Research


Featured research news

Man standing at right, operating a camera, interviewing woman seated at left.
Documentary focuses on doctors struggling to meet demand for trauma care in Africa, and efforts of KU Med Center doctor, colleagues to help

Science and Technology



A new five-year, $2.5 million grant will support a KU-led project exploring alternative routes to pathogen resistance in a potential perennial oilseed crop, silflower (Silphium integrifolium). The project is funded through the federal program on Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases.
A breakthrough in understanding how a single-cell parasite makes ergosterol (its version of cholesterol) could lead to more effective drugs for human leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease that inflicts about 1 million people and kills about 30,000 people around the world every year.
A physician touches a virtual screen that displays various medical icons.
In a new study, John Symons, professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, and researchers at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita reveals the outlooks and concerns about use of artificial intelligence among frontline physicians and physicians’ assistants.

Health and Well-Being



In a new study, John Symons, professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, and researchers at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita reveals the outlooks and concerns about use of artificial intelligence among frontline physicians and physicians’ assistants.
Jeffrey Hall, professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas, finds that the latest research on links between social media use and well-being does not support dire claims or bans. His findings were published in the 25th anniversary edition of the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
An image of football players' hands touching the ground as they line up for a play.
A KU study is setting the stage to determine if there are differences in strength by position among college football players. Results showed there were differences in body type, as well as other factors, among player types that could help improve strength training for athletes.

Teaching, Learning and Behavior



A study has found that racial identity can predict parents' attitudes about racially and ethnically diverse media that their children consume, but not necessarily their beliefs. The findings partially supported various theories on racial identity and media but ultimately show parents are largely open to racially diverse content for their children, researchers argue.
Schools are one of the most resilient aspects of American society, changing little in 200 years, Yong Zhao writes. Attempts at reform have failed because they are attempted on the systemwide level. In a scholarly analysis, the KU professor of education calls for a "school within a school" approach at giving students autonomy over their own learning.
Top of Campanile
The Achievement & Assessment Institute’s Center for Certification & Competency-Based Education has launched the Competency-Based Education Research Journal, which serves to advance knowledge of competency-based education through empirical investigations, theory development articles and integrative conceptual reviews.

Arts, Architecture and Humanities



A KU School of Architecture & Design professor and alumnus promote leveraging health care to radically revamp small-town main streets in a new journal article.
A new book featuring Dan Rockhill — a proponent of D.I.Y. architecture education — shows builders how Studio 804 builds sustainably. The book details East Lawrence homes built by the School of Architecture & Design classes of 2022 and 2023.
Man standing at right, operating a camera, interviewing woman seated at left.
Documentary focuses on doctors struggling to meet demand for trauma care in Africa, and efforts of KU Med Center doctor, colleagues to help

Business, Economics and Innovation



In a new paper, Murali Mantrala, the Ned Fleming Professor of Marketing at the University of Kansas, finds that crowdsourced forecasts from ordinary customers are more accurate than those of expert fashion buyers. The research also determines an ideal crowd size and composition for predicting demand for fashion items in retail buying decisions.
Streetcar systems that prioritized taking people to highly desired locations tended to outperform those whose goals were economic development, a new University of Kansas study shows. Understanding this goal tension can help future systems meet public needs.
Silhouettes of individuals crossing a window overlooking the city in a workspace.
In a new paper, Elizabeth Embry, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Kansas, offers a theory linking health effects of trauma to performance outcomes at work, suggesting how managerial awareness of trauma manifestations is a necessary step toward workplaces becoming supportive or healing.

Law, Politics and Society



In a new paper, Anton Shirikov, assistant professor of political science at the University of Kansas, outlines how propaganda reinforces regime support and builds trust through identity-consistent messages. But the analysis also indicates that autocrats are more constrained by public opinion than previously thought.
James Yékú’s essays cast a penetrating gaze on cancel culture, other issues in "our unforgiving age of conviction." “Ambivalent Encounters and Other Essays” is published by Griots Lounge.
An image of a hand putting a ballot in a box.
"A Republic If You Can Afford It," a new book by a University of Knasas researcher and colleagues, explores how much it costs to hold elections across the country. The book is published by Cambridge University Press as part of its Cambridge Elements Series.