Education (Colleges & Universities)
Here's a look at documents from public, private and community colleges in the U.S.
Featured Stories
Virginia Tech: Systems Neuroscientist Takes Approach to Uncover Neural Drivers of Mental Illness
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, April 16 (TNSjou) -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Systems neuroscientist takes a new approach to uncover neural drivers of mental illness
Michael Halassa, a professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, is integrating neural circuit experiments with computational tools at the Virginia Tech Patient Research Center to better measure and treat mental illness.
By Matt Chittum
The human brain isn't a single instrument, or even one system. It's a vast array of processes, all running at the same time, sometimes even in competition.
"People are
... Show Full Article
BLACKSBURG, Virginia, April 16 (TNSjou) -- Virginia Tech issued the following news:
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Systems neuroscientist takes a new approach to uncover neural drivers of mental illness
Michael Halassa, a professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, is integrating neural circuit experiments with computational tools at the Virginia Tech Patient Research Center to better measure and treat mental illness.
By Matt Chittum
The human brain isn't a single instrument, or even one system. It's a vast array of processes, all running at the same time, sometimes even in competition.
"People arereally a complicated machinery of many systems running in parallel, and we assume that they are a unified entity because in most people, there are mechanisms to keep all of these separate programs running in a coherent fashion," said neuroscientist and psychiatrist Michael Halassa. "When that coordination breaks down, people can lose contact with reality. It's hard to understand how fragile these mechanisms are until we see somebody experiencing psychosis."
Halassa believes psychiatry must adjust to recognize these connections.
He has spent two decades tracing these mechanisms to their source. His research program, grounded in algorithmic circuit psychiatry, treats psychotic symptoms as failures of specific neural algorithms -- particularly those the brain uses to interpret an uncertain world.
"We need a new framework for psychiatry and there is a great opportunity to contribute to that here in Roanoke, building on the strong programs in computational psychiatry at the FBRI and the excellent clinical care at Carilion Clinic psychiatry," he said. "This new framework should bridge the gap between brain circuits and the algorithms they implement, connecting both to meaningful clinical intervention."
Bringing brain science into the clinic
A professor with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Halassa is exploring these intricate connections in the brain at the new Virginia Tech Patient Research Center at VTC, where he will conduct patient-based research in a clinical setting.
"There has never been a good biological understanding of psychosis, and Dr. Halassa brings a whole new approach based in leading edge experimental and computational science," said Michael Friedlander, executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and Virginia Tech's executive vice president for health sciences and technology. "Psychiatry is one of the most challenging areas in medicine because of the complexity of the disease -- with contributing factors including genes, environment and lifestyle. We're excited to have a leading-edge physician-scientist using laboratory-based experimental approaches, computation, and clinical research with patients who need of new insights and treatments."
Friedlander said Halassa's program will amplify the research institute's established national leadership role in computational psychiatry, led by Read Montague, Pearl Chiu, Brooks Casas, Stephen LaConte and Alex DiFeliceantonio.
Halassa's laboratory work has focused on the thalamus, a region long regarded as a relay of signals to the brain's outer layer, the cerebral cortex.
His research was the first to demonstrate that the thalamus plays an active role in shaping cognitive processing within the brain's frontal network. That work has resulted in foundational studies including several primary papers published in Nature[MH1] helping establish the thalamus as a central node in cognitive control and a plausible target in disorders like schizophrenia. He also is the sole editor of The Thalamus by Cambridge University Press.
The thalamus extracts various signals from the frontal cortex, identifying what task should be solved and how reliable various task-relevant signals are. These findings explain why recent evidence points to the thalamus as a critical node in psychotic disorders and a target for deep brain stimulation in these conditions, he said.
"It works like a forecasting system," Halassa said.
From many systems, one mind
"When I was in medical school, I developed an interest in the brain," he said. "And at the time I also became philosophically interested in the question of, 'What does it mean to have a mind?' I got interested in the problem of consciousness. Like, what does it mean to be me? And how does science kind of begin to ask questions like that?"
After medical school, Halassa obtained his doctoral degree in neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Matthew Wilson, while pursuing his psychiatry residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.
In 2020, after focusing for seven years on basic circuit and systems neuroscience, Halassa returned to part-time clinical work. After so many years of thinking about thinking, his view of psychiatric disorders had dramatically shifted.
He was struck by the epiphany that the brain isn't one system, but many.
"There is no homunculus, no little man in the brain directing everything," said Halassa, "The brain is a collection of systems that require constant coordination. You take away some of that coordination and it starts to look like people are actually multiple separate entities with little coherence among them."
Matching patients to the right treatment
Halassa's clinical research focuses on precision psychiatry, identifying features that would allow psychiatrists to match patients to the right treatment. In 2025, he published a paper in Nature Mental Health on clinical features that predict response to Xanomeline/Trospium (XT) a first-in-class medication for adults with schizophrenia. He identified negative symptoms, characterized by poverty of thought and action initiation, to be particularly sensitive to this medication.
"In my lab, we now have a fully integrated basic science to translational science to clinical program aimed at understanding and treating negative symptoms," said Halassa. "We have developed tasks in patients that appear to track negative symptoms that can be back-translated into laboratory animals. We could not be more excited about this."
Now, as the first faculty member to join Virginia Tech's new Patient Research Center at VTC, Halassa will build a patient-based research program in neuroscience alongside his laboratory program, with clinical research in partnership with Carilion Clinic.
Halassa joined the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute as a professor with an appointment in psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Virginia Tech College of Engineering.
"Dr. Halassa represents the kind of physician-scientist leadership that defines the future of academic medicine in general and academic psychiatry in particular," said Robert Trestman, chair of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Carilion Clinic and institutional research officer at Carilion Clinic. "Integrating research with patient care is essential to advancing medicine by accelerating discovery, improving outcomes, and ensuring that our patients benefit from the latest scientific insights. Our collaboration with Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC enables us to translate discovery into practice, and Dr. Halassa's arrival strengthens our shared mission."
Halassa came to Virginia Tech from Tufts University and was previously a faculty member at MIT and New York University. He brings with him a research group of 10 other members, including two research assistant professors, four postdoctoral fellows, an M.D./Ph.D. student, and three research assistants.
He is a winner of the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in the Biomedical Sciences given to immigrant scientists who made "lasting contributions to American society." He has also received several other national and international awards and recognition from the Pew, Klingenstein, Feldstein, Simons, Sloan, Kavli, Max Planck and Brain and Behavior Foundations, among others.
"At this point in my career, I want to build a coherent research program that will move our understanding of reasoning and its breakdown in psychotic disorders forward," said Halassa, who writes extensively about neuroscience and psychiatry on Substack. "This will require more precise measurements, and modeling of the underlying neural processes at different scales. I think we have a real opportunity to do that here. This is the right place and we're here at the right time."
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Original text here: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/04/research-fralinbiomed-mental.html
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine: Opening Up About Farmers' Mental Health
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 16 -- The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health issued the following news:
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Opening up about farmers' mental health
A five-year grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a grantmaking program in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, provided suicide prevention training to farmers and people close to them. The result is the de-stigmatization of a once-taboo subject and a better understanding of how to find help.
Dan Wegmueller, a farmer from Monroe, Wisconsin, hit a low point in 2018. The family dairy
... Show Full Article
MADISON, Wisconsin, April 16 -- The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health issued the following news:
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Opening up about farmers' mental health
A five-year grant from the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP), a grantmaking program in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, provided suicide prevention training to farmers and people close to them. The result is the de-stigmatization of a once-taboo subject and a better understanding of how to find help.
Dan Wegmueller, a farmer from Monroe, Wisconsin, hit a low point in 2018. The family dairyoperation, started by his grandfather in the 1930s, was struggling. To bring in extra income, he and his wife had decided to get into the Airbnb business. They planned to offer farm stays, complete with horseback riding, chores and fresh-from-the-farm produce and milk. People in the agricultural community -- milk truck drivers, service providers -- laughed at the idea.
"They didn't think anyone would pay money for those things," Wegmueller said. "At the time, we weren't far enough into it to know if it would work. It was still an idea."
Wegmueller reached out to someone he was close to, hoping for encouragement. The conversation did not go well.
"That person didn't know how to talk to someone going through a personal crisis," Wegmueller recalled. "As well-meaning as they were, they said everything wrong. It was horrible to be on the receiving end of that. It was a very dark time for me."
A wake-up call
A dark time can be a dangerous time. Over the last two decades, studies have shown that farmers are at least twice as likely to die by suicide as members of the general population. Between 2004 and 2018, there were 190 suicide deaths of Wisconsin farmers, according to a 2023 study led by Sara Kohlbeck, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin. An additional 85 Wisconsin farmers died by suicide between 2019 and 2024, according to data compiled by Lindsay Emer, a public health researcher for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
In recent articles, The New York Times and the Green Bay Press Gazette cited financial instability and the possibility of foreclosure as key stressors for Wisconsin's farmers. Accustomed to working hard and keeping silent about problems, many farmers don't reach out for help. Those who do often don't receive the support they need.
"Access to mental health resources across Wisconsin's farming communities is in crisis," said Amy Kind, associate dean for social health sciences and programs for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, and executive director for WPP. "We recognized an opportunity to help."
Commitment to rural health runs deep within the school, which offers rural health care training programs such as the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine and is home to the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.
Tackling the crisis
In 2020, WPP awarded $1 million to the Southwestern Wisconsin Community Action Program (SWCAP) to address the growing crisis. These funds helped create Farm Well Wisconsin, an ecosystem of support to foster farmer resilience. Led by Chris Frakes, a senior director at SWCAP, the program set out to engage members of farming communities in southwest Wisconsin in mental health education and interventions to help prevent farmer suicide.
"We realized early on that the social connection piece is a protective factor," Frakes explained. "We thought if we could bring farmers together in spots where they are already comfortable and sneak in some information about mental health, we could help them form protective connections."
Frakes met Wegmueller at one of these outreach events. His crisis had passed, but the memory of it was vivid. He was drawn to Frakes' efforts and approach.
"I could immediately see what Chris was working towards," he said. "Formulating the right responses to people in crisis can literally save a life. That is the value of that kind of training."
Wegmueller agreed to serve on a farmer wellness advisory coalition to discuss various interventions -- what might work, what wouldn't. That panel's input helped Frakes to position Farm Well for further growth.
Rolling out suicide prevention efforts
Farm Well adopted a suicide awareness curriculum called safeTALK with a track record of success in rural communities. The model featured four-hour workshops attended by farm families and community members. From 2020 to 2025, Farm Well's safeTALK sessions drew a total of 338 participants from across southwest Wisconsin.
Spouses, mothers, ministers, social workers, community leaders, and teachers signed up to learn how to ask the right questions and offer support to loved ones in crisis.
"SafeTALK requires some role play, which made people uncomfortable," Frakes recalled. "You have to ask somebody, 'Are you thinking of killing yourself?' It is a hard question, but it is really important. We wanted to help people develop empathetic listening skills."
As of December 2025, Farm Well's safeTALK and other outreach programs had reached more than 1,200 participants from the five counties represented by SWCAP: Green, Grant, Lafayette, Iowa and Richland.
"The Farm Well initiative has created a crucial support network within southwest Wisconsin's farming communities, training hundreds of rural community members in peer support, community resources and suicide prevention," said Kind. "It is a shining example of how WPP advances its commitment to improving the health of people in our state."
Partnerships amplified impact
Collaborative partnerships proved key to Farm Well's success. In addition to UW-Extension, a trusted resource in farming communities, the group partnered with the Wisconsin Farm Center, a group within the state's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection on free telehealth counseling sessions for farmers and other outreach efforts. Soil Sisters, a network of women farmers in the area, helped promote programs to farmers and many of its members attended training workshops. Some agriculture-related businesses, including a seed company and a company that hauled and spread manure, sent employees to receive Farm Well's safeTALK training in suicide risk alertness.
"Often an ag company's workers are the ones who recognize that something is not right on a farm," Frakes said. "When farmers are in distress, it's common to see visual signs such as animal neglect or broken equipment in the driveway. These companies said, 'It's important that our folks understand how to help.'"
Training future doctors
Training doctors to recognize signs of distress in farmers is critical to preventing farmer suicide.
Farm Well worked with UW's Department of Family Medicine and Community Health to offer training for its residents and medical students pursuing tracks in rural medicine.
In 2019, Dr. Kelsey Schmidt, a member of the department's rural health equity track in the family medicine residency program, offered to host a training session for fellow residents on her family's farm. Schmidt and her advisors invited residents to hear speakers on farm economics, mental health, farm-related illnesses and injuries, and more. The event ended with Schmidt's husband, a beef and crop farmer, giving the group a safety tour of the barn and acreage.
"You have to be prepared to help the people you are going to serve," said Schmidt, who now practices at two rural clinics run by SSM Health in Brodhead and Albany, Wisconsin. "A rural physician must realize that the state of a farmer's health is largely dictated by what's happening on the farm. If you don't know what a farm looks like, or what they are dealing with on a day-to-day basis, how can you build the rapport needed to help them through difficulties?"
Changing the conversation
Frakes cited the destigmatization of suicide and mental health as one of the program's major impacts. Even the media's way of covering mental health issues has changed in the five years that Farm Well has been active in the region. Frakes pointed to a report produced as part of a separate, 8-year SWCAP project funded by Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment, which is WPP's sister program at the Medical College of Wisconsin, that addressed accessibility, availability and acceptability of mental and behavioral health in southwestern Wisconsin. The report showed that from 2022-2024, coverage of mental health topics changed across southwestern Wisconsin, with a decrease in negative characterizations and an increase in more inclusive, supportive language.
"We have seen a shift in the region, in terms of the way that people talk about mental health," Frakes said. "We surveyed participants at the beginning and end of workshops. People would come in with a certain level of discomfort in discussing mental health issues, and they would leave with a gigantic increase in their comfort level. When we surveyed some of the same people six months later, at different events, it was clear they had retained those gains."
Wegmueller said that Farm Well's destigmatization of depression and suicide is making people feel less alone. He pointed to a recent talk he had with a farmer friend who was worried about his bills.
"We had a natural, open conversation about how tough it is, and how he's sometimes not sure he'll make it through. I shared with him that we all go through this in one way or another, and that there are resources available," Wegmueller said. "I attribute the training I received through Farm Well's safeTALK program to my greater comfort discussing this topic."
Wegmueller is no longer able to make ends meet solely as a dairy farmer. However, his farm stay business, which includes products he sells directly to consumers, is making it possible to keep his farm in the family.
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Original text here: https://www.med.wisc.edu/news/opening-up-about-farmers-mental-health/
University of Houston Professor Named Guggenheim Fellow
HOUSTON, Texas, April 16 -- The University of Houston issued the following news:
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University of Houston Professor Named Guggenheim Fellow
Haleh Ardebili honored for groundbreaking work in mechanical and aerospace engineering
By Bryan Luhn
A University of Houston engineering professor has been named to the newest class of Guggenheim Fellows by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, one of the world's most prestigious honors for scholars in the arts, sciences and humanities.
Haleh Ardebili, the Kamel Salama Endowed Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and assistant vice
... Show Full Article
HOUSTON, Texas, April 16 -- The University of Houston issued the following news:
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University of Houston Professor Named Guggenheim Fellow
Haleh Ardebili honored for groundbreaking work in mechanical and aerospace engineering
By Bryan Luhn
A University of Houston engineering professor has been named to the newest class of Guggenheim Fellows by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, one of the world's most prestigious honors for scholars in the arts, sciences and humanities.
Haleh Ardebili, the Kamel Salama Endowed Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and assistant vicepresident for Entrepreneurship and Startup Ecosystem at UH, is one of 223 trailblazing individuals selected from nearly 5,000 applicants. She is the University's 20th Guggenheim Fellow.
"The University of Houston is immensely proud of Haleh Ardebili for being named a Guggenheim Fellow, a distinction that speaks volumes about her visionary contributions to the field of materials science," said UH Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Diane Z. Chase. "Her pioneering work in flexible, high-performance energy storage is not only redefining the boundaries of engineering but also addressing some of the most critical sustainability challenges of our time. This fellowship is a testament to her dedication as a researcher and an educator, and it underscores the caliber of innovation that defines our faculty at UH."
Ardebili's selection as a Guggenheim Fellow marks the latest milestone in a growing list of accolades. In February, she was one of seven UH professors named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors -- the most of any single Texas institution -- further cementing her reputation as a leading force in her field.
At UH, Ardebili leads cutting-edge research in flexible and stretchable lithium-ion batteries, an emerging technology with wide-ranging applications in energy storage, medical devices and wearable electronics. Her work aims to make power sources more adaptable, durable and seamlessly integrated into everyday life.
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"I'm really honored to be named a Guggenheim Fellow and proud to be part of the University of Houston's dynamic community. This recognition reflects the creativity, support and dedication of my students, collaborators and university leadership. It highlights our shared commitment to education, research and innovation, developing energy technologies that make a meaningful impact on how people live, work and connect, and educational and outreach programs that inspire our future generations to excel in science and technology."
- Haleh Ardebili, Kamel Salama Endowed Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and assistant vice president for Entrepreneurship and Startup Ecosystem at UH
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"I'm honored to be named a Guggenheim Fellow and proud to be part of the University of Houston's dynamic research community," Ardebili said. "This recognition reflects the creativity and dedication of my students and collaborators, and our shared commitment to developing energy technologies that make a meaningful impact on how people live, work and connect."
The University of Houston is one of only three Texas institutions to receive Guggenheim Fellow appointments this year, along with Rice University and the University of Texas. Honorees in the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows represent 55 scholarly disciplines and artistic fields, 97 academic institutions, 33 states and the District of Columbia, and 10 countries. Since its founding in 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation has awarded nearly $450 million in fellowships to more than 19,000 Fellows.
"Our new class of Guggenheim Fellows is representative of the world's best thinkers, innovators and creators in art, science and scholarship," said Edward Hirsch, award-winning poet and president of the Guggenheim Foundation. "As the Foundation enters its second century and looks to the future, I feel confident that this new class of 223 individuals will do bold and inspiring work, undaunted by the challenges ahead. We are honored to support their visionary contributions."
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Original text here: https://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2026/april/04152026-ardebili-guggenheim.php
Maine Law Remains in Top 100 in U.S. News & World Report Ranking, Receives Recognition for Clinics and Environmental Law Programs
PORTLAND, Maine, April 16 -- The University of Maine School of Law issued the following news:
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Maine Law remains in top 100 in U.S. News & World Report ranking, receives recognition for Clinics and Environmental Law programs
Maine Law has been recognized among the nation's top law schools for a second consecutive year.
In the newly released 2026-27 national law school rankings from the U.S. News & World Report, Maine Law ranked No. 91 overall, marking another year in the top 100. The state's only and public law school also received improved rankings for two of its signature programs that
... Show Full Article
PORTLAND, Maine, April 16 -- The University of Maine School of Law issued the following news:
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Maine Law remains in top 100 in U.S. News & World Report ranking, receives recognition for Clinics and Environmental Law programs
Maine Law has been recognized among the nation's top law schools for a second consecutive year.
In the newly released 2026-27 national law school rankings from the U.S. News & World Report, Maine Law ranked No. 91 overall, marking another year in the top 100. The state's only and public law school also received improved rankings for two of its signature programs thatalso address critical needs of the state: Environmental Law ranked No. 42 and Clinical Programs ranked No. 66.
The improved rankings reflect Maine Law's powerful combination of academic excellence, hands-on training, and deep commitment to public service.
"We are proud, but not surprised, to be among the nation's top law schools," said Maine Law President Leigh Saufley. "At Maine Law, quality, community, and affordability go hand in hand. These rankings reflect our commitment to delivering an outstanding legal education that is grounded in a strong sense of purpose and connection. And they affirm what more aspiring attorneys and employers are realizing -- Maine Law is delivering on its promise of excellence and affordability."
Maine Law's excellence is evidenced by the success of its growing number of graduates. From the Class of 2025, 85% of Maine Law graduates passed the bar exam on their first attempt. Graduates also secured a strong number of competitive judicial clerkships, with two graduates receiving clerkships in federal courts and 13 in state, local, or territorial courts.
The Clinics at Maine Law remain a cornerstone of Maine Law's educational model and access to justice and commerce in the state and beyond. Clinic student-attorneys provided roughly 18,000 hours of pro bono legal assistance just last year while gaining hands-on lawyering experience. Over 40% of the Class of 2025 graduated with clinical experience.
The Environmental Law program, now ranked No. 42 nationally, continues to build on its longstanding leadership in areas such as oceans and coastal law, and Arctic law and governance.
Maine Law is seeing strong growth in both applications and enrollment. Last year Maine Law saw an increase of 62% in its application flow. That has continued and increased in the current application cycle, with more than an 80% increase in applications to Maine Law. Nationally, applications have increased by 12.5%. This momentum is helping Maine Law continue to prepare the next generation of lawyers while expanding access to justice across the state and beyond.
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Original text here: https://mainelaw.maine.edu/news/maine-law-remains-in-top-100-in-u-s-news-world-report-ranking-receives-recognition-for-clinics-and-environmental-law-programs/
Case Western Reserve: Neuroscience's Qian Sun Seeks to Further Understanding of Brain Region Involved in Many Neuropsychiatric Disorders
CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 16 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Neuroscience's Qian Sun seeks to further understanding of brain region involved in many neuropsychiatric disorders
Story by: Jasmine Vo
Neuroscientist Qian Sun, PhD is fascinated by the hippocampus--a brain area involved in memory formation, spatial navigation, and learning.
"Right now, our priority is understanding the hippocampus's activities and function," said Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "That knowledge
... Show Full Article
CLEVELAND, Ohio, April 16 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Neuroscience's Qian Sun seeks to further understanding of brain region involved in many neuropsychiatric disorders
Story by: Jasmine Vo
Neuroscientist Qian Sun, PhD is fascinated by the hippocampus--a brain area involved in memory formation, spatial navigation, and learning.
"Right now, our priority is understanding the hippocampus's activities and function," said Sun, assistant professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "That knowledgewill serve as the foundation for investigating related diseases."
The Sun Lab is interested in the interactions between the hippocampus and other brain areas and among its sub-regions. The reason, Sun explained, is that the hippocampus does not function in isolation but also in collaboration with other brain areas. Understanding the activities of the hippocampus's subregions and their connection to other brain areas will provide a better picture of its contribution to brain function.
A key player in the hippocampus is the Cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3). This is a distinct region in the hippocampus that plays a vital role in memory storage and retrieval from incomplete cues. A deficit in the CA3 area is shown to be linked with many neuropsychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and epilepsy.
"The Cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3), however, is relatively understudied compared to other regions of the hippocampus," Sun said.
Sun also hypothesized that the interaction between the CA3 and other brain regions, such as the amygdala, septum, and the supramammillary nucleus, would contribute significantly to the formation of memory. The research may explain how damage in CA3 is associated with PTSD, depression, or chronic stress.
Sun's lab is one of the few laboratories in the United States that can perform patch clamp recording on CA3 pyramidal neurons in brain slices, a technique in neuroscience research that measures the electrical activity in living brain cells. Since the hippocampus is organized into discrete subregions, electrophysiology provides a means to examine cells' activity across these regions and study their communication.
Sun first developed his interest in the brain while training as a doctor. Curiosity has motivated him to pursue and persist in the academic field--traits he also wants to impart to his students.
The neuroscientist is actively involved in the training of both undergraduate and graduate students through his lab. His approach to mentorship is encouraging students to publish their work during their training.
"Even when this is a high aim, students will learn and polish most of the skills useful for research when preparing to publish in a scientific journal," said Sun.
Sometimes that learning comes from negative results, said Sun, who started his research career in 2004. Reflecting on his time as a PhD student, Sun doesn't view negative research results as a loss but a lesson. He encourages his students to do the same.
"In the research process, you learn many things, even with the negative results: reading the literature, writing, presenting, conducting experiments, communicating with other people, and operating as a troubleshooter," said Sun. "These also come with challenges that you really need to be passionate about research to overcome."
Learn more about Sun's research (https://www.qiansunlab.org/).
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Editor's note: Jasmine Vo, the author of this story, is a student employee in the University Marketing and Communications department. She is a fourth-year student majoring in communication sciences.
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Original text here: https://case.edu/news/neurosciences-qian-sun-seeks-further-understanding-brain-region-involved-many-neuropsychiatric-disorders
CDU students join disaster relief efforts following flooding
DARWIN, Australia, April 16 -- Charles Darwin University posted the following news:
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CDU students join disaster relief efforts following flooding
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Charles Darwin University (CDU) students will play a critical role in supporting flood- and cyclone-affected communities in the Top End thanks to a new partnership between the University and the NT Government Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Following the devastating impacts of recent flooding events, more than 10 students - enrolled in the Bachelor of Humanitarian Aid and Development, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Social
... Show Full Article
DARWIN, Australia, April 16 -- Charles Darwin University posted the following news:
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CDU students join disaster relief efforts following flooding
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Charles Darwin University (CDU) students will play a critical role in supporting flood- and cyclone-affected communities in the Top End thanks to a new partnership between the University and the NT Government Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Following the devastating impacts of recent flooding events, more than 10 students - enrolled in the Bachelor of Humanitarian Aid and Development, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of SocialWork - began placements within DCF's Welfare Functional Group in the Emergency Management Team and in Batchelor evacuation centres, with more expected to join their ranks in the coming weeks.
CDU Pro Vice-Chancellor Faculty of Health Professor Dominic Upton said the partnership would give students the opportunity to put their skills and training to the test in a real-world crisis context.
Professor Upton said the placements exemplify how the University brings its commitment to the Northern Territory beyond the classroom.
"At CDU, we believe that the best learning happens when it creates real impact," he said.
"As Australia's most connected university, our mission is to prepare graduates who are not only work-ready, but deeply attuned to the needs of the Territory and its people.
"This placement partnership is a reflection of that commitment, and of the incredible dedication of our students, staff, and community partners who have made it possible."
CDU Acting Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Fiona Coulson said she was proud to see the University stand alongside the community.
On top of support through student placements, Professor Coulson said 17 staff from a range of departments across the University had volunteered to support emergency response efforts through administrative tasks, planning and logistics, and on-the-ground coordination.
"Universities are places of innovation, courage, and community connection, and I'm pleased to see CDU staff and students alike embodying those values when it matters most," she said.
Department of Children and Families Chief Executive Officer Brent Warren said the partnership was making a real difference both now and into the future.
"During emergencies like this, our priority is making sure people feel safe, supported and connected," Mr Warren said.
"Having CDU students on the ground strengthens our response while giving them invaluable, real-world experience supporting Territory families."
"This is how we build a strong local workforce - by creating opportunities for people to learn, contribute and stay connected to the communities they serve."
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Original text here: https://www.cdu.edu.au/news/cdu-students-join-disaster-relief-efforts-following-flooding
Boise State University: Protecting Golden Eagles With Industry Partner Avangrid
BOISE, Idaho, April 16 (TNSjou) -- Boise State University issued the following news:
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Protecting golden eagles with industry partner Avangrid
It was a brisk, windy day in the Owyhee Mountains of southwestern Idaho -- ideal for eagles soaring overhead on thermals, but a little less cozy for the researchers. Fortunately, the excitement of rappelling down cliff faces to inspect and treat eagles' nests and hatchlings dispelled any thoughts of discomfort.
"I love every part of the season. I love the nestling eagles," gushed Ashley Santiago, a raptor biology doctoral student. "We try to go in
... Show Full Article
BOISE, Idaho, April 16 (TNSjou) -- Boise State University issued the following news:
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Protecting golden eagles with industry partner Avangrid
It was a brisk, windy day in the Owyhee Mountains of southwestern Idaho -- ideal for eagles soaring overhead on thermals, but a little less cozy for the researchers. Fortunately, the excitement of rappelling down cliff faces to inspect and treat eagles' nests and hatchlings dispelled any thoughts of discomfort.
"I love every part of the season. I love the nestling eagles," gushed Ashley Santiago, a raptor biology doctoral student. "We try to go infirst at what we call the 'lamby' stage when they're just all white, fluffy down -- they're so cute."
Santiago, her mentor -- Professor of Biology and Director of the Center for Raptor Research Julie Heath -- and fellow students and colleagues have been visiting these same nests every spring to treat golden eagles for ectoparasites and a lethal disease called trichomonosis.
But this trip was novel; they were joined by industry research partners from Avangrid, a leading energy company which has invested in the Boise State team's research for three years.
Through sustained financial support, Avangrid helped Heath's team develop a promising method to protect and save Golden Eagle nestlings.
Cliffside medical care
Ectoparasites -- akin to human bed bugs -- and trichomonosis (a disease caused by a single-celled organism that can lead to large plaques that eventually block a nestling's throat or windpipe) rob nests and skies of young eagles.
With Avangrid partners observing from a distance, the Boise State team treated empty eagle nests with diatomaceous earth (a fine powder made from fossilized shells commonly used to safely control pests and parasites). They then returned in the spring to administer a single dose of an anti-protozoan drug to the nestlings, and put a transmitter backpack on fledglings.
In their recently published research (https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.70149), the team revealed their method saved an estimated 17 golden eagle nestlings over two years in the study area. According to Heath, this equates to an additional 10 adult eagles to support the breeding population in the region.
"Boise State's researchers are doing some incredibly important work that we believe will benefit golden eagle populations," said Avangrid Director of Wildlife and Permit Compliance, Amy Parsons. "We are proud to support such a dedicated team focused on improving outcomes for golden eagle nestlings. In collaboration with partners like Boise State, we are driving meaningful progress in wildlife conservation."
For Santiago, this project marks an important shift in her experiences as a raptor biologist. Her past roles as a raptor technician conducting long-term eagle monitoring in places like Alaska often showed consistent species decline with little to no opportunity to change the trends. "It's easy to feel really helpless. But this project is very special," she said.
"Because of what we are doing on this project, this bird gets to live to fledge and we're giving them a chance to survive. These are tangible impacts on a population, and for long-lived birds like eagles, if they can just make it past this really high-risk mortality age, their probability of surviving after that just goes way up," Santiago said.
Golden (eagle) partnerships
Moving forward, Boise State and Avangrid intend to continue their partnership in golden eagle conservation, with plans to conduct experiments to determine optimal treatment frequency and expand surveys for poultry bugs and trichomonosis at nesting sites across the western United States.
"We are grateful to partner with Avangrid on this work. With their support, we've been able to translate our research into effective management strategies that improve eagle health and survival, and ultimately strengthen the breeding population," Heath said.
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Original text here: https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2026/04/15/protecting-golden-eagles-with-industry-partner-avangrid/
