Office of the Vice President forResearch and Innovation

Explore the latest research news

Below, you’ll find recent articles and updates related to VCU's research initiatives, faculty innovations, scientific breakthroughs, and more. Click a headline to dive into the full story.

VCU drives societal change with 10 new Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Fund awards

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VCU researchers advance quantum computing with tiny, virus-sized nanomagnets

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VCU pioneer in Lyme disease puts another tick-borne menace in his sights

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VCU hosts high-profile research and innovation forums to drive regional collaboration

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Hit by a cyclist, VCU professor has a 3D brainstorm

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How machine learning is redefining pharmaceutical manufacturing

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She breathes life into the fight against pulmonary fibrosis

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VCU researcher examines nature-based solutions for changing cities – by taking evolution into account

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VCU innovation may prevent scar tissue and advance joint surgery

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How an industry veteran is helping VCU reshape the pharmaceutical manufacturing landscape

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American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering inducts two VCU engineers to its College of Fellows

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From AI to wearables: VCU’s Wright Center awards four NIH-funded grants to accelerate medical research

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Class of 2026: Gati Wambura extends her reach as a ‘global health citizen’

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VCU biomedical engineer advances muscle regeneration technology

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VCU researchers are partnering with Richmond Public Schools to boost outcomes for multilingual students

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American Nuclear Society honors Zeyun Wu for his contributions to the development of advanced nuclear reactor designs

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Six faculty members named 2025–26 Shift Labs Faculty Fellow Awardees

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Software Engineering Center at VCU will train engineers to build robust applications

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The new VCU Annual Research Impact Awards recognize 10 honorees

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Tracheotomy device – and the amazing story behind it – inspires VCU engineering students

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Puerto Rico’s forests recovered in unexpected ways post-Hurricane Maria, VCU research finds

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VCUarts researcher’s 3D scanning system on display at Cabell Library

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Common claim that most transgender youth renounce that identity is not supported by statistics, VCU research finds

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How I found my research: Tara Nikzad Joolhar loves both the challenges and surprises she finds in the lab

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Research Weeks keynote address to focus on AI’s role in reshaping higher education and research

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Class of 2026: Esse Foka Nzaha digs into the immigrant diet paradox

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VCU artist’s planetary sculpture adds blue whales from New Zealand

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Medicines for alcohol use disorder can reduce patient costs and hospitalizations, according to a new study

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How I found my research: Grayson Jacey seeks to help make important medicines more accessible

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Will the performance of new NFL athletes be worth the price?

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The future of data centers and AI might surprise you

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ICU device for fecal management finds industrial partner

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Students find inspiration during renowned research conference’s visit to Richmond

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Meet seven of the nearly 500 VCU students who presented their research this week at a prestigious conference

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Researcher’s invention could make Hollywood-grade 3D scanning more accessible for movies, video games and more

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VCU poet Edgar Kunz named a Guggenheim fellow

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Class of 2026: Sydney Hilovsky takes occupational therapy to the pool for children with autism

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Father-son engineering duo invents electricity-generating shoe

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VCU and Virginia Tech launch historic partnership to bring revolutionary high-throughput sequencing system to researchers

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VCU history alum honored for museum curation and more

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VCU aims to be ‘not just a national, but an international hub’ for research, VP Rao says in annual address

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Class of 2026: Joseph Lin brings computing power to cancer research

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World@VCU: Saif Alotaibi from Kuwait

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VCU undergraduate selected for prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

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VCU to host National Conference on Undergraduate Research this month

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cRam Session: The Physics of Baseball

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With her latest project, VCUarts professor creates an accessible indoor ocean

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VCU da Vinci Center’s Demo Day returns this spring

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Research Weeks to celebrate VCU’s culture of discovery and innovation

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Education professor Phelton C. Moss launches initiative to support rural schooling

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How I found my research: Manuella Escobar dives deep into the Latino college experience

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How I found my research: Naaima Zaharah examines genetic vulnerabilities in alcohol use disorder

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Class of 2026: William Thomas explores biology, medicine and his own disease

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Latino Virginia oral history project to get wider audience

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Derek Sant’Angelo named fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

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Class of 2026: Pablo Lopez-Bustamante spreads seeds of knowledge

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VCU author’s new book sheds light on Nazi women and war crimes

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VCU again among nation’s top 100 universities for patents

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By finding ‘bright spots’ in the opioid crisis, VCU researchers are mapping a path to better outcomes

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‘Smart fabrics’ are an ideal fit for Christina Tang

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Billions in March Madness betting pool is fodder for Brendan Dwyer’s research

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VCUarts professor gives voice to a single atom’s journey

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Rare earth elements, joint pain and addiction treatment are highlighted in VCU faculty research receiving new awards

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'Medicine is a team sport': How mentorship has shaped a medical student's path

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Bryant Mangum devoted his career to literature and now he’s sharing his life’s work with VCU

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A student’s journey from Southwest Virginia to one of the world’s leading labs on tick-borne illness

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VCU research project competes for national title in STAT Madness

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At-home calcium testing device could have wide-ranging impact in health care

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Freshman Sriman Achanta applies AI expertise to real-world research

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National Academy of Inventors honors five VCU College of Engineering researchers

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Radiation sciences student offers a clearer image of risk for diabetes patients with CGMs

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Online degrees viewed more positively post-pandemic, VCU research finds

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Medicare Advantage and Medicare-Medicaid eligible patients less likely to use highly rated stroke rehabilitation, new study finds

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VCU researcher named Gerontological Society of America fellow

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Exploring the bladder and the brain, John Speich helps engineer multidisciplinary research

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DNA analysis illuminates the lives of East Marshall Street Well individuals

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VCU professor’s research on recovery and relapse makes an impact in court

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VCU expert Allison Moore unknots the complexity of one of civilization’s oldest ideas

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How to plan for a ‘good death,’ according to a VCU researcher

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Northern Virginia data center air pollution rivals power plant emissions, VCU research finds

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At Cabell Library, new Data Visualization Wall can bring complexity into focus

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Katherine Tossas selected for National Academies New Voices Program

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State of democracy motivated Virginia voters and is their top concern, new Commonwealth Poll finds

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Here are five primary dangers from political AI chatbots, VCU expert Jason Ross Arnold says

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If you want to feel gratitude in your life, embrace nostalgia, VCU research finds

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$4.5M in new grants propels VCU researcher’s projects for blind and visually impaired individuals

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VCU researcher targets spatial neglect -- when your brain sees only half the world

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Medical student’s 3D-printed creations help individuals with disabilities

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VCU researcher aims to refine how Alzheimer’s drugs are valued

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National Academy of Inventors honors VCU’s Shunlin Ren as a fellow

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Cristina Stanciu’s visiting professorship in France deepens VCU’s global humanities reach

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Slavery was ‘foundational’ to the British monarchy, VCU author Brooke Newman reveals

VCU analysis of millions of records reveals telehealth surge, persistent barriers to access

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How I found my research: Dance leads the way for Valerie Shcherbakova

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VCU researcher using $2M in new grants to explore cancer chemical biology

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Fadi Salloum shines a spotlight on the relationships that strengthen research

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To measure the force of TBIs, this VCU lab builds a better brain

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Class of 2025: Kiersten Fultz found her focus in forensic science

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No short cuts – but a bit of sugar – in the quest to fight cancer relapse

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VCU researcher partners with T-Mobile to expand VR mental health therapy for youths

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VCU innovators create device to mimic real blood flow to surgical training simulations

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How I found my research: Shruti Shrivastava’s interest in evolutionary biology takes her to Oxford

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VCU’s research expenditures cross $500 million for first time, ranking 46th nationally for fiscal 2024

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At VCU, impactful innovation follows multiple paths

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VCU oral health researchers lead project to create personalized tissue grafts in the lab

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2025: The Year in Photos

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VCU receives $60k grant to support integration of religious pluralism in health professions learning

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VCU sturgeon expert collaborates with Upper Mattaponi Tribe to expand tracking

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Collection of GWAR flyers and art at VCU Libraries highlights Richmond’s counterculture history

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VCU Center on Society and Health partners to help U.S. cities close life expectancy gaps

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VCU launches the Office of Medicaid Evaluation

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Study reveals genetic overlap of 14 psychiatric disorders, explaining why patients often have multiple diagnoses

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Class of 2025: Sagun Poudel trains her eye on novel drug delivery

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VCU Research and Innovation announces internal funding opportunities for FY26

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Addiction specialist Jasmin Vassileva earns a Fulbright – and a return home

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Class of 2025: Dani Montoya embraces public health and perseverance

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VCU research in action: Filling a prescription for nutrition

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Engineering access: How Medicines for All is making lifesaving drugs affordable

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Medicines for All Institute develops low-cost process to make HIV-prevention medication

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Investigating the long-term impacts of concussions on youth athletes

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VCU’s new Green Labs program mixes science and sustainability

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He is putting addiction therapy in the hands, and headsets, of patients

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How I found my research: Dickson Donu joins the battle against malaria

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VCU Innovators of the Year advance lifesaving aerosol therapy for newborns

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How to create new habits with mindfulness and habit stacking

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Most people do not feel free to leave a police interrogation room, VCU research finds

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Less is more: New VCU study shows giving workers less autonomy improves their creativity

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‘These aren’t bad kids’: Uncovering the roots of aggression in children

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The opioid epidemic in Virginia: 2,000+ saved lives, $5.2B in possible savings

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VCU Research in Action: Offering a leg up to patients with chronic kidney disease

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VCU and UAlbany earn $6.5M grant to launch a Wellstone muscular dystrophy center

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Why VCU is pursuing the acquisition of the Altria Center for Research and Technology

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The hidden dangers of vapes: VCU study reveals chemicals, risks and teen use

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Halloween’s biggest scare? It’s the price of candy

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How I found my research: Liam Babcock savors the challenges and lessons of discovery

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To fight cybercrime, VCU student unravels the layers of 3D printing

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VCU twins are a double-dose of health care service as EMTs and researchers

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VCU research in action: Teaching patients to take a deep breath

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He is bringing the Atlantic sturgeon back from the brink

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VCU team heads to Congress for Rally for Medical Research

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Proactive teams still need leadership and focus, VCU study finds

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Lana Sargent of the School of Nursing selected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing

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VCU ecologist Chris Gough named new Rice Rivers Center executive director

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How many trees are on VCU’s campuses?

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VCU alum offers new hope for treating Tourette syndrome

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Andrew Chesnut selected as co-editor of religion encyclopedia

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VCU’s second annual Humanities Week will highlight their transformative power for real-world challenges

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The molecule found at VCU that powered a Wall Street transaction

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VCU Libraries event to highlight Richmond police surveillance films from civil rights era

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VCU research in action: Using Photovoice to focus communication for job-seekers with IDD

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Christina Philips embraces her move from learner to mentor in orthodontics

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Social work project sees an ‘invisible population’: Homeless, unaccompanied youth

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His tiny invention could put a wrap on one of surgery’s painstaking challenges

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Students’ summer field research gets a payoff in the fall

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VCU announces recipients of 2025 faculty awards for scholarship, teaching excellence

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VCU researcher receives $3M for national study of how virtual reality can prevent youth violence

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VCU research in action: Understanding and treating problem gambling

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Wright Center administrator wins Fulbright award

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