Radiation therapy reprograms heart muscle cells

Radiation therapy for ventricular tachycardia — a life-threatening irregular heart rhythm — appears to work by reverting heart muscle cells to a younger state, reducing the irregular rhythms, according to a new study from the School of Medicine.

How new leaders build — or lose — trust over time

Research from Olin Business School found that employees’ initial expectations for a new leader were a strong indicator of how trust levels would change over time. The higher the initial level of follower expectations, the steeper the resulting decline in trust.

XL-Calibur telescope to examine extreme objects

Researchers led by physicist Henric Krawczynski in Arts & Sciences completed initial construction on XL-Calibur, a new balloon-borne telescope designed to measure the polarization of high-energy X-rays from black holes, neutron stars and other exotic celestial objects.

Arts & Sciences welcomes new faculty members

This semester, Arts & Sciences welcomed nearly three dozen faculty to departments and programs across the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. Learn more about them.

Notables

Christopher Farnsworth, assistant professor of pathology and immunology at the School of Medicine, has received the 2021 George Grannis Award for Excellence in Research and Scientific Publication from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.

Notables

Aggie Toppins, associate professor and chair of design at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, has contributed a chapter on the Madam Binh Graphics Collective to “Baseline Shift: Untold Stories of Women in Graphic Design History.”

Announcements

College Prep Program accepting nominations

The College Prep Program is accepting nominations for the next cohort of its innovative college readiness initiative. The nomination deadline is Oct. 15.

Announcements

Review updated information security policies

The Office of Information Security has finalized its annual update of information security policies. The office also will offer events and resources during October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, to keep the university community informed and secure.