University of Michigan News

04/22/2025

A new University of Michigan Psychology Department study found that a single dose of a psychedelic compound enhanced flexible learning in mice for weeks, offering insight into long-lasting brain changes that may help treat depression, PTSD, and Alzheimer's.

University of Michigan researchers have found that certain psychedelic compounds improve the brain's ability to adapt and flexibly learn new concepts over long periods.

04/22/2025

New University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability-led study finds low- and middle-income countries can lower emissions, reduce inequality, and improve well-being—challenging the idea that climate mitigation must come at a social or economic cost. Learn how 13 nations cut emissions, reduced inequality and grew their economies — all while boosting renewables. 🌍💡
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As evidence continues to pour in showing that climate change's impacts disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities around the globe, so, too, do stories showing that these communities can also pay outsized costs to implement climate solutions.

04/22/2025

As the world considers the legacy of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, his guidance on migration, economic justice and unity continues to hold critical importance amid growing political divides.

Silvia Pedraza, professor of sociology and American culture at University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts who witnessed Pope Francis in Rome and in Washington, D.C., explores how his leadership as the first Latin American pope confronted anti-immigrant rhetoric and reshaped the church’s role worldwide, transforming expectations around social justice and migrant rights.

Full Q&A:

As the world considers the legacy of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, his guidance on migration, economic justice and unity continues to hold critical importance amid growing political divides.

04/22/2025

Economists largely agree that Donald Trump’s ‘punitive’ tariffs could end trade between the U.S. and China and would be extremely painful for both countries. Iain Osgood, associate professor of political science at University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, thinks tariffs could be brought back to a relatively more “sensible” level, perhaps between 15% and 30%. via Fortune: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-punitive-china-tariffs-could-230705252.html

04/21/2025

Jennifer Robertson, professor emerita of anthropology at University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, on why Japan's birth rates are so low. via DW Communications: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Omt0-NxBsg

04/21/2025

's new story, If you know, you know. Or do you? uncovers that people who lack expertise often lack the expertise to know just how much expertise they lack. According to University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts psychologist David Dunning, even AI suffers the effect. ChatGPT may be designed to provide an answer, but it's unable to figure out whether it's the right answer. Read more: https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2025/03/28/if-you-know-you-know-or-do-you/.

04/21/2025

In rural northern Michigan, University of Michigan School of Dentistry students are addressing a critical shortage of dentists.

At Thunder Bay Community Health Service, they provide essential care, gaining hands-on experience while improving access to dental services in undeserved communities. This partnership benefits residents with expert, affordable treatments and readies students for real-world dental practice.

Full story: myumi.ch/9p6Zd

04/21/2025

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case that could determine the future of preventive health service coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

That coverage makes certain screenings like colonoscopies and mammograms, as well as vaccines and other care, available at no cost to the patient if that service is recommended for them by expert advisory panels to the U.S. government. It applies to virtually all forms of health insurance, and has been in effect more than a decade.

Learn more about the case, with perspectives from two U-M experts: https://michmed.org/nVvzB

04/21/2025

Political leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties have largely opted for a strategy of silence as President Donald Trump approaches the milestone of his first 100 days in office on April 30.

The Trump administration has rolled out an array of policy shifts—from immigration to tariffs—but, notably, there hasn’t been a substantial wave of resistance from many politicians, especially Democrats, says University of Michigan expert Jonathan Hanson of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Political leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties have largely opted for a strategy of silence as President Donald Trump approaches the milestone of his first 100 days in office on April 30. The Trump administration has rolled out an array of policy shifts—from immigration to tarif...

04/19/2025

Sarah Mills, director of the Center for EmPowering Communities at U-M Graham Sustainability Institute, on the challenges caused by high demand for electricity and aging infrastructure in Michigan. via WCMU Public Media: https://radio.wcmu.org/local-regional-news/2025-04-14/a-change-in-power-higher-demand-aging-infrastructure-and-severe-storms-challenge-michigans-grid

04/18/2025

The richest Americans will benefit the most from IRS staff cuts, writes Donald Moynihan, professor of public policy at Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. via The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/04/trump-doge-tax-irs/682471/

04/18/2025

"What if I told you that for just $2.20 per worker annually, we could prevent workplace injuries and illnesses that cost our economy $250 billion each year?" asks Rick Neitzel, professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and director of the UM Center for Occupational Health and Safety Engineering.

In this video, Neitzel explains how NIOSH's research has protected miners, firefighters, and healthcare workers for 50 years—and why recent budget cuts that eliminated two-thirds of its staff will have devastating consequences.

"Without this research, more Americans will suffer preventable injuries and illnesses, businesses will face higher costs, and families will lose loved ones to workplace accidents that could have been prevented."

Learn more: https://myumi.ch/xw75g

04/18/2025

Kate Bauer, associate professor of nutritional sciences at University of Michigan School of Public Health, on proposed federal and state restrictions on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. via The Blade: https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/culture/2025/04/14/um-professor-says-putting-restrictions-snap-benefits-wont-solve-eating-problem/stories/20250410126

04/17/2025

Research by Thiago Gonçalves-Souza, assistant research scientist in environment and sustainability at University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, shows that large, continuous natural areas protect more plants and animals than many small patches. via Great Lakes Echo: https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/04/09/in-debate-over-protecting-large-or-small-natural-areas-answer-may-be-both/

04/17/2025

In time of crisis, sport teams invested in community support

Professional sports teams focused on outreach to their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic instead of focusing solely on protecting their business models, according to a University of Michigan study.

The research, led by Kathryn Heinze, associate professor of sport management at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology, examined the reaction of men’s professional sport leagues after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers found that, in response to the crisis, leagues began reorienting their community outreach to focus on people and businesses immediately impacted by the pandemic.

“This has been somewhat of an unanswered question: How fast can organizations adapt during a crisis? We see in these data that in the first few months, sports leagues were making these shifts in their community engagement approach during the height of the pandemic, and not abandoning their local communities,” Heinze said. “These professional teams did adapt their community engagement approaches, even though they were going through their own business crises, including canceled and postponed seasons.”

Professional sports teams focused on outreach to their local communities during the COVID-19 pandemic instead of focusing solely on protecting their business models, according to a University of Michigan study.

04/17/2025

Neil Dasgupta, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Michigan Engineering, says lithium-ion EV batteries can be charged up to five times faster in cold temperatures when manufactured with more charging channels and a coating more than 100 times thinner than a human hair. via Michigan Public: https://www.michiganpublic.org/podcast/stateside/2025-04-11/stateside-podcast-ev-charging-in-winter-could-soon-speed-up

04/16/2025

The power of a snake’s venom to incapacitate its prey may depend on more than just its potency, or even the prey’s evolved tolerance to the toxin, according to new research from University of Michigan, The University of Utah, and The University of Utah.

The power of a snake's venom to incapacitate its prey may depend on more than just its potency or the prey's tolerance for the toxin—it also depends a bit on the weather, says a University of Michigan researcher.

04/16/2025

Membranes packed with charge help overcome the current salinity limit, making it easier to crystallize ocean salts and harvest valuable minerals from desalination waste

Desalination plants, a major and growing source of freshwater in dry regions, could produce less harmful waste using electricity and new membranes made at the University of Michigan.

The membranes could help desalination plants minimize or eliminate brine waste produced as a byproduct of turning seawater into drinking water. Today, liquid brine waste is stored in ponds until the water evaporates, leaving behind solid salt or a concentrated brine that can be further processed. But brine needs time to evaporate, providing ample opportunities to contaminate groundwater.

Space is also an issue. For every liter of drinking water produced at the typical desalination plant, 1.5 liters of brine are produced. Over 37 billion gallons of brine waste is produced globally every day, according to a UN study. When space for evaporation ponds is lacking, desalination plants inject the brine underground or dump it into the ocean. Rising salt levels near desalination plants can harm marine ecosystems.

“There’s a big push in the desalination industry for a better solution,” said Jovan Kamcev, U-M assistant professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Chemical Engineering and the corresponding author of the study published in Nature Chemical Engineering. “Our technology could help desalination plants be more sustainable by reducing waste while using less energy.”

Desalination plants, a major and growing source of freshwater in dry regions, could produce less harmful waste using electricity and new membranes made at the University of Michigan.