As grasses grew more common in Africa, most major mammal groups tried grazing on them at times during the past 4 million years, but some of the animals went extinct or switched back to browsing on trees and shrubs, according to a study led by the University of Utah. “It’s as if in a city, […]

Not every mom and dad agree on how their offspring should behave. But in genetics as in life, parenting is about knowing when your voice needs to be heard, and the best ways of doing so. Typically, compromise reigns, and one copy of each gene is inherited from each parent so that the two contribute […]

For the first time, researchers in a mid-size city have shown that pedestrian activity increases when streets have classic urban design qualities and elements such as windows overlooking the sidewalks, small and uniform building setbacks, courtyards, outdoor dining and buildings with identifying elements. In the study, published in the Journal of Urban Design, researchers at […]

A new study, led by the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System and the University of Utah and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, suggests that differences in the routines of individual providers drives variation in antibiotic prescribing more than differences in patient characteristics, standards of practice at different hospitals, or clinical settings (emergency department, primary care, urgent care). The findings are an important step toward understanding the problem of antibiotic overuse, a major public health concern given the rise in antibiotic-resistant “superbugs”.

In an effort to understand the Red Butte Creek watershed like never before, close to 50 researchers will gather to study all aspects of the creek and its surrounding watershed in a collaborative, four-day venture, July 20-23. This is a coordinated effort organized by the National Science Foundation-funded iUTAH. Faculty and students involved in the […]

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has awarded Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah its Comprehensive Cancer Center status, the highest designation possible. The announcement was made today in an award letter from NCI to Dr. Mary Beckerle, HCI’s CEO and director. The award was the result of an extensive review process that culminated in a full-day on-site visit by national cancer research experts and thought leaders in the fourth quarter of 2014.

More than a quarter of the rain and snow that falls on continents reaches the oceans as runoff. Now a new study helps show where the rest goes.

A woman coping with the burden of familial breast cancer can’t help but wonder if her young daughter will suffer the same fate. Has she inherited the same disease-causing mutation? Is it best to be prepared for the future, or to wait? During the last decade, genetic tests have been through a sea change, both in their availability and the technologies behind them. Today there are at least 34 companies that offer direct to consumer (DTC) DNA testing, some of which return health results. And now it is possible to sequence someone’s entire genetic code for the price of a laptop.

(July 1, 2015)—Some kids spend their summers at the pool. Others? They’re testing their chops at becoming the next great problem solvers at the University of Utah’s Innovation Week at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. There’s no horseback riding, campfire sing-a-longs or arts-and-crafts projects at these camps. There is plenty of fun — in the form […]

The same gene that creates elaborate head crests in domestic rock pigeons also makes head and neck feathers grow up instead of down in domesticated doves to give them head crests, although theirs are much simpler and caused by a different mutation, University of Utah researchers found. Unlike pigeons, which can have any of four […]