Biological Sciences Asst. Prof. Christina Kwapich co-authored “The Guests of Ants: How Myrmecophiles Interact with Their Hosts,” which was named a PROSE Award finalist.

Four close-knit sisters found their way to UMass Lowell to study biology and education. The Peters sisters, who were home-schooled after the oldest finished third grade, are all in the Honors College, and three won Immersive Scholarships to do research.

Under a National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant, Biological Sciences Prof. Hwai-Chen Guo and five undergraduates are analyzing a group of enzymes found in the human immune system that could potentially act as targets for drugs used to treat serious diseases.

Funded by a three-year, $2.14 million National Science Foundation grant, a research team led by Asst. Prof. Nicolai Konow will work to develop a deeper understanding of how muscles function.

Biological Sciences Asst. Prof. Natalie Steinel co-authored a research paper published in Science that shows how the immune response of threespine stickleback fish to tapeworms can negatively affect the fish’s fertility.

Stickleback research is important to discoveries on immune response

Field experience courses offered during the summer allowed students to explore New England, Montana and Idaho while gaining new skills in ecology and geology.

Four University of Versailles students are taking part in a 10-week internship in biology and chemistry labs at UMass Lowell as part of a new Kennedy College of Sciences exchange program.

Biology Asst. Prof. Teresa Lee’s research to understand what information is passed between generations, from parent to child, has been awarded a three-year, $374,000 grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Biological Sciences Asst. Prof. Christina Kwapich is the curator of a new collection of 15,000 insect specimens that she uses to teach entomology.

The Kennedy College of Sciences hosted its fourth annual “Spring into Science” showcase, featuring educational and social events to highlight the importance of the field.

Amara, a social media platform designed to create a more positive experience for users, took top honors at the Rist DifferenceMaker Institute’s 10th annual $50,000 Idea Challenge, held recently at Moloney Hall.

Biology Asst. Prof. Frédéric Chain’s research on gene regulation has been recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a prestigious national faculty early-career development award.

“River Hawk Review” classes offer students a second chance to earn a passing grade in some required classes so that they don’t fall behind on their degree pathways. The summer and winter classes in chemistry, business math, computer science and college writing offer lots of individual support.

The Office of National Scholarships, run by Associate Director of Honors Scholarship and Curriculum Rae Mansfield, encourages students to apply for external scholarships for research, academic and international experiences. 

A team of researchers from UMass Lowell, Cornell University and the American Museum of Natural History is examining a family of spiders called Deinopidae to understand how these eight-legged creatures became so adept in detecting and capturing prey.

Two Honors College students who started their UML careers during the pandemic hosted a Discord server to keep in touch with other students they’d met at the summer Student Success Summit. “Riverhawk Rendezvous” has grown rapidly by hosting study groups and connecting students to clubs – and each other.

Students learned about internship opportunities at a dozen early-stage medical device and biotech startups during a networking event co-hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2) and the UML student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society.

An interdisciplinary team of UML faculty, led by Assoc. Profs. Meg Sobkowicz-Kline and Chris Hansen, have received a nearly $3 million National Science Foundation Research Traineeship award for a new graduate student program focused on developing sustainable materials and chemicals that won’t harm water resources.

Biology Prof. Matthew Nugent, who is an expert in disease biology, biochemistry and biotechnology, recently answered questions about the Delta variant and how best to protect against it.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a team of researchers led by Biology Assoc. Prof. Rick Hochberg a four-year grant worth more than $1.5 million to understand the biology and life cycle evolution of rotifers, which are a key link in the aquatic food chain.

The UTeach program, which turns science, math and engineering majors into classroom teachers, is now in its 10th year at UMass Lowell. Graduates are in great demand at local high schools, and one was named a finalist for Massachusetts STEM Teacher of the Year.

The MAGIC program, started by Chemistry Assoc. Teaching Prof. Khalilah Reddie, aims to close the health professions and medical school admissions gap for students from underrepresented groups, especially students of color, through tutoring and support. Students say MAGIC has improved their academics and their confidence, while providing them with a community.

More than 100 students in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences have volunteered to help out at Lowell General Hospital’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic, which gives about 2,000 shots each day. In addition, some nursing students are earning clinical hours while giving vaccinations.

The university has expanded its COVID-19 surveillance testing with the creation of an in-house test processing lab at Olney Science Center, where students are getting hands-on laboratory experience while helping to fight the pandemic.

The Pedroso Tutors program is providing valuable, paid classroom experience to UML education students as they help elementary school students in Lowell. The program is funded by Luis Pedroso, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who is a graduate of the Lowell Public Schools.

Thanks to a pair of three-year grants totaling more than $612,000 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Biology Asst. Prof. Jennifer L. Fish is conducting studies to understand how genetic mutations cause birth defects of the head, face and mouth.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to cripple social interaction, upend education, endanger health and disrupt business, the university’s researchers are exploring the ever-widening aspects of the virus’ presence. Several UML researchers recently earned grants to explore a wide array of COVID-19's effects.

With labs closed and all academic programs now online due to COVID-19, seniors are adapting their capstone projects. Some capstones have even taken on new relevance because they address aspects of the pandemic.

Prof. Susanna Remold, the new chair of biology, served on a White House working group on pandemic prediction. She says the U.S. response to COVID-19 was hurt by the lack of testing and contact tracking early on – and that it still lags.

As Massachusetts officials advised everyone to stay at home to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus, students are adapting to studying online – and adopting coping strategies to help manage the upheaval.

Manning School of Business students (and siblings) Brit and Easmond Tsewole spent much of their young lives overseas because of their parents’ work for the U.S. State Department. Now, they are settled into the campus where their parents, Ann and Roosevelt Tsewole, met 25 years ago.

Facilities Management worked on close to 100 projects across campus this summer, including the renovated second and third floors at Olsen Hall, the new Cumnock Courtyard and the overhaul of Coburn Hall.

A team of UMass Lowell researchers, led by Asst. Prof. Natalie Steinel of the Department of Biological Sciences, are studying fish with tapeworm parasites with the goal of improving our knowledge of the human immune system.

Jackie Kho, a sophomore biology major in the Kennedy College of Sciences, tried out for the U.S. men’s national volleyball team in Anaheim, Calif., over winter break.

The Honors College has a dedicated advisor and a “Transfermation” peer mentoring program to help transfer students. The goal: Make the transition as smooth as possible.

The subtle memory decline that can precede Alzheimer’s disease for a decade or more could be slowed or even reversed through lifestyle modifications, according to newly published research by a UMass Lowell faculty member. 

At a recent career seminar, students from a variety of majors heard from three experienced genetic counselors about the various career options in the profession, as well as the challenges and rewards of their jobs.

Associate Professor Jessica Garb will use NSF grant to figure out how Darwin’s bark spider produces its silk and what makes it so tough.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center sponsored nine high school students to do research for eight weeks on campus under its High School Apprenticeship Challenge program.

Assoc. Prof. Jessica Garb is studying the molecular composition, biomechanical properties and evolution of a type of silk produced by Darwin’s bark spider.

To help students pursue advanced health degrees, the university has increased and centralized advising support and program coordination.

Biology Asst. Prof. Jennifer L. Fish is spearheading a project to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible in patients who have genetic mutations that lead to craniofacial deformities.