News

The U of M Begins a Zooniverse Partnership With NASA and Adler Planetarium
In a new partnership agreement, NASA will provide funding to the Zooniverse.org teams at the University of Minnesota and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago for two years. Zooniverse is the world’s largest citizen-science platform and was co-founded by MSI PI Lucy Fortson (professor, Physics and Astronomy).
Using Big Data in the Pandemic
MSI PI Ted Pedersen (professor, Computer Science, U of M Duluth) is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition. He recently spoke to the UMD News team about developments in AI related to COVID-19 tracking, reporting, and research. Professor Pedersen uses MSI for a project to develop a method for computers to accurately determine the exact meaning of a word based on its usage.
Studying Trumpeter Swans
Trumpeter swans were nearly extinct in the lower 48 U.S. state during the last century.  Thanks to the efforts of wildlife conservationists, the species has made a comeback with thousands of birds living in Minnesota. MSI PI David Andersen (Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology) is among the researchers who are studying the swans to learn more about them.
U-Spatial 2020 Mapping Prizes
U-Spatial has named the winners for their 2020 Mapping Prizes. This annual event, which is open to students at the University of Minnesota, honors provocative and innovative map-making. See the winners on the U-Spatial website: Mapping Prize - 2020 Best Maps.
Designing a Mask
A story on the College of Science and Engineering website describes the work of MSI PI Rhonda Franklin (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Institute for Engineering in Medicine) in creating the MNmask Style 3. This face mask is designed for use by the general public, rather than medical teams.
MSI PI Marie Culhane Provides Insights Into Swine Flu
A strain of swine flu has recently been receiving media attention as a possible new pandemic that cold appear while the world is still fighting COVID-19.
Team Creates Working Heart Pump with 3D Printing and Human Cells
A multidisciplinary team that included three MSI PIs has successfully used 3D printing to create a centimeter-scale working heart pump. The structure, which is hollow and allows fluid to enter and exit, will allow researchers to better study heart function and test medicines and therapeutics. This research was the cover story of a recent issue of the journal Circulation Research, which is published by the American Heart Association.
Fungi at the Bell Museum
MSI PI Peter Kennedy (associate professor, Plant and Microbial Biology) was featured recently on the Bell Museum’s blog. Professor Kennedy is curator of fungi at the Bell. You can read the story about the collection and Professor Kennedy’s research on the Bell Museum’s website: Putting Mushrooms on the Map.
MSI PIs Studying COVID-19 Transmission and Indoor Ventilation Systems
Two MSI PIs from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Associate Professor Jiarong Hong and assistant professor Suo Yang, are studying how indoor ventilation systems affect the transmission of COVID-19. Their early research, which is being prepared for publication, modeled virus spread in elevators, classrooms, supermarkets. Future research will include other common indoor settings, such as restaurants.
MSI PIs Awarded Inaugural Abbott Professorships
MSI PIs Rhonda Franklin (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Chris Pennell (associate professor, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology; Masonic Cancer Center) have been named the inaugural Abbott Professors in Innovative Education from the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM).
Studying Plants at the Bell Museum
MSI PI Ya Yang (assistant professor, Plant and Microbial Biology)
MSI PI Named Research Director of the Horticultural Research Center
MSI PI Matthew Clark (assistant professor, Horticultural Science) has been named Research Director of the Horticultural Research Center (HRC) at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Professor Clark is an expert in breeding cold-hardy grapes and he uses software available through MSI for genetics and genomics studies that are part of this research.

Categories

Archive