A University of Iowa-led chemistry team has developed a simpler, less expensive way to isolate terbium, a rare-earth element essential to technologies ranging from smartphone screens to X-rays. The breakthrough could expand access to this critical material, potentially accelerating advances in in quantum technologies, electronics, medicine, and other applications.

A research team co-led by the University of Iowa has developed a new approach for sensors made out of nanodiamonds to more accurately measure the temperature in cells. The findings could improve tools for studying disease, such as cancer.

The Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center was the home of leading communication sciences and disorders work for more than 50 years.

Physicists led by the University of Iowa have traced the solar activity that caused the 2024 Mother’s Day storms, which produced auroras that may have been the strongest on record in 500 years. The researchers say 10 solar outbursts combined to form a gigantic magnetic cloud that created an intense geomagnetic storm on Earth.

University of Iowa researchers have identified a less expensive way to calibrate magnetometers, devices that measure magnetic fields. The method uses Earth’s magnetic field and could make the instruments more accessible to students, educators, citizen scientists, and researchers without access to professional testing facilities.

Every day, researchers at the University of Iowa are seeking answers to questions that will change the health and well-being of people who live in our state and beyond. External funding in fiscal year 2026 allowed UI researchers to translate ideas into discoveries.

The University of Iowa will help advance a national effort to develop next-generation quantum sensing technologies that could transform how scientists study materials and molecules. Iowa is part of a consortium that received a $4 million, two-year Phase II design award from the National Science Foundation.

A physics team led by the University of Iowa has described a “super expanded” magnetic cloud created by a coronal mass ejection on the sun. The team tracked the cloud as it approached Earth. The new information could lead to better predictions of future, super expanded magnetic clouds.

University of Iowa researchers recommend a daily mix of movement and sleep, along with a cap on sedentary time, to lower the risk of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

A University of Iowa-led research team has documented how energy from the sun interacts with Earth’s magnetic field and moves closer to our planet, using detailed electron measurements. The study marks the first published results from TRACERS, the approximately $170 million NASA-funded mission and the largest external research award in university history.

Wildfires over the past decade have led to rises in surface ozone pollution across much of the continental United States, creating unhealthy air and contributing to hundreds more premature deaths annually, according to a new study published in the journal Science. Researchers warn that surface ozone pollution could continue to worsen as wildfires become more prevalent.

Chemists at the University of Iowa have created a light-activated structure that captures and stores water from the air. The millimeter-scale lattice forms tiny cavities under ultraviolet light. While still a proof of concept, the approach could lead to water-harvesting technologies.

The University of Iowa has opened its new Iowa Spaceflight Laboratory, a $7.2 million investment to expand space flight instruments and to further position the university as a national leader in space science.

University of Iowa researchers have learned that animals may keep their options open even when they know a single choice will generate a reward. In experiments with pigeons, the researchers report they operated “at the edge of chaos,” meaning the birds balanced a consistent reward with exploring other options.

Kevin Campbell, UI professor and internationally recognized researcher in the field of muscular dystrophy, has been named the 2026 winner of the August M. Watanabe Prize in Translational Research, a prestigious award that recognizes significant contributions to translational research.

A third-year student from Illinois was named a 2026 Goldwater Scholar, the nation’s most prestigious scholarship for undergraduate students pursuing careers in research.

The Office of the Vice President for Research has awarded funding to 12 interdisciplinary Iowa research teams to support the development of large, competitive grant proposals. By providing these teams with the strategic resources they need to build complex grant proposals, the UI is positioned to lead the nation in addressing some of our most pressing challenges.

The Office of the Vice President for Research recently recognized 11 outstanding undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers who are directly addressing critical issues facing Iowans and beyond, including cancer treatment, dementia care, and the effects of civil war on children.