Health Professions and Medical Sciences News

For more than 30 years, Robert Rothman has led hundreds of RIT students on tours to the Galápagos Islands to observe the wildlife and landscape that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. Rothman’s A Paradise for Reptiles, an homage to the 19th century scientist, is an accessibly written guide for anyone interested in Darwin, the Galápagos, and reptiles in general.

Ahmad Kirmani’s research is helping to expand and improve space exploration through understanding how the metal-halide perovskite, the next-generation printable semiconductor, reacts to harsh extraterrestrial conditions and self-heals in those conditions.

Essay by James Perkins, director of the graduate medical illustration program, published by The Conversation. This essay was also republished by The Washington Post and CNN.

A new training program for RIT students, faculty, and staff aims to bolster a campus-wide approach to supporting student mental health. Nearly 300 people have completed the Mental Health First Aid Training course last semester and have received certification from the National Council of Mental Wellbeing.

In tumors, cells follow microscopic fibers, comparable to following roads through a city. Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology developed a new technique to study different features of these “fiber highways” to provide new insights into how cells move efficiently through the tumor environment.

With its five extra-large classrooms, seven makerspaces, performing arts studios, and glass box theater, the $120 million SHED complex is made for a new generation of RIT students who see themselves as makers and doers, performers, and active learners.

Twelve RIT alumni have been honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards for the 2023-2024 year. The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by each of RIT’s nine colleges, the School of Individualized Study, and the RIT Graduate School to alumni who have performed at the highest levels of their profession or who have contributed to the advancement and leadership of civic, philanthropic, or service organizations.

The Office of Veteran Student Success was created to help veterans and their families navigate the paperwork, finances, and social adjustments that come with college.

A fruitful partnership between NTID and University of Rochester has earned a funding boost to help meet the long-term goals of the Bridges to the Doctorate for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students program. A grant from the National Institutes of Health will help increase the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students entering Ph.D. programs in biomedical science fields and the number of deaf and hard-of-hearing students who successfully earn Ph.D.’s in biomedical sciences.

The College of Art and Design welcomed 226 young artists to campus for its National Portfolio Day event, where prospective students met one-on-one with faculty about their artwork and different programs.

RIT researcher Bolaji Thomas is leading a $650,000 study to compare the genetic response in cattle in sub-Saharan Africa to the parasitic disease Trypanosomiasis, or “sleeping sickness,” that attacks their blood and brain. As parasites adapt to a warming world, the biting fly that transmits Trypanosomiasis could someday migrate to northern climates.

The Rochester Business Journal features the Human Movement Lab and talks to Jason Rich, lecturer in the exercise science program. (This content may require a subscription to view.)