Stories

TCU’s Institute of Behavioral Research utilizes its $3.1 million portion of a larger $11.5 million grant to advance its ACTION research project. The project includes the use of a Mobile Health Unit (MHU), which will serve individuals who either have or are at risk for acquiring HIV or a substance use disorder. The project will initially concentrate on historically underserved areas in Tarrant County.

Research scientist and co-founder of TCU’s Eos BioAnalytics Summer Mengelkoch led the study in which 79 women and 80 men were recruited and asked to have their photos taken and their blood tested to discover if there is a link between people’s attractiveness and their immune systems.

Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency created, was at first developed to act as a payment tool solely for the online universe. It has evolved from a hobby among coders to a mainstream exchange on Wall Street. There are risks, however, with getting involved with cryptocurrency and financial systems that aren’t regulated by the government. Liran Ma, professor in the department of computer science at TCU, clears up some of the confusion surrounding cryptocurrency, including complications related to cybersecurity.

According to the USDA’s Economic Research Report, the cost of beef is up nearly 20%, putting a considerable strain on family grocery budgets. Jeff Geider, director of TCU’s Institute of Ranch Management, has an extensive background not only in agriculture, but also in marketing and economics. He breaks down the reasons for the soaring cost of beef and predicts when carnivores can expect relief.

Associate professor of biology, Marlo Jeffries, and co-PI Dalton Allen (M.S. Biology 2021, Ph.D. Biology 2024) were awarded a $10,164 grant from the American Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences (AALAS) to support portions of Allen's dissertation work that aims to determine whether toxicological tests that feature marine fish embryos or invertebrates can replace those that use marine fish larvae.

A team of Texas horned lizard conservationists reached a major milestone this month with the successful release of the 1,000th captive-born reptile. Working to restore their decimated numbers, the Fort Worth Zoo partnered with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and TCU on reintroduction methodologies.

Led by the Institute of Behavioral Research director, Kevin Knight, a study team will conduct outcome research of the Federal Bureau of Prison’s (BOP) programs to assess their impact on post-release recidivism and societal adjustment. Over the next five years, the findings and recommendations will be provided to the BOP regarding potential strategies to improve the overall delivery and effectiveness of their programs.

A $410,000 grant was awarded to associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Anton Naumov, for research into near-infrared emissive nanomaterials that can be utilized for bioimaging and drug delivery applications. Naumov says that the complexity of cancer conditions needs to be addressed with therapeutic strategies performing multiple functions: drug delivery, molecular imaging tracing drug delivery pathways, and biological sensing of cancer environments.