Department of Biological Sciences

Division of Research & Economic Development
Image of a person pointing at brain scans

Autism spectrum disorder is a group of neurodevelopmental disabilities characterized by social communication deficits and stereotypic behaviors. Currently, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder, but the research of Kent State Associate Professor Woo-Yang Kim, Ph.D., might lead to a change.

Environmental Science and Design Research Institute
A plant leaf being measured with a ruler

If you see Alicia Costello in your area, give her a wave!

Photo of brain cells

Kent State researchers’ innovative techniques have unveiled surprising new details about the brain’s fertility cells that may prove useful for treating infertility disorders. After several years of research, Aleisha Moore, Lique Coolen and Michael Lehman published a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, showing groundbreaking findings identifying which cells in the brain control fertility, as well as revealing an unexpected level of complexity in their control of reproduction.

Image of a visitor to a gallery looking a wall of poems with illustrations.

Students across the nation were challenged as the pandemic swept the world. Healing Stanzas, a collaboration between the Wick Poetry Center, the Healthy Communities Research Institute and the Brain Health Research Institute, seeks to combine the science of brain health and public health with the creative energy of the humanities to provide Kent State students, staff and faculty with an opportunity to improve wellness through reflective poetry.

Image of people working on a project

Intentionality to build successful academic mentoring relationships with students is what sets professors apart at Kent State, and each year two professors at the graduate and undergraduate level receive a student-nominated award for their ability to do so. The intent of the award is to recognize those professors exceeding in mentoring students in how to perform research in any field.  

Division of Research & Economic Development
SURE banner

As once stated by educational Pioneer and famous American Philosopher John Dewey, all that we learn is derived from experience. Kent State continues to foster innovation and promote the development of hands-on learning through various collaborative efforts focused on building experience and training. Among the opportunities offered through the university, the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program provides undergraduate students with the chance to engage in an intensive research project during the summer break.

Environmental Science and Design Research Institute
Picture of Chihuahuan Desert landscape

Researchers from Kent State University and the University of New Mexico determined how nitrogen-fixing plants and soil microbes contribute to the overall nitrogen availability in the Chihuahuan desert in New Mexico.