News: 2026

April

Blood-based DNA signals may help track osteosarcoma in children

April 19, 2026

A magnifying glass zoomed in onto an orange clump.

Chuan He developed a technique known as nano-hmC-seal that labels DNA fragments carrying the 5-hmC modification, allowing scientists to map patterns of gene activity across the genome, which is now being used to create blood-based DNA signals to help track osteosarcoma. 


From chips to agents: UChicago watches NVIDIA’s vision for the next era of AI

April 19, 2026

A group of people gathered to watch Jensen Huang's GTC 2026.

DSI, CEO and the RCC co-hosted a watch party sponsored by NVIDIA for Jensen Huang's GTC 2026 keynote, one of the most anticipated talks in AI each year.
 


Largest neutrino experiment in the US wins Project of the Year Award

April 19, 2026

A long conveyor carried almost 800,000 tons of rock excavated a mile underground into the Open Cut in Lead, South Dakota.

The largest neutrino experiment in the United States was named the Project of the Year by the Underground Construction Association for completing a significant and challenging underground construction project with little or no issues.


For better sleep, one MS-ADS student turned to artificial intelligence

April 19, 2026

An artistic rendition of AI.

Like many people, Miguel Roca had long struggled to fall asleep. Podcasts helped, sometimes, soft voices narrating history or science, but they were inconsistent. So he began to wonder: what if the story could be tailored, not just to a general audience, but to him? That question led to Stories for Sleepless Nights, an AI-driven system that generates personalized bedtime stories designed to calm the mind.


A ‘blob’ in a tank is helping scientists tease out the secrets of turbulence

April 19, 2026

The Blob—a localized blob of turbulence created in a tank at the University of Chicago—is helping scientists better understand the laws of turbulent motion. Above, the motions that make up the Blob visualized through trajectories of tracer particles c

A novel experiment at UChicago reveals fundamental laws governing swirling fluids.


Celebrate Earth Day with events at UChicago

April 19, 2026

Photo of the UChicago quadrangle covered in plants and ivy.

From sustainability-themed campus tours to a park clean-up, get involved with green campus initiatives through April.


Vitali Prakapenka of the University of Chicago receives the 2026 Gopal K. Shenoy Excellence in Beamline Science Award

April 19, 2026

Vitali Prakapenka at work at the GSECARS beamline.

Prakapenka was selected for developing the GeoSoilEnviroCARS beamline into a hotspot for high-pressure science.


UChicago physicist Clay Córdova awarded 2026 New Horizons Prize in Physics

April 18, 2026

Clay Cordova

Physicist Clay Córdova has been named a recipient of the 2026 New Horizons in Physics Prize for his work in quantum field theory.
The New Horizons prize, which is given to early-career scientists and mathematicians who have already made a substantial impact on their fields, includes an award of $100,000.


The University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory celebrated science to save the world through Project Hail Mary

April 17, 2026

Project Hail Mary movie poster

Project Hail Mary is a story about science saving the world. In March, the University of Chicago and Argonne teamed up to celebrate the science of Project Hail Mary with offerings for science and science-fiction fans.


University of Chicago wins distinguished Laude Institute Moonshots seed grant

April 15, 2026

Moonshots-ONE Seed winner: Accelerating Science Actionable AI Weather Forecasts

The University of Chicago Data Science Institute faculty, affiliated faculty, and partners win seed funding to advance actionable AI weather forecasting in developing economies in Africa and Asia.


Alexandra Worden named Guggenheim Fellow

April 14, 2026

Alexandra Worden

Congratulations to Alexandra Worden, professor of Geophysical Sciences and senior scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory, who has received a Guggenheim Fellowship. She joins a group of distinguished artists, scientists, and scholars in the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows honored for “prior career achievement and exceptional promise.”


2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

April 13, 2026

NSF logo

Congratulations to the 18 Physical Sciences Division graduate students have been awarded 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships!


Meet the computer scientist seeking to save human creativity because ‘it’s the best of us’

April 13, 2026

Photo of Ben Zhao

Prof Ben Zhao says it'll be a 'dark world' if AI slop proliferates.
 


What to know about the Artemis II mission and what might come after

April 13, 2026

Photo of Derek Buzasi.

What they might be looking for might surprise you, said Professor Derek Buzasi, an astronomer at the University of Chicago. His segment begins at 0:50.


Berggren Center co-director takes on new role translating quantum science to the clinic

April 13, 2026

Julian Solway, MD, co-director of the Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine at UChicago.

Profile features Julian Solway, co-director of the UChicago Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine, along with Chemistry professor Greg Engel.