Politics
Encryption
Our Online World Relies on Encryption. What Happens If It Fails?
Quantum computers will make traditional data encryption techniques obsolete; BU researchers have turned to physics to come up with better defenses
NEIDL
Renowned Virologist Robert A. Davey to Lead NEIDL, BU’s Infectious Diseases Research Hub
An expert on virus-host interactions and antiviral drug discovery, Davey says NEIDL will continue to focus on conducting “creative, inventive science in the safest ways possible”
AI and Stolen Art
Using AI to Identify Plundered Antiquities
BU archaeologists use machine learning algorithm to help identify stolen Cambodian statues
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From Wedding Attire to Living Room Curtains: A BU Scholar Is Unraveling the History of Brocade Weaving in Morocco
Iconic throughout history, richly woven silk brocade fabrics have evolved in purpose and utility, but a BU Fulbright Scholar is finding how the traditions are still alive today
May 31, 2025 -
What to Make of the Recent COVID Vaccine Guidance Changes—and Will You Be Eligible for a Shot This Fall?
BU infectious diseases doctor and researcher Nahid Bhadelia says a lot of people still qualify for shots, advises patients to talk with their physician
2May 28, 2025 -
Finding Non-Opioid Solutions for Low Back Pain
A robotic exosuit trial is the latest research coming out of the BU Physical Therapy Center
May 21, 2025 -
BU Students Win Janetos Climate Action Prize for Uncovering Air Quality Gaps Between Old and New Campus Buildings
Using student-designed, low-cost sensors, the team hopes to help improve classroom air quality
2May 22, 2025
CTE
NIH Awards $15M to BU-Led Effort to Diagnose CTE During Life
New study to look for potential biomarkers of progressive brain disease; former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck among the first to sign up
Research News
Brink Bites: Tracking Endangered Frogs, Why Concentration Wanders, Studying Kids’ Beliefs
Other research news, stories, and tidbits from around BU, including an AI system for detecting frog calls, a study of disrupted attention, and a project to examine children’s belief formation
Carbon Credits
Do Forest Carbon Credits Work and Actually Help the Environment?
BU environmental ecologist and alum scientist team up for study of forest carbon credits and recommend ways to boost schemes’ potential to offset emissions
Autism
What Causes Autism? And Is There an Autism Epidemic, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Says?
BU researcher Helen Tager-Flusberg founded the Coalition of Autism Scientists to advocate for robust research on the disorder—and counter myths and misinformation
Infectious Diseases
What’s It Like to Be an Infectious Diseases Outbreak Responder?
In a public education event at Boston’s Museum of Science, BU’s Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases experts empower people to make tough decisions
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Pulmonologist Darrell Kotton Is BU’s Innovator of the Year
Regenerative medicine researcher is recognized for his work in pioneering lung disease treatments with stem cell technology and accelerating scientific discovery with open-access resources
2May 1, 2025 -
Massachusetts Could See Drastic, Cascading Economic Downturn from New Trump Policies, BU Study Finds
Questrom’s Mark Williams says a combination of tariff hikes, federal funding cuts, and crackdown on immigration could cost state billions in lost growth
4May 2, 2025 -
Native Ads Are Shaping Climate Opinions. BU Researchers Say There’s a Way to Resist
A new BU study examines how fossil fuel ads can masquerade as news stories, and the techniques being used to recognize them
April 24, 2025 -
“Everyday Discrimination” Linked to Increased Anxiety and Depression Across All Groups of Americans
BU public health expert says that discrimination isn’t just an unpleasant experience, but has real health consequences
1April 30, 2025
Suicide
Red Sox Player Jarren Duran’s Suicide Attempt Admission Praised by BU Trauma Expert for Helping with Stigma
Epidemiologist, and director of BU’s Center for Trauma and Mental Health, Jaimie Gradus says “predicting suicide is a challenge”
Global Health
BU Launches an Open-Source Infectious Diseases Monitoring Tool Powered by AI and Human Experts
The Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON) is slated to become a global hub for critical information about emerging outbreaks
Elections
How Could the SAVE Act Impact Young Voters and Married People Who’ve Changed Their Name?
BU political scientist Christine Slaughter says that changing the electoral process can deter people from the polls
Hearing Loss
Trouble Hearing in Noisy Places and Crowded Spaces? Researchers Say New BU-Developed Algorithm Could Help Hearing Aid Users
Brain-inspired algorithm could improve word recognition accuracy in noisy situations by up to 40 percentage points, potentially helping with the so-called “cocktail party problem”
Awards
Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Six BU Researchers and Scholars
Winners, recognized as “visionary scientists, scholars, writers, and artists,” will use honor to support work on artificial intelligence, space science, American history, and more
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Microbes Reveal Clues About Extraterrestrial Life
BU student Natalie Lett explains the science behind biologist Jeffrey J. Marlow’s research into “extremophile” life
April 16, 2025 -
BU Sociologist and Her Students Train as Doulas to Help Inform Research on Pregnancy and Childbirth
Celeste Curington argues these care workers play an important advocacy role, especially in BIPOC communities where “birth is literally a battle”
1April 10, 2025 -
Aphasia Robs Millions of Communication. Boston University Is Helping Them Regain Their Voice
Treatments, informed by research, make BU and Sargent College a leader in combating the neurological disorder
April 7, 2025 -
“The Trade Deficit Isn’t an Emergency—It’s a Sign of America’s Strength,” Writes BU Economist
Tarek Alexander Hassan says the US trade deficit shows the country’s financial and technological ascendancy and that high tariffs may erode pillars of American economic dominance
2April 8, 2025
Research News
Brink Bites: A Super Jupiter, the Ethics of BU’s Lobster Night, the Toll of Boston’s Traffic
Other research news, stories, and tidbits from around BU, including a fresh look at a gas giant, calculating deaths caused by vehicle emissions, and an undergraduate’s study of a campus dining tradition
Mental Health
BU Researcher Teams Up with Boston’s Fathers’ UpLift to Support Black Men’s Mental Health
Trauma expert Daniel Jacobson López will help reduce mental health care stigma and train culturally competent clinicians
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Global Health
“It’s Unacceptable”: BU Mathematician Tracks How Many Deaths May Result from USAID, Medicaid Cuts
The impact trackers update in real time based on the loss of international aid programs combating HIV and tuberculosis
Accolades
BU’s Kenneth Lutchen Named AAAS Fellow
Lifetime honor for a longtime BU and engineering education leader who has championed the convergent research approach and pioneered advances in lung care
Bird Flu
How Worried Should You Be About Bird Flu?
After egg prices soar and infections spread in chickens, cows, and cats, a BU virologist is advocating for more testing and tracking
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BU School of Social Work Makes a “Transformative” Hire for Childhood Equity
Nationally renowned researcher Dolores Acevedo-Garcia launches Institute for Equity in Child Opportunity & Healthy Development
1March 20, 2025 -
Five Years Later, Scientists Study Novids—People Who’ve Never Had COVID
BU infectious diseases doctor and researcher Sabrina Assoumou says so-called “super-dodgers” could teach scientists a lot about the virus
18March 17, 2025 -
What Is Convergent Research and Why Is BU Embracing It?
University announces new push for collaborative research, aims to step up progress on major societal challenges
March 6, 2025 -
Microplastics Could Be Fueling Antibiotic Resistance, BU Study Finds
Researchers shocked to see that bacteria’s antimicrobial resistance is strengthened when exposed to plastic particles and point to a potential outsized impact on refugees
1March 11, 2025
Browse Sections
Arts & Humanities
- From Wedding Attire to Living Room Curtains: A BU Scholar Is Unraveling the History of Brocade Weaving in Morocco
- Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Six BU Researchers and Scholars
- Brink Bites: Studying Cigarette Restrictions, the Life of a Famed Poet, and Shifting Attitudes Toward Capitalism
Business
- Massachusetts Could See Drastic, Cascading Economic Downturn from New Policies, BU Study Finds
- Native Ads Are Shaping Climate Opinions. BU Researchers Say There’s a Way to Resist
- “The Trade Deficit Isn’t an Emergency—It’s a Sign of America’s Strength,” Writes BU Economist
Engineering & Computing
- Our Online World Relies on Encryption. What Happens If It Fails?
- Using AI to Identify Plundered Antiquities
- BU Students Win Janetos Climate Action Prize for Uncovering Air Quality Gaps Between Old and New Campus Buildings
Health & Medicine
- What to Make of the Recent COVID Vaccine Guidance Changes—and Will You Be Eligible for a Shot This Fall?
- Renowned Virologist Robert A. Davey to Lead NEIDL, BU’s Infectious Diseases Research Hub
- Finding Non-Opioid Solutions for Low Back Pain
Innovation
- Renowned Virologist Robert A. Davey to Lead NEIDL, BU’s Infectious Diseases Research Hub
- BU Students Win Janetos Climate Action Prize for Uncovering Air Quality Gaps Between Old and New Campus Buildings
- Native Ads Are Shaping Climate Opinions. BU Researchers Say There’s a Way to Resist
Natural Sciences
- Our Online World Relies on Encryption. What Happens If It Fails?
- Renowned Virologist Robert A. Davey to Lead NEIDL, BU’s Infectious Diseases Research Hub
- Do Forest Carbon Credits Work and Actually Help the Environment?
Research Accolades
- Brink Bites: Tracking Endangered Frogs, Why Concentration Wanders, Studying Kids’ Beliefs
- Pulmonologist Darrell Kotton Is BU’s Innovator of the Year
- Guggenheim Fellowships Awarded to Six BU Researchers and Scholars
Social Sciences
- BU Historian’s New Book Traces the Rise of Today’s Far Right Movement
- Brink Bites: Tracking Endangered Frogs, Why Concentration Wanders, Studying Kids’ Beliefs
- How Could the SAVE Act Impact Young Voters and Married People Who’ve Changed Their Name?