Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, has received funding from the U.S. Department of State for a $47,602 US-UK Peace Labs initiative aimed at promoting sustainable social cohesion. The project will run from August 2023 to September 2024.
Sara Debus-Sherrill received supplemental funding from the County of Alameda to develop and deliver a training academy for community-based organizations serving justice-involved youth. The Elevate Academy will provide critical services to these youth, addressing their unique needs and promoting successful reintegration into society.
Kevin Ramseur, a George Mason University doctoral student in clinical psychology, will receive funding through the APA Minority Fellowship Program. The $27,144 award will support his research from October 2023 to September 2024.
Researchers are designing joint 3D solid-state learning machines inspired by the brain's hippocampus region. The project focuses on developing a hippocampal-aware framework for enhancing chip design and enabling online learning in resource-constrained environments.
Alem & Narayanan receive $2,495,244 from the National Institutes of Health to enhance safety and quality of BSL-3 laboratory practices and create two new research cores in high containment. The grant will accelerate vaccine and therapeutic drug discovery and improve understanding of infectious disease transmission and pathogenesis.
Researchers at George Mason University are studying the impact of assistive wearable technology on work success for adults with autism spectrum disorders and ADHD. The project aims to improve subjective and objective markers of work success using a smartwatch application that monitors performance and intervenes with prompts.
Sansbury's qualitative dissertation study explores how family engagement supports racial socialization and young children's emergent racial identity. The study aims to understand the roles of African American teachers and families in building relationships that promote healthy racial identities.
A new study from George Mason University found that women with a disability are more likely to report child marriage compared to women without disabilities. The study found that women with disabilities were over one and a half times more likely to experience girl child marriage.
A new study found that Medicare Advantage generally had lower resource use and cost compared to traditional Medicare for many conditions, but not all. For example, MA used fewer resources for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes, where proper care management can prevent hospitalizations.
A new study reveals that independent physician practices experienced a smaller drop in patient volume than their larger counterparts during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding suggests that independent practices can thrive and provide quality care to patients with chronic conditions.
Chaowei Yang and his team are creating an automatic training dataset labeling tool to produce high-quality training datasets. The project aims to partner with a startup or small business to create a concrete proposal for innovation programs.
Esposito-Smythers will train 150 clinicians and 40 clinical supervisors in the use of measurement-based care to administer culturally sensitive assessments, improving outcomes for diverse youth and families. Funding from SAMHSA aims to reduce health disparities through evidence-based practices.
Dr. Wang's research aims to extract effective disease biomarkers from large-scale brain imaging studies using advanced statistical learning approaches and scalable computing tools. The goal is to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment accuracy for Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias.
Kevin Moran and Ziyu Yao aim to improve neural language model interpretability to help developers understand why AI-powered tools make predictions. The project will produce educational materials on best practices and focus on recruiting underrepresented computer science students.
Dr. Tara Chaplin received a $500,664 NIH Independent Scientist Career Award to develop cutting-edge training in ecological momentary assessment science and neurodevelopmental research. She aims to examine associations between parenting, emotion, and substance use in adolescence using fMRI and EMA data.
Cynthia Smith, an associate professor at George Mason University, has received $60,750 in funding from Fairfax County Public Schools to support watershed programs. The funding will be used to deliver hands-on field investigations to 5,200 seventh graders annually.
Researchers are investigating unknown transmission pathways between humans and wildlife, particularly with white-tailed deer, to predict the risk of spillover. The project aims to integrate these pathways into a modeling framework to mitigate zoonotic disease spread.
Researchers at George Mason University are developing a new biometric technology that uses sweat analysis to verify identities. The project, led by Emanuela Marasco, aims to characterize a person's extrinsic and intrinsic features for more accurate representation of their identity.
Researchers aim to develop mass-produced superconductors operating at easily maintained temperatures for energy, transportation, and communication technologies. They will use advanced modeling methods and computational tools to identify suitable candidate materials and examine their properties.
Researchers at George Mason University are transitioning a training dataset labeling tool to support discoveries in Earth science and heliophysics. The end result will be a foundational training dataset labeling tool that can be deployed and rapidly trained across multiple science domains.
George Mason University's Harbir Antil received $99,948 from the National Science Foundation to support a workshop on mathematical opportunities in digital twins. The workshop aims to explore connections and synergies between mathematics, digital twins, and other disciplines.
Acosta & Burls' project uses novel weather and climate models to predict changes in atmospheric circulation and climate in response to the Altai Mountains' size, height, and growth history. The team will measure these predictions against field and laboratory data gleaned from sediments shed from the Altai.
A team led by Laurie Schintler is conducting a study to compare perceptions of peer review decisions made by humans versus algorithms. The research aims to measure the legitimacy of both human and algorithmic decision-making processes in scientific publishing and funding outcomes.
George Mason University Assistant Professor Nora McDonald is investigating privacy ecosystems among vulnerable populations using qualitative research and participatory design. She will develop a toolkit to support healthcare providers in mitigating privacy harms for vulnerable individuals.
A pilot study led by George Mason University's Michael Bloom explores the impact of PFAS on weight loss in Hispanic children participating in a community-based weight loss intervention. The research aims to quantify associations between PFAS exposure and weight lost, as well as clinical biomarkers.
Assistant Professor Jinwei Ye at George Mason University has been awarded a $600,000 NSF CAREER Award to develop polarization-based vision systems for autonomous navigation and smart manufacturing. The project aims to improve machine vision systems' capability in geometric and semantic scene understanding.
A new study, funded by George Mason University, explores the effects of group digital gaming on cognitive function, mood, and behaviors in people with early to moderate levels of dementia. The research aims to learn if this innovative technology can enhance cognitive stimulation and overall well-being.
The Institute for Immigration Research (IIR) at George Mason University has received funding for a conference focused on refugee resettlement and STEM education. The event will bring together educational and employment stakeholders to discuss strategies for addressing humanitarian needs and expanding the nation's STEM workforce.
Megumi Inoue received funding for Mason CARES Plus to assess the impact of Stress Busting Program (SBP) and Music and Memory program on reducing care partner stress. The study aims to identify effective strategies for improving care partner engagement with M&M program.
Researchers at George Mason University are developing domain-agnostic deception models that blend temporal logic and probabilistic models of human attention. The goal is to detect and defend against deceptive attacks, with potential visualizations and cognitive assistance tools to aid humans in intervening sooner.
Amarda Shehu is leading a collaborative research project at George Mason University, using deep learning and experimentation to generate controlled properties in molecules. The project aims to address challenges in molecular biology, including resistant bacteria, with potential applications in antimicrobial compounds.
Researchers will study how elementary teachers and students conceptualize and make sense of quantum science concepts. The two-year project aims to develop understanding of how quantum concepts can be taught at the elementary level.
George Mason University Assistant Professor Anastasopoulos leads a research project to create infrastructure for language technologies in crisis scenarios. The project aims to facilitate effective communication with vulnerable populations and will disseminate results through a workshop featuring experts from various fields.
A new study found that neighborhood poverty and community violence negatively affect Black American adolescents' mental health. The review examined four aspects of the neighborhood environment: trust and safety, built environment, exposure to community violence, and neighborhood disadvantage.
Brittany Johnson-Matthews received $19,968 from the National Science Foundation to support the Graduate Consortium at IEEE Conference on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing (VL/HCC) 2023. The funding will enable students to network, share research, and receive advice from senior members of the VL/HCC community.
Fei Wang is conducting research on developing efficient quantum algorithms to simulate condensed phase quantum dynamics on quantum computers. The project aims to show quantum acceleration and demonstrate practical applications of quantum computing in materials design and environmental sustainability. The researcher will explore various...
A novel, easy-to-synthesize contrast agent platform has been developed for photoacoustic imaging, significantly increasing the depth and precision of imaging. This technology also limits safety risks and enhances image quality, targeting specific tissues and organs with higher accuracy.
Researchers R. Christian Jones and Benoit Van Aken are collecting water samples in six locations in Fairfax City to analyze dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and other key factors. The project aims to provide a long-term snapshot of the city's stream health.
Evan Lowder at George Mason University received funding for the Indiana Justice Reinvestment Advisory Council Racial Equity Project. The project aims to understand criminal-legal decision points contributing to racially disparate outcomes and inform data collection efforts.
Researchers study the impact of climate change on bird populations in fragmented forests, assessing effects of microclimate variation and temperature changes on survival and reproduction. The team analyzes dietary specialization, stress, and behavioral adaptations to understand how these factors affect bird demographic responses.
George Mason University researchers Judit Ungvari and Leah Nichols have received a $277,602 NSF grant to support International Global Change Research. The grant will provide salary funding and travel costs for annual Sustainability Research and Innovation congresses until April 2026.
Anastasopoulos aims to explore building language technologies using pre-existing linguistic knowledge to support underserved communities with limited data availability. The project will focus on bridging the language technology gap for languages with limited support.
A recent study found that older adults experiencing social isolation are 17.1% more likely to smoke compared to those with social interactions. Reducing social isolation can help improve their health and life expectancy.
Kabbani's research aims to identify mitochondrial responses to plant-derived compounds and create an iterative dataset for biomarker discovery and drug design. The study is part of a larger effort to understand the role of mitochondrial regulation in human diseases and develop new treatments.
A new study by George Mason University Assistant Professor Rodman Turpin found that open discussion of sexuality with parents can reduce the negative mental health effects of discrimination on Black sexual minority men and transgender women. Participants who had supportive parents experienced lower levels of depression related to discr...
Integrating MAT training into nursing programs has been shown to reduce bias and stigma associated with medication-assisted treatment. The training also improved graduate students' attitudes towards people with opioid use disorder and increased their desire to pursue careers as OUD MAT providers.
The pilot will provide comprehensive wraparound services, addressing barriers to housing stability through behavioral health, landlord-resident communications, and benefits counseling. Funding from Fairfax County will help select effective services and plan program rollout nationwide.
George Mason University CEHD researchers received $49,997 from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to develop a conservation stakeholder engagement plan. The project aims to identify and engage diverse stakeholders in Appalachian conservation planning using a justice, equity, diversity approach.
Researchers found digital contact tracing apps were ineffective due to low adoption rates and privacy concerns, but may still be useful in targeted populations.
Peter Becker at George Mason University received significant funding to explore high-energy plasma phenomena in the sun's atmosphere. The research aims to understand events that can impact radio communications on Earth, with a focus on large flares and coronal mass ejection events.