Research at SMU

Congratulations are in order for SMU geophysicist Zhong Lu! Lu, the Shuler-Foscue Chair in the Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, has been named an American Geophysical Union (AGU) fellow. AGU Fellows are recognized for their scientific eminence, demonstrated through breakthroughs, discoveries or innovations that advance the Earth and space sciences. Lu is widely known for his research and scholarship relating to volcanoes, landslides, coastal subsidence, and human-induced geohazards. He and his research team at #SMU use sophisticated satellite imaging technologies as part of their work, including interferometric synthetic aperture radar technology (called InSAR, for short), and rely heavily upon SMU’s high performance computing infrastructure for computational modeling and analysis. Lu has used the InSAR technique to detect hundreds of previously unidentified landslides on the U.S. West Coast and to spot large sinkholes in West Texas. Supported by NASA, Lu and his team have also mapped the effects of natural and human impact on Earth’s water, ecosystem and land surface. Prior to joining SMU in 2013, Lu was a physical scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cascade Volcano Observatory located in Vancouver, Washington. He earned a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and master and bachelor of science degrees in geophysics from Peking University in Beijing.   The AGU Fellows are bestowed annually to a select number of individuals who have made exceptional contributions. Since the organization’s inception in 1962, fewer than 0.1% of AGU members have been selected.

Do we need new physics? That question is being asked – again – after surprising new findings about how the universe we live in may have been formed. Using SMU’s high-performance computing capabilities, the University’s Joel Meyers and researchers from UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and The Johns Hopkins University took a closer look at measuring the absolute mass scale of neutrinos – fundamental but still mysterious particles in the world of cosmology. https://lnkd.in/ggBHpyfy

There’s no question graduate student Andrés Ruzo is an explorer. Ruzo, who is earning his Ph.D. in geophysics from #SMU, has just been recognized with a 2024 Lowell Thomas Awards by The Explorers Club, a professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation. Named for broadcast journalist and explorer Lowell Thomas, the annual award is given thematically to a group of outstanding explorers to recognize excellence in domains or fields of exploration. Ruzo is best known for his work on Peru’s Boiling River of the Amazon, where in 2011 he became the first geoscientist to receive the shamanic blessing to study this sacred Amazonian site. His work at the Boiling River has expanded since that first visit, resulting in his founding of the Boiling River Project, an international nonprofit effort to understand and protect this site and further advocate for the conservation and responsible use of geothermal systems across the globe. Learn more about Ruzo’s work and the other award recipients: https://lnkd.in/efg89nwg   And watch his TED Main Stage talk: https://lnkd.in/gdMD_CEv

Exciting news from SMU’s #Chemistry Department! Nicolay V. Tsarevsky, Associate Professor of Chemistry, has been named a 2024 American Chemical Society Fellow. The honor – given to only 1% of the 200,000 ACS members each year – recognizes Tsarevsky’s outstanding achievements and contributions to science, the profession, and the ACS community.   One of 37 members named #ACSFellows for 2024, Tsarevsky researches polymerization techniques, functional materials, coordination chemistry and catalysis, the chemistry of hypervalent compounds and the history of chemistry and chemical education.    He joined the Department of Chemistry at SMU in 2010 and has since received several awards, including an IUPAC Young Observer Fellowship, an NSF CAREER Award, and the Wilfred T. Doherty Award of the Dallas-Fort Worth Section of the ACS. https://lnkd.in/g2ubUvue

More accuracy for #genetherapy, safer treatment for patients. SMU #nanotechnology expert MinJun Kim and his team have been awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to design a nanosensor that can improve the precision of gene therapy, enabling more effective clinical trials with fewer side effects. Gene therapy works by modifying a person’s genes to treat or cure disease. The nanosensor Kim's team seeks to create will be able to quantify, characterize, and validate liposome DNA content on a single-particle basis, providing unprecedented accuracy in DNA dosage to a patient that can revolutionize the effectiveness of gene therapy clinical trials in the future. “This work represents a primary step toward bio-manufacturing that could significantly reduce the cost of gene therapy treatments while ensuring high accuracy in dose control,” said Kim, the Robert C. Womack Endowed Chair Professor at SMU Lyle School of Engineering. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g98a-Yrf

SMU student research is focused on helping millions of women and children exposed to toxic metal through small-scale mining. Kathleen Smits, professor and chair of civil and environmental engineering in SMU Lyle School of Engineering points to Mercury contamination as the greatest environmental hazard facing these artisanal miners. A new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will make it possible for #SMU environmental engineering students to travel to Colombia and explore the prevention, remediation and restoration of contaminated environments where mining is key to residents’ livelihood.   The students are tackling an overwhelming problem – small-scale mining provides almost 20 percent of the world’s gold. Artisanal mining is the livelihood of 15 million people, half women and children, in 70 countries, according to the United Nations Environmental Program. Yet, its environmental and personal health consequences are severe. Small-scale gold-mining releases 40 percent of all mercury pollution to the environment and those who mine it face life-threatening mercury poisoning.   “It’s crucial to help students understand that the goal of this project isn’t to solve all the problems associated with this activity but to make small steps toward more sustainable mining practices,” Smits says. Smits SMU’s Lyle School in 2022, bringing key research interests in water, energy and the environment, specifically land-atmosphere interactions, greenhouse gas emissions from infrastructure and the integration of sustainable environmental remediation and local knowledge.    The recent grant, from the NSF International Research Experiences for Students, funds a new program that is part of a six-year collaborative project between SMU, Colorado School of Mines and University of Colombia in Medellin, Colombia.   Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g_6TsDVG

SMU researcher Alexander Chase looks at the ocean and sees the potential for medical breakthroughs. When Chase was a young boy, the sheer diversity of plants in Earth’s tropical rainforests fascinated him. He found himself wondering, what new species were out there, waiting to be unearthed? That curiosity is why Chase now collects samples from Earth’s oceans using a new technique called Small Molecule In situ Resin Capture (SMIRC), which could be the first step in uncovering compounds that lead to next-generation antibiotics. A recent study in the journal Nature Communications by Chase and researchers at the University of California San Diego and University of California San Francisco explains how SMIRC made possible the collection of microbial natural products where they are produced in the wild, without the need to be cultured in a lab. It used an absorbent resin called HP-20, which acts like a sponge to capture the chemicals released by microbes. “The ocean is one of the least explored areas on Earth, especially the deep ocean,” said Chase. “There’s so much we don’t understand about marine microorganisms and the compounds they produce. Because of antibiotic resistance and other health challenges, there is a high priority for natural product research. With SMIRC, we now have an easily deployable system that makes it possible for researchers to study compounds previously out of reach.” Learn more about SMIRC: https://lnkd.in/gRKHD2u2

The Texoma Semiconductor Tech Hub (TSTH) has a new Regional Innovation Officer.   James Grimsley, a technology leader for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma with roots in entrepreneurism, industry and higher education, has been named to the position. As RIO, Grimsley will provide the vision and strategy for the Tech Hub and manage the day-to-day operations.   TSTH is in a critical phase of its development, Grimsley said, adding that there’s no time to lose.   “The Texoma region is poised to be a significant national and global resource for semiconductor production,” Grimsley said. “The industry is moving quickly, and so are we. Right now, we need to make people aware of the job opportunities of the future – especially younger people,’   “These semiconductor jobs are coming together more quickly than people realize,” Grimsley said. “We’re building out a regional team of education, economic development and investment partners to address the needs of existing semiconductor companies like GlobalWafers America and Texas Instruments as well as the entrepreneurs and companies of the future.”   Read more about Grimsley and the TSTH. https://lnkd.in/gZjdEA-B

A team of researchers, led by SMU paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs, has found matching sets of dinosaur footprints on what are now two different continents.   The 120-million-year-old footprints were discovered in Brazil and Cameroon, showing where land-dwelling dinosaurs were last able to freely cross between South America and Africa millions of years ago before the two continents split apart.   “We determined that in terms of age, these footprints were similar,” Jacobs said. “In their geological and plate tectonic contexts, they were also similar. In terms of their shapes, they are almost identical.” Check out CNN's story: https://lnkd.in/dGwkdunh #paleontology

Extreme heat isn't just uncomfortable—it can also take a toll on our mental health. It can impair cognitive function, disrupt sleep, limit daily activities, strain social connections, and even affect the effectiveness of certain medications. #SMU faculty member and psychotherapist Farnoosh Nouri offers these coping tips when temperatures are dangerously high:    *Limit Heat Exposure: Minimize time spent in the heat, especially during peak hours.   *Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol or caffeine, which can dehydrate you.   *Maintain Social Connections: Even if you can't meet in person, stay connected through virtual platforms.   *Monitor Medications: Some medications can impact your body's ability to regulate temperature. Consult your doctor if you have concerns.   *Seek Professional Support: If the heat is worsening your mental health, consider reaching out to a therapist for strategies to manage the effects.