University of Arizona in the News

A new study from the University of Arizona concludes people generally cope with climate change in one of two ways: by taking action to preserve the environment, or by doing nothing because they feel that their efforts would not make a significant difference. Researchers believe those insights could help policymakers communicate more effectively about the issue.

The James Webb Space Telescope has reached its destination of nearly 1 million miles from Earth. This story mentions the infrared camera on board, the NIRCam, was built in conjunction with the University of Arizona at Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Center in Palo Alto, California

University of Arizona researchers just made it easier to predict the future of forests. By combining tree-ring data with U.S. Forest Service inventory data on Arizona's ponderosa pines, the team led by Kelly Heilman, a postdoctoral research associate in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, captured a more complete model of what drives tree growth. The researchers predict a 56 to 91% decline in individual tree growth.

Biomedical engineering professor and BIO5 Institute director Jennifer Barton has spent nearly a decade developing a falloposcope to detect ovarian cancer in its early stages. Banner – University Medical Center surgeon Dr. John Heusinkveld has now used the device to capture images of study participants' fallopian tubes for the first time.

In one of the opening scenes of the Star Wars spinoff "The Book of Boba Fett," the galactic bounty hunter lies immersed in a strange pod filled with gel. Dream-like flashbacks flutter in and out as the gelatinous liquid in the so-called "bacta tank" bathes Boba Fett, healing his wounds and easing his chronic pain. Mohab Ibrahim, medical director of the University of Arizona's Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, answers questions about the bacta tank and discusses how the Disney+ show sheds light on a painful human condition impacting millions of people.

Chris Impey, a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, writes about the most highly anticipated space missions of 2022.

Up to one-third of people who have asymptomatic COVID-19 may develop any of more than 200 symptoms associated with "Long COVID" – conditions that persist more than 30 days after a positive test – including Parosmia, a condition in which normal smells register as unpleasant; difficulty breathing and shortness of breath; tiredness and fatigue; chest or stomach pain, headache, heart palpitations, and musculoskeletal pain.

Two tiny fossils, each smaller than an aspirin pill, contain fossilized nerve tissue from 508 million years ago. The bug-like Cambrian creatures could help scientists piece together the evolutionary history of modern-day spiders and scorpions. Still, it's not clear exactly where these fossils fit on the arthropod evolutionary tree, said Nicholas Strausfeld, a Regents Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Arizona, who was not involved in the study.

Friendships in the workplace don't follow the same rules as regular ones. The key is striking the right balance of being a coworker and being a friend and setting boundaries. Patricia Sias, a researcher at the University of Arizona who studies workplace friendships, said conflicting expectations is one of the five top ways work friendships fall apart.

Given no national system to distribute COVID-19 vaccines exists, with the federal government divvying it up among states and states divvying it up among medical centers, people have become frustrated with varying levels of vaccine availability and a lack of reliable information. This story reports on a continuing debate over vaccine prioritization for immuno-compromised individuals. "Where people can get into trouble is by trying to determine exactly how much is needed for protection.