Research that Matters

If ever there was a test for a research enterprise, 2020 was it. At BU, aside from maintaining ongoing projects and collaborations in a variety of fields, hundreds of scientists and researchers pivoted to COVID-19 research, from engineers developing new protective medical equipment and more secure endotracheal tubes to virologists exploring novel ways to activate the immune system and regenerative medicine scientists developing diagnostics for the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. All of them demonstrated that where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The high containment lab at the NEIDL
Microbiologist Robert Davey Virus Illustration

NEIDL: Right Place, Right Time

When news broke that an unknown and dangerous virus had reached US shores and was rapidly spreading, researchers at BU didn’t blink. By mid-March 2020, they were already working with live samples of the novel coronavirus at the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL).

New Center Builds Pandemic Resiliency

Back in January 2020, when a strange, fast-spreading, deadly virus emerged from China and threatened to become a global health crisis, the public began asking questions about masks, handwashing, contaminated surfaces, and tests. Information was scarce and public health experts began researching answers.

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Research Scientist Thushara Pillai Magnet Illustration Spark Illustration

A Star is Born. But How?

To make a star, the universe needs three ingredients: gravity, turbulence, and a magnetic field. The combination of these forces—along with a mixture of gas and dust—creates the necessary conditions for those twinkling, bright balls of light to take hold in the sky. For years, astronomers have been probing the galaxy to understand the role each factor plays when a star is born.

BU and Red Hat Extend Partnership for Cloud Research

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Grants of Note: Powering Ideas and Impact

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Lightbulb Illustration Question Mark Illustration

Where the Student Becomes the Teacher

Steve Ramirez’s students may think that when they come to his class, they are the ones learning and he is the one teaching. After all, the College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences is a renowned neuroscience researcher and a leading expert on the science of memory.

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