As the opioid crisis continues to plow through the Midwest, devastating rural communities, Nebraska sociologist Kirk Dombrowski has emerged as a leading researcher in rural drug use. Because previous drug epidemics – ‘70s speedballs, ‘80s cocaine and ‘90s crack – were urban phenomena, research and treatment have concentrated on urban drug addicts. Dombrowski’s focus on […]
Even as your knees get creakier and your hair grays, chances are you’re putting an increasingly positive spin on life. Nebraska’s Maital Neta, assistant professor of psychology, aims to understand why people interpret ambiguous everyday events (are they whispering about me?) more favorably as they age. Her research could one day help inform treatment options […]
When an inventor revolutionizes an entire field, no gesture honoring that legacy seems grand enough. Such was the case for Myron Brakke, a pioneering Nebraska plant virologist. In the 1940s, he codesigned a swinging-bucket rotor for the centrifuge, transforming research in virology and cellular biology. Changing the mechanics solved a major problem: keeping test tubes […]
Most gene therapies, a long-sought method for treating numerous medical conditions, have yet to achieve both safety and effectiveness. Nebraska biomedical engineer Angela Pannier’s novel research is finding ways to overcome the technique’s significant hurdles. For her achievements, Pannier received a 2017 National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Award, an honor that supports exceptionally […]