On the Heights: February 2026
February highlights include faculty expertise on AI-driven cancer research, youth violence prevention, farmworker housing policy, epigenetics and ultra-processed foods, and a new state advisory appointment.
Biostatistics,Faculty Results
AI grant targets deadliest form of ovarian cancer
University of Michigan researcher receives a multimillion-dollar grant to use AI to better predict survival and treatment outcomes for the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer.
Epigenetics: Making sense of nutritional triggers
Dana Dolinoy discusses her work on the Michigan Minds podcast
Epigenetics, the study of how environmental and behavioral factors modify gene expression, helps explain how what we eat influences our health.
High nursing school debt, proposed education loan caps threaten US health care access
Nearly a third of registered nurses and advanced practice nurses in Michigan carry sizable student loan debt that is influencing their decision to leave the profession, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.
Michigan Public Health faculty rank among most cited researchers
Michigan Public Health faculty rank among the world’s most cited researchers, demonstrating leadership in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, policy, and nutrition. With 58 faculty in the global top 2%, Michigan excels in innovation, research impact, and public health education across six interdisciplinary departments.
AI tool can predict heart failure from genetic and health record data
A University of Michigan study demonstrates that combining genetic and clinical data for an individual patient can help predict heart failure, the world’s leading cause of hospitalization, a decade before it’s diagnosed.