Research Insights
Notable Grants
Creating Cognitively-demanding, Conceptually-focused Coding Opportunities in Mathematics and Science Thursday, September 21, 2023 - This project will develop units of instruction for third, fourth, and fifth grade students that integrate coding into mathematics and science. Computer coding is an essential part of knowledge for the current generation of students, and it is important for it to be taught beginning at the elementary school level. Many students who are interested […]
MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a High-Resolution X-ray Computed Microtomography System with In Situ Capabilities for Multidisciplinary Research and Education Thursday, September 21, 2023 - An award is made to the University of Georgia (UGA) to acquire a high-resolution x-ray computed microtomography (micro-CT) system with in situ capabilities that will support the research, training, teaching, and outreach efforts of more than 30 investigators at UGA, Georgia Tech and Emory University in the biological sciences, physical sciences, archaeological sciences, geological and […]
ARTS: Deploying integrative systematics to untangle Lucidota, the Gordian knot of Neotropical firefly taxonomy Thursday, September 21, 2023 - This project will document the major firefly groups across South America. Documenting and understanding the diversity of life on Earth is an essential step towards preserving biodiversity in the face of global threats, especially for organisms that are poorly known. This is true even for fireflies, charismatic beetles that have inspired childhood memories and poetry […]
Do fine-scale water column structure and particle aggregations favor gelatinous-dominated food webs in subtropical continental shelf environments? Thursday, September 21, 2023 - Using new ocean observing technologies in two contrasting locations, this research is combining measurements of biological and environmental conditions to understand highly productive ocean shelf food webs. Within marine food webs, a diverse community of small animals, referred to collectively as zooplankton, serve as prey for larger animals including fishes and marine mammals. Zooplankton can […]
Novel Modulators of TGFß1 signaling in regulation of remyelination by neural stem cells Thursday, September 21, 2023 - Loss of oligodendrocytes gives rise to demyelination, ultimately resulting in axonal degeneration and debilitating clinical outcomes in diseases like Multiple Sclerosis. While remyelination can prevent neurodegeneration, there are currently no approved therapies for promoting remyelination. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify factors that control remyelination. Neural stem cells in the adult subventricular zone […]
CESU Piedmont: Estimating population size and spatial distribution of the South Georgia black bear population Thursday, September 21, 2023 - This effort will produce accurate and contemporary population estimates for the South Georgia bear population. Such an estimate will allow for an evaluation of how current and future proposed harvest rates will impact the SGP. Data collection will include genetic hair-snare sampling, camera-trapping efforts, and GPS collaring activities. Together, this will provide information on black […]
PlantSynBio: Construction of a plant chassis as a platform for biological discoveries and innovations Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - A wide range of plants are grown for food, feed or fuel, and biotechnology has the potential to improve the quality, yield, and sustainability of these plants. Biotechnology applications include improving nutrition, enhancing resilience to stress, carbon sequestration, production of bioplastics/biomaterials/bioproducts/biofuels, and space exploration. Yet, technology barriers currently prevent construction of plants with complex new […]
Collaborative Research: PGR: The epigenomic selfing syndrome: revealing the impact of breeding system on epigenomes Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - The evolution of mating system, whether a plant primarily self-fertilizes (inbreeds) or outcrosses (is pollinated by a different individual), is one of the most frequent changes during plant evolution. Self-fertilization is associated with a common set of changes in floral development, together known as the selfing syndrome. For example, flowers of self-fertilizing species tend to […]
Network for Engineering with Nature (NEWN) Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - The Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems will conduct two case studies (one in each of the Colorado and Mississippi River Basins), develop a curriculum and certificate for natural infrastructure workforce development and host a design workshop to explore and create an implementation plan to expand the Network for Engineering With Nature to include resilience liaisons. […]
Bacterial partners as a mode of fungal resistance to antimicrobial compounds Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - The species composition of microbial communities determines the impact they have on human health and the environment, but we have a very limited understanding of how microbial communities form. A major driver of this composition is a competition among microbes that is mediated by naturally produced antimicrobial compounds, that help shape which microbes are included […]
Longitudinal Assessment of Post-concussion Driving in Young Adults (LAPDYA) Wednesday, August 16, 2023 - Upwards of 3.8 million concussions occur annually in the United States. Only 44% of concussed individuals reduce their driving at any point following injury despite emergent concerns over post-concussion driving safety, documented driving impairment and reports of feeling unsafe driving after a concussion. Most concussed individuals who reduce their driving only do so for 24 […]
Collaborative Research: Investigating the role and interplay of microenvironment, manufacturing, and metabolism on MSC production of extracellular vesicles Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are isolated from bone marrow and fat cells. While they are not stem cells, they exhibit a similar ability to differentiate into many types of cells. That ability forms the basis for developing treatments for a variety of diseases. MSCs also generate extracellular vesicles (EVs). The EVs transport bioactive molecules that […]
CAREER: When Two Worlds Collide: An Intersectional Analysis of Black Women’s Role Strain and Adaptation in Computing Sciences Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - The University of Alabama will examine Black undergraduate women’s academic and career-related outcomes in the computing sciences (CS). Computing fields are currently in high demand with favorable workforce outcomes and a need for diverse perspectives. Nonetheless, Black women remain underrepresented along CS professional pathways. Some factors that influence Black women’s trajectories into computing professions are […]
Prevention of catheter related infections via photoactive nitric oxide delivery device Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - Currently, clinical applications of intravascular catheters suffer from major challenges: 1) infection; and 2) platelet activation and surface-induced thrombosis. Bacterial contamination of catheters causes more than 28,000 deaths per year in the United States, as well as costing the healthcare industry a staggering $2.3 billion. Thrombus formation can further lead to obstruction of blood vessels, […]
An immunodominance-based Pan-Pneumovirus vaccine for protection against RSV and hMPV Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - The goal of this research project is to further the development of a pan-Pneumovirus vaccine and to test our hypothesis that a chimeric Pneumovirus fusion (F) protein vaccine displaying immunodominant epitopes of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) will induce broad protection against both viruses. RSV and hMPV are widely prevalent agents of […]
Innovative Partnerships to Train School-based Mental Health Providers in High-Need Schools & LEAs in Rural Georgia Wednesday, July 19, 2023 - This project will increase the number and diversity of mental health providers from the University of Georgia’s School Counseling and School Psychology programs who will provide contextualized mental health services in five high-need schools in a high-need LEA in rural northern Georgia. In collaboration with these schools and community partners, this project will provide a […]
Intergovernmental Personnel Act Assignment (IPA) with USDA Wednesday, June 21, 2023 - Dr. Cotwright will serve as Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity at the USDA to advance food and nutrition security, ensuring that all Americans have consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, affordable foods essential to optimal health and well-being. Funder: USDA PI: Caree Cotwright
Evaluating and Preserving Induced Genetic Variation in Cultivated Peanut Thursday, June 15, 2023 - The oilseed legume crop, peanut or groundnut, is highly nutritious and of global importance for production of oil, peanut butter, and confectionery products. The US is the most advanced with respect to improved cultivars and production practices that lead to high yields. Nevertheless, challenges to maintain and improve yields and quality persist. Addressing these challenges […]
Proactive Resilience Plan (PReP): An Integrated Framework Applied to Critical Economic Sectors Thursday, June 15, 2023 - This study proposes a comprehensive resilience management framework that aims to bring stakeholders from different critical sectors and society together to collectively work under a common objective of achieving over-arching national resilience. Sub-project 1 aims at developing a national resilience framework for Qatar. Sub-project 2 will focus on the social, societal, and policy dimensions of […]
Digital Mobile Technologies to Study Tuberculosis: A Multi-disciplinary Program Thursday, June 15, 2023 - Project Summary According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global burden of tuberculosis peaked in 2000 and has since declined by 2.0% per year. Although this progress is encouraging, tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death, as over 1.4 million people die per year of the disease. Moreover, low- and middle-income countries especially in […]
Urban and Innovative Agriculture Community Based Organization Fund Thursday, June 15, 2023 - The overall purpose of the proposed project is to identify the needs of urban farmers in Georgia, building on the work of the UCOC pilot in Atlanta, and connecting urban farmers with customized resources from FSA, other agencies of USDA, UGA, and other state, federal, and non-governmental organizations who can help urban farmers in Georgia […]
Romanian Extension Education Development Program at UGA Monday, May 15, 2023 - While the model is based on a theory of change, which reflects a growing initiative to establish a national Romanian model of outreach and engagement, this overall endeavor has the potential to establish a paradigm shift in the Romanian university system to drive valuable research into the collaborative realm with rural farming communities. The Romanian […]
Interdisciplinary Research Experiences in Nanotechnology and Biomedicine Monday, May 15, 2023 - This REU Site award at the University of Georgia (UGA) aims to attract and retain underrepresented minority and female students from institutions with limited research opportunities in science and engineering and prepare them for graduate programs and careers in these fields. Nanobiotechnology research is an emerging interdisciplinary area at the interface of nanotechnology and biomedicine. […]
Genomics and Computational Biology Monday, May 15, 2023 - This REU Site award to the University of Georgia located in Athens, GA, will support the training of 13 students for 10 weeks during the summers of 2023- 2025. It is anticipated that a total of 39 students, primarily from schools with limited research opportunities or are from an under-represented group, will be trained in […]
Early Adversity and Drug Use Vulnerability Among Low Income Rural Children: Testing a Neuro-ecological Model of Resilience Monday, May 15, 2023 - Project Summary The influence of broader community contexts on children’s neurocognitive development and risk for downstream drug misuse is significant. The focus of this proposal is on low-income children who reside in rural Georgia. Being poor in the rural South is particularly challenging for families. Emerging research suggests that rural vs. urban poverty is characterized […]
The Digital and Data-Driven Demonstration Farm (4-D Farm): Juxtaposition of Climate-Smart and Circular Innovations for Future Farm Economies Monday, May 15, 2023 - The long-term goal of The Digital and Data-Driven Demonstration Farm (4-D Farm) is to develop climate-smart production systems leveraging renewable energy, automation, intelligence and human capital to meet the required food and fiber needs of a burgeoning world population. Most currently funded research is driven by individual commodity and discipline needs and rarely investigates integrating […]
Bridge and Culvert Designs for Reduced Wildlife-Vehicle Conflicts and Improved Climate Resiliency: Phase I Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - Bridge and culvert design primarily involves safely passing floods and debris while minimizing instability and maintenance requirements. However, innovative bridge and culvert designs also have the potential to reduce wildlife-vehicle conflicts (WVCs) by facilitating the safe passage of wildlife beneath roadways. An estimated 1-2 million crashes between motor vehicles and large animals occur annually in […]
CAREER: Improving Lifecycle Security for Microcontroller Devices Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - Microcontroller units (MCUs) drive many security- and safety-critical embedded applications. However, they inherit software bugs present in all computing systems. Firmware vulnerabilities have thus become one of the main targets of real-world exploitation. Successful exploitation can cause disastrous consequences to critical infrastructures (e.g., power outages and plant damage) and endanger human lives (e.g., by disabling […]
CAREER: Experimental manipulation of host-microbe associations to reveal key features promoting symbiosis Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - Many animals rely on microbial symbionts to help them gain sufficient nutrients, provide protection from predators and pathogens, or allow them to live in otherwise inhospitable environments. Studying these relationships can be difficult as it is often impossible to separate the microbes from their host. As a result, understanding of the mechanisms that underly these […]
Divergent Calcium Channels of the Apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Ca2+ ions impact almost every aspect of cellular life. Ca2+ signaling begins with the opening of Ca2+ channels in either the plasma membrane (PM) or the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and results in a dramatic increase in the physiologically low (<100 nM) cytosolic Ca2+ levels. The temporal and spatial Ca2+ levels are exquisitely regulated […]
Development of a Launch Pad AI Mobile Studio Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - Driven by the demand in artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing, in partnership with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), we propose the creation of an advanced mobile manufacturing outreach laboratory that serves as a physical and digital gateway for current and future entrepreneurs to gain exposure to state-of-the-art technology, generate value-adding ideas, and receive […]
Our Input Matters: Black Mothers’ Agency in the Formation and Implementation of Anti-Racist School Policies in Multicultural Toronto, Tianna Dowie Chin Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - Parents are typically viewed as an essential part of the school and community; however, Black mothers are seldom positioned this way. As such, this study expands on a year-long research study that centered the onto-epistemologies of Black mothers as they envisioned an education for their children that moves beyond simply passing. While the initial study […]
Collaborative Research: Mixotrophic grazing as a strategy to meet nutritional requirements in the iron and manganese deficient Southern Ocean, Natalie Cohen Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - Mixotrophs are essential components of the Antarctic planktonic community able to photosynthesize and also ingest small particles like bacteria to meet their nutritional needs. This project aims to understand the physiological response of mixotrophs exposed to micronutrient limitation in the Southern Ocean, specifically iron, manganese and simultaneous limitation of more than one trace metal, or […]
U24 – GlyGen growth and evolution into a central resource for glycans and glycoconjugates, Michael Tiemeyer Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - GlyGen is a maturing (five years old) knowledgebase that accumulates data in the glycobiology domain and connects it with other data types. GlyGen is unique; no other present or prior informatic resource has undertaken such an integrative mission. In part, the lagging growth of accessible knowledge in the glycobiology domain, compared to other -omics or biomedical research fields, reflects the inherent complexity […]
CAREER: Low-dimensional topology via Floer theory Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - The focus of this project is investigating a variety of questions in low dimensional topology, which is the study of shapes of spaces with dimension at most four. Central in this subject is the study of knotting and linking of circles in three-dimensional spaces, called knot theory. For instance, knots and links can be used […]
Impacts of the chemical and physical properties of surfactants on the hygroscopic growth of atmospheric aerosol particles, Amanda Frossard Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - This CAREER project focuses on the study of surfactant compounds in atmospheric aerosol and their effects on particle hygroscopic growth. Field collections and laboratory experiments using high resolution chemical and physical analyses will be used to assess the influence of surfactant molecular composition and associated properties on the hygroscopic growth of atmospheric particles. Hygroscopic growth […]
A Tale of Two Cities Optimizing Circularity from Molecules to the Built Environment, Jenna Jambeck Wednesday, February 15, 2023 -
Maternal diet and programming of offspring gut-brain axis, Claire de La Serre Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - Obesity continues to rise worldwide. Maternal obesity and consumption of high calorie diets continue to be public health concerns. The intrauterine and early postnatal environment provides support that is critical to the proper development and health of offspring. Maternal high fat (HF) diet consumption during pregnancy can have persistent detrimental effects on the fetus that predispose to obesity and its comorbidities. Our preliminary data in […]
Meaningful evaluation of effective and inclusive teaching through changes in policy, effective instructor development, and optimal sources of evidence, Erin Dolan Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - Efforts to promote diversity in undergraduate STEM education have made important inroads. Yet, these efforts remain stymied by cultural and structural factors that favor the status quo and lead to inequities and exclusion. LCC4 proposes to leverage the collective expertise and experiences of 16 institutions to establish and evaluate policies, develop and sustain instructional development, […]
CRII: CNS: Towards Spectrum and Energy Efficient Large-scale IoT Communications: A Cross-layer Optimization Approach, Haijian Sun Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - Although 5G has dramatically improved network capacity and spectrum efficiency (SE), the explosive growth of Internet of Things (IoT) demands for more spectrum and energy resources to support high device density and massive traffics. It is estimated that at least 5.2 GHz bandwidth is required for just eHealth Care IoT if spectrum is accessed exclusively, […]
Rovibrational Collisional Excitation of Diatomic and Triatomic Molecules by Quantum Computations and Machine Learning for Modeling of Infrared Observations, Phillip Stancil Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - Refractory elements are deemed to be incorporated into interstellar dust grains, but their observed presents in the gas-phase suggests the grains reside in turbulent environments, e.g. intense ultraviolet radiation fields or high-velocity shocks. To aid in the understanding of observations of refractory molecules, we propose to compute accurate collisional excitation rate coefficients for rotational and […]
Saving and Rehabilitating the Coastal Zone Collections of Georgia, Victor Thompson Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - The University of Georgia Laboratory of Archaeology will use funds to rehouse and digitize its paleoenvironmental archives from Georgia’s coastal zone. The collections include artifacts and documentary archives about Native American history, represented by excavations on Georgia’s barrier islands and adjacent mainland areas and pertaining to Native American sites from 4500 years ago to the […]
Multi-level predictors of structural racism and discrimination and associations with health and well being across the life course, Allan Tate Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - Systemic and structural racism is a public health crisis. However, little is known about the impact of structural racism and discrimination (SRD) on the health and emotional well-being of individuals across the life course. While prior studies have shown associations between discrimination and negative health outcomes in adults (e.g., cardiometabolic disease, depression), these studies have […]
Platform for in vivo Metabolism, Art Edison Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - Modern metabolomics have revolutionized biology and biomedical research. It is now possible to identify specific metabolic biomarkers associated with disease or response to treatment, which can translate into improved diagnostics. However, key gaps in knowledge remain that limit the impact of metabolomics. First, advances in analytical instrumentation that fueled the growth of metabolomics are limited […]
Center of Excellence for Forestry, Biodiversity, and Conservation Leadership and Green Enterprise Development in Liberia, Matthew Auer Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - The Center of Excellence for Forestry, Biodiversity, and Conservation Leadership and Green Enterprise Development (“the FBC Center”) will link the national University of Liberia with Liberia’s one-of-kind TVET, the Forestry Training Institute. Activities will include curriculum design, capacity building, soft skills development, experiential learning opportunities, mentorship, a fellowship exchange program, extension education, youth engagement, gender […]
Renewal: Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance, Brad Phillips Wednesday, January 25, 2023 - The Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) serves as the “hub” for the complimentary academic, healthcare, and translational partners that support high quality translational science and clinical research, innovative research methods, training, and career development to improve health equity in urban and rural communities across Georgia, the southeast region, and nation. Academic partners […]