Research

What it’s like to be a theoretical physicist

Theoretical physicist Shamit Kachru and three of his graduate students talk about the social fabric behind their research, the cycle of confusion and discovery, and the sense of awe – or the cool factor – that drives them.

Lifetime flu vaccine?

Another year, another flu vaccine because so far scientists haven’t managed to make a vaccine that protects against all strains of flu. A new approach could end that ritual and protect against deadly pandemic flu.

Conservation clues from scant DNA

A new approach promises cheap, rapid analysis of genetic clues in degraded and left-behind material, such as hair and commercial food products.

Seed grants help ideas grow

Stanford researchers have for years looked to seed grants to get innovative, risky or simply new ideas – whether it’s using prawns to combat disease or drones to map coral reefs – off the ground.

Worms and plants could help reveal how neurological drugs work

Humans have relied on plants for millennia to treat a variety of neurological ailments. Now, researchers are using microscopic worms to better understand how plant molecules shape behavior – and perhaps develop better new drugs.

Predicting, preventing preterm births

Stanford’s top obstetricians, neonatologists, geneticists, microbiologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, health policy experts and bioengineers are investigating the basic science of preterm birth. Aiming to predict and prevent many preterm births, their goal is to help more babies arrive safely.

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