This website was design to list all the reseach groups at MU in one place.

Addictions Research Interest Group: The largest addiction group on the MU campus, The Missouri Center for Addiction Research and Engagement (MO-CARE) is a multi-disciplinary center focused on research, engagement, and student training activities related to understanding and preventing addictive behaviors. Centered in the Psychological Sciences Department, MO-CARE aims to meet the needs of Missouri’s citizens affected by addictions through innovative, interdisciplinary research, training the next generation of treatment providers, and enhancing remote access to care. MO-CARE aims to be a system-wide center, and in June of 2019 worked with faculty from UMSL, UMKC, and MU Extension to submit a federal grant application for a Rural Center of Excellence in Substance Use Disorders. MO-CARE will be submitting an NIH center grant application in 2020. Pilot funds are available to support interdisciplinary projects that can either be part of this NIH Center or otherwise lead to federal grant applications, and projects across A&S, SOM, and Engineering have already received funding. As part of a T32 from NIAAA, a group of faculty, post-docs, and graduate trainees focusing on alcohol research have weekly meetings during the academic year on Monday at 4 in 313 Psychology building.

Agricultural Leadership Description: Agricultural Leadership research focuses on promoting the development of leaders and leadership in an agricultural context. This includes scholarship of teaching-type studies on leadership education for high school and undergraduate students, evaluation of leadership programming, as well as exploratory research in ecological forms of leadership.

Air Pollution Research Interest Group: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in US and other developed countries. Air pollution is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, and atherosclerosis is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases. My research is focused on defining the mechanisms for the development and progression of atherosclerosis related to air pollution. Sent email 9/3 to dr. Liu asking for list of faculty members.

Animal and Human Reproductive Health: none

Animal Modeling: The Animal Modeling research interest group is a collection of faculty whose research includes broad-based strategies to develop and refine animal models and to develop novel tools for analysis of animal-based samples to ensure optimal research reproducibility and translatability. They operate several core facilities, research centers and unique NIH-funded animal resources. Strategies include the use of spontaneous and engineered laboratory animal models, use of more than one species to improve validity of research findings and the study of domestic populations of animals using a one medicine approach.

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We are a group of faculty that are interested in promoting interdisciplinary research involving the arts. From cognition to therapy, we are interested in instigating and/or showcasing projects that combine the arts with any other field. We want to promote collaborative work with students, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. Feel free to join if you have a specific project in mind or just want to talk with others about collaborative work being done on campus.

Behavioral and Experimental Economics Research Group Description: This research focuses on behavioral and experimental economics with emphasis in individual preferences and choice. I combine laboratory and field experiments with neurophysiological data, such as eye tracking, facial expression analysis, and electroencephalography (EEG), to better understand the factors influencing decision-making (e.g. purchasing decisions, food choices, and time and risk preferences). I have also gained experience in the application of micro-econometric models of experimental and marketing data to study consumer demand, product valuation, and marketing of agricultural products.

Biomedical Informatics Description: Building on a rich history of bioinformatics, computational biology, and medical informatics research and training programs on the MU campus, researchers develop innovative computational and data science methods to streamline time-consuming discoveries in biomedicine using electronic health records, multi-omics, and geo-coded environmental information. Their research and education activities align well with the NextGen Precision Health Initiatives.

Cambio Center: The Cambio Center leads research and outreach on Latinos and changing communities. The Center strives to help understand the demographic changes in our communities and to provide knowledge and best practices to facilitate a smooth integration of newcomers and immigrants of all backgrounds to Missouri and the Midwest. The Cambio Center serves as a community of practice that supports the work of researchers and practitioners engaged in understanding and addressing these issues.

Care Coordination Research Interest Group: Care coordination is the deliberate organization of patient care activities between two or more participants (healthcare team, patient, & family) involved in a patient's care to facilitate the appropriate delivery of health care services. Care coordination for the purposes of this research group includes the related concepts of transitional care, care management, and discharge planning. Of interest will be interventions that improve the movement of patients or individuals between care settings, between different types of care (curative vs palliative), as well of improvement of care coordination within settings for the purpose of improving patient outcomes. The Care Coordination Research Interest Group meets monthly from 1 to 2pm via Zoom the second Tuesday to discuss current research in care coordination and work collaboratively to vet ideas about future work and collaborate on future proposals. 2nd Tuesdays, 1-2 via zoom

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Center for Agroforestry Description: The goal of the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry is to initiate, coordinate and enhance agroforestry activities to meet the environmental, social and economic needs of land management in Missouri, the Midwest, nationally and worldwide. It is focused on serving as a preeminent global center in agroforestry research, education, outreach, technology transfer and economic development with comprehensive programs that encompass ecological and economic sustainability, specialty crop and commodity production, environmental conservation and stewardship, and integrated systems management. The center, created in 1998, supports the long-term future of rural and urban working family farms and forests by achieving economic, environmental and social sustainability. Interdisciplinary collaboration is one of the most notable hallmarks of the center. To achieve its objectives, the center draws upon diverse knowledge, talent and resident intellectual capacity, and supports researchers located in academic departments across CAFNR and throughout the University of Missouri. The center’s interdisciplinary research programs work in clusters to create synergy among scientists, enhance the center’s research creativity and productivity, and achieve better integration among diverse disciplines. Linked to the center’s science and research programs are numerous partnerships with landowners, natural resource professionals, federal and state agencies, other Universities and non-profit organizations that produce an array of positive outcomes. Since its inception, the center has brought in more than $55 million in grants and contracts to support its mission.

Center for Body Image, Research & Policy: The CBIRP is an interdisciplinary research center housed in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. The center is built around the goal to improve body image, health, and wellness for individuals, families, and communities. Through our interdisciplinary team of researchers, educators, and community agencies we aim to produce research of the highest quality, provide education in regards to body image and health, as well as inform and support policies which promote positive body image to improve physical, mental, and sexual health. To understand body image as it relates to health and well-being. Center Aims: To produce innovative, rigorous research that leads to the development of and/or tests the efficacy of: Interventions, policy, and education and training curricula.

The Center for Criminal and Juvenile Justice Priorities (CCJJP) is an interdisciplinary center of scholars and community stakeholders committed to creating and disseminating research, education, and training for practitioners, policy makers, people with lived experience, and people at risk of justice involvement. The justice system consumes tremendous public resources and affects the lives of millions of people around the world. In the U.S., each year about two million youth face arrest. More than two million adults reside in jails and prisons. An additional 6.7 million people are supervised by justice authorities because they are on probation or parole. Many others are not incarcerated but await prosecution on charges. Those affected are disproportionately racial and ethnic minorities. In addition, although crime rates are down, millions of people continue to be impacted by violent crime every year. These figures are sobering and not new, but the justice system is facing a period of great change. The high costs of maintaining prisons and jails, a declining crime rate, and a broader understanding of drug and mental health treatment’s role in limiting recidivism have combined to drive states to reconsider their approaches to criminal justice. Responses increasingly emphasize community-based efforts, assistance with reentry, and attention to mental health and substance use needs. Social workers, who have always had a presence in criminal and juvenile justice settings, are now more than ever at the center of efforts to improve the country’s justice system. CCJJP was created to be responsive to this changing environment. The center’s primary focus is on interdisciplinary research projects at MU and in partnership with other universities. A secondary focus is on building education and training resources to address the field’s need for prepared professionals who are literate in mental health and the impacts of substance use, trauma, and child maltreatment. CCJJP aims to serve multiple audiences including students, professional social workers, people working with the criminal and juvenile justice fields, community members, and state agencies.

Collaborative Forum on Cancer Biology Research & Translational Precision Medicine (Life Sciences Center)Cancer Biology Group: This group will meet bi-weekly to present new research findings in a format that encourages the open exchange of ideas, questions and suggestions. Our mission for this endeavor includes: building collaboration among basic- and clinical scientists, promoting translational research (incorporating cell-, animal- and human cancer models), advancing our institutional AAU metrics and our institutional interest in NCI aspirational endeavors and, foremost, to advance cancer research at MU. Meetings are led by Mark Hannink, director of the Life Sciences Fellowship Program and professor of biochemistry, and Dr. Mick Petris, Professor of Biochemistry and Nutritional Sciences. Both are Bond LSC investigators.

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Computational Social and Behavioral Science: Initiated by multiple colleges and schools, this campus-wide community is pushing the envelope of social, behavioral, and economic research using Big Data analytics and advanced computational methods. This group’s charge is to develop cutting-edge infrastructure, analytics capabilities, talent building, training opportunities, and research initiatives in behavioral analysis and computational modeling for social science and disparities research that was not possible previously due to the scale and complexity of the information.

Creativity Group/Stem Education Group Description: Our team researches and builds evidence-based training in creative thinking - the foundation of innovation - throughout the K-22 STEM curricula. Our long-term goal is to strengthen US security and economy by preparing a competent and creative STEM workforce who are prepared to tackle urgent, complex problems through innovative design, manufacturing, testing and deployment of effective solutions. Meets once a month.

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Cybersecurity Research Interest Group Description: The purpose of Cyber Security Initiative at the University of Missouri (CSI@MU) is to find innovative, interdisciplinary research solutions to national security problems and to pursue joint funding in support of this research. https://engineering.missouri.edu/research/research-initiatives/cyber-security/

Digital and Data-Driven Geospatial Discovery: This group will focus on work related to applications of geospatial discovery with a focus on health disparities and broad methodological advances. One project is the implementation of a Geospatial-Enabled Big Data Ecosystem (GeoBDE), development of science-driven analytics pillars in 1) influenza risk assessment, 2) social, behavioral, and economic determinants of health disparities, and 3) advanced image-mining techniques that correlate visual imagery with socioeconomic and health data, and additionally, the design of innovative training & curriculum, and dissemination of results.

Data-driven Precision Rural Population Health - He will email me description.The DDRPH research themes are centered on chronic diseases and conditions that have a strong correlation with Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). The DDRPH research themes can be broadly broken, but not limited, into the following categories. Development of novel computational methods and informatics to identify actionable SDOH related to specific chronic healthcare conditions Incorporate SDOH decision making into clinical practice via the electronic health record Development of informatics tools and software that facilitate usage of SDOH into the community healthcare delivery process Develop new methods to feed back health outcome data into the SDOH models and the electronic healthcare record

Deep Learning: The objective of MUDEEP is to develop cutting-edge deep learning technologies to address big datar challenges across many disciplines, facilitate interdisciplinary interactions collaborations, and build a large interdisciplinary deep learning research team to apply for external center-level funding. The research activities across all the disciplines are unified under one central technological theme – deep learning. Deep learning techniques will be transferred between disciplines at the Center, which will multiply its impact drastically.

Digital and Data-Driven Agriculture: Agriculture is an integral part of life, civilization, and economy, with applications ranging from food to medicine. Current estimates put thrusts like precision agriculture at 4 billion USD (by 2018) with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%. This initiative seeks to foster innovation in (g1) sensors and platforms, (g2) eXplainable artificial intelligence (XAI) for data-2-information, and (g3) data translation for implementation in agriculture. These goals address the spectrum of sensing to visualization to decisions and actions, with an emphasis on trustworthy and transparent human-in- and human-over-the-loop solutions. The DDAg Initiative aims to increase MU cross- and inter-disciplinary activities in (g1)-(g3) by funding internal seed projects, connecting faculty, educating students, exploring curriculum options, and resources to increase external visibility and funding.

Digital Interactive Media and Technology: The Digital Media & Interactive Technology RIG is interested in research and practices with regard to digital media and interactive technologies that enable people to better understand, learn from, and communicate in the world. The scope includes, but not limited to, game-based learning, AR/VR/MR applications, and digital media. RIG members are interested in digital learning and user experience through information and communicative technologies, multiliteracies, human-computer interaction, and human information behavior.

Disaster Resilience Group Description: There are pockets of expertise in disaster planning, resiliency, and recovery across MU campus. The PI, Praveen Edara, has been researching evacuations for over 13 years; including funded research from NSF and Virginia DOT to develop plans to safely evacuate people from hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Ecosystem Health Interest Group Strong links exist between human health, domestic and wild animal health, plant and forest health, and environmental integrity. These links between health and the environment are mediated by natural resource availability and affect diverse quality of life issues such as food and water quality, recreation and tourism, and societal norms and traditions. Research in ecosystem health incorporates the environmental justice, human dimensions of natural resources, environmental science, ecology, and public health.

Eldercare Description: An interdisciplinary group focused on investigating, developing, and evaluating technology to serve the needs of older adults and others with physical and cognitive challenges. We develop new healthcare technologies, driven by actual clinical needs, and evaluate them in realistic settings. Research results are disseminated and effective technologies are translated to commercialization to serve those in need. https://www.eldertech.missouri.edu/

Environmental Humanities: Environmental Humanities examines the intersectional history of disruptive climate change and its interaction with the ecology of human societies. The research group integrates humanities faculty with faculty from social and natural sciences in order to explore a range of scholarship and research methodologies on a wide range of issues from individual and collective wellbeing to art, culture, trade, communication, migration, agricultural practices, urban planning, economic and political shifts, etc. In Fall 2019 the group plans to meet twice a month with two goals in mind: (1) to explore and define research and programmatic goals, assemble local expertise, and survey existing resources and need, and (2) to develop a team-taught course (possibly a 2000-level Honors course or a 4000/7000) for Fall 2020. The course will examine a series of specific events or issues from different methodological perspectives. The group will allow the creation of new tracks and certificates at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, offering interdisciplinary training that currently exists at only a few institutions; compare with this new humanities consortium at UNC-Chapel Hill: https://www.unc.edu/posts/2019/08/22/mellon-foundation-awards-pilot-funding-for-consortium-in-environmental-humanities/

Equity and Fairness Group Description: Our aim is to promote collaboration among scholars doing basic and applied research that recognizes, examines, and assesses the effects on and implications of issues relating to or derived from fairness, equity and/or justice. While concerns of fairness, equity and justice are particularly relevant in the study of underrepresented, marginalized, or dependent groups or individuals, we consider all contexts and settings, including social, economic, political and environmental domains. We aspire to capitalize on theoretical and methodological approaches across disciplines to produce actionable knowledge that will improve the lives of Missourians and people across the globe.

Exosomes & Cardiovascular Disease in Obesity & Sleep Apnea: The global obesity epidemic also increases the prevalence of other dangerous disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and there is evidence that a synergistic relationship between these conditions can be explained at the cell level. The goal is to establish a multidisciplinary research group who will work to understand the cellular connection between obesity and vascular disease, and also develop new targeted therapies for CVD—the number one cause of death worldwide.

Fall Prevention and Physical Function in Older Adults: This group is focusing on the effects of community physical activity programs on older adults, specifically the MU Extension program Stay Strong, Stay Healthy. The group is studying strength, balance, and flexibility among older adults. They are also looking at psychological changes and perceptions of health after participating in the program.

Family and Relationships Research Network of Missouri: The Family and Relationships Network of Missouri (FARR-net) is composed of an interdisciplinary group faculty, students, and research and extension speicalists affiliated with the University of Missouri System. FARR-net is engaged in scholarship that promotes the quality of life, economic outlook, and social resources of Missouri families. Research conducted within FARR-net engages families and close relationships throughout the lifespan (e.g., relationship formation, parenting, elder care) on important relational processes (e.g., relationship harmony, conflict, resiliency, interpersonal violence, positive parenting, and child development).

Forage-Livestock Group Description: When the MU Forage-Livestock Group was formed in 1971, plant and animal scientists met informally over lunches to plan grazing experiments and discuss research findings. Today, the group includes more than 20 scientists and their elite teams in CAFNR, who collaborate with colleagues in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The goal of the MU Forage-Livestock Group is to provide science that will sustain Missouri’s livestock industry, while also protecting the state’s natural resources. The group brings together faculty, staff and students to teach, conduct research and do extension work at the University of Missouri. The group works to increase scientific discovery, dissemination and application of science in forage-livestock agriculture. The interdisciplinary programs include management-intensive grazing, fescue toxicosis, winter feeding systems, animal nutritional management, precision grazing and dairy grazing systems. The Missouri Grazing Schools, for example, serve as just one of the important outcomes of the MU Forage-Livestock Group. Analysis shows that those schools contribute $125 million each year to the economy in Missouri and support more than 2,000 jobs in the state.

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Health Services Research, Nursing Homes, Nursing Informatics (e.g. Patient portals, Health Information Exchange): Working with funders to investigate technology (e.g. health information exchange, mobile technology) solutions and relevant patient outcomes for technology use. Research focuses on determining IT capabilities, extent of IT use, and degree of IT integration in health systems. We incorporate quality measure and patient safety indices from large publically reported databases in our analysis to determine effects of technology on these measures. Most of the work is conducted in long-term and acute-care settings. Meetings are held biweekly.

Hearing Impairment: We are working on research related to hearing loss, hearing aids, cochlear implants, vertigo/dizziness, and other ENT concerns.

Host/Pathogen/Parasite/Symbiont’ Group: The Host/Pathogen meetings are monthly gatherings of faculty scientists, students, and postdoctoral fellows who share an interest in interactions between microbes and hosts. Scientists studying human infectious diseases, animal diseases, plant diseases, and beneficial microbial-host interactions participate, and Members currently come from Plant Sciences, MMI, Computer Sciences, Biochemistry, Anthropology, Vet Path, Biology, Animal Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, and Geological Sciences. The meetings promote a free exchange of ideas and have led to new interdisciplinary interactions among faculty. As an example, a reproductive physiologist from the Bond Life Sciences Center has partnered with a virologist/mosquito molecular biologist from the College of Veterinary Medicine to initiate a study of Zika virus replication in placental tissue. Birth defects from Zika virus infections of pregnant women is a significant worldwide public health problem and this collaboration, originating out of the Host/Pathogen monthly meeting, has already led to important new information and new research directions and collaborations at MU. Meetings are led by George Stewart, McKee professor of microbial pathogenesis, chairman of the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology and Bond LSC investigator.

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Influena Research Interest Group Description: My lab builds biomolecules and tests their ability to serve as components of biological systems to achieve targeted outcomes (a form of Synthetic Biology or Chemical Biology). We focus on nucleic acids. A long-term objective is to develop RNA aptamers for control and study of cancer, viral pathogens, and host immunological responses to infection. A current project (NIH) evaluates antiviral aptamers for potential gene therapy treatment of HIV. Another current project (NIH) develops aptamers that differentiate among glycoproteins from filoviruses such as Ebolavirus. Another new initiative (NIH) exploits aptamers that bind surface markers on cells and viruses to study, detect and treat human and animal diseases. Another current project (NASA) is developing new ribozymes that directly interface with and promote reactions among the small molecule metabolome. A theme that unifies all of our projects above is to exploit the functional capabilities of nucleic acids to drive biological outcomes.

Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Research Interest Group: Neuroscience research at the University of Missouri includes a network of over 50 faculty who perform basic and clinical research in the departments of biochemistry, biological engineering, biological sciences, neurology, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, physiology, psychological sciences, psychiatry, and veterinary biomedicine. These investigators study many different aspects of the nervous system, ranging from human behavior to the operation of neural networks to the molecular mechanisms of neural function. https://neuroscience.missouri.edu/

Interdisciplinary Reproduction and Health Group Description: The IRHG was organized and established through a faculty-driven, grassroots effort in 2016 to develop a multidisciplinary program to foster distinction in reproduction, health research and education at Mizzou. The primary goal of the IRHG is to address broad challenges to reproduction and health of humans and animals by conducting basic, clinical and translational research and providing training for the next generation of scientists. At present, IRHG includes more than 100 faculty, staff and trainees (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) from eight departments across five colleges/schools at MU. The IRHG program at Mizzou is the strongest reproductive biology program in the state and region, and ranks in the top five nationally among land-grant universities based on extramural funding. The program is a nationally and internationally recognized brand, particularly in animal sciences. The faculty consistently have the largest number of extramural grants focused on reproductive biology from USDA and NIH, as well as the NSF and companies, in comparison to other Animal Science departments.

Interdisciplinary Plant Group Description: The Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG; https://ipg.missouri.edu/) is an integrative program that transcends traditional departmental and disciplinary boundaries to foster excellence in plant biology research and education at MU. The IPG was established in 1981, and has grown to include 55 faculty-led teams, plus nine emeritus members, from multiple units and colleges. The program promotes an interactive environment that facilitates the sharing of ideas and resources, and creates opportunities for collaboration through interdisciplinary workshops, seminars, and an annual international symposium. The IPG’s research interests are grouped by studies that focus on genetic diversity, developmental mechanisms, and biotic and abiotic interactions. In the past 15 years, IPG faculty have secured over $230 million in extramural grant funding.

Interpersonal Violence: Across MU campus there are several interpersonal violence (IPV) experts focused on various aspects of victimization. This group seeks to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration among these scholars and others interested in understanding IPV with the hope of improving wellbeing and reducing violence among residents in our local, state, and national communities as well as foster opportunities for extramural funding. Sent note to kathleen to see if i should remove group - not yet meeting.

Missouri Language and Literacies Center: To develop understandings of, and educational support for, the Missouri language and literacy needs of the present and future. To transform education to meet the complex language and literacies needs of the 21st century using a more expansive view of language and literacies. Education, digital storytelling, sociolinguistics, journalism.

Landscape Change and Sustainability: Earth’s landscape is central to all life on the planet, and it changes constantly, by natural forces as well as through human activity. Geological processes have created mountain ranges, basins, and other landforms throughout Earth’s history, while climatic forces, through erosion and sedimentation, constantly reshape environmental surfaces. Landscape changes affect human society; human activity has also significantly changed landscapes, sometimes with undesired consequences.

Large Animals as Models for Human Health: Large Animals as Models for Human Health Research Interest Group is composed of MU investigators with interest and expertise in using large animals, primarily swine, to develop models with high translational potential for treating human diseases. These include atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF), systolic heart failure (HFrEF), myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, aortic aneurysm and infarction and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Livestock Engineering Group Description: The MU Livestock Engineering Team (MULE Team) facilitates the production of genetically engineered livestock for science, medicine and agriculture. The defining identity of the program is the central role it plays in productive collaborations with research programs at MU and at other institutions across the country. The MULE Team began in 1989 and focuses on all aspects of embryo technologies including oocyte and preimplantation embryo development, embryo culture, and cryopreservation. More than 75 different genetic modifications have been introduced into pigs, which has led to the production of more than 1,200 live-born pigs. The National Swine Research and Resource Center (NSRRC) is a critical component of the MULE Team. The NSRRC serves as a resource for biomedical investigators and researchers, providing those individuals with access to critically needed swine models for human health and disease. Serving the research community often requires great flexibility to meet the needs of individual investigators, which the NSRRC accommodates. MULE Team researchers have been awarded $140 million in grants, including $33 million for operation of the NSRRC, since the program’s inception.

An interdisciplinary group of researchers focused on an improved understanding of the scope and potential application domains of materials-focused research efforts at MU. The group meets bi-weekly for scientific discussions and exploration into funding opportunities.

Metabolism and Metabolomics: The purpose of this group is to foster scholarly collaborative interactions and to stimulate external funding proposals that contain a component focused on metabolism and metabolomics. Our meetings generally start with a presentation from the LSC granting office on related funding opportunities which is followed by a scholarly presentation and discussions that encourage interactions.

Migration. Integration and Well-Being. This RIG is part of the research collaborative/community of practice of the Cambio Center. We work to understand the movement of people and dynamics of changing communities, in order to develop empirically-based practices to facilitate integration and well-being among immigrants within their communities. Researchers in this group come from applied social sciences, counseling psychology, educational policy, human development and family science, library sciences, public policy, romance languages, social work, teacher education, and more.

Missouri Climate Center Description: The Missouri Climate Center is responsible for collecting and archiving observational data across Missouri. The group also does short and long range forecasting for Missouri and performs research on climate variability and climate change and its impact to the State of Missouri.

Modeling Data Science: The Missouri Climate Center is responsible for collecting and archiving observational data across Missouri. The group also does short and long range forecasting for Missouri and performs research on climate variability and climate change and its impact to the State of Missouri.

Nanomedicine: The Nanomedicine Research Interest Group is focused on using nanotechnology for developing diagnosis, imaging, and therapy of human diseases.

Precision Intervention, Prevention and Assessment for Student Success: Precision Intervention, Prevention and Assessment for Student Success- This group of researchers focus on promoting student success in the (a) academic, (b) social-emotional and (c) behavioral domains. Academic, social-emotional and behavioral interventions are taking on the term “precision” much like medicine. The idea is that interventions work for some students, but not equally for all depending on specific attributes.

Radiopharma Group Description: The Radiopharmaceutical Interest group is a collection of scientists across the university who aim to diagnosis and treat disease by developing and testing agents containing a radioactive element. The agents can be used to diagnose disease with PET or SPECT imaging. The agents can be used to treat disease by delivering targeted short range radiation to ablate diseased tissue. The group includes chemists who develop new radionuclides and targeting vectors as well as life scientists who image models of disease in small and large animals.

RNA Viruses (Ebola, Zika, Dengue, Lassa and other): The group mostly centers around various aspects of HIV/AIDS, though many of the techniques and interests bleed into other viruses. Expertise in the group includes RNA biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, and viral replication in cells. this group meets monthly.

Rural Engagement Group Description: Started in Spring 2019 with a focus on Rural Health, the group is now expanding to including research around economic development and other areas that effect rural life today.

Rural Health Description: This group is interested in the following areas: rural survivorship of cancer, vulnerable populations, health disparities, health ethics, access issues, telemedicine, drug use and treatment among others.

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Social and Emotional Development. This group conducts research on the social and emotional development of children, addressing development on topics such as prosocial behavior, aggression, bullying, friendships, sibling relationships, emotion regulation, among others.

Stem Education PreK12 Description: This group conducts research on how to improve STEM education from pre-kindergarten through post-secondary levels. (This group may overlap with the IDE group as some of their focus is on promoting the success of underrepresented groups in STEM fields).

Sustainability Science Research Interest Group Description: Sustainability Science is an emerging field of research dealing with the interactions between natural and social systems, and with how those interactions affect the challenge of sustainability: meeting the needs of present and future generations while substantially reducing poverty and conserving the planet's life support systems.” (National Academy of Sciences, 2016) The Sustainability Science research group seeks to understand interactions between social and biophysical systems, the complex mechanisms that lead to the degradation of these systems, and the concomitant risks to human well-being and security. We seek to provide the vision and methodology to transition social-ecological systems toward sustainability.

Sustainable Development Group: The Sustainable Development Group (SDG) connects MU faculty in a range of disciplines related to development social science, such as sociology, economics, geography, management (textile & apparel, hospitality, etc.), and the human dimensions of natural resources. The group focuses on the social, economic, cultural, and environmental dimensions of development and society. We seek to build a critical mass of MU scholars interested in interdisciplinary sustainable development studies, and nourish opportunities for collaborative research, education, and outreach.

Targeted Delivery (Cancer Theranostics): The team is working simultaneously towards four major objectives – to identify a comprehensive panel of aptamers that target the majority of tumors, develop molecular tools to enhance the delivery of cargo specifically to cancerous cells, improve imaging for targeted delivery of radiopharmaceuticals, and enhance the efficacy of killing solid tumors through immunotherapy.

Translatonal Social Sciences Group Description: We focus on the development of approaches to collaborative and interdisciplinary research that engage key decision makers and beneficiaries of innovations or new knowledge so that the pathway from technological discovery and innovation to societal well-being can be enhanced. Translational research is especially important in contexts of change and uncertainty. Its aim is to develop salient, trusted and actionable knowledge. Translational education and training is also multi-disciplinary but focusses on methods of developing actionable knowledge under uncertainty.

Water Research Group: The MU Water Research Group including dozens of faculty from engineering, natural resources, extension and social sciences has gathered frequently to pursue excellence in water research, management, technology transfer and workforce training. We continue to pursue UM system Tier 2 funding aiming at establishing the Missouri Water Center, a cross-campus center of excellence for water science research and education by strengthening interdisciplinary research collaboration and forming strong academic-community-industrial partnerships. Some recent events include a full day symposium at Brewer Science (Rolla, Missouri) in July 2019 for MU researchers, USGS scientists, industry to work together and promote ecosystem sustainability and advance community resilience by developing nutrient commodity management and convergent sensor technologies. This group is working hard with our partners to build a water science, sensors and data management-based consortium for requesting federal plus-up funding. Group meets at least once a semester.