A new brain-imaging study out of Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab sheds light on the controversy on which side of the brain is responsible for creativity by studying the brain of jazz guitarists during improvisation. 

For more than a decade, two-dimensional nanomaterials, such as graphene, have been touted as the key to making better microchips, batteries, antennas and many other devices. But a significant challenge of using these atom-thin building materials for the technology of the future is ensuring that they can be produced in bulk quantities without losing their quality. For one of the most promising new types of 2D nanomaterials, MXenes, that’s no longer a problem. Researchers at Drexel University and the Materials Research Center in Ukraine have designed a system that can be used to make large quantities of the material while preserving its unique properties.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Drexel University are partnering on a new garden space that will open this spring for Drexel students, faculty, alumni and the public. Located at 32nd and Market Streets, The Gateway Garden at Drexel is being brought to life by PHS, and it will serve as a vibrant entrance to Drexel’s campus. The project will transform a once-vacant space into a hub of horticultural excellence and engaging activities year round. The two organizations announced the garden and revealed renderings at an event held March 4 at the Flower Show.

Researchers from Drexel University have found a way to destroy stubbornly resilient toxic compounds, ominously dubbed “forever chemicals,” that have contaminated the drinking water of millions across the United States.

Drexel University has entered into a new alliance to expand its academic and research partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). 

A solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed, multidisciplinary artist, Brendan Fernandes will open at the Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, of Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts & Design on Tuesday, Jan. 14. The exhibition, entitled Brendan Fernandes: We Want a We – will showcase a diverse blend of performative, sculptural and photographic works from the past five years, and marks the first retrospective of this important artists work in Philadelphia.

A group of researchers led by Drexel University has demonstrated a method that allows scientists to experimentally measure how the chemical bonds of materials are altered when two different materials are linked together. This method provides an atomic layer-by-layer look at the materials’ electron configuration, which is the source of traits like conductivity and magnetism.

An algorithm akin to the annoyingly helpful one that attempts to auto-complete text messages and emails is now being harnessed for a better cause. A group of Drexel University researchers are using its pattern-recognition ability to identify microbial communities in the body by sifting through volumes of genetic code. Their method could speed the development of medical treatments for microbiota-linked ailments like Crohn’s disease.

Drexel University and The School District of Philadelphia held a ceremonial groundbreaking today for a building that will house two public schools in West Philadelphia. The School District of Philadelphia will lease the building from Drexel and the facility will house both the Samuel Powel Elementary School, currently at 36th Street and Powelton Avenue, and the Science Leadership Academy Middle School, which opened in 2016 at Drexel's Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships and recently moved into a space at 3600 Market Street.

The great grandson of Drexel University’s founder Anthony J. Drexel was a citizen, solider and a diplomat – he was a man of many ambitions like his great grandfather. A man of the people, defender of freedom and a scholar of worldly interests, Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. lived a celebrated life worth chronicling.

The search for youthfulness typically turns to lotions, supplements, serums and diets, but there may soon be a new option joining the fray. Rapamycin, a FDA-approved drug normally used to prevent organ rejection after transplant surgery, may also slow aging in human skin, according to a study from Drexel University College of Medicine researchers published in Geroscience.

Drexel University’s Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship and the Arthur J. and Sandra K. Mattia Foundation will be honoring former Philadelphia Eagles player and magician Jon Dorenbos with the inaugural “Charles D. Close School Resilience Award” in recognition of his innovative thinking and perseverance.

Health campaigns on social media aimed at increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination may see greater success, according to Drexel University researchers, if they inject a narrative into information-based posts.

Researchers at Drexel University’s C&J Nyheim Plasma Institute have reported the production of the first pure polymeric nitrogen compound at near-ambient conditions. The substance, which has existed only in theory for the last three decades, is predicted to be able to produce massive amounts of clean energy with atmospheric nitrogen as its only byproduct.

Using a special type of two-dimensional material, researchers at Drexel University have developed a new way to make light sensors that improves their sensitivity and could allow manufacturers to keep up with the growing demand for their use in devices ranging from television remotes to fiber optic receivers in data centers, and light detecting and ranging systems (LiDAR) in autonomous vehicles.

Three commonly argued justifications for the persistent discrimination and gender bias that prevent women from rising to leadership positions in the field of pediatric medicine have been debunked by a Drexel University College of Medicine researcher and colleagues in a special article published in the November 2019 issue of the journal Pediatrics. The article goes a step further, arguing that gender equity can be fostered by employing the same basic scientific principles used in solving other problems in medicine.

The complex network of veins that keeps us cool during the heat of summer has inspired engineers to create novel thermal management systems. But replicating the circulatory system, in form or function, has been no easy task. Recently, a team of researchers from Drexel University and North Carolina State University created a computer program that could be key to mimicking the body’s evolution-optimized cooling system in functional materials.

The Drexel men’s and women’s basketball teams tip off the 2019-20 home basketball season the weekend of Nov. 8-10 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. The men will play at home on Friday and Sunday, while the women have a home game on Saturday.

Drexel University researchers have developed a process for turning the solid waste products of coal power plants into a useful ingredient that could improve properties of concrete.

With more than 60 percent of millennials wanting to own a business and 49 percent looking to start one within the next three years, universities are often the place where these young entrepreneurs gain the knowledge and guidance to turn their ideas into viable startup businesses.

The most prestigious squash tournament on American soil will be contested at Drexel University’s Daskalakis Athletic Center one last time this fall. The 2019 FS Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships will bring the top players in the world to campus from Oct. 5-12. The tournament, which has been held at Drexel’s Kline & Specter Squash Center since 2011 will be moving to its new home, the Arlen Specter Squash Center, in 2020.

Drexel University's Robert and Penny Fox Historic Costume Collection (FHCC) of the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design will showcase the many revolving styles of women’s suits with its next exhibition Suit Yourself! 75 Years of Powerful Style Friday, opening Oct. 11 through Thursday, March 13.

“What might this be?” Is an innocent question, and one that Hermann Rorschach asked of a series of inkblots he developed, in hope of diving further into the inner workings of the human mind in the 1920s. Rorschach combined two of his passions, graphic arts and the science of medicine, as a catalyst for inquiry into the psyche – and in this process, he also created art.

Researchers at Drexel University have removed one of the final barriers blocking new two-dimensional “super materials,” called MXenes, from widespread use in batteries, electronics devices, water treatment and health care technology. With the discovery that a common food additive, polyphosphate salt, can ward off oxidation and stabilize the materials, MXenes could be one step closer to commercial development.

More public and private resources than ever are being directed to protecting and preserving aquatic ecosystems and watersheds. Whether mandated for land development, farming or in response to the growing severity and number of natural disasters – scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University found evidence that decades of watershed restoration and mitigation projects have taken place, but their impact is mostly perceived; data is relatively undocumented — or simply missing.

Research by Drexel University and the University of Colorado at Boulder suggests that imposing fees on energy producers that emit greenhouse gas could improve the health and financial well-being of the Rocky Mountain region.

On June 28, 1969 – the Stonewall Riots marked a pivotal moment in the fight for queer liberation in the United States. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Drexel University’s Pearlstein Gallery will present Stonewall @ 50 - an exhibition that will gather 60 LGBTQ+ Philadelphia-area artists.

Using the electrical impulses generated by the heart to carefully illuminate the picture, an ultrasound contrast dye created by Drexel University researchers is giving doctors a clearer look at the most camera-shy organ in the body. Enabling the heart to take a selfie, of sorts, means doctors could eventually be able to see the early signs of heart disease and treat it before it becomes deadly.

Today, Brandywine Realty Trust, in partnership with Drexel University, celebrated the opening of Drexel Square—a new 1.3-acre community park—which marks the first completed project within the $3.5 billion master-planned Schuylkill Yards development in University City.

Public health efforts must emphasize condom use and vaccination together to reduce human papillomavirus (HPV) cases among young sexually active gay men, according to researchers at  Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health  published today in the journal  Vaccine . The work builds on other studies demonstrating success of these methods by modeling how many HPV cases can be prevented by increasing the number of people vaccinated.

Expect the experimental; 3-D design, handcrafted macramé, silk embellishments and some sustainably sourced collections will set the stage at Drexel’s University’s annual fashion show on Saturday, June 1 presented by the Fashion Design and Design & Merchandising programs in the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design.

Drexel University is partnering with the Lazarex Cancer Foundation to establish Community IMPACT, a program that will focus on reducing cancer and improving health outcomes in Philadelphia, starting in West Philadelphia neighborhoods. The program involving the Dornsife School of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Professions and the College of Medicine will combine public health qualitative and quantitative assessment and research methods with a grassroots engagement in communities that are often not invited to make their own decisions for health care.

The creativity of local students will be on full display this summer as the 29-story LED array of Brandywine Realty Trust’s Cira Centre office building is once again converted into the world’s largest video game display. Students and teachers from K-12 schools across the Greater Philadelphia region have been working with experts in Drexel University’s Entrepreneurial Game Studio to design and code new games for the building — those games will debut on the evening of June 10 as part of a celebration for the opening of the city’s newest green space, Drexel Square. The opening of Drexel Square park marks the first completed project of the Schuylkill Yards development, a 14-acre master-planned neighborhood in University City being developed by Brandywine Realty Trust on land owned by and in coordination with Drexel.

A new scale, that effectively measures the safety climate of a fire department, has been developed by researchers from Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health, according to a paper published today in the journal Safety Science.

Drexel University and Penn Medicine will join to launch the Philadelphia Cultural Pass pilot grant program, an effort to support vital arts and cultural institutions in the city, offer valuable new opportunities for staff, and attract top talent to the region. The Philadelphia Cultural Pass program will provide a fresh pathway to introduce employees and their families to internationally renowned arts institutions and the concerts, exhibits, and performances that have put Philadelphia on the map as a pre-eminent hub for the arts. The pilot program also aims to broaden the reach of these institutions to more people that work and live around Philadelphia, and to build a community of ambassadors who are active participants in the region’s cultural economy.

Among adults with mental health needs, those covered by Medicare or employer-sponsored health insurance have greater access to medical treatment, less out-of-pocket cost and are more likely to receive care than those seeking an appointment through an Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace-sponsored plan, according to findings from researchers at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. Their study, published in the May 2019 issue of Health Affairs, provides preliminary results on disparities among those experiencing psychological stress since the ACA became law in 2010.

David J. Shulkin, MD, former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will address the Drexel University College of Medicine class of 2019 at its commencement ceremony on May 17. The ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts, 300 S. Broad Street, where approximately 459 degrees will be presented, including 242 MD degrees, as well as 14 PhDs and 203 master’s degrees from the college’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies.

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone will address the graduates of the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law at commencement on Wednesday, May 15 at 2 p.m. The law school will celebrate 171 graduates during its 11th commencement ceremony, held at the Kimmel Center in Verizon Hall (300 S. Broad Street). The event will celebrate 135 graduates who will receive a JD, 32 who will receive a Master of Legal Studies and four who will receive an LLM in American Legal Practice.