Story Archive

Research Brief

Minnesota’s invasive tansy spread impacted by land use

A genomic study by U of M researchers sheds light on how common tansy has spread through the state.

Research Brief

Geographic, racial imbalances in investigations of sudden unexpected infant death

About 3,400 infants die suddenly and unexpectedly in the U.S. every year, but these tragic events do not fall evenly across populations. Deaths are notably higher among Indigenous and Black infants compared with white infants, and rural areas have some of the nation’s highest unexpected death rates.

Research Brief

Scientists identify conservation areas to prevent extinction for thousands of species

A coalition of conservationists and researchers have shown how we can prevent the most likely and imminent species extinctions by saving a tiny percentage of the planet’s surface.

Research Brief

Naloxone, witnessed overdoses could reduce opioid-related deaths

New study finds increased access to naloxone combined with strategies to address solitary drug use can more significantly reduce opioid-related deaths

Research Brief

Breakthrough on tar spot pathogen enables field research

University of Minnesota researchers developed and reported processes for the first time to infect corn plants in the field with the corn tar spot pathogen, a relatively new disease threatening corn production across the United States.

Research Brief

Lichen partnerships challenged by changes in the Northwoods

Biologists at the University of Minnesota have found that lichen symbioses are more complex than previously understood.

Research Brief

Why mental health care providers decide to practice in rural communities

Americans living in rural communities experience higher rates of depression and suicide than people who live in urban areas. These long-standing mental health inequities are attributed to a wide range of factors including affordability, accessibility and lingering stigmas around receiving care.

Research Brief

How supply chain management advances health care for women in rural communities

A study of health care distribution models in Senegal by the Carlson School of Management has lessons for rural care providers worldwide.

Research Brief

New study reveals stark partisan differences in perceptions of COVID-19 disparities in the U.S.

Democrats and Republicans are increasingly divided in their views of public health department authority to reduce the spread of pandemics and the root causes of inequities.

Research Brief

Exploring extremes in the search for life on Mars

While the search for life on Mars continues, U of M scientists learn more about how life might function on its arid terrain.

Research Brief

Allyship is essential to new mothers returning to work

New research reveals the most valuable ways coworkers and management can help postpartum mothers successfully return to work.

Research Brief

Scientists use ‘leaf glow’ to understand changing climate

Remotely-detected glow reveals northern ecosystem changes.

Research Brief

Sharp rise in firearm-related deaths among rural Black youth

Study finds a significant increase among Black rural youth in the U.S.

Research Brief

New Mexico lowers prescription drug costs for mental health and substance use disorders

People with mental health and substance use disorders often delay or avoid seeking health care treatment for a variety of reasons, including stigma, lack of access and the cost of visiting a clinician.

Research Brief

Extremely slow evolution in ‘living fossils’ could inform human health

The remarkably slow evolution of gars, freshwater fish species found in Minnesota lakes and rivers as well as North and Central America, could provide new insights for modern human health.

Research Brief

New insights into deadly acute respiratory distress syndrome

University of Minnesota researchers may have discovered a mechanical explanation for lung instability in cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), particularly following respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 or pneumonia.

Research Brief

Community health workers are leaving state and local public health departments

Community health workers are the frontline members of our public health workforce. They’re also among the most diverse part of that workforce — today, about 40% are non-white, and that number is increasing.

Research Brief

Only 1 in 4 rural US smokers attempted to quit during a one year period

While overall smoking rates among U.S. adults are declining, many communities remain disproportionately burdened by commercial tobacco use and the associated negative health consequences. Smoking prevalence among rural adults stood at 19.2% in 2020, compared to 14.4% for their urban counterparts. Previous research also shows rural people start smoking at younger ages and smoke more heavily than non-rural residents.

Research Brief

A crown rust fungus could help manage two highly invasive plants in Minnesota

Though some crown rust fungi are known to cause widespread damage to oat and barley crops, new research from the University of Minnesota suggests a close relative of these major pathogens could actually be a valuable asset in managing two highly invasive wetland plants in Minnesota.

Research Brief

COVID-19 deaths during core pandemic years were likely under-counted

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. may have been under-counted during the first two years of the pandemic. A new study from the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, Boston University and University of Pennsylvania, published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences, shows about 1.2 million excess deaths, meaning more natural-cause deaths than would have been expected, in the pandemic’s first 30 months.