Nov. 19 Research Bulletin (Texas A&M University)

How to Submit an Item to Research Bulletin

Send: Research-related news about Texas A&M faculty, staff or students at our colleges, schools or member agencies, including honors, publications, presentations and appearances in news media
Include: a URL that links directly to your news coverage, research story or professional achievement
Email: rcomm@tamu.edu

Announcements

The Division of Research invites proposals for Frontiers in Research Summits (FRS) — a new initiative bringing together Texas A&M and external researchers to explore strategic and emerging research topics. The summits aim to spark bold ideas, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and position Texas A&M as a leader in key areas of discovery. The first proposal deadline is Nov. 30.

News-Media Coverage

Access to Justice Lab, George Naufal and Bethany Patterson (Public Policy Research Institute), about how the presence of legal counsel at a criminal justice defendant’s first court hearing affects their journey through the justice system.

Little Black Book, Tim McLaughlin (Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts), about the evolution of creative and technical language and the human element behind virtual production.

NBC News, Srikanth Saripalli (Engineering), about how Waymo’s freeway robotaxi launch is a major technical step, but it still needs to prove its reliability in more complex conditions.

São Carlos No Toque, Koteswara Rao Yerra and Vanderlei Bagnato (Engineering), about how scientists combined photodynamic therapy with traditional antibiotics to significantly enhance effectiveness against the drug-resistant bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae in hospital settings. (Portuguese)

The Battalion, Mansoor Khan and Canberk Kayalar (Pharmacy), about utilizing 3D printing in medicine.

VOI, Heather Lench (Arts and Sciences), about how anger can improve performance in an office setting.

WDC News 6, Sherry Yennello (Arts and Sciences), about the development of a method to produce and isolate the rare isotope Astatine-211, which emits alpha particles and shows strong potential for precisely targeting and destroying cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissue.

Articles From Colleges and Schools

Alexandra Aucoin (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) investigated immune responses in foals exposed to Rhodococcus equi, contributing to the research of a vaccine for foal pneumonia. Veterinary Student Explores Clinical Applications for Equine Medical Research

James Tracy and Robert Coulson (Agriculture and Life Sciences) collaborated with engineers to address the issue of butterflies being drawn toward roadways while still preserving their migration paths. Research Maps Monarch Migration Along Texas Highways

Jo Osborn (Arts and Sciences) and colleagues revealed burial practices of the prehispanic Andes region of South America. Caring for the Dead: Texas A&M Collaboration Studies Archaeological Burial Practices Amidst Increasing Christian Influence

Kallie Hobbs (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) advanced care for equine sepsis by using hemoperfusion, a technology originally meant to treat COVID-19 in humans. Texas A&M Clinical Trial Transforming Care for Equine Sepsis Patients

Ke Huang (Pharmacy) developed a new patch to help heal the heart after a heart attack by repairing damaged tissue and promoting the growth of new cells. Healing the Heart After a Heart Attack

Khalil Dirani and Bassel Daher (Education and Human Development) examined ways for universities to better prepare their students for the workforce due to AI changing expectations and demands of workers. Critical Skills for AI-Driven Economy: Texas A&M Explores How Higher Ed Can Keep Up

Lindsay Dawson, Sarah Wolff, Ling Yu and Mingquan Yan (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) discovered a protein that can regenerate an entire finger joint, a monumental step in their journey to helping those with limb loss. Research Breakthrough From Texas A&M Could Help Regrow Lost Limbs

Mark Holtzapple (Engineering) and team created a new low-cost carbon capture process to pull carbon dioxide out of exhaust gases before it reaches the atmosphere. Popping the Cork on New Low-Cost Carbon Capture Method

Nicole Foley and William Murphy (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) identified a region of the X chromosome that has maintained the distinctiveness of mammal species for millions of years utilizing artificial intelligence methods. Texas A&M Researchers Use AI To Identify Genetic “Time Capsule” That Distinguishes Species

Piotr Bojakowski and Katie Custer Bojakowski (Arts and Sciences) used underwater exploration technologies to locate the wreckage site of a WWII aircraft, bringing closure to families about lost loved ones. Texas A&M Research Team Begins Search for Missing Crew of WWII Bomber

Samuel Zapata (Agriculture and Life Sciences) found that customers are more likely to purchase tomatoes that are vividly colored and flavorful regardless of where they originated. Research Shows Flavor, Color Drive Premium Prices for Texas Tomatoes

Seockmo Ku (Agriculture and Life Sciences) found that salmonella contamination can be reduced by leftover liquid from probiotic fermentation. Researchers Find Sustainable Sanitizer To Reduce Salmonella On Produce

Shashank M. Dravid (Medicine) and his research team studied the relationship between autophagy and chronic pain, developing a novel peptide therapy that provides non-opioid pain relief. Researchers Explore the Brain’s “Cleanup Crew” for Non-Opioid Pain Relief

Yuhua Farnell and Leila Chang (Agriculture and Life Sciences) built the first 3D turkey cecal organoids, new tools to help understand and fight disease. How a Texas A&M Student’s Turkey Gut Model Could Change Thanksgiving

Accomplishments

Jay Maddock and Debra Kellstedt (Public Health) wrote a new book, “Texas Hikes and Brews,” which builds on their research into health and nature by mapping 24 hikes across Texas, each coupled with a recommended craft brewery.

Funding

Christine Blackburn, Joshua Yudkin, Hye Chung Kum, Aurora Le, Robert Ohsfeldt, Hannah Rochford, Cason Schmit, Asiya Validova (Public Health), Luz Herrera (Law) and Keegan Warren (Institute for Healthcare Access) received a $5 million grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to support a project titled, “Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) in the Texas Child Centered Care (T3C) System.”
Alex Keene (Arts and Sciences) and colleagues were awarded a $3.2 million grant by the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute to study genes involved in sleep.
Fatima Alshbool, Fadi Khasawneh (Pharmacy) and Michael Golding (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support a project titled, “Investigate the Impact of Third-Hand Smoke on Platelet Function and Thrombogenesis.”
Kaylee Jackson, Carly McCord, Anita Sohn McCormick and Meredith Williamson (Medicine) received a $2.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support a project titled, “Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program.”
Jianrong Li (Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences) received a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support a project titled, “Unlocking BIN1 Function in Oligodendrocytes and Support of Axon Integrity.”
Carl Benner, Karthick Muthu Manivannan, Billy Russell and Jeffrey Wischkaemper (Engineering) received a $2.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to support a project titled, “Prevention of Wildfires From Circuit Device Faults and Failures Using Advanced Waveform Analytics.”
Scott Cooner (Transportation Institute) received a $2 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation to support a project titled, “Transportation Operation, Management and Planning Support for the Receiving Agency's Dallas District.”
Florina Erbeli, Melissa Fogarty and Erinn Whiteside (Education and Human Development) received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support a project titled, “Project ELEVATE: Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining Leaders in Special Education.”
John Hamilton (Engineering) received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to support a project titled, “2025 Texas A&M DoD Cyber Service Academy and Capacity Building.”
Lauren McIntosh and Sherry Yennello (Cyclotron Institute) received a $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to support a project titled, “211 At Production at Texas A&M University Cyclotron Institute.”
Lisette Aeschlimann, Timothy Herrman and Diamond Percivill (AgriLife Research) received a $1.3 million grant from the Food and Drug Administration to support a project titled, “Texas Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards Maintenance and Mutual Reliance.”
Fuhui Tong (Graduate and Professional School) received a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support the Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Rajarshi Guhaniyogi, Bani Mallick, Yang Ni and Tapasree Roy Sarkar (Arts and Sciences) received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support a project titled, “DMS/NIGMS 2: Bayesian Modeling of Single Cell Spatial Transcriptomics Data to Identify Significant Spatial Patterns and Genes During CRD Induced Mammary Gland Development.”
Jamilia Blake and Tamika Gilreath (Public Health) received a $1 million grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to support a project titled, “External evaluation of Child Care Rules and Minimum Standards.”
Paul Cizmas, Alexander Demblon, Darren Hartl, Dimitris Lagoudas, Richard Malak, Richard Miles and Jonathan Weaver-Rosen (Engineering) received a $1 million grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to support a project titled, “Supersonic Flight Test Design Study and Planning for Adaptive Geometries and LIDAR.”

Professional Development

Research Development Services offers faculty development programs and research funding workshops to assist in the process of applying for grants.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) offers virtual workshops that meet the face-to-face requirements of University SAP 15.99.99.M0.04. Please note that it is the responsibility of each college or school (with support or information from individual principal investigators) to ensure that all student and postdoctoral researchers associated with them are compliant with the RCR training requirements.

High Performance Research Computing offers an ongoing series of short training courses for beginning, intermediate and advanced researchers.

University Libraries presents a series of online workshops in research-related subjects, such as managing citations, managing research data, searching databases and publishing and copyright.

Events

The Schubot Center is hosting Schubot Seminar: “Cognitive and Communicative Abilities of Grey Parrots,” on Wednesday, Nov. 19, from noon -1 p.m. in Veterinary Teaching Hospital (Building 0508) Room 101. Guest lecturer Irene Pepperberg (Boston University) will review nearly 50 years of research on African Grey Parrots’ ability to use English speech sounds to communicate with humans, exploring how these skills have been used to test their intelligence in ways comparable to young children. Note: There is no parking available at this location. A Zoom option is available for those who cannot attend in person (Meeting ID: 96576272781).

The Schubot Center is also hosting Schubot Workshop: “A Review and Demonstration of the Model/Rival Technique,” on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 1-3 p.m. in the Schubot Aviary (Building 0165) Room AVI 001. Irene Pepperberg (Boston University) will demonstrate the approach developed and applied in her studies with African Grey Parrots.

The Texas A&M Institute of Data Science is hosting the "RAISE AI Bridge Summit @ Texas A&M” on Jan. 5-9, 2026. This unique, linked tutorial-seed grant initiative aims to catalyze interdisciplinary teams, translate advanced AI into novel solutions and support seed projects for future extramural funding. The AI Bridge Summit will bring together AI method experts and domain researchers with training tutorials, workshops and networking opportunities to bridge foundational and use-inspired AI research across domains. Register here.

View the research events calendar.

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025