Audrey Gray

UT San Antonio Today • 9th June 2026

Unlocking the circular economy: research maps the hidden economics of resale, rebates and ‘green’ shopping - UT San Antonio Today

Every time someone trades in a phone, picks a refurbished laptop over a new one or buys thrifted clothes online, they are supporting a growing circular economy — a system where used items are given a second life instead of going into a landfill. This growing trend is good for the environment, but it also creates a new kind of tension between big-name brands that sell new products and the e‑retailers that profit from used ones.UT San Antonio researcher Minghe Sun, operations and analytics profess...

UT San Antonio Today • 26th May 2026

UT San Antonio researchers find ‘perfect recipe’ to regrow bone and blood vessels - UT San Antonio Today

For patients suffering from traumatic injuries that leave behind “volumetric” gaps — where significant bone and blood vessels are lost — the clock is always ticking. Without a nearby blood supply, cells in the center of a large injury cannot survive, often leading to permanent tissue loss or failed grafts.A team of eight scientists at The University of Texas at San Antonio has discovered a potential “perfect recipe” to address this challenge. By blending two natural proteins found in the human b...

UT San Antonio Today • 21st May 2026

UT San Antonio leads national effort to arm law enforcement with ‘smart’ forensic skills - UT San Antonio Today

The modern crime scene is no longer confined to obvious, physical evidence like broken glass or shell casings. In the age of the “smart home,” seemingly innocuous devices that are networked, mounted on a wall or strapped on a wrist can play a key role in solving — and committing — crimes.As the number of connected devices worldwide is projected to exceed 40 billion by 2034, The University of Texas at San Antonio is leading a national initiative to ensure law enforcement can keep pace. Through th...

UT San Antonio Today • 18th May 2026

Stress and hormones interact in surprising ways, affecting learning in the female brain - UT San Antonio Today

Studies suggest that a single stressful event can sharpen how the male brain learns to associate environmental cues with rewards, creating the essential motivational building blocks to master new skills. On the other hand, more prolonged stress can be a deterrent to learning.After testing this pattern, a research team at The University of Texas at San Antonio decided to investigate a new question: Does the female brain respond the same way to stress, and do fluctuations in hormones affect these...

UT San Antonio Today • 6th May 2026

Cultivating the future: Joint UT San Antonio, SwRI program to train next generation of smart agriculture experts - UT San Antonio Today

As global food demands intensify, the agricultural sector is turning to high-tech solutions like AI, drones and robotics to transition from conventional farming practices to high-efficiency “smart agriculture.” In response to these evolving demands, The University of Texas at San Antonio is stepping up to ensure the Texas workforce is ready.
A new five-year program, supported by a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will train dozens of undergraduate students in cuttin...

UT San Antonio Today • 5th May 2026

A non-toxic guard against Lyme disease could soon be an everyday purchase - UT San Antonio Today

A breakthrough in the fight against Lyme disease is moving from the laboratory to the hardware store. Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio are developing a non-toxic biologic that could soon be available in big-box and home improvement stores.
This will offer a new line of defense against the most common tick-borne illness in the United States.
The project, led by Janakiram Seshu, a professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Sciences,...

UT San Antonio Today • 28th April 2026

Three UT San Antonio researchers honored with inaugural Texas Innovation Awards - UT San Antonio Today

Three faculty researchers from The University of Texas at San Antonio were celebrated with the inaugural Texas Innovation Award, a new statewide award recognizing leadership in translating academic research into real-world impact.
The awards were presented during the Texas Innovation Conference & Awards on April 22–23 at the Texas Christian University campus in Fort Worth.
The Texas Innovation Conference & Awards aims to strengthen the state’s innovation network by highlighting researchers whose...

UT San Antonio Today • 27th April 2026

Simple training can save lives by keeping medical supplies on the shelves, UT San Antonio researcher finds - UT San Antonio Today

A recent study from The University of Texas at San Antonio reveals that low-cost training for frontline health workers can significantly reduce medical supply shortages, potentially saving thousands of lives in developing nations.
Amir Karimi, an assistant professor of operations and analytics in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business, evaluated a large-scale initiative in Indonesia designed to keep contraceptives on pharmacy shelves. The study recently accepted by Management Science, found that...

UT San Antonio Today • 6th April 2026

Health Research Challenge provides funding to integrated teams to address critical health challenges - UT San Antonio Today

The University of Texas at San Antonio Office for Research and Innovation announced 14 interdisciplinary teams will receive a total of $543,274 through the university’s Health Research Challenge. Launched in November 2025, the new internal funding program aims to foster interdisciplinary health research collaboration by requiring that winning teams include researchers from both the academic and health campuses of the newly integrated university.
“The UT San Antonio Health Research Challenge team...

UT San Antonio Today • 16th March 2026

UT System ranks No. 4 worldwide for U.S. utility patents - UT San Antonio Today

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) has again affirmed its standing as a global leader in innovation. The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) announced that The University of Texas System ranked No. 4 in its prestigious list of the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2025.
The annual ranking highlights the vital role that university-led research plays in driving the global economy and translating laboratory discoveries into real-world applications,...

UT San Antonio Today • 2nd March 2026

From ‘them’ to ‘nosotros’: How dual language academies unite San Antonio students - UT San Antonio Today

Twelve years ago, conditions and morale at Irving Academy in the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) were abysmal, according to teachers and district leaders.
“You could smell the mold that was in the carpets. There were no windows in the classrooms,” said Jackie Calderón Hernandez, a teacher in the middle school English Language Arts class.
Since then, the district has cleaned up the buildings and made significant strides in improving the school, and, through a program called the Du...

UT San Antonio Today • 27th February 2026

UT San Antonio recognized for exceptional research in cybersecurity - UT San Antonio Today

The National Security Agency (NSA) designated UT San Antonio as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) for its doctoral programs.
The NSA awards the designation to universities with exceptional doctoral-level cybersecurity education and research. The program also aims to recognize universities that advance the priorities set forth in the 2018 National Cyber Strategy by addressing “the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills” and producing “the qua...

UT San Antonio Today • 18th February 2026

Researcher navigates remote peat swamps to protect the endangered Sunda gharial - UT San Antonio Today

In the dense, blackwater peat swamps of Southeast Asia, a rare predatory reptile conceals itself below the water’s surface, largely unknown to the world.
The Sunda gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) is a crocodile that is dwindling in numbers, but Kyle Shaney, an assistant professor of vertebrate zoology at UT San Antonio, is leading an important mission to uncover its mysteries.
Listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the Sunda gharial is one of the wo...

UT San Antonio Today • 16th February 2026

UT San Antonio to launch nation’s first open-access neuromorphic computing hub - UT San Antonio Today

Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting smarter, but with its increasing capacity comes a growing energy footprint.
As modern AI models expand, massive data centers are needed — technology that consumes levels of energy and finite natural resources that some experts warn is unsustainable.
To tackle this challenge, the MATRIX AI Consortium for Human Well-Being at UT San Antonio plans to launch a new initiative that establishes a national hub for “neuromorphic” computing available for public use....

UT San Antonio Today • 29th January 2026

Zero preventable deaths: How one research team is redefining trauma care in Texas - UT San Antonio Today

Every year, as many as 30,000 people in the United States die of what is considered preventable trauma, according to a 2016 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).
The solution cited in the study is treating civilian trauma care more like military trauma care — standardized, streamlined and immediate, with greater intensive care applied at the site of injuries.
A decade later, a team of San Antonio researchers is putting that solution to the test with h...

UT San Antonio Today • 14th January 2026

Researcher finds this factor can affect prison recidivism rates the most - UT San Antonio Today

Unmanaged stress can be the biggest factor leading formerly incarcerated persons to return to crime and drug use.
That’s according to a new study by a UT San Antonio criminologist whose research is shifting the focus on the causes of recidivism, finding that stress is a more reliable predictor than many other factors, including mental health issues.
The research, led by Chantal Fahmy, PhD, and published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, evaluated the complex factors that affect reintegrating m...

UT San Antonio Today • 19th December 2025

Research in retrospect: How UT San Antonio expert researchers broke barriers in 2025 - UT San Antonio Today

While students were cramming and faculty members were lecturing, UT San Antonio researchers stayed busy this year, testing novel ideas and pushing the boundaries of discovery.
Many of these efforts led to major breakthroughs, accolades and awards in 2025.
From imagining an opioid-free world of pain relief to forging computing systems that run on a fraction of the energy required in today’s systems, here’s how the university’s researchers have made headlines and set new records in the past year....

UT San Antonio Today • 11th December 2025

National Academy of Inventors names UT San Antonio engineering professor an NAI Fellow - UT San Antonio Today

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named Eugene John, a professor in the Computer Engineering Department at UT San Antonio, an NAI fellow.
John’s inventions include patented technology that improves the energy efficiency of implantable cardiac devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators. This technology reduces the power required to process heart signals. This extends the battery life of the device, meaning that patients require less frequent surgical battery replacements.
The NAI Fe...

UT San Antonio Today • 11th December 2025

Scientists are studying lunar dust to better understand the evolution and composition of the moon - UT San Antonio Today

Apollo missions’ astronauts collected moon dust decades ago.
Today, researchers at UT San Antonio and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) are analyzing those grains of dust to pave the way for the next wave of lunar exploration.
A new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets details how space weathering alters the way lunar soil reflects ultraviolet light.
The research was led by Caleb Gimar, PhD, who recently completed a doctoral degree in the joint program offered by...

UT San Antonio Today • 9th December 2025

Feeling more and believing less: How deepfakes are shaping our perceptions - UT San Antonio Today

A reputable doctor appears to endorse a health supplement. A celebrity appears in a video she never shot. A politician seemingly instructs viewers to expose their banking account details.
These are examples of the deepfakes circulating on the internet — video content that can lead to serious consequences.
Deepfakes are synthetic videos created with AI technology to make real people or animals say or do things that they have not said or done in real life. They are becoming more realistic and ubiq...

UT San Antonio Today • 25th November 2025

UT San Antonio launches new funding program to tackle profound health challenges - UT San Antonio Today

The Office for Research and Innovation recently hosted the Health Research Challenge at UT San Antonio, an event to foster collaboration that advances discovery, accelerates translational science and improves health outcomes.
A new internal funding opportunity was announced during the event for UT San Antonio faculty members across all colleges and schools. This initiative is designed to foster a dynamic environment for interdisciplinary collaboration and to help bridge researchers from multiple...

UT San Antonio Today • 3rd November 2025

Driven by migration trends and suburban sprawl, Texas population expected to hit 42.6M by 2060 - UT San Antonio Today

New population projections released by the Texas Demographic Center at The University of Texas at San Antonio confirm that the state’s growth is shifting dramatically, becoming increasingly reliant on migration as the population ages and the fertility rate sinks.
On Oct. 22, Helen You, PhD, associate director and senior demographer at the center, presented the latest report, the “Vintage 2024 Population Projections,” with data that state officials and policymakers rely on for planning. The repor...

UT San Antonio Today • 14th October 2025

UT San Antonio joins nine institutions to accelerate Alzheimer's research with massive data network - UT San Antonio Today

A team of researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio is working to standardize and consolidate vast quantities of health information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
The ambitious five-year project is called ReCARDO, for “Using Real-World Data to Derive Common Data Elements for Alzheimer’s Disease and AD-Related Dementias Research Through Ontological Innovation.”
Its goal is to translate the data already collected on the disease into a common language, enabling scientists...

UT San Antonio Today • 13th October 2025

NIH supports new research on ion channels, the ‘hidden drivers of health’ - UT San Antonio Today

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded significant funding to a team of researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio who are conducting studies that could pave the way for new treatments of a wide range of diseases.
The funding will support research into the intricate relationship between ion channels, a class of proteins crucial for cellular communication, and their often-overlooked cellular partners, protein folding enzymes and lipids.
Ion channels are crucial gateways th...