Features

New MSU research shows that virtual audiences can trigger real stress responses in public speakers. Even computer-generated avatars displaying negative feedback caused measurable increases in anxiety and physiological reactions.

MSU researchers have developed microscopic “TriMag” robots that could make medical treatments more precise and less invasive. The tiny devices can be guided through the body to deliver targeted therapies and destroy tumor cells.

When a cocaine addict relapses, it isn’t a matter of personal failure — it’s the biological result of their brain’s rewiring, new research finds. Scientists found that cocaine changes how the hippocampus functions, contributing to the compulsion to seek out the drug.

For years, most fertility research has focused on the embryo. But new research from Michigan State University and Rutgers Health suggests that the health of the uterus itself may be a key part of the puzzle.

MSU ecologists are using big data and advanced models to better understand why wildlife populations are declining worldwide. Their research analyzes environmental and species data to help develop more effective conservation strategies.

The Spring 2026 Research Sprint is a focused, time-limited process designed to surface where MSU faculty interests and strengths converge in One Health research, and to translate those shared priorities into a small set of clear, compelling theme areas. These themes are not awards, and they are not owned by any one unit or faculty group. They are meant to be faculty-driven starting points that can help MSU tell a coherent story about its One Health research strengths and opportunities.

One Health is a way of tackling the problems that do not fit neatly inside any single discipline: problems shaped by shared drivers across people, animals, plants, and the environments we live in. MSU One Health Research will bring together MSU faculty, staff, and trainees who work on these coupled challenges, strengthening connections across the university and supporting the collaborations that can move ideas into real-world impact.

MSU researcher Brian Nielsen is leading studies to improve horse safety and welfare. His work examines training practices and treatments to help protect horses and riders while giving the equine industry science-based guidance.

Green New DEAL paired Residential College in the Arts and Humanities students with Detroit high schoolers for an exploration of ecology through the lens of science and the arts.

Chronic pain lasts longer for women than men, and new research suggests differences in hormone-regulated immune cells, called monocytes, may help explain why.