Tiny American flag in ground at cemetery

US life expectancy took an alarming plunge amid pandemic

June 23, 2021

Life expectancy in the United States plunged by nearly two years in 2020, the largest decline since World War II, new CU Boulder research shows. Among some racial minorities, the decline was twice that of whites; and compared to 16 wealthy peer countries, the U.S. decline was 8.5 times worse.

Overlooking the town of Bailey, Colorado (Photo by Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado)

Mountain residents underestimate wildfire risk, overestimate preparedness

June 11, 2021

Hannah Brenkert-Smith has studied the role of residents' choices in wildfire risk for two decades, with one goal being to improve mitigation programs. Her most recent work near Bailey, Colorado, concludes residents often overestimate their preparation and underestimate their risk.

smoke stacks and air pollution

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy may boost babies’ obesity risk

June 10, 2021

New research shows pregnant women exposed to higher levels of air pollution have babies who grow unusually fast in the first months after birth, putting on excess fat that puts them at risk of obesity and related diseases later in life.

Sunrise over the Flatirons

Earlier sleep timing associated with lower depression risk

May 27, 2021

A study including data from more than 840,000 people found that going to bed and waking up an hour earlier was associated with 23% lower risk of depression.

A mural at a memorial site for George Floyd. Photo by munshots on Unsplash

One year later: How George Floyd’s death changed us

May 24, 2021

CU Boulder researchers share their expertise, examining four areas in which the U.S. has––and hasn’t––changed this past year, and what it could mean for the future of social and political movements, education, policing and justice in America.

A person looking at charts printed out

Data accessibility: Leveling the field for those with intellectual, developmental disabilities

May 21, 2021

Ensuring people have access to information and understand its implications is more important than ever. However, research led by Keke Wu finds that for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, some kinds of data visualizations are harder to interpret than others.

zooplankton (Daphnia dentifera)

How plankton hold secrets to preventing pandemics

May 17, 2021

Whether it’s plankton exposed to parasites or people exposed to pathogens, a host’s initial immune response plays an integral role in determining whether infection occurs and to what degree it spreads within a population, new CU Boulder research suggests.

New MERV-13 air filters and air handler unit on the CU Boulder campus. 

To prevent next pandemic, scientists say we must regulate air like food and water

May 13, 2021

A group of 39 researchers from 14 countries say we need to change how we regulate the air we breathe inside buildings, like we do the food we eat and the water we drink, in order to reduce disease transmission and prevent the next pandemic.

A student getting a vaccine

Still hesitant to get the shot? 7 COVID vaccine concerns addressed

May 5, 2021

Some worry the science was rushed. Others question whether the benefits outweigh the risks. Here's what Teresa Foley, a teaching professor of distinction in integrative physiology, tells students, acquaintances and family who are hesitant.

Students celebrate high school graduation

Greater access to birth control boosts high school graduation rates

May 5, 2021

In 2009, Colorado launched an ambitious initiative that enabled federally-funded Title X clinics to provide a broad array of birth control options for free or at a low cost. A new study shows the program significantly boosted graduation rates in the state, enabling 3,800 more women to get a diploma.

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