BIO5 member Meredith Hay has harnessed a career’s worth of expertise in cardiovascular and brain physiology to develop a tiny peptide that she hopes will have an outsize impact on neurological health.

BIO5 member Vignesh Subbian, interim director of the BIO5 Institute, joined the judging panel for the Big Idea Challenge, which awarded funding to four U of A-Banner Health teams—including BIO5 members Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, Lisa M. Rimsza, Philipp Gutruf, and Julie G. Pilitsis—to advance promising discoveries toward clinical use and improved patient care.

This summer, six KEYS interns worked with BIO5 members and College of Pharmacy faculty Jacob Schwartz, Haining Zhu, Jianqin Lu, Kenry, Nathan Cherrington, and Bonne LaFleur.Together with their mentors, these students built skills in lab techniques, data science, and science communication, expanding their experience and knowledge of laboratory settings and the scientific process while cultivating their interest in STEM fields.

Moses Foiryolo’s journey from KEYS intern to cancer researcher highlights the power of early research experiences as he now works to develop treatments for Ewing’s sarcoma, a childhood bone cancer. Read the story.

BIO5 member and Assistant Professor of Physiology M. Maya Kaelberer, PhD, joined KOLD 13 News on a deep dive into the gut-brain connection, discussing how cells in our intestines communicate to our brains about nutrients and satiety, how our microbiome might influence our food preferences, and how we might train ourselves to make healthier food choices without missing our old favorites.

BIO5 member Jil Tardiff received a $2.59 million National Institutes of Health grant to investigate how genetic changes trigger hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with the goal of identifying early treatment strategies for this inherited heart disease. Read the story.

BIO5 member Philipp Gutruf mentored a high school student through the KEYS internship, where research focused on improving bone fracture monitoring with a wireless, battery-free sensor that attaches directly to bone, giving students hands-on experience in biomedical research. Read the story.

BIO5 member Fernando Martinez discusses why certain medications are not effective for treating asthma, and could lead to increased hospital stays instead.

BIO5 member John Galgiani discusses a promising new medication for people with severe Valley fever who have not responded to existing treatments and the need for more research and better testing.

BIO5 member Amelia Gallitano collaborated with researchers in Japan to explore how increasing the activity of a gene involved in memory could improve memory, with findings that may inform future research on dementia and mental health conditions.