University of Arizona in the News

The Colorado River's largest reservoirs stand nearly three-quarters empty, and federal officials now say there is a real danger the reservoirs could drop so low that water would no longer flow past Hoover Dam in two years. The crisis presents an opportunity, not only to address the shortage but also to begin to change the system of managing the river, said Kathy Jacobs, director of the University of Arizona’s Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions.

Scientists taking a "deep dive" into one of Webb's iconic first images have discovered dozens of energetic jets and outflows from young stars previously hidden by dust clouds. The discovery marks the beginning of a new era of investigating how stars like our Sun form, and how the radiation from nearby massive stars might affect the development of planets. "Jets like these are signposts for the most exciting part of the star formation process.

As of last week, nearly all 50 states were seeing a high or very high level of respiratory illness, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that rates will likely continue to increase. U.S. officials estimate that so far this season, there have been at least 13 million cases of flu, 120,000 hospitalizations and 7,300 deaths, including of 21 children.

The National Football League's New England Patriots will hold closed practices at the University of Arizona this week following their win in Glendale Monday against the Arizona Cardinals rather than returning home to prepare for the Raiders Sunday in Las Vegas. "This has been, so far, a really good set up for us," Patriots head coach Belichick said. "Obviously, coach (Jedd) Fisch has been very accommodating. Given us great access to everything, it's been great. It's a good program here.

University of Arizona Distinguished Professor of Astronomy Chris Impey discusses his research and his forthcoming book "Worlds Without End."

University of Arizona space scientists have a new place to ready mission packages for high-altitude balloon flights, with the opening of the Mission Integration Lab, a 4,500-square-foot building at the university Tech Park at the Bridges, which features a 43-foot tall "high bay" to suspend balloon payloads. The new facility will allow researchers and engineers to build and test hardware for balloon-borne astronomy experiments and missions.

Sarrah Hannon, a doctoral candidate in pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, is studying hormone levels in people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and how they align with patients' menstrual cycles, to assess whether hormonal fluctuations are behind the higher rates of gender dysphoria in EDS populations.

NASA last week announced approval for the Near Earth Object Surveyor mission – an infrared space telescope designed to locate potentially hazardous asteroids and comets. University of Arizona professor of planetary sciences Amy Mainzer will serve as director of the NEO Surveyor.

Research finds that green light – through LEDs or tinted glasses – may help painful conditions such as fibromyalgia and migraines. At the University of Arizona, Dr. Mohab Ibrahim, professor of anesthesiology, neurosurgery and pharmacology, has led two small clinical trials with strings of green LED lights, exposing people with migraine or the pain condition fibromyalgia who hadn't been helped by conventional treatment.

University of Arizona associate professor of psychiatry Dr. Michael Grandner, director of the university's Sleep and Health Research Program, said the best function of a high-quality sleep tracker is its ability to demonstrate when you were awake and asleep, based on sensors that detect overnight movement. In Grandner's opinion, too few physicians know the guidelines for treating insomnia and sleep disorders. Instead, Grandner recommends Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, which he has found to be effective in treating patients with post-COVID insomnia.