UNCG Research

"Making great contributions to our region"🌟🏆
UNCG Research and Engagement is proud to share that Dr. Chartanay Bonner—UNCG's Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research Development—is one of the Triad Business Journal's 40 Under 40 award winners for 2026!
https://ow.ly/7mHZ50XGuyk

Advancing Mental Health Care in Ukraine and Beyond | School of Health and Human Sciences UNCG Social Work professor Dr. Viktor Burlaka has dedicated more than 20 years to improving mental health in vulnerable populations.

@uncg.edu #SocialWork Professor Dr. Viktor Burklaka partnered with first responders in #Ukraine to provide mental health training and resources — supporting those on the frontlines as they face trauma. #MentalHealth @uncgresearch.bsky.social
https://bit.ly/3Ky5KRN

Nature's Tiny Chemists: fungi and herbs for drug discovery, energy - UNCG Research Magazine Dr. Nick Oberlies’ UNCG lab explores cancer-fighting compounds in fungi, the chemistry of medicinal herbs, and energy from nature.

Dr. Oberlies’ lab is searching for cancer-fighting compounds in fungi, advancing research on medicinal herbs, and exploring how fungal chemistry could make electricity cheaper and safer. ⚡🔬
https://researchmagazine.uncg.edu/2025-issue/natures-tiny-chemists/?utm_campaign=UNCG+Social UNCG Research

Opportunity, Discovery and Growth: Inside UNCG’s Undergraduate Research Fellows Program  | UNC Greensboro From first-year students exploring their first lab to juniors diving into enzyme research, UNCG students are discovering what’s possible when you just say yes to opportunities. Each year, 70 high-achi...

From first-year students exploring their first lab to juniors diving into enzyme research, UNCG students are discovering what’s possible when you just say yes to opportunities.

Learn about UNCG's Undergraduate Research Fellows program at www.uncg.edu/news/opportu...
@uncgresearch.bsky.social

Wasserberg Awarded $3.7M for Sand Fly Research to Combat Parasitic Disease With NIH funding, UNCG-led team will determine how to attract and kill egg-bearing P. papatasi sand flies, to combat leishmaniasis.

UNCG has received a $3.7M NIH grant for sand fly research to combat parasitic disease leishmaniasis. The zoonotic disease affects over 1M people/year.

The team is led by @uncgresearch.bsky.social's Dr. Wasserberg with collaborators at @ncstate.bsky.social.

www.uncg.edu/news/wasserb... @uncg.edu

Female students struggling more to recover since pandemic A new study shows college women are struggling more than their male counterparts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, one of the first comparing how COVID-19 affected female and m…

In the news 🗞️ --> A publication led by Dr. Dora Gicheva of the Bryan School was featured on The Hill this Sunday. "Female students struggling more to recover since pandemic."

https://thehill.com/homenews/education/5593191-female-students-pandemic-learning-loss/

Female College Students Fall Behind in Academic Recovery from COVID, UNCG Researchers Find  | UNC Greensboro A new study led by UNCG researchers found first-year female college students are experiencing slower academic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic compared to males. 

📊 1st-year female college students are experiencing slower academic recovery from the pandemic compared to their male peers, according to a new UNCG Research study.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.uncg.edu/news/female-college-students-fall-behind-in-academic-recovery-from-covid/?utm_campaign=UNCG+Social

Roll Call: UNCG iCOMMAND institute for military advances and defense research - UNCG Research Magazine UNCG mobilizes a new defense research institute – iCOMMAND – benefiting military members from the battlefield to classroom.

iCOMMAND, our new @uncg.edu research institute for military advances and defense, benefits service members from the battlefield to the classroom. 🪖Learn how in our latest UNCG Research magazine.

researchmagazine.uncg.edu/2025-issue/r...

2025 Issue - UNCG Research Magazine In this issue, follow UNCG researchers' search for cancer-killing compounds found in fungi. Explore innovative, immersive tools transforming the arts. Learn about new initiatives positioning N.C. as a...

The 2025 UNCG Research magazine is now in print and online! Follow our @uncg.edu scholars on the search for cancer-killing compounds in fungi. Explore immersive tools transforming the arts. Meet Spartans improving the health and safety of our communities. And more: researchmagazine.uncg.edu

Machine-Readable Structural Information Is Essential for Natural Products Research Structural drawings of secondary metabolites encapsulate a wealth of information, but their static nature hinders their sharing and reuse. At a time when research increasingly relies on, and benefits from, access to comprehensive natural products “big data”, this hindrance is contrary to the norms of science. This Perspective discusses current challenges in sharing and accessing structure data and offers a simple solution, namely, publishing machine-readable text descriptors for new secondary metabolites. Requiring such descriptors will be straightforward to implement for both authors and publishers and will help derive even greater value from the efforts expended to understand the chemistry of Nature.

Hot of the Press!

Check it out! From @rokaslab.bsky.social and Oberlies Lab @uncgresearch.bsky.social

Machine-Readable Structural Information Is Essential for Natural Products Research | Journal of Natural Products pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

On August 28, the @uncg.edu Division of Research and Engagement hosted a Welcome Lunch. Vice Chancellor for Research and Engagement Sherine Obare celebrated key achievements from the past year while reflecting on UNCG’s growing research ecosystem.

Greensboro candidates talk Road to 10K housing initiatives, need for density The next council will play a critical role in making the plan to add 10,000 new units by 2030 a reality.

Renée Norris from the @uncg.edu Center for Housing and Community Studies was in the News & Record last week, discussing Greensboro's housing crisis. greensboro.com/news/local/g...

You can also learn about the CHCS's work in the UNCG Research Magazine researchmagazine.uncg.edu/2025-issue/u...

New @uncg.edu JSNN faculty member Dr. Tianqi Song is the lead author on a publication in @Nature.com this month, on methods to power tiny molecular machines made of synthetic DNA. 🔬🧬 www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnolo...

Scaling up the production of fungal perylenequinones and investigating their biosynthesis through stable isotope labeling - Microbial Cell Factories Background Perylenequinones, such as hypocrellins and hypomycins, are fungal secondary metabolites with potential for pharmaceutical and industrial applications due to both their physical and biological properties. This study focused on their sustainable production. Additionally, stable isotope labeling was used to probe the biosynthesis of these compounds, demonstrating how sugars are likely incorporated into the perylenequinone scaffold. Methods Shiraia sp. (strain MSX60519; Shiraiaceae, Pleosporales) was cultivated under varying nutrient conditions to evaluate the production of perylenequinones, with sugars serving as primary carbon sources. Five metabolites were isolated (from oatmeal cultures) using environmentally friendly solvent-based techniques, and the process was further optimized to maximize yields. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) were employed to detect, characterize, and quantify the major compounds. Furthermore, feeding experiments were performed using 13C-labeled glucose, with droplet probe mass spectrometry used to monitor stable isotope incorporation in situ. Results This study yielded three key findings. First, the production of perylenequinones was significantly enhanced by supplementing fermentation media with sugars, and disaccharides significantly enhanced the production of perylenequinones compared to monosaccharides. Optimizing sugar concentrations during the fermentation further influenced the profile of secondary metabolites. Second, stable isotope labeling experiments confirmed that sugars are the primary building blocks of perylenequinones, as noted by tracing 13C-labeling into ent-shiraiachrome A (1). Finally, a green, scalable, and sustainable strategy for producing these compounds on the gram scale was developed by optimizing fermentation conditions, refining purification methods, and improving extraction efficiency. Conclusion These findings provide critical insights into optimizing fermentation conditions for the scaled and sustainable production of perylenequinones. This approach offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly pipeline for harnessing these valuable compounds, paving the way for broader pharmaceutical and industrial applications. Graphical abstract

New publication alert!
microbialcellfactories.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

Scaling up natural products is a pivotal goal in our lab. With scaled-up pure compounds, one can begin to test the various applications of fungal natural products
@uncgresearch.bsky.social

Groundbreaking donor milk findings could impact care for preterm infants worldwide | Research And Engagement The first comprehensive international study of donor human milk, led by Dr. Maryanne Perrin, reveals significant variations in nutritional composition, with important implications for how hospitals su...

🍼 A landmark international donor milk study led by @uncg.edu's Dr. Maryanne Perrin has important implications for how hospitals care for preterm babies. 👶

Learn more 👉 research.uncg.edu/news/donor-m...

@uncghhs.bsky.social

Undergraduates Reflect on the Impact of Their Summer Research | UNC Greensboro Even during summer, research continues to grow across UNCG – a garden in the park or a ginger plant and fungal sample in the lab. Students are also growing in knowledge, using these as springboards for independent research made possible by URSCO.

Greener chemistry. Pollinator-friendly rest stops. Medicinal plants.

UNCG students share how their summer research is making a real-world impact, thanks to a one-of-a-kind program.

Read more: https://www.uncg.edu/news/undergraduates-reflect-on-summer-research/?utm_campaign=UNCG+Social

AI Innovation Challenge | Innovate UNCG

Get ready for Innovate UNCG’s first-ever AI Innovation Challenge on Friday, Oct 24! 🧠 @uncg.edu students and faculty will pitch innovative AI solutions at Union Square for a chance to win cash prizes. 💰 Pitch proposals due Sat, Oct 4!

innovate.uncg.edu/uncg-ai-inno...

Strange and unusual odds to winning it or not when it comes to Mega Millions, Powerball jackpots As jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions begin to swell, what are the odds of you actually winning it all?

ICYMI: What are your chances of winning the jackpot? 🎲 💰 @uncg.edu School of Education Associate Dean of Research Bob Henson spoke to @wxii.bsky.social to bust the myths about lottery odds and offered tips to improve your chances.

www.wxii12.com/article/lott...

Congrats to @uncg.edu Philosophy's Dr. Skillings, one of the authors on a publication in high impact journal Scientific Reports.

The study assesses whether Hawaiian mesophotic coral 🪸 reefs might serve as potential refuges for crabs 🦀 in cases of shallow reef destruction.

t.co/lV2HkEfwY9

New study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC | Research And Engagement Wasserberg lab study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into more counties in western North Carolina – and a dramatic increase in their densities.

🚨 New @uncg.edu-led study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease are spreading into new counties in western NC – and their numbers are rising. 🕷️📈

UNCG Biology's Dr. Wasserberg headed the @uncg.edu, @ncstate.bsky.social, @appalachianstate.bsky.social study, funded by the CDC via NCDHHS.

t.co/sL2ixR0mSP

How N.C. professor finds bees that fight deadly mite Peeling back the comb on a new technology that’s finding bees who know how to fight.

ICYMI: In the news 🗞️ --> Scientists at the USDA say varroa mites are the leading cause of recent honeybee die-offs. At @uncg.edu, Dr. Kaira Wagoner has developed a new way to combat these pesticide-resistant pests. 🐝 Learn more at spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-...

The Science of Aging Well: Research Excellence Award - UNCG Research Magazine 2024 Research Excellence awardee Maher discusses what motivates aging adults to be physically active, new methods, mentorship, and more.

What drives us to move? 🏃👟

2024 @uncg.edu Research Excellence Award winner Dr. Jaclyn Maher discusses what motivates older adults to be physically active, new ways to understand why we get moving, mentorship, and more.

Find out more in UNCG Research Magazine 🔗 t.co/cGB0PcpZBb @uncghhs.bsky.social

Can Pilates Really Make My Muscles ‘Long and Lean’?

In the news 🗞️ --> Dr. Anne Brady in Kinesiology spoke to the @nytimes.com about how to increase muscle mass and strength 💪 @uncg.edu @uncghhs.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/w...

You can access this article through @uncglibraries.bsky.social: login.proxy180.nclive.org/login?url=ht...

Just nine minutes of exercise can improve children's academic performance, UNCG researcher finds | Research And Engagement UNCG researcher finds just nine minutes of exercises appropriate for a classroom setting can improve children's academic performance.

Did you know that just a small amount of #exercise can increase a kid's performance on testing? Check out this #research study by Kinesiology professor Dr. Eric Drollette. @uncgresearch.bsky.social
research.uncg.edu/news/exercis...

Shields Up: UNCG cybersecurity clinic outpaces first-year expectations - UNCG Research Magazine UNCG's new Google-funded cybersecurity clinic is protecting small businesses and non-profits from emerging online threats while preparing students for high-demand careers. It is close to reaching its ...

UNCG’s new Google-funded Cybersecurity Clinic is helping small businesses and nonprofits defend against emerging online threats – while preparing students for high-demand careers.🛡️💻

🔗https://researchmagazine.uncg.edu/2025-issue/shields-up-uncg-cybersecurity-clinic-exceeds-expectations/

@uncg.edu

Improving k-12 math education with instructional coaches | Research And Engagement Kochmanski at UNCG aims to improve instructional coaching for math teachers with new, highly competitive funding from the Gates Foundation.

Dr. Nicholas Kochmanski's work to improve instructional coaching for K-12 math teachers – a project with the potential to strengthen classrooms nationwide – has received highly competitive funding from @gatesfoundation.bsky.social‬. 📚✏️

🔗 research.uncg.edu/news/improvi... @uncg.edu‬

Africa and the Future of Global Research | Research And Engagement Let’s explore how Africa is shaping the future of global research! Join us for a compelling conversation with Dr. Elsie S. Kanza, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania. This talk will explore ...

Dr. Elsie S. Kanza, ambassador for the United Republic of Tanzania, will deliver a thought-provoking presentation about Africa and the future of global research at 2 P.M. that day in the Union Square Auditorium. 📣 @uncg.edu

research.uncg.edu/event/africa-and-the-future-of-global-research/

UNCG-Developed Engagement Platform Wins Research Impact Award | Research And Engagement Collaboratory®, the UNCG-developed platform for tracking higher education engagement has won the 2025 ARIS Impact Innovation Award.

Collaboratory®, a pioneering engagement-tracking platform developed at UNC Greensboro in 2011, has won the 2025 ARIS Impact Innovation Award for its innovative approaches to research engagement and translation.

Learn more: research.uncg.edu/news/uncg-de...
@uncgresearch.bsky.social

Libraries, For Your Health Dr. Noah Lenstra's "Let's Move in Libraries" initiative is inspiring libraries in America and around the world to boost healthy living in their communities, as part of the growing library health movem...

💪 Looking to get fit? Try your local library!📚

Dr. Noah Lenstra’s Let's Move in Libraries initiative is inspiring libraries across the U.S. and around the world to boost healthy living in their communities.

Learn more at 🔗 researchmagazine.uncg.edu/2025-issue/l...

UNCG brings gardening, local foods to early childhood | Research & Engagement UNCG program collaborates with teachers, parents, and students to create gardens at Guilford County child care centers, and connects them with local farmers, to promote healthy living from early child...

The @UNCG Farm to ECE program brings gardening and local foods to child care centers, to promote healthy living from early childhood onward.

It's just one of @uncghhs's EQuIPD programs supporting early child care educators in Guilford County!

research.uncg.edu/news/uncg-br...