking behavior based on optics and other sensory data.

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News and Events

Academic leader and scholar Leah VanWey appointed Brown’s next dean of the faculty

March 18, 2022

An accomplished administrator, researcher and teacher, VanWey will lead recruitment, retention and development of Brown faculty across the humanities, social sciences and a portfolio of physical and life sciences departments.

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Social Sciences

Through research collaboration, Brown scholars aim to improve experiences of refugees

March 15, 2022

Researchers at Brown’s Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies are working with the Refugee Dream Center in Providence to assess Afghan refugees’ needs and improve military-civilian partnerships across the globe.

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Health and Medicine

Brown researcher to lead $16M grant to explore potential cause, treatment for Alzheimer’s disease

March 10, 2022

Led by principal investigator John Sedivy, a multi-university effort will build on recent discoveries about mechanisms of aging to understand causes and potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

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Science and Technology

From the Lab: Kavita Ramanan puts randomness to work

March 3, 2022

A professor of applied mathematics at Brown, Ramanan uses randomness as a tool to make precise predictions about complex systems ranging from statistical physics to communication networks.

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News and Events

Nobel Prize-winning Class of 1991 Ph.D. alumnus returns to Brown to discuss research in causal relationships

March 2, 2022

As part of the Lemley lecture series, Brown Ph.D. graduate and Nobel Laureate Guido Imbens explained how natural experiments can be used to determine cause and effect.

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Health and Medicine

Suspending syringe services programs will result in an increase of HIV infections, study finds

February 28, 2022

Using a simulation modeling approach, Brown researchers estimate that closing syringe services programs, even for one year, will cause cases of HIV to rise.

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Science and Technology

Brown convenes scholars to envision the future of home-based health tech

February 22, 2022

With a massive shift under way toward more home-based health care delivery, more than 90 medical professionals and technologists gathered virtually to explore the challenges and opportunities that change presents.

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Science and Technology

Brown physics faculty member earns 2022 Sloan Fellowship

February 15, 2022

Andrey Gromov, an assistant professor of physics, has been awarded a prestigious Sloan Fellowship for his research into exotic quantum states of matter that could enable quantum computing technology.

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Science and Technology

Psyche, the iron giant of asteroids, may be less iron than researchers thought

February 14, 2022

Scientists have thought that the asteroid Psyche could be a big ball of pure iron, but new research suggests it’s likely harboring a hidden rocky component.

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Brown professor wins CERF Medical Engineering Prize for ‘Braingate+SoftRobotics’ project

February 8, 2022

Dr. Leigh Hochberg is part of an award-winning team that is combining soft robotic devices with brain-computer interface technology to help people with ALS.

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Health and Medicine

In Medicaid managed care plans, minority group members report lesser care than white enrollees

February 8, 2022

A study led by Brown University researchers found significant racial and ethnic disparities in patient care experience among enrollees of Medicaid managed care plans.

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Science and Technology

Researchers use tiny magnetic swirls to generate true random numbers

February 7, 2022

Skyrmions, tiny magnetic anomalies that arise in two-dimensional materials, can be used to generate true random numbers useful in cryptography and probabilistic computing.

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Health and Medicine

Brown researchers develop new model to investigate fibrosis treatments without use of animals

February 1, 2022

A new 3D connective tissue model gives researchers a sophisticated tool to understand the underlying mechanisms of connective tissue disorders and test potential treatments.

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News and Events

Five Brown faculty elected AAAS fellows

January 26, 2022

Faculty members from mathematics, neuroscience, medical science and chemistry were honored for significant and lasting contributions to their fields.

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Science and Technology

To research addiction, Brown senior Eve Glenn is combining empathy with cutting-edge brain science

January 25, 2022

After witnessing challenges faced by childhood friends, Glenn is researching the neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol and substance abuse disorders with the goal of enabling more effective treatments.

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Health and Medicine

A faith-based approach to ensuring Alzheimer’s research applies to all Rhode Islanders

January 20, 2022

Brown University researchers are partnering with faith-based leaders in Providence to increase participation of Black community members in Alzheimer’s prevention studies.

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Science and Technology

Tuning the bonds of paired quantum particles creates dissipationless flow

January 13, 2022

A tunable, atomically thin materials platform may help researchers figure out how to create a robust quantum condensate that can flow without dissipation of energy — potentially paving the way for ultra-efficient lossless electronic devices.

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Science and Technology

Researchers propose new explanation for Moon’s magnetic mystery

January 13, 2022

A new study reveals how the diminutive Moon could have been an occasional magnetic powerhouse early in its history, a question that has confounded researchers since NASA’s Apollo program began returning lunar samples in 1969.

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Science and Technology

Newly discovered type of ‘strange metal’ could lead to deep insights

January 12, 2022

A new discovery could help scientists to understand “strange metals,” a class of materials that are related to high-temperature superconductors and share fundamental quantum attributes with black holes.

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Environment

Brown professor to lead World Meteorological Organization’s research board

January 11, 2022

Amanda Lynch, a Brown University professor and inaugural director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, will chair the board responsible for guiding the World Meteorological Organization’s research agenda.

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Science and Technology

Magnetic surprise revealed in ‘magic-angle’ graphene

January 6, 2022

Magnets and superconductors don’t normally get along, but a new study shows that ‘magic-angle’ graphene is capable of producing both superconductivity and ferromagnetism, which could be useful in quantum computing.

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Health and Medicine

Researchers develop an RNA-based breath test to detect COVID-19

December 14, 2021

The Bubbler, a breathalyzer device that reverse-transcribes RNA from airborne SARS-CoV-2 in breath, predicts lower respiratory tract involvement and is less invasive than alternative testing approaches, researchers say.

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Science and Technology

Researchers identify brain signals associated with OCD symptoms, paving way for adaptive treatment

December 9, 2021

The discovery of electrical signals in the brain associated with OCD could enable an emerging type of adaptive deep brain stimulation therapy as an improved treatment.

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Science and Technology

Study shows how machine learning could improve COVID-19 predictive models

December 1, 2021

With the help of an advanced machine learning technique, researchers from Brown University suggest strategies for improving the performance of epidemiological models used to predict the course of pandemics.

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Arts and Humanities

Were the ancient Maya an agricultural cautionary tale? Maybe not, new study suggests

November 16, 2021

Many believe climate change and environmental degradation caused the Maya civilization to fall — but a new survey shows that some Maya kingdoms had sustainable agricultural practices and high food yields for centuries.

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Science and Technology

Brown physics student earns Ph.D. at age 89

November 12, 2021

After a 30-year career in medicine, Manfred Steiner returned to the classroom to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a physicist.

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Health and Medicine

People of color, women and those with health conditions among veterans at high risk of food insecurity

November 11, 2021

New findings about military veterans at the highest risk for food insecurity can help connect them to food they need for good health and inform interventions to address the larger, long-term issue.

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Health and Medicine

Study offers insights on why the elderly are more susceptible to COVID-19

November 8, 2021

New research reveals the cellular mechanism behind why the elderly, as well as those with certain overlapping diseases, are at risk of infection and death from the virus — and how this mechanism can potentially be used to protect them.

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Science and Technology

Vast patches of glassy rock in Chilean desert likely created by ancient exploding comet

November 2, 2021

Heat from a comet exploding just above the ground fused the sandy soil into patches of glass stretching 75 kilometers, a study led by Brown University researchers found.

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Science and Technology

Researchers show new strategy for detecting non-conformist particles called anyons

October 26, 2021

By observing how strange particles called anyons dissipate heat, researchers have shown that they can probe the properties of these particles in systems that could be relevant for topological quantum computing.

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Health and Medicine

Brown researchers, local partners aim to reduce disparities in COVID-19 vaccination, testing

October 22, 2021

New federal grants totaling $1.4 million are supporting a partnership between Brown, Progreso Latino, the Rhode Island Quality Institute and others to address barriers to testing and vaccination among high-risk populations.

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Science and Technology

New material could pave way for better, safer batteries

October 21, 2021

A material derived from trees could potentially replace liquid electrolytes in next-generation batteries.

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Health and Medicine

Fewer patients sought treatment for kidney failure in early months of COVID-19 pandemic

October 13, 2021

Substantially fewer patients initiated treatment for kidney failure in the beginning of the pandemic, a new study found, with Black patients in particular initiating treatment at significantly worse levels of kidney function.

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Newly returned Moon rock samples chronicle the dying days of lunar volcanism

October 7, 2021

Jim Head, a planetary geologist at Brown, is working with colleagues from China to analyze rocks returned from the Chang’e 5 mission, which recently brought to Earth the first lunar samples retrieved in 45 years.

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Science and Technology

Computational biology researcher at Brown wins prestigious early-career NIH award

October 5, 2021

With a $1.9 million Genomic Innovator Award, Ritambhara Singh will apply machine learning to better understand the genetic underpinnings of disease.

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Health and Medicine

Depression rates tripled and symptoms intensified during first year of COVID-19

October 5, 2021

A new study found that people with lower incomes and who experienced multiple COVID-related stressors were more likely to feel the toll of the pandemic, as socioeconomic inequities in mental health continue to widen.

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Science and Technology

Pioneering computer science professor Andy van Dam honored as Computer History Museum fellow

October 5, 2021

A virtual event celebrated the legendary Brown University computer science professor for his foundational work in computer graphics and five decades of influential teaching.

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Science and Technology

Brown scientist wins NIH innovator award to illuminate undetected brain activity

October 5, 2021

A five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will support Ahmed Abdelfattah’s research to shed light on brain activity, which could ultimately benefit patients facing a range of disorders.

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Social Sciences

Making sense of the census: In 2021, America is less racially segregated, but no less unequal

October 4, 2021

Brown University sociologist John Logan said the 2020 census data released this summer show that race, not income, is still the driving factor behind who lives where in the United States.

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Science and Technology

NIH awards Brown $10.8M to expand data-informed research to fight human disease

September 29, 2021

The COBRE Center for Computational Biology of Human Disease is advancing the use of computational tools among biomedical scientists at Brown, helping them unlock new insights that could ultimately benefit patients.

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Arts and Humanities

In Guatemala, archaeologist from Brown helps to uncover hidden neighborhood in ancient Maya city

September 28, 2021

The newly discovered structures provide game-changing evidence that the imperial power of Teotihuacan exerted considerable influence on Tikal, an ancient Maya capital, as part of a campaign of conquest.

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Science and Technology

Asteroid sample brought back to Earth gets a close-up look at Brown

September 27, 2021

Brown scientists are analyzing a tiny chunk of the asteroid Ryugu in an effort to better understand the early history of the solar system.

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Health and Medicine

Novel cellular mechanism sheds light on causes of childhood developmental disorder

September 22, 2021

New findings from a Brown research team about Christianson syndrome could eventually be used to inform therapeutic interventions for that disorder as well as for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

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Health and Medicine

Men, jobless and people with mental health diagnoses most vulnerable in 2020 overdose spike

September 17, 2021

New findings about the causes and characteristics of overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic may be used to inform policies that could lower death rates even after COVID-19 is under control.

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News and Events

Lawrence Larson to step down as Brown’s inaugural School of Engineering dean

September 16, 2021

The accomplished dean and professor of engineering, who has led the school since its inception in 2011 and oversaw a decade of growth, will return to teaching and research after the 2021-22 academic year.

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