ANN ARBOR—The Graham Sustainability Institute at the University of Michigan has awarded more than $200,000 to support three sustainability-related research projects in Puerto Rico and Michigan. The projects vary in scale and address a range of sustainability issues, including energy and food system resilience in Puerto Rico, stormwater management on tribal lands in Michigan, and Read more

“Snow KissANN ARBOR—This week, the University of Michigan’s Nichols Arboretum peony garden begins its annual transformation from green shoots to waves of white, pink and red as it bursts into nearly 10,000 blooms. A favorite nature hideaway for U-M students and staff and for local residents, the arboretum is also home to the largest collection Read more

ANN ARBOR—Want to boost the consumption rate in the United States? Transfer wealth from the top 20 percent of earners to the bottom 80 percent, according to a University of Michigan study. The study is the first to consider the interplay between consumption, income inequality and wealth inequality, and found that such a transfer could Read more

ANN ARBOR—For Latinos, believing in a spiritual power and finding comfort in religion may buffer the negative psychological effects of neighborhood violence, according to new University of Michigan research. The results showed that witnessing and/or being a victim of neighborhood violence were linked to symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, these associations were Read more

ANN ARBOR—The same proteins that moderate nicotine dependence in the brain may be involved in regulating metabolism by acting directly on certain types of fat cells, new research from the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute shows. Previous research by LSI research assistant professor Jun Wu and others identified a new type of fat cell Read more

ANN ARBOR—Human embryonic stem cells can be guided to become the precursor tissue of the central nervous system, research led by the University of Michigan has demonstrated. The new study also reveals the important role of mechanical signals in the development of the human nervous system. While studying embryonic development using animal embryos can provide Read more

ANN ARBOR—Their most anticipated and stressful practical test is one hour away but instead of pacing anxiously or stretching in the nearby corridors, the first-year dental students at the University of Michigan are enjoying classical music in a packed lecture hall. The future dentists are listening to Mozart, Borodin and Josquin. All eyes are fixed Read more

ANN ARBOR—Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act reduced out-of-pocket medical expenses, allowing the poorest Americans to allocate their money for other life necessities, according to a new University of Michigan study. Joelle Abramowitz, an economist with the U-M Institute for Social Research, examined the extent to which the expansion alleviated the burden of out-of-pocket Read more

ANN ARBOR—Europa, a moon of Jupiter, has long been suspected of hiding a global ocean beneath its icy surface, and University of Michigan researchers have now found the strongest evidence yet to suggest it has plumes ejecting water from its subsurface into space. The researchers conducted a new analysis of old data—information captured by NASA’s Read more