Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau
Health and Medicine
Illinois professors Mikihiro Sato and Toni Liechty found that access to parks and recreation facilities and residents' physical activity.

Study: Access to parks linked with greater physical activity for some, but not all, residents

Access to parks linked with greater physical activity for some, but not all, residents

Expert Viewpoints
Nutritional sciences professor Dr. Sharon Donovan discusses the recommendations in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines recently issued by the federal government.

What does research tell us about the advice in the new US nutrition guidelines?

Dr. Sharon M. Donovan is a professor of nutritional sciences and the Melissa M. Noel Endowed Chair in Nutrition and Health, whose work centers on childhood obesity prevention and optimizing health throughout the lifespan. Donovan, who was a co-creator of the previous federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans released in 2020, spoke with News Bureau research […]

Business
Photo of Hanu Tyagi, a professor of business administration at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Study: Expedited breakthrough drug approvals linked to higher safety risks

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in operations management finds that drugs approved under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Breakthrough Therapy Designation” — a program designed to expedite promising drug treatments to patients — are associated with a significantly higher number of serious adverse events after […]

Campus News
Brian J. Gaines, professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

What’s behind the surge in redrawing legislative maps?

What accounts for the number of partisan gerrymandering efforts midway through the 10-year census cycle? Brian J. Gaines is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Honorable W. Russell Arrington Professor in State Politics at the U of I System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Gaines, who as […]

Engineering Life Sciences Photo of three grasshoppers with wings outstretched.

Grasshopper wing structure inspires design of gliding robot wings

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A collaboration between Princeton University engineers and entomologists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign began with the researchers chasing grasshoppers in a hot parking lot. Their eventual focus on the hindwings of one species of grasshopper, Schistocerca americana, the American grasshopper, is inspiring a new approach to untethered gliding flight. The scientists […]

Health and Medicine Two men in a lab

Medications could help the aging brain cope with surgery, memory impairment

Simple pharmaceutical interventions could help older brains cope with memory impairment and recovery after surgery, new studies in mice suggest.

Expert Viewpoints Kelvin Droegemeier, a man with glasses and an orange shirt.

What’s the state of the research landscape?

Academic research is a public good that reflects American values, says University of Illinois science policy expert Kelvin Droegemeier.

Expert Viewpoints Humanities Headshot of English professor and department head Justine S. Murison

At 250 years after Jane Austen’s birth, why do her novels remain so popular?

This week marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth — she was born Dec. 16, 1775 — and fans of her novels have been celebrating with tea parties, brunches and balls. Her novels — including “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma” — enjoy immense popularity. They are the subject of numerous academic […]

Expert Viewpoints Headshot of Shannon Mason, standing outside in front of a tree and wearing a hot pink blazer.

What can we learn about our country’s origins from ‘The American Revolution’ documentary?

Filmmaker Ken Burns’ new documentary — a six-part series on the American Revolution — aired on PBS in November and is now streaming. The documentary describes the American Revolution as “a war for independence, a war of conquest, a civil war and a world war,” and it aims to provide “an expansive, evenhanded look at […]

Announcements Alma Mater statue

Illinois announces first dual-credit initiative, bringing courses directly to high school students

The Learning Accelerator initiative offers the university’s popular general education courses to high school students across Illinois in the form of dual credit — at no cost to those students.

Behind the Scenes

Photo of a woman standing in front of a microphone and music stand, facing a seated group of people.

A place for artistic expression at SPEAK Café

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sharing things with strangers can sometimes be easier than sharing with a friend. That thought comes alive for me the evening I attend the SPEAK Café, a space full of song, poetry, art and expression. Hosted by local artist Shaya Robinson, the open-mic event takes place in the Rest Lab 8: Greenspace […]

photo of a crane unloading two floating wetland structures into Lake Decatur.

Building a living laboratory on a lake

DECATUR, Ill. – After more than a year of planning, our team is finally ready to launch a new phase of research. We’ve designed and built two small “islands” of wetland plants that will float on Lake Decatur. These living laboratories will help us investigate how floating wetlands may affect nutrient levels and sediment dynamics […]

More behind the scenes articles

Strategic Communications and Marketing News Bureau

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