Department: Office of Research

UT Research Foundation Honors Innovators Advancing Discovery, Commercialization, and Economic Growth

Written by Lee Ferguson

|
Research
Photo of Innovation Awards

The University of Tennessee Research Foundation (UTRF) recently recognized some of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s innovators, whose research is generating new intellectual property, licenses, and startup companies, reflecting the depth of discovery at the university and the growing momentum behind its innovation portfolio. The 2025 Innovation Awards luncheon for UT Health Sciences… Read More

Tennessee Health Leaders Visit UT Health Sciences for ‘Conversation Among Partners’

Written by Peggy Reisser

|
Clinical CarePublic ServiceResearch

“It is good to be here and partner with you,” Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner John Dunn, DVM, PhD, said during a visit to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s Memphis campus Thursday, Dec. 11. Commissioner Dunn and members of his leadership team came to Memphis to officially present three rural health grants to… Read More

A Lifelong Passion for Research and Discovery

Written by Nathan Ball

|
EducationResearch
Dr. Duane Miller Portrait

“New discoveries in science are more important to me than money.” That’s how researcher Duane Miller, PhD, describes the passion that has driven his career. “You can’t understand the excitement you have when you find out that one of your drugs works the way you think it should, or you get a surprise, the fact… Read More

UT Health Sciences Researchers Demonstrate Breakthroughs in Cancer Treatment Quality Through AI-Enhanced Data Analytics

Written by Communications and Marketing

|
Clinical CareResearch
Dr. David Schwartz headshot

Cancer researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center have published three groundbreaking studies demonstrating how advanced artificial intelligence and population health analytics can identify and address barriers to quality cancer care. Funded by a Practice Transformation and Enhancement grant from the Tennessee Department of Health, the work documents key technical steps leading to… Read More

Brain-on-a-Chip Revolutionizes Fight Against Deadly Encephalitis Viruses

Written by Lee Ferguson

|
Research
Photo of a brain-on-a-chip

Inside a lab at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, a transparent chip no bigger than a stick of gum could be changing the way scientists study the human brain and how they fight some of the world’s most dangerous viruses. Colleen Jonsson, PhD, Harriet S. Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in Virology and… Read More

Pioneering Breakthroughs in Epilepsy and Cancer Treatment Research

Written by Nathan Ball

|
Research
Portrait of Dr. Wei Lei in the lab

When Wei Li, PhD moved to Memphis in 1999, drug discovery was not necessarily what he thought he would be doing for a career. Growing up in China, Dr. Li has always been passionate about chemistry, conducting home experiments after being introduced to the topic in middle school. He won the first-place prize in the… Read More

UT Health Science Center Leads Inaugural Tennessee Statewide Cancer Collaborative Scientific Meeting

Written by Lee Ferguson

|
Research
Photo of Dr. Jessica Snowden at the Cancer Collaborative

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center convened the first Tennessee Statewide Cancer Collaborative Scientific Meeting in Nashville on October 29-30, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and institutional partners from across the state to chart a unified course in the fight against cancer. With the theme “Advancing Cancer Research Across Tennessee,” the inaugural two-day conference highlighted… Read More

UT Health Science Center’s Liza Makowski, PhD, Helps Lead Global Conversation on GLP-1 Drugs and Cancer Risk

Written by Chris Green

|
Research
Portrait of Dr. Liza Makowski

Blockbuster drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound have transformed obesity care for millions of Americans, making them some of the most talked-about medical breakthroughs of the decade. Yet several questions remain, including their long-term effects on cancer risk. A new commentary co-authored by Professor Liza Makowski, PhD, associate director for Education and Development in the… Read More