News Highlights

Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

Research

The Neighborhood You Grow Up in May Impact Your Cognitive Health Decades Later

Jean Choi, Elizabeth Muñoz and collaborators identified associations between neighborhood cohesion and cognitive health.

A child's sense of neighborhood cohesion could impact their cognitive health later in life.

Announcements

Philanthropic Gift Establishes Historic UT Commitment to Monitoring Texas’ Natural Resources

A transformative donation allows for the expansion of a Texas Field Station Network to study biodiversity and sustainability.

A young man in a hat holding equipment leads a group of students down a creek at a Hill Country-based field station

Research

Genes That Shape Bones Identified, Offering Clues About Our Past and Future

An application of AI to medical imaging datasets has revealed genetics of the skeletal form for the first time.

Image of human skeleton imposed over DNA double helix

Research

Webb Telescope Detects Most Distant Active Supermassive Black Hole

At about 9 solar masses, this black hole is a real lightweight compared to previously seen ones in the early universe that are typically 1...

A dense field of galaxies set against a black background of space

Research

Scientists use Exotic Stars to Tune into Hum from Cosmic Symphony

A team of astrophysicists has found evidence for gravitational waves that oscillate with periods of years to decades.

An illustration depicts colliding black holes causing waves in spacetime

Research

‘We’re All Asgardians’: New Clues about the Origin of Complex Life

All complex life, a.k.a. eukaryotes, trace their roots to a common Asgard archaean ancestor.

An evolutionary tree shows how eukaryotes are related to Asgard archaea

Features

FDA-Approved RSV Vaccine Enabled by Work of UT Molecular Biologist

Every year, millions of people become sickened by RSV, and more than 100,000 die. New vaccines with a connection to UT Austin may help turn...

A child gets a bandage after receiving a vaccination

Accolades

UT Austin Mathematician Elected to National Academy of Sciences

Cameron Gordon, a mathematician known for his research on knots, was elected to the country’s most prestigious scientific organization.

Portrait of a man

Accolades

Meet the 2023 Dean’s Honored Graduates for the College of Natural Sciences

Twenty-seven graduates are being honored for academic excellence as well as distinctions across areas, including research, service and leadership.

Image of university seal with orange background

Research

Newfound Link Between Alzheimer’s and Iron Could Lead to New Medical Interventions

A novel imaging method using DNA-based fluorescent sensors is yielding new insights about the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

A doctor shows a brain scan image to a woman in a blue hospital gown