University of Michigan News

12/17/2025

Sound artist Rebecca Goldberg, BA '07, collected the sights and sounds of Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum over the course of a year to create her latest work, aptly titled The Arb. She likens the finished work to a science project in which an active sense of wonder is sufficient impetus for engaging with the natural world.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/16/2025

“We have known for years that primary HPV testing is much more efficient; now we are doing self-sampling to allow for better access,” said Diane Harper, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Michigan Medicine, for NBC News, after the American Cancer Society announced that cervical cancer screening can now include “self-swab” HPV tests.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/15/2025

New observations are rewriting what we know about stellar explosions.

John Monnier, professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, says the recent deaths of two white dwarf stars are challenging our understanding of both novae and the powerful physics underlying star death. He spoke with Popular Science about the discovery.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/12/2025

Sports teams are making big claims about sustainability, from “carbon-neutral” arenas to fan offsets, but how much of it is actually making a difference?

Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management, and Edward Carrington, Assistant in Research in Sports Management at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, wrote for The Conversation US on sports teams' promises and reality when it comes to sustainability.

"Without verification, it’s unclear whether claimed emission reductions are permanent, accurately tracked and transparently reported."

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/11/2025

Hala Darwish, associate professor of nursing and neurology at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, discusses her research with CBS Detroit on whether virtual reality nature walks can relieve the depression and anxiety of patients with multiple sclerosis.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/11/2025

The University of Michigan is producing more startup companies than ever before, but about half of all of its spinouts are leaving the state.

Mike Psarouthakis, executive director of impact investments and strategic alliances at Innovation Partnerships, believes the ecosystem must do better to attract talent to the state. He spoke with Crain's Detroit Business on Michigan startup culture.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/10/2025

By informing listeners of their "listening age," Spotify Wrapped is "a way by which we're able to project our identity based upon our cultural consumption," said Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing at Ross School of Business, for NPR.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/09/2025

Carolyn Yoon, professor of marketing at the Ross School of Business, discusses travel rewards credit cards with WalletHub.

"From a practical standpoint, the card makes sense only if the value of rewards, credits and protections clearly exceeds the annual fee in real dollars, not just on paper."

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/09/2025

University of Michigan School of Public Health expert and chief health policy officer, Anand Parekh, weighs in on a recent recommendation by a national advisory committee to drop the universal hepatitis B vaccine requirement for newborns that is raising many questions and stirring debate.

The policy, begun in 1991, is seen as one of the country’s top public health achievements after leading to a 99 percent decrease in cases among infants and children, preventing lifelong illness, liver disease and liver cancer.

Parekh spent a decade with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, serving as deputy assistant secretary for health in the Senior Executive Service and chief medical advisor for the Bipartisan Policy Center, among other federal public health roles. He is available for interviews.

Full Q&A link in first comment ⤵️

A University of Michigan health expert weighs in on a recent recommendation by a national advisory committee to drop the universal hepatitis B vaccine requirement for newborns that is raising many questions and stirring debate.

12/09/2025

The first version of the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith that millions of Christians still recite today, was hashed out 1,700 years ago at a meeting of bishops who supported a creed endorsed by Roman emperor Constantine. “I’ve often thought that it’s nice that a piece of imperial legislation is read out (loud) every Sunday,” said David Potter, professor of classical studies at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, for AP.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/08/2025

The nursing shortage will only grow under the new federal borrowing changes after the Trump administration's cutting of nursing from a list of professional degrees. Becoming a nurse may result in a larger financial burden, fueling an already existing shortage of nurses, says, Cynthia McCurren, dean of School of Nursing at the University of Michigan-Flint. She spoke with WNEMTV5news on the issue.

Link in first comment ⬇️

12/08/2025

How does the brain change as we wake up, grow tired, and finally sleep? An international research team led by the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Department of Mathematics has created a new way to see it.

Using mouse models, the team combined:

• genetic tagging that lights up active neurons
• a cutting-edge imaging method called light-sheet microscopy
• new mathematical and computational analysis tools

Together, these techniques produced 3D, single-cell maps of which parts of the brain are active at different times of day.

The researchers observed that activity starts in deeper brain regions when mice wake, then shifts toward the cortex as wakefulness continues — a reorganization of brain networks that may hold clues to fatigue, sleep, and even mental health.

While the imaging method isn’t directly applicable to humans, the computational framework can be adapted for EEG, PET, and MRI data.

Full story linked in first comment ⤵️