Texas Tech Research

06/17/2026

Interdisciplinary One Health Research Tackles Food Biosecurity Issues

Making sure our food sources are safe is a key component of One Health, a transdisciplinary approach that takes into account the health of humans, animals, and the ecosystem. Texas Tech is uniquely equipped to find solutions through the work of the Institute for One Health Innovation (IOHI), a joint effort between Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and Texas Tech University that encompasses everything from agriculture, nutrition sciences, medical research, biology, veterinary medicine, and more.

“We worked to identify the strengths of Texas Tech and TTUHSC and how we can enhance them to impact health and our recognition in this area," said Dr. Naima Moustaid-Moussa, executive director of the IOHI and Horn Distinguished Professor of nutrition and One Health. She also holds appointments at the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine and the TTUHSC Cell Biology & Biochemistry department at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.

There are two current issues affecting ag producers that One Health researchers are addressing.

Avian influenza impacts poultry production as well as other animals in the wild. This illness creates headaches for producers, but Dr. Janghan Choi, a scientist in the Texas Tech University Department of Animal & Food Sciences at the Texas Tech Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, is developing nutritional interventions to protect against disease and support poultry health.

Another potential threat to agriculture is the reemergence of the New World Screwworm, a parasitic fly that can infect open wounds and animal orifices. Professor of One Health in the School of Veterinary Medicine Dr. Chad Cross has been collaborating with government agencies, veterinarians, and other researchers to provide solutions that can protect livestock, other animals, and humans.

Learn more about Texas Tech's One Health initiatives: https://www.ttu.edu/now/posts/2026/05/one-health-helps-researchers-address-two-food-biosecurity-issues.php

06/16/2026

Congratulations to our Director, Dr. John Schroeder, on being inducted into the National Academy of Inventors this past week! This prestigious recognition honors individuals whose innovations have made a meaningful impact through discovery, technology, and real-world application.

The National Academy of Inventors champions academic innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, embracing emerging technologies, and advancing AI-driven progress—values that continue to shape the future of research and society. We are proud to see Dr. Schroeder's contributions recognized alongside other leading innovators from across the nation.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Schroeder on this outstanding achievement!

06/16/2026

USDA Funds Texas Tech Vet School Study on Prebiotics and Maternal Health

A $630,435 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) is supporting Dr. Prasanth Chelikani’s research at the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine to address pregnancy-related obesity, diabetes and hypertension using a One Health approach. The study will test whether prebiotic fiber diets can safely improve maternal health and reduce long-term metabolic disease risks in offspring, using preclinical models to identify effective interventions.

“Majority of clinical drug trials exclude pregnant women, and despite the recent surge in anti-obesity medications for weight control, they are not recommended for pregnant women due to lack of safety data,” Dr. Chelikani said. “As an alternative and safer strategy, in this project, we will assess whether the consumption of diets enriched in prebiotic fibers will improve maternal health and protect the offspring against obesity and metabolic diseases later in life.”

The Chelikani Lab will use preclinical models that mirror key features of human disease, including obesity, severe hypertension and stroke risk. This approach provides a practical and rigorous pathway to evaluate mechanisms by which dietary prebiotic fibers alter gut microbiota to improve maternal and offspring metabolic health and identify potential intervention windows.

Read more: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/vetschool/school-of-veterinary-medicine-stories/posts/2026/06/usda-funds-texas-tech-vet-school-study-on-prebiotics-and-maternal-health.php

U.S. Department of Agriculture

06/16/2026

The Global Sorghum Conference is 90 days away! And there is still time to register!

Texas Tech University and the Global Sorghum Association are bringing the Global Sorghum Conference to the United States for the first time ever. From September 14-18, experts, researchers, producers, and industry leaders will come to Lubbock, Texas to showcase the future of sorghum innovation.

This conference is sponsored by the United Sorghum Checkoff Program, the National Sorghum Producers, Visit Lubbock, Texas Tech Research & Innovation, and the Texas Tech Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources.

Find out more here: https://www.depts.ttu.edu/research/sorghum-conference/

06/15/2026

Two Davis College Scientists Lead Local Community Project 🌿

Drs. Lindsey Slaughter and Scott Longing from the Texas Tech Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources received funding for a project aimed at bridging education, student engagement with local high schools, and community cleanup efforts in Lubbock, Texas.

The project, "Playa Watershed Restoration and Engagement at LISD AgriSTEM," will aim to restore and study a small urban playa watershed in the Hub City while creating hands-on opportunities for student training and community engagement. During the project, TTU graduate students will lead background field sampling of soils, vegetation, and invertebrate communities and provide active learning opportunities for high school students.

Baseline data will support long-term tracking of playa watershed condition and restoration outcomes, while focus sessions with agricultural educators will aim to create innovative learning opportunities for students involving field-based learning, ecological restoration, and natural resource conservation. As part of the project, they will roll out the Wild Seed Stewards program to distribute locally collected native seeds and educational resources, promoting biodiversity conservation and public engagement in sustaining regional playa ecosystems.

06/12/2026

TTU Grad Student Receives Prestigious Physics Award from CERN ⚛️

Niramay Gogate, a graduate student in the Texas Tech Department of Physics and Astronomy, recently received a 2025 Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Award for his work with the Hadron Calorimeter (HCAL) at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics and the foremost physics research facility in the world. This exceptional recognition is only awarded to 1% of the thousands of scientists involved in the CMS collaboration each year.

The CMS Experiment at CERN is one of two large, general purpose particle physics detectors at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located in the CERN facility in Europe. The CMS detects and analyzes the fundamental building blocks of our universe by examining the aftermath of subatomic collisions created by the LHC.

Gogate's contributions helped ensure accurate data collection, which is a painstaking process in the highly precise field of particle physics. His official citation in this award recognizes Gogate for "his outstanding contributions to HCAL prompt feedback and detector performance groups in Run 3, especially in-depth studies of HCAL pulse shape and timing."

College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University

06/12/2026

TTU Researcher Awarded Funding for Research in EMDR Therapy 🧠

Dr. Heather Austin-Robillard was awarded $40,000 from the EMDR Research Foundation for her project that will examine whether Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a trauma-focused therapy, helps first responders recover from the psychological effects of repeated exposure to traumatic events.

The study will track changes in symptoms of trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, and substance use risk factors throughout treatment and three months following therapy, while also exploring participants’ lived experiences with the EMDR therapy. Findings will help improve mental health services for first responders and support the development of more effective trauma-informed approaches for addressing both trauma and addiction-related concerns among those who serve their communities.

College of Health & Human Sciences - Texas Tech University
Community, Family, & Addiction Sciences at Texas Tech University

06/11/2026

TTU Engineer Receives Career Development Award from American Heart Association 🫀

The Srivastava Lab was awarded the American Heart Association Career Development Award, a three-year, $231,000 grant to advance novel techniques in detecting and treating clots in the bloodstream. This funding supports the development of hypoxia-activatable near-infrared II (NIR-II) nanoprobes for the early detection and treatment of pulmonary embolism in preclinical models.

This project aims to create imaging agents that selectively activate under low-oxygen conditions associated with pulmonary embolism, enabling highly sensitive detection and image-guided therapeutic intervention. The long-term goal is to improve early diagnosis and treatment strategies for life-threatening thromboembolic diseases.

The American Heart Association Career Development Award supports early-career investigators pursuing innovative cardiovascular and stroke-related research with strong potential for clinical and translational impact. The award is designed to foster the development of independent researchers working on high-impact problems in cardiovascular health. This achievement represents the dedication and creativity of Dr. Indrajit Srivastava and his team in progressing the frontier of cardiovascular science.

Texas Tech University - Whitacre College of Engineering
Texas Tech University - Department of Mechanical Engineering

06/10/2026

Dr. Muntazar Monsur was awarded $126,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for his project that aims at improving the quality of outdoor environments in childcare settings across Texas.

Led by Texas Tech University in collaboration with DSHS, the project will develop and validate a climate-responsive self-assessment tool that enables childcare providers to evaluate their outdoor learning environments. The tool will measure the capacity of outdoor spaces to support children's physical activity, healthy behaviors, play, and learning while accounting for the landscape conditions found across Texas climate regions. Findings will inform evidence-based improvements to childcare outdoor environments statewide.

Texas Tech Landscape Architecture
Texas Tech Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources
College of Health & Human Sciences - Texas Tech University
TTU STEM CORE

06/10/2026

Congratulations Dr. Schroeder!

Congratulations to our Director, Dr. John Schroeder, on being inducted into the National Academy of Inventors this past week! This prestigious recognition honors individuals whose innovations have made a meaningful impact through discovery, technology, and real-world application.

The National Academy of Inventors champions academic innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, embracing emerging technologies, and advancing AI-driven progress—values that continue to shape the future of research and society. We are proud to see Dr. Schroeder's contributions recognized alongside other leading innovators from across the nation.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Schroeder on this outstanding achievement!