Carnegie Mellon University ———
Biological Sciences  ›  News

News

Looking for older stories? 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010

Most Recent News

Monday, June 14, 2021

The Wonder of Biology

The past year reminded Mellon College of Science alumnus Amit Srivastava of an earlier period in his life, during which he also worked unceasingly on the task in front of him. But this time, instead of working on a Carnegie Mellon University Ph.D. in biological sciences, his sleepless nights and rushed meals contributed to the efforts to give the world a light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel.
Tuesday, June 08, 2021

New Course Bridges Divide Between Art and Science

A new class taught by Rich Pell, an associate professor in the School of Art, and William Hatleberg, a postdoctoral researcher in biological sciences, aims to dispel the false dichotomy between art and science and show students how these two disciplines can work together.
Friday, May 21, 2021

DJ Brasier Receives Julius Ashkin Teaching Award

Associate Teaching Professor of Biological Sciences Daniel "DJ" Brasier has received the college’s 2021 Julius Ashkin Teaching Award for his engaging and accessible teaching.
Thursday, May 20, 2021

Carnegie Mellon, Richard King Mellon Foundation Announce Historic Partnership to Accelerate CMU’s Science and Technology Leadership and the Transformation of Hazelwood Green

Carnegie Mellon University and the Richard King Mellon Foundation today announced that the two longtime partners will together make a transformational investment in science and technology leadership at the university; in a more vibrant future for the Hazelwood neighborhood; and in Pittsburgh’s ongoing economic renaissance.
Thursday, May 06, 2021

Biology in Your Basement

This spring, Lynley Doonan offered the newly designed course Biology in Your Basement as a seven-week mini elective.
Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Senior Grace Wolczanski Receives Carnegie Mellon Women’s Association Scholarship

Grace Wolczanski was honored, along with six of her peers from each of the university's colleges, at the CMWA’s Spring Awards Reception with a $2,000 scholarship.
Friday, April 16, 2021

Tarantula’s Ubiquity Traced Back to the Cretaceous

Tarantulas are among the most notorious spiders, due in part to their size, vibrant colors and prevalence throughout the world. But one thing most people don’t know is that tarantulas are homebodies. Females and their young rarely leave their burrows and only mature males will wander to seek out a mate. How then did such a sedentary spider come to inhabit six out of seven continents? An international team of researchers, including Carnegie Mellon University’s Saoirse Foley, set out on an ancestry.com-like investigation to find the answer to this question.
Wednesday, March 31, 2021

How pathogenic bacteria weather the slings and arrows of infection

Infectious diseases are a leading cause of global mortality. During an infection, bacteria experience many different stresses — some from the host itself, some from co-colonizing microbes and others from therapies employed to treat the infection. In this arms race to outwit their competition, bacteria have evolved mechanisms to stay alive in the face of adversities. One such mechanism is the stringent response pathway. Understanding how the activation of the stringent response pathway is controlled can provide clues to treat infection.
Friday, March 12, 2021

A Tartan Team Effort

Jon Minden, professor of biological sciences, worked closely with the Tartan Testing Program to help put testing processes and protocols in place during the creation of the facility.
Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Strengthening the Chain

First, it was PPE. Then hand sanitizer. Now, it’s a vaccine that must be kept under extreme refrigeration. Whatever the material needs are for a global pandemic or other health care challenge, alumna Nicolette Louissaint finds a way to connect supplies with those who need them.
Monday, February 15, 2021

A Driving Force

Alumna’s push to advance equity and inclusion has been with her since her time as an undergrad
Tuesday, February 02, 2021

Scoring a Goal with STEM

In the Fall 2020, Soccer and Science launched in the greater Pittsburgh community, bringing fun, easy, interactive science experiments to children of refugees and immigrants.
Friday, January 29, 2021

Switches and Kernels Allow for Novelty in Early Development

To understand how changes, or novelty, is incorporated into early development without impacting viability, Veronica Hinman’s lab assembled the gene regulatory network of the sea urchin and compared it to the previously described gene regulatory network of the sea star.
Thursday, December 17, 2020

Neuroscience for Nonmajors

Arula Ratnakar teaches a neuroscience course for nonmajors through CMU's StuCo program.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Making an Impact

Recent Mellon College of Science graduate Cory Bird was honored with the Carnegie Mellon Alumni Association's 2020 Student Engagement Award to be presented Dec. 16 at a virtual Alumni Awards ceremony.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020

MCS Announces Recipients of DSF Rapid Seed Funding for COVID-19 Research

The grants are part of an innovative block grant program for interdisciplinary basic life science research supported by a generous $4 million gift from the DSF Charitable Foundation and administered by MCS.
Thursday, November 19, 2020

New Technique Isolates Brain Cells Associated With Parkinson's Disease

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new technique for isolating a type of brain cell associated with Parkinson's disease symptoms, enabling them to study that cell type in detail.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020

New Program Prepares Students for the Pharmaceutical Industry

The Master’s in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering (MS-BTPE) is a new program launching through a joint effort between Biological Sciences and Chemical Engineering that takes advantage of CMU’s unique culture of collaboration by bringing together the foundational, fundamental, and entrepreneurial expertise of both departments to prepare students for careers in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
Thursday, October 22, 2020

A Protein Pioneer

Alumna Amber Lucas’ protein sample kits help researchers get critical therapies and diagnostic tools to market quickly and safely.
Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Biology Professor Huaiying Zhang Receives NIH Grant to Study Mechanisms of Cancer Growth

Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemical Engineering Huaiying Zhang has received a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how abnormalities in the nuclear organization of a type of cancer cell affects their development.
Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Yttri, Verstynen Awarded Grant for Work on Decision Making

Carnegie Mellon University researchers Eric Yttri and Timothy Verstynen and their collaborators have been granted over $1 million from the National Institutes for Health for work on decision making.
Friday, October 02, 2020

In Network

Alumna Denise Asafu-Adjei is reframing the doctor-patient relationship and helping to diversify the field.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020

MCS Students Learn to Use Automated Science Remotely

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced Mellon College of Science researchers out of their labs, a group of undergraduate students took the opportunity to learn about the burgeoning field of automated science with the help of the innovative Emerald Cloud Lab (ECL).
Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Scientists discover why tarantulas come in vivid blues and greens

Researchers from Yale-NUS College and Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that tarantulas have the ability to see in color, contrary to previous thought, and suggest functions for their green and blue coloration
Tuesday, September 29, 2020

New Student Coalition Drives Civic Engagement

Before COVID-19, multiple student organizations at Carnegie Mellon University followed the U.S. presidential primaries, viewing them through the lens of the issues they cared about most. Groups like the Roosevelt Institute and Sustainable Earth hosted debate watch parties with food, games and good company to spur discussion and help students decide how to complete their ballots.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020

The Path to A Vaccine

Alumnus Andrei Tadique heads the development of scaling up promising COVID-19 vaccine candidates
Wednesday, September 09, 2020

SURF Study Explores the Question: What Makes Someone Attractive?

Dominique Powell aims to make research related to partner selection more inclusive
Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Welcome Incoming Ph.D. Students!

The department welcomes our incoming cohort of Ph.D. students.
Monday, August 17, 2020

Carnegie Mellon Qatar Appoints Associate Dean for Diversity, Climate

The dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) has created a new leadership role to oversee and guide the campus’ efforts to become a more diverse, inclusive and equitable learning and working community.
Friday, July 31, 2020

Graduate Students Receive Fellowships to Support their Research

Five Mellon College of Science graduate students have received fellowships this year to support their impactful research.
Friday, July 31, 2020

Biological Sciences Professor Receives Grant to Study the Genome

Professor of Biological Sciences Charles Ettensohn has received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support his research into how an organism's genome regulates the development of its body from scratch.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Ph.D. Students To Enhance STEM Diversity Through Podcast and Outreach

Biological Sciences Ph.D. candidates Alyssa Lawler and Sarah Werner received the Department of Biological Sciences’ Margaret Carver Award for Enhancing Diversity, Equitability and Inclusion. The $5,000 award can be used for any endeavor that enhances diversity, equitability and inclusion in the Carnegie Mellon University or wider community.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Biological Sciences Department Celebrates Award-Winning Ph.D. Students and Fellows

Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Biological Sciences held a virtual awards ceremony to honor its doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows who received departmental awards.
Monday, July 06, 2020

Unlocking the Power of Stem Cells

After nearly 20 years, alumnus Robert Mays is on the brink of bringing a groundbreaking stem cell therapy to market – just in time to help those suffering from COVID-19.
Friday, June 19, 2020

Schwartz Named Head of CMU's Computational Biology Department

Martial Hebert, dean of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, has named Russell Schwartz the new head of the Computational Biology Department, effective July 1.
Monday, June 01, 2020

Class of 2020 Graduate Awarded Fulbright Grant to Teach English Abroad

Namita Thomas, bachelor of science in biological sciences, applied for a Fulbright grant for the 2020-2021 cycle through CMU's Fellowships and Scholarships Office, which helped seven recent graduates complete successful applications for this year's grants.
Thursday, May 07, 2020

Defending by Zoom

In early March, Carnegie Mellon University moved to remote instruction and closed all but essential campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. As classes, meetings and office hours moved to Zoom, so did graduate student thesis defenses. Despite the unusual circumstances, several MCS Ph.D. candidates ran with this new normal to make their defense experiences memorable.
Tuesday, May 05, 2020

Biological Sciences Faculty Recognized with Carnegie Mellon's Teaching Innovation Award
Thursday, April 30, 2020

Amy Burkert Honored with Carnegie Mellon Doherty Award

Vice Provost for Education Amy Burkert was honored with the university’s Robert E. Doherty Award for Sustained Contributions to Excellence in Education.
Monday, April 13, 2020

Junior Cassie Bishop Selected as Goldwater Scholar

Cassie Bishop, a junior biological sciences major, has been named a 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation. The prestigious award supports students who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, engineering and math.
Wednesday, April 08, 2020

Meet MCS's GSA Departmental Reps

Meet MCS GSA Departmental Reps
Monday, April 06, 2020

Surya Aggarwal Receives Graduate Student Service Award

Biological Sciences Ph.D. candidate Surya D. Aggarwal received Carnegie Mellon University’s Graduate Student Service Award. The award is given annually to a graduate student who has advanced the interests of fellow graduate students, improved their quality of life on campus and/or contributed to the larger academic community.
Wednesday, April 01, 2020

Using Chemistry as a Lens to Aid in Diagnosing Diseases

A team of researchers led by a Carnegie Mellon Biological Sciences researcher has improved a powerful cellular magnification technique, making it more practical for use in clinical settings.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Intralipid Improves Efficacy of Chemotherapy Treatment

Pairing chemotherapy nanodrugs with a nutritional supplement can lessen devastating side-effects while reducing the amount of the expensive drugs needed to treat cancer according to a study from Carnegie Mellon University and Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes. In addition, pretreatment with the supplement promotes the production of tumor-killing macrophages, making it a promising complement and supplement to existing chemotherapies.
Monday, February 24, 2020

BRAIN Initiative Highlights Aryn Gittis' Parkinson's Research in Video

The BRAIN Initiative met with Carnegie Mellon University faculty member Dr. Aryn Gittis about her research on the basal ganglia and how it may lead to improved treatments for patients with Parkinson's disease.
Monday, January 27, 2020

The Future of Human Healing Lies in the Brain of a Starfish

Stem cell therapy is about to get a whole lot cheaper, thanks to the incredible regenerative powers of starfish and work being done by Professor and Head of Biological Sciences Veronica Hinman and Professor of Chemical Enginering Kris Noel Dahl with supported funding from the DSF Charitable Foundation block grant program.
Thursday, January 16, 2020

Carnegie Mellon Chosen to Host Beckman Scholars Program

The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has selected Carnegie Mellon University as a recipient of a 2020 Beckman Scholars Program Award. Carnegie Mellon was one of 12 universities chosen this year by the foundation to host a Beckman Scholars Program. Exceptional undergraduates from the departments of Biological Sciences and Chemistry will be eligible for the program. The Scholars will participate in a 15-month mentored research experience where they will learn from some of the university’s top researchers.
Friday, January 03, 2020

From Neuroscience to Novels

Carnegie Mellon University junior Kendra Adegbesan has been able to conduct research on the neuroscience of Parkinson’s disease without losing touch with her passion for fiction.
Friday, December 20, 2019

Achievement in Athletics and Academics

Thirty-one Carnegie Mellon University student-athletes were recognized at the sixth annual Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Celebration in the Posner Center.
Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Murphy Named 2020 IEEE Fellow

Robert F. Murphy, the Ray and Stephanie Lane Professor of Computational Biology and head of the Computational Biology Department at Carnegie Mellon University, has been elevated to fellow status in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest technical professional organization.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Carnegie Mellon Scientists Develop High-Throughput Fluorescence Technique for Synapse Analysis

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Biological Sciences have developed a new fluorescence-based technique that allows for the analysis of hundreds of thousands of synapses at a time. The new, high-throughput method for mapping the distribution of synapses on a neuron will accelerate neuroscience research on synaptic connectivity and how it changes during development, learning and disease.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Research Sheds Light on the Regulation of Gene Expression

New research led by Carnegie Mellon University Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Joel McManus reveals how a group of poorly understood nucleotide sequences in our DNA have a major impact on gene expression.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Aryn Gittis Awarded Grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation

Neuroscientist Aryn Gittis, an associate professor of biological sciences in the Mellon College of Science and member of the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, has been awarded a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation to advance her research on new treatment methods for Parkinson’s disease.
Friday, October 04, 2019

Eric Yttri Awarded Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant for Study on Value

Eric Yttri, an assistant professor of biological sciences and member of the Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, is a recipient of a 2019 seed grant from the Brain Research Foundation. The Yttri lab will use the funding for work on a new project to understand how value guides which behaviors we perform.
Monday, September 30, 2019

MCS Welcomes Its First Tartan Scholars

This semester, Carnegie Mellon University welcomed its first cohort of Tartan Scholars to campus. The Tartan Scholars program seeks to build a community of support and leadership among incoming first-year students who are academically high-achieving and come from low-income backgrounds.
Friday, September 13, 2019

MCS Faculty Honored with Professorships

Six Mellon College of Science (MCS) faculty members have been honored with professorships to support their work in biological sciences and physics. Alison Barth, Luisa Hiller, Veronica Hinman, Benjamin Hunt, Sandra Kuhlman and Curtis Meyer were recognized at a reception Sept. 12 in the Mellon Institute.
Wednesday, September 04, 2019

MCS Students Seek to Make an Impact as Fifth Year Scholars

Cory Bird and Miranda Mlincek have something in common — they felt that Carnegie Mellon University was missing something and they had an idea for how to change that. To accomplish their goals, the pair will be returning to campus this fall as part of the university’s Fifth Year Scholar program.
Friday, August 30, 2019

Huaiying Zhang Receives Kaufman Foundation New Investigator Award

Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Huaiying Zhang has received a New Investigator Award from the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation. The $150,000 grant will support her research on the physics and chemistry of liquid condensation in live cells, which could inform the development of new treatments for cancer
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

3D Printing Nanoparticle Neural Probes

Carnegie Mellon University’s Rahul Panat and Eric Yttri have received a R01 grant of $1.95 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use a low-cost, rapid additive manufacturing method to create a new class of high-density neural probes to record neurological data.
Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Runaway Mitochondria Cause Telomere Damage in Cells

Using a technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University's Marcel Bruchez, researchers at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center have provided the first concrete evidence for the long-held belief that sick mitochondria pollute the cells they're supposed to be supplying with power.
Monday, July 29, 2019

Jason D’Antonio Selected to AMCAS Advisory Committee

Jason D’Antonio, director of the Health Professions Program and Biological Sciences assistant teaching professor, was appointed to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) Advisory Committee.
Monday, July 29, 2019

Molecular Sensor Scouts DNA Damage and Supervises Repair

In the time it takes you to read this sentence, every cell in your body suffers some form of DNA damage. Without vigilant repair, cancer would run rampant, and now scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have gotten a glimpse of how one protein in particular keeps DNA damage in check.
Monday, July 22, 2019

Veronica Hinman Appointed Head of Department of Biological Sciences

Veronica Hinman, an expert in the field of evolutionary and developmental biology and a member of the Carnegie Mellon University faculty since 2006, has been named head of the Department of Biological Sciences in the Mellon College of Science.