R&D in Brief

At-home Sperm Test

Yet another reason to blush while at the drugstore checkout. U.Va. researcher John C. Herr proved that his invention, SpermCheck Vasectomy, accurately tests male fertility. �

Buff Seniors

New drug prevents frailty

Growing older may not necessarily mean growing weaker. Researchers at U.Va. discovered that a new drug called MK-677 increases muscle mass in older adults. Seniors who took the

A Smarter Dummy

U.Va. engineers building “virtual” crash test dummy

Traditional crash-test dummies were designed to resemble humans so that automakers could learn about the effects of car accidents on the body in a lab setting. But traditional dummies

December 2008 E-newsletter: University News

U.Va. rated a ‘best value’ among public colleges

Researchers identify hot spots for cold germs

Dedication of School of Architecture additions celebrates collaboration, transparency

Fuel for Thought

Interdisciplinary teams investigate different types of alternative energy

In the world of alternative fuels, there may be nothing greener than pond scum.

An interdisciplinary team of U.Va. researchers is now investigating algae and other

R&D In Brief

Taste test

In a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, U.Va. Health System researchers reported that two interacting genes related to bitter taste

Setting the Biological Clock

Study shows eye cells help regulate our wake and sleep cycles

A switching mechanism in the eye plays a key role in regulating the sleep and wake cycles in mammals, U.Va. biologists have found.

Light receptor cells

Breaking the Law and Battling Demons

U.Va. engineers aim to solve burning computer problem

“Laptops are very hot now, so hot that they are not ‘lap’ tops anymore,” says Avik Ghosh, a U.Va. assistant professor of engineering. He’s referring to the

Elephant Speak

What the 2004 tsunami can tell us about animal communications

The Dec. 26, 2004, earthquake resulted in a human death toll of a quarter million people, but few animals perished. Drawing on his pioneering research about elephant behavior, Michael Garstang, an emeritus professor of environmental sciences at U.Va., is on the hunt to find out why.

The Power of Normal

U.Va. changing misperceptions, behavior with social norms campaign

All U.Va. students are heavy drinkers, right? Wrong. The National Social Norms Institute at U.Va. addresses common misperceptions.

A Bug Before a Bang

Glitch doesn't diminish proton collider's promise

Though the launch of the world’s most powerful particle accelerator was marked by a ding instead of a bang, the Large Hadron Collider still holds the promise of unlocking secrets about the essence of matter and insights into the Big Bang.

A Balm for Burns

Inventor receives award for gel

Burn victims suffer a unique agony. The pain of their injury is compounded by the rigorous cleansing required to ward off infection, a common and often fatal complication.

R&D In Brief

Brain cancer breakthrough Recurrent brain cancer can be helped by a new combination of drug therapies, according to researchers including David Schiff, co-director of the U.Va. Neuro-Oncology Center,

Tapping Into the Brain

Device allows people to communicate with their minds

Imagine being able to think, taste, touch and feel, but being completely unable to move or communicate. “Locked-in syndrome” is the fate of people with Lou Gehrig’s Disease,

Lost Flower Power

Findings may explain current pollination crisis

Air pollution is destroying the fragrance of flowers and inhibiting the ability of bees and other insects to follow scent trails to their source, according to a recent study