_Body of Research

AI Under Examination

Drexel experts aren’t just investigating AI applications — they’re working to ensure the technology is effective, accountable and aligned with society.

_Culture / Society

The Truth about Vaping

Young adults who recognize e-cigarette marketing tactics are more likely to reject vaping, pointing to awareness as a key prevention tool.

DM a Friend for Help

Researchers examined what happens when young adults ask for support through social media.

Phishing Gets Free Rein

Despite widespread cybersecurity training, most companies make phishing difficult to report — giving scammers free rein.

The Promise and Perils of Telehealth

Digital mental health care practices are expanding access — but without regulation, could they compromise quality of care?

Ancestral Age and You

A surprising connection could provide clues about your “real” age.

Experiments in Co-living

Drexel researchers are using storytelling, community and art to build a model for intergenerational housing — placing lived experience and community voices at the center of the research process. _Photos courtesy of 2sc and Joy laB

A Formula For Success

How Drexel's seed fund and a crash course in venture capital helped a grad turn a classroom idea into a market-ready startup.

This is Your Brain in the Zone

If you’re trying to maximize your creative productivity, then you better not think about it.

_Examine

The Democratization of Diatoms

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, home to the largest collection of diatoms in the Western Hemisphere, is collaborating on Diatoms.org, an online database that will serve environmental scientists around the globe. _Story by Sarah Greenblatt

_Feature

Inner Workings, Scrutinized

What can cutting-edge imaging tell us about a queen’s timepiece, dinosaur bones and next-gen batteries? A powerful new instrument in Drexel’s science portfolio peers deep inside virtually any material, helping researchers solve mysteries across disciplines. _Story by Lini S. Kadaba _Photos by Jeff Fusco _Scans by Bita Soltan Mohammadlou

Cancer Science Without Silos: What Makes the Drexel-Jefferson Model Work

With biomedical and clinical scientists, engineers , social scientists, and public health experts on the team, oncologists in the newly designated Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center have the integrative strength to move novel treatment into action. _Story by Lini S. Kadaba _Illustrations by Scott Backal

Silence, Stigma, and the Power of Promotoras

Philadelphia’s Latino community is finding mental health support through a Drexel program rooted in the trusted Latin American tradition of lay health workers. _Story by Tim Hyland _Illustrations by Edel Rodriguez

The Science Shop Is Open

Using a community science model pioneered in Europe, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is reimagining where research questions begin. _Story by Ben Seal _Illustration by Emiliano Ponzi

Breakthrough in the Bay of Bengal

During an intensive summer in India, two Drexel first years learned the rhythms of research, the value of mentorship and the power of going off-script thanks to Drexel’s revitalized undergraduate research program. _Story by Nathalie Kaemmerer _Portrait by Jeff Fusco

The Plan to Save Camden from Floods

With data, computer models and community partnerships, Drexel experts are helping a city on the edge of the climate crisis bring its stormwater infrastructure into the 21st century. _Story by Ben Seal _Photos by Jeff Fusco

The Making of a Scientist CEO

From a spark of curiosity in high school chemistry to co-founding a cutting-edge nanomaterials startup, Greg Schwenk’s path to becoming CEO of One-D Nano is a story of tech transfer innovation fueled by Drexel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. _Story by Natalie Kostelni _Portrait by Jeff Fusco

_Medicine

Cracking Alzheimer’s Code

Researchers discover a novel regulatory mechanism in the brain that could point the way toward a possible drug treatment.

Hormones and Hearing

More evidence that estrogen may help protect against hearing loss.

Mock Organs for Real Medicine

Drexel students designed 3D-printed livers and kidneys to train surgeons worldwide, gaining first­hand research experience along the way.

Predicting Covid Severity

Scientists have a better understanding of which symptoms indicate a patient is at a higher risk of severe COVID symptoms.

Comfort Food for Community

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children has provided a community fridge full of food and other household essentials for families in need

Alzheimer’s and the Brain Biome

The brain, like the gut, may have a microbiome that influences the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Gone Mental

Understanding the brain’s wandering mind is a step toward improving mental health treatments.

The Intersection of Foster Care and Disability

The number of at-risk youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in foster care is growing, raising urgent questions about equal treatment in health and support services.

Some Shots Are Nots

Some vaccines work better than others, and scientists are trying to predict why.

_Nature / Environment

Underwater in Latin America

Flooding in Latin American cities disproportionately affects low- and middle-income neighborhoods, a multi-city analysis has shown.

Duck Study

The science of duck plumage, made accessible.

Schuylkill Watershed Shortages

New models predict drought-like conditions for the Schuylkill River watershed in 20 years.

A Portrait of the Milky Way

Using machine learning and a telescope embedded deep in the Antarctic ice, Drexel astrophysicists led efforts that yielded a first-of-its-kind image of the galaxy.

Ants In the Heat of Evolution

New research suggests the mechanisms that affect creatures’ abilities to tolerate extremely hot conditions are distinct from the ability to tolerate extreme cold.

Your Brain on Beauty

Does being in nature really improve well-being? Researchers donned high-tech headgear to gather hard data on the physiological impact of natural beauty.

Map to a Greener City

An interactive map of Philadelphia points the way for local leaders to steer environmental investments toward the neighborhoods that need them most.

_Public Health

Risks of Seizure Meds

Some medications used to manage seizures and psychiatric conditions may increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders for children during pregnancy.

The Power of Early Autism Screening

Standardized screenings, rather than usual care, are better at identifying children with a high likelihood for autism at a younger age.

A Blueprint for Clean Water

A collaboration between Drexel researchers, FMC Corp. and nonprofit partners is delivering safe drinking water to rural India — and establishing a model for future impact.

Diet Dilemmas in GI Cancer Care

Nutrition guidance could make all the difference for patients with GI cancer and their caregivers, who face major hurdles in maintaining a healthy diet.

Seafood for Thought

Eating whole fish during pregnancy — rather than omega-3 supplements — may be one of many factors linked to a lower likelihood of autism.

Home Turf

A group of students put organic turf management to the test — and their research is transforming how Drexel maintains its green spaces.

_Tech / Science

The 30,000 Meters Club

Drexel undergraduates took hands-on data collection to new heights with high-altitude balloon experiments during two solar eclipses.

Shape-Shifting Antennas

Researchers are using kirigami forms coated with MXene nanomaterials to create flexible, tunable antennas for the next generation of wireless devices.

Concrete That Heals Itself

Engineers have created fiber-reinforced concrete embedded with bacteria that can repair its own cracks.

Toxic Dyes Filter

A new light-activated nanofilament rapidly breaks down toxic dyes in wastewater — offering a more effective, energy-saving method of treating water.

Light Satellite Loads

Polymer parts coated with a Drexel-invented conductive nanomaterial could be the key to creating satellite components that won’t weigh on the bottom line.

Smart Coatings for Thermal Clothing

A “thermal paint” developed at Drexel offers new possibilities for temperature-regulating textiles and energy-efficient climate management.

Bridges Under Watch

Drexel engineers have developed a wireless, solar-powered monitor for real-time monitoring of bridge structures.