Among the Academies Content

Among the Academies: Searching for New Ways to Treat Pain

Cody Kitaura — April 29, 2025 - 1:28pm

Bruce Hammock, a world-class scientist with worldwide impact, grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he collected insects and befriended and studied snakes, lizards, frogs, raccoons, possums, a deer and assorted other critters.

Among the Academies: Transforming Lives Before Birth

Cody Kitaura — March 25, 2025 - 10:58am

As one of the world鈥檚 first fetal surgeons, Diana Farmer has long been focused on the smallest of patients.

She specializes in treating birth defects inside and outside of the womb, treating congenital anomalies and cancer and performing airway and intestinal surgeries. In the late 1990s, she became the first woman in the world to perform open fetal surgery.

Among the Academies: Forecasting Earth鈥檚 Response

Jose Antonio Vadi — February 18, 2025 - 8:00am

Our planet鈥檚 history is one of extreme climate cycles that repeat across time, with insights into the Earth鈥檚 previous responses still accessible today. This is part of what Isabel Monta帽ez is working to understand 鈥� what these moments might teach us about our changing climate and future climate conditions.

Among the Academies: Solving Outbreak Mysteries

Cody Kitaura — January 28, 2025 - 2:00pm

As a wildlife veterinarian in Florida in the 1990s, Christine Kreuder Johnson could think of only one place to turn for help when she faced mysterious die-offs of birds and sea turtles: 嘿嘿视频.

Johnson had previously worked as a veterinarian to horses competing at the racetrack, but found herself increasingly drawn to puzzles at the population level, like the one she now faced at a national wildlife refuge. But she needed help.

鈥淚 had all the puzzle pieces, but I couldn鈥檛 put it together,鈥� she said.

Among the Academies: An Unseen Battle

Cody Kitaura — December 17, 2024 - 10:00am

A battle around the world is raging between plants and the changing environment, and 嘿嘿视频 researchers are on the front lines.

For example, the microbes are constantly creating new types of illnesses, while the plants 鈥� sometimes with the help of breeders 鈥� are developing new immunities.

It鈥檚 something plant geneticist Luca Comai, Ph.D. 鈥�80, a distinguished professor of plant biology, has seen firsthand through his decades of research into plant chromosomes.

Among the Academies: When Plants Step Out of the Shadows

Cody Kitaura — November 05, 2024 - 10:15am

A flowering plant might not be able to tell how many fingers you鈥檙e holding up, but it can tell whether it鈥檚 light or dark outside and might grow differently if it suddenly finds itself in the shade of another plant.

Plants do that through photoreceptors, which are a major focus of research for John Clark Lagarias, a distinguished professor emeritus of molecular and cellular biology.

Among the Academies: Defining Biology鈥檚 Systems

Jose Antonio Vadi — September 24, 2024 - 12:57pm

Our daily life consists of a science invisible to the naked eye. Think of how molecules come together to form tiny machines within different parts of our bodies, like how the neural networks of our brains are a product of neurons coming together and sending digital signals with other bodily functions.

How do we model the forces of nature that we cannot see but that are indispensable to our everyday life?

Among the Academies: Always Building

Cody Kitaura — August 27, 2024 - 2:00pm

From the earliest moments of his childhood, Gary May was building. He recalls spending countless hours assembling structures with Lego bricks and Erector sets and creating imaginary worlds and characters inspired by the comic books he loved reading and collecting.

Among the Academies: Formulas for the Environment

Cody Kitaura — July 30, 2024 - 9:00am

To understand Alan Hastings鈥� theoretical ecology research at 嘿嘿视频, sometimes it can be helpful to start by thinking about counting fish.

That鈥檚 how the distinguished professor emeritus of environmental science and policy recalled once describing his work to an immigration official in Canada while on his way to a conference.

Among the Academies: Fully Charged Trips Ahead

Jose Antonio Vadi — May 28, 2024 - 1:00pm

Some envision flying cars, but for Dan Sperling, the future is electric.

鈥淚 think there's a global acceptance that electric vehicles are the future,鈥� Sperling said. 鈥淚t's really just a question of exactly how and how fast.鈥�

For the United States, the conversion is growing, but mainly in California, where the state is an outlier.

鈥淚n China now, over a third of new car sales are electric vehicles. In Europe, it's about a quarter,鈥� Sperling said. 鈥淚n the United States, it's less than 10%.鈥�