1. Cracking the da Vinci chronology: Bringing order to the works of a Renaissance genius

    Leonardo da Vinci may have been a genius, but he was also a hot mess — at least in terms of organizing his works. When he died in 1519, the Renaissance master left behind 7,000 pages of undated drawings, scientific observations and personal journals, more or less jumbled up in a box. So, when his […]

  2. With $15M boost from U.S. Navy, engineers will help detect, prevent traumatic brain injuries

    Photo of the new helmet liner system prototype that Team Wendy manufactured as a direct outcome from PANTHER research. The liner system is designed to provide enhanced protection against traumatic brain injury. Photo courtesy of Team Wendy

    With new funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, an interdisciplinary initiative led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison will continue to grow its research on concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Christian Franck, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison, started the initiative, called PANTHER, in 2017. Under his leadership, it has grown to include […]

  3. UW-Madison: Mixing donor and recipient immune systems creates tolerance of transplanted kidneys

    Photo of UW-Madison campus

    Successful kidney transplants rely on the biological compatibility of the donor and recipient but still require long-term use of drugs to tamp down the recipient’s immune system and prevent donor organ rejection. Finding a method to increase compatibility can help recipients tolerate a life-saving organ transplant without the lifelong need for anti-rejection medications. A relatively […]

  4. Wisconsin Real Estate Program to add new graduate track in affordable housing and sustainable development

    Photo of UW-Madison real estate students

    This innovative new track responds to student and market demand A new graduate-level offering from the Wisconsin School of Business will meet demand for two of the fastest-growing topics in real estate: housing affordability and sustainability. Debuting in Fall 2024, the Department of Real Estate and Urban Land Economics’ 12-credit affordable housing and sustainable development track […]

  5. UW–Madison launches PharmD Early Assurance, opening door for more Wisconsin pharmacists

    Photo of School of Pharmacy students at their pinning ceremony in May. The ceremony marks their transition from didactic course work to full-time experiential learning. UW–Madison

    The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy is introducing a new program that aims to increase access to pharmacy school and train more pharmacists to help meet the health care needs of Wisconsin. The PharmD Early Assurance program provides conditional admission to the UW–Madison Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program for high school seniors who want to become […]

  6. UW-Madison: Cancer diagnosis and treatment could get a boost from machine learning

    Photo of UW-Madison campus

    Thanks to machine learning algorithms, short pieces of DNA floating in the bloodstream of cancer patients can help doctors diagnose specific types of cancer and choose the most effective treatment for a patient.  The new analysis technique, created by University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers and published recently in Annals of Oncology, is compatible with “liquid biopsy” testing equipment […]

  7. UW-Madison water resources students get hands-on experience with creek cleanup

    Photo of Terry Bradshaw (left), president of the Menasha River Alliance, giving a rope technique demonstration with UW-Madison student Hannah Agner. (Photo by Bryce Richter/UW-Madison)

    Determined to remove a log from a large pile, several Nelson Institute Water Resources Management students leaned into their ropes in a field at Badger Farms. “You don’t think that just tying a rope around the log and yanking on it is going to do much, especially for me that’s barely over five feet tall,” […]

  8. Archaeologists uncover evidence of intentional burial, cave engravings by early human ancestor

    Photo of an entrance to the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system, part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site near Johannesburg, South Africa. Newly found grave sites and wall engravings have led a team of archaeologists to reevaluate the meaning-making capacity of an early human ancestor, Homo naledi. Photo: Jeff Miller

    New observations and excavations in South African caves have found that Homo naledi, an early human ancestor, intentionally buried their dead and made crosshatch engravings in the cave walls nearby. Fossils of Homo naledi were first discovered in these caves 10 years ago by a team of researchers led by paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, now a National Geographic Explorer in […]

  9. UW Center for Healthy Minds will research machine learning predictions of well-being

    Graphic representation of a human brain: The multi-phase project will begin with a research study with human participants to predict their momentary emotional states, especially when they are feeling distracted, lonely, self-critical or unfulfilled, times when they may benefit from micro-support. iStock photo

    High rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness and lack of purpose are taking a toll on Americans’ mental and physical health, with wide-ranging negative consequences. Unfortunately, many of those most in need of mental health services are unable to access them through traditional means. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds are working […]

  10. The right focus: Colleen McDowell is a leader in glaucoma research

    Photo of Colleen McDowell, UWL '04, who has received the Rada Distinguished Alumni Award for her work as a thought-leader in the field of glaucoma research.

    The world is coming into much better focus thanks to the research of Colleen McDowell.  Since leaving UW-La Crosse with a bachelor’s in biochemistry and microbiology in 2004, McDowell has become a highly regarded thought-leader in the field of glaucoma research.  “Her research has substantial implications for the current and future treatment of glaucoma as […]