In 2023, more than 47 million Americans lived in households that struggled with food insecurity, meaning they didn’t always have reliable access to enough food, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Researchers are examining health impacts and policy implications.

A commercial robotic leg could potentially benefit both higher- and lower-mobility amputees, U-M roboticists have shown. The leg provided the largest gains when the U-M team applied its own control strategy, enabling a more symmetrical gait, lower tripping risks, and a reduction in strain on study participants.

New software developed by computer scientists at U-M provides a digital, voice-controlled hand that could improve the accessibility of virtual and augmented reality by enabling hands-free use of games and apps. Users of the prototype HandProxy can ask ‘the hand’ to grab and move virtual objects, drag and resize windows, and even give a thumbs up.

Flavored marijuana vaping is now the most common form of use among American teenagers who vape cannabis, according to U-M’s annual Monitoring the Future surveys. The research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found particularly sharp increases among younger teens between 2021 and 2024.

Beyond the sneezing and itchy eyes, high pollen seasons are now linked to a significant increase in suicide risk. A new U-M study found a 7.4% jump in deaths, suggesting the physical discomfort of allergies may trigger a deeper, more dangerous despair, an overlooked factor in suicide prevention.

Each year, some 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive form of brain tumor. One FDA-approved treatment, which arose from U-M’s Rogel Cancer Center and the Chad Carr Pediatric Brain Tumor Center, was the first to show improved outcomes after nearly 250 clinical trials for other drug candidates.

Imagine if decisions about schools, housing, and public safety in your city were shaped by your experiences and input, not just the loudest voices at city council meetings. Thanks to U-M’s Detroit Metro Area Communities Study, or DMACS, that vision is becoming a reality.

As more teenagers turn to tools like ChatGPT for schoolwork, a pediatrician shares what to watch for — and explains how kids can use AI wisely.

Every day, behind every professor, lecturer and student is a team of experts who apply their skills at the intersection of knowing and doing. They are the technicians who build and maintain the labs where discoveries take shape; the mentors who help students master machinery and tools; and the builders and designers who parse data and sustain experiments.