Natural Science

A Window to the Brain

NEUROSCIENCE - Using a novel technique he developed in Professor David A. McCormick’s neuroscience lab, postdoctoral researcher Evan Vickers is studying how the brain’s various regions react during different states of arousal, such as sleep versus wakefulness, both at the individual cell level and across large swathes of the cerebral cortex.

Exploring Volcanic Fallout

EARTH SCIENCES - Deposited in 2022 when the underwater Hunga volcano spewed a 37-mile plume into the atmosphere—the biggest eruption seen in the modern satellite era—the seafloor ash provided a unique opportunity to study the impact of sediment movement on deep-sea life. Marcus Chaknova, then a marine biology and geology major, discovered ash from the volcano, which will shape scientific research for years to come.

Workshop explores role of episodic memory in psychological disorders

Different mental health disorders can present drastically different symptoms, but many share a common thread: disruptions to episodic memory, or the ability to recall personal experiences. Students, faculty and staff in the Department of Psychology explored the role of episodic memory in mental health disorders during a recent workshop on “Episodic Memory as a Window to Understand Psychopathology.
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UO researcher develops new tool that could aid drug development

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, PHYSICS - A University of Oregon graduate student has developed a new mathematical equation that significantly improves the accuracy of the simplified computer models used to study the motion and behavior of large molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids and synthetic materials such as plastics.