University of Arizona in the News

In the two-plus years that COVID vaccines have been available in the U.S., the basic recipe has changed just once. But experts say SARS-CoV-2's evolutionary sprint might not be the only reason immunity can get bogged down. The body seems to fixate on the first version of the virus that it encountered, either through injection or infection – what researchers call "original antigenic sin." "I really, really hate that term," said Deepta Bhattacharya, an immunologist at the University of Arizona.

In his new memoir, Prince Harry talks about taking psychedelics to deal with the ongoing pain over the death of his mother. Grief is not a mental illness; it is a normal human experience that comes after the loss of a loved one. However, if the grief has not improved at all after a year and is affecting a person's ability to function, a diagnosis of prolonged grief, sometimes called complicated grief, might be warranted.

Many Gen Zers have rejected traditional credit in favor of new-age layaway programs. "We have sort of indoctrinated younger borrowers in the idea that having credit-card debt is bad," said University of Arizona marketing professor Anastasiya Ghosh. Ghosh's research involves polling consumers about which method of spending makes them feel the most guilty. "Credit cards are always the worst," she said. Conversely, when given the option between (a Buy Now, Pay Later program) and debit, shoppers made no moral distinction.

Few people in the U.S. know the mechanics of how to give cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Additionally, untrained bystanders usually take too long to try find a pulse or they will misidentify their own pulse as the other person's, according to University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center.

Lake Mead will need more than just rainfall to replenish itself. Last year was the driest one yet for the reservoir, and the Bureau of Reclamation estimates 2023 will bring more of the same. "The Bureau of Reclamation's latest studies expect water flows to continue to decline in the Basin this year. It is easy to lose sight of this when we see the heavy rains and flooding in California, and the destruction they have brought to some communities," said University of Arizona professor of geography, development and environment Andrea K. Gerlak.

University of Arizona Regents Professor Emeritus Robert Glennon writes about the challenges facing the Salton Sea and how it reflects the complexity of managing water in the increasingly dry U.S. Southwest.

Grief can trigger a number of cognitive, behavioral and physiological changes. Experts say there are strong evolutionary elements to how and why we endure grief. "Grief as a response may have evolved originally as a response to separation," said University of Arizona associate professor of psychology Mary-Frances O'Connor.

University of Arizona Regents Professor Emeritus of Law Robert Glennon discusses Arizona's water future, its present situation and what we can learn from its past.

Arizona Board of Regents chair-elect Fred DuVal writes the state of the university is "strong – with even more to come" and that President Robert C. "Robbins is on track to be one of the most successful and consequential presidents of UArizona in recent memory."

The University of Arizona Superfund Research Center is among the agencies that have conducted extensive water and soil quality testing on the Animas and San Juan rivers in Colorado in the wake of the 2015 leak of contaminated water from the Gold King Mine near Durango, Colorado. Karletta Chief is a professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona, an extension specialist and the community engagement core lead at the university's Superfund Research Center.