Newswise’s Jessica Johnson shares highlights from a recent trip visiting communications teams and researchers across universities in the southeastern United States.

Below are some of the research stories featured in this episode.

• ARPA-H PRINT Program Supports WFIRM-Led Award to Create on-Demand, Bioprinted Kidneys, Published by Wake Forest University
• How Studying Yeast in the Gut Could Lead to Better Drugs, Published by North Carolina State University
• How health risk communication best practices can improve community flood risk communication, Published by RTI International
• Healthy habits can make your brain age more slowly, study finds, Published by University of Florida
• New FAU Research Strengthens Evidence Linking Alcohol Use to Cancer, Published by Florida Atlantic University
• Efficacy of Service Dogs with Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Community Reintegration, Published by Nova Southeastern University
• The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Selected as U.S. Site for Neuralink Clinical Trial, Published by University of Miami – Miller School of Medicine

New Study Could Show How TikTok’s Algorithm Affects Youth Mental Health, Published by Georgia Tech

February brought a wide range of compelling research stories from universities across the country. From the University of Utah’s powerful study, “Banning Lead in Gas Worked. The Proof Is in Our Hair,” to the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine’s findings in “Pink Noise Reduces REM Sleep and May Harm Sleep Quality,” scientists are uncovering insights that directly impact our daily lives.

We also saw Binghamton University, SUNY publish “Record-Breaking Antarctic Drill Reveals 23 Million Years of Climate History,” the University of Nebraska–Lincoln explore business strategy in “Research Shows Companies Can Gain Advantage by Prioritizing Customer Privacy,” and Johns Hopkins Medicine report on long-term brain health in “Cognitive Speed Training Linked to Lower Dementia Incidence Up to 20 Years Later.”

Let’s take a closer look at what made these stories stand out this month.

Today I’m very happy and touched to speak with Jeff Grabmeier who recently retired as the Senior Director of Research Communications at Ohio State University. Jeff spent decades working to help turn complex research into stories that informed and connected with the media and public readers. 

Jeff is a goldmine of information and knowledge about research communications. But also, he has changed the lives of many researchers through his amazing communications efforts. If you are a researcher, scholar, or leader in higher education, Jeff is the type of person you want to be close by. 

Today, we’ll talk about the future of science communication, the rise of AI, and why great storytelling still needs a human touch.

Everyone tells athletes and performers to “stay calm under pressure.” But what if the secret to peak performance isn’t staying calm at all?

High-stakes moments, from championship games to career-defining opportunities,  don’t just test skill, they test how well we handle the pressure. And yet, mental performance training is still one of the most overlooked tools in the playbook.

Luca Ziegler is a PhD candidate at West Virginia University and mental performance consultant . He studies how psychological flexibility, basically staying open, aware, and in control under stress, can help athletes hit flow and clutch states when it matters most.

The Super Bowl isn’t just a battle of talent, it’s a dangerous game. By this point in the season, bodies are banged up, fatigue is real, and hidden injuries can quietly tip the scales in the biggest game of the year. Even a split-second tweak, like an ACL tear, can change everything in an instant.

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Bruce Stamos, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center,, to pull back the curtain on what players are really dealing with behind the scenes. From bruises that don’t make the highlight reel to the careful science of keeping star athletes on the field, Dr. Stamos explains how medical teams turn injury management into a high-stakes game of strategy.

Most people will encounter alcohol or other substances at some point in their lives. For many, that use remains occasional and manageable. For others, it becomes something far more disruptive. Understanding why that difference exists — why substance use leads to severe challenges for some but not for most — has become a central question in addiction research. The answers appear to lie in the complex interaction between our genes and our environments, unfolding over time from childhood into adulthood.

By identifying genetic risk factors and tracing how they shape mental health and addiction outcomes across the lifespan, researchers hope to improve both prevention and treatment. Here to explore that work is Dr. Danielle Dick, director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center

Every January, we promise ourselves this will be the year we finally change. Better habits, bigger goals, stronger willpower. And yet, by February, most of those resolutions are already gone. So what’s really going on? 

We are joined this week by Dr. E.J. Masicampo of Wake Forest University to talk about the psychology behind why New Year’s resolutions fail, and the surprisingly simple strategies that actually make change stick. If you’ve ever wondered why motivation fades or how to work with your brain instead of against it, this conversation is for you.

For more than 30 years, U.S. veterans of the first Gulf War have reported persistent, unexplained symptoms of fatigue, cognitive problems, vertigo, and chronic pain, without a clear medical cause. Early theories fell short of solving the mystery, but thanks to newer imaging technologies, researchers are finally getting a sharper view of what happened. They have discovered elevated creatine levels, suggesting the brain is working to compensate for impaired mitochondrial function. It all points to the brain’s energy system, opening the door to possible treatments after years of uncertainty.

We are joined this week by Dr. Robert Haley to talk about the mechanisms behind Gulf War illness.

In this episode, I’m joined by Roger Johnson, the founder of Newswise. Roger launched Newswise in the early days of personal computing with a simple but powerful idea: make credible science and research news easier for journalists to find and use.

We explore the origins of Newswise, the role of curiosity in journalism and science, and how early technology reshaped the way information is shared. We also talk about creativity, asking better questions, and what the future may hold for science communication in an evolving media landscape.

Over the holidays, families can connect with one another in more ways than just gathering around the table. Quality time provides countless opportunities for meaningful interaction and shared experiences beyond the traditional family meal. This week, we turn to a family studies expert for some advice on how to make a family gathering more fulfilling. Even when tensions run high, there are practical tools for both hosts and guests to manage expectations, set intentions, and know when to step back.

We’ll talk with Dr. Jessica Troilo about how small shifts in mindset and behavior can help families build stronger, more joyful holiday experiences. She teaches that families don’t have to be perfect, but they should strive to be flexible, emotionally connected, and resilient.