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A grassroots initiative connects Clemson scientists across ecology and evolution
Faculty-led initiative seeks to break down silos and strengthen research, teaching and student engagement.
High school renovations bring state-of-the-art sports facilities to students in Taylor
Construction is underway on major athletic-facility upgrades at Taylor High School, part of the Taylor School District’s voter-approved $130 million bond program.
Intramural sports coordinator dedicates her work to sports, student development
Emilee Howard picked up a basketball as a small 2-year-old and never put it down. Now, 30-year-old Howard is traveling across the country to officiate national sports tournaments.
Texas A&M AgriLife celebrates renaming of Poultry Science Farm Complex
Texas A&M AgriLife renamed its Poultry Science Farm Complex to honor donor support of the poultry science program and its students.
UABTeach Program Achieves Record Retention and Largest Math & Science Teaching Cohort - Alabama Department of Labor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 26, 2026 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UABTeach program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, supported by The Alabama STEM Council via the Alabama Department of Workforce, is reporting strong student retention with a record number of STEM majors progressing toward graduation with the additional bonus of earning their teacher certifications. […]
KDE, Kentucky Science Center to host Day of Science for Community-Based Educators in May
The Kentucky Department of Education is hosting a Day of Science Learning for Community Based Educators on May 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET at the Kentucky Science Center in Louisville. The event is mainly for organizations who provide science learning experiences for students outside the classroom. Attendees will learn about high-quality instructional resources
Is a computer science degree still relevant? ASU enrollment trends suggest a shift
Declining computer science enrollment at ASU reflects growing student's uncertainty about the job market and AI.
OU STEM students encourage curiosity in young minds for Atlanta Science Festival
Oglethorpe students participated in the Atlanta Science Festival, inspiring kids and their families with hands-on science activities.
Mays Business School Names PepsiCo 2026 Partner of the Year - Mays Business School News
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School has named PepsiCo its 2026 Partner of the Year. The recognition highlights a multi-year partnership that prepares students
AAN Art from the Schools at Johnson Gallery
The Artists Association of Nantucket kicked off its annual Art from the Schools exhibition of work by island students in grades six-12 with an opening reception and the presentation of
Lynn sports management students attend National Football League Combine
Lynn University sports management students attended the Sports Management Worldwide National Football League (NFL) Combine Football Career Conference in…
Bristol-Plymouth students earn top honors at science fair
Bristol-Plymouth students won top honors at a regional science fair, with Emily Carter advancing to the international competition.
Bristol-Plymouth students earn top honors at science fair
Bristol-Plymouth students won top honors at a regional science fair, with Emily Carter advancing to the international competition.
Clean shoes and gold coins: Kehoe students start new business
Four Hillsdale students have started a shoe cleaning business as part of their Kehoe Fellowship project. The Kehoe Fellowship gives students a practical, hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, according to Jen Lutz, the fellowship’s director. Freshman Russel Mangiapane and sophomores Ianna Chan, Ashley Luke, and Rylan Conley started the St. Nick’s Shoe Cleaning Service at the...
Mike Pence To Speak At UChicago’s Institute Of Politics In April
Pence will participate in a student-moderated panel and is expected to speak about the role of the executive branch, populism and more.
A Week Inside Pro Sports
From Las Vegas arenas to Los Angeles broadcast studios, students go behind the scenes of the sports industry.
Good Morning, Nashville! Talking Immigration Data Politics at Vanderbilt University
After a busy day on Capitol Hill yesterday, I landed in Nashville, Tennessee, last night for an exciting two days on campus at Vanderbilt University. Carwil Bjork-James, an anthropologist whose creative use of database construction to support critical scholarship resonates strongly with my own work, generously invited me to give a talk today about the politics of immigration data and to join a Wikipedia edit-a-thon tomorrow on the topic of immigrant detention. I encourage you to check out Carwil’s database project “Ultimate Consequences” about political deaths in Bolivia after 1982, and his book The Sovereign Street: Making Revolution in Urban Bolivia. My talk today is titled “Untangling the Messy Politics of Immigrant Detention Data.” I’ll focus on how immigrant detention data (not just detention centers themselves) become sites of controversy—from the collection and classification choices that shape what we can know, to the strategic withholding and distortion of data for political ends. Drawing on research spanning multiple administrations, I’ll trace how current data controversies in the second Trump administration connect to long-standing tensions in how we measure, interpret, and communicate about immigration. My goal is to move beyond simple partisan narratives and offer a practical guide for anyone working with immigration data to explore both the pitfalls to avoid and the creative opportunities for more transparent, rigorous public communication about immigration realities. If you are on campus, please stop by. Tomorrow I will join Carwil and Vanderbilt students for a Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon to edit and update Wikipedia entries related to immigrant detention with the latest robust information and data. This event is designed to orient participants into how to edit on Wikipedia, provide them with data-driven starter templates on detention facilities, and allow each person to produce an initial article on one element of the network of ICE facilities or one death in custody this year. The workshop is also a demonstration of how to use open data sources to build public knowledge—something I am deeply passionate about. Thank you to Vanderbilt University, the Spatial Histories series, and Carwil for hosting me. I would love to be a part of conversations and workshops related to immigration data on your campus. Students are really eager these days to have informed, critical, and data-driven explorations of our current immigration system. Reach out anytime if you want to discuss the possibility of bringing me to your campus. Subscribe
New Heights Charter School opens science lab for students
New Heights Charter School of Brockton opened its first science lab, offering students hands-on STEM learning opportunities.
From Shells to Science
If you were a fifth grade student at Manatee Elementary School, coming to school on a Thursday after Spring Break might not seem very exciting at first.
Tulsa students advance to state science fair with research on health and technology
Three Tulsa students are heading to the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair after earning top honors at regionals, presenting research on medication safety and hearing loss among young people.
Artemis Moon Tree Dedicated in Honor of Mary W. Jackson
On March 18, 2026, students, staff, and members of NASA’s Langley Research Center gathered at Mary W. Jackson Elementary School in Hampton to celebrate the
Hastings College professor, students present research at political science conference
A Hastings College professor and four students recently traveled to the University of Missouri–Kansas City to present original research at the Great Plains
Hastings College professor, students present research at political science conference
A Hastings College professor and four students recently traveled to the University of Missouri–Kansas City to present original research at the Great Plains
Grad students earn awards for national energy research
For MSU graduate students Ethan Fletcher, Bill Good and Brandon Kristy, the program supports their thesis research in collaboration with host scientists at U.S. National Laboratories.
Student-led business hooks customers across the country
Stay up to date with the latest news, stories, and achievements from the Susquehanna University community.
Students ‘Surge’ with fun at local entertainment center
Have you ever wanted to visit an arcade, a restaurant and a bowling alley all in one place? Surge Entertainment by Drew Brees combines all three in same building, along with more activities including laser tag and sports simulators. While the venue offers variety, its attempt to do everything at once leaves certain areas underdeveloped,...
High school students pitch business ideas during competition at Lincoln Financial Field
The group of students was selected from over 30 submissions.
Winter sports teams earn scholastic honors - Fayetteville-Manlius CSD
All 10 of the Fayetteville-Manlius School District Winter 2025-26 varsity sports earned Scholar-Athlete status from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Section III. This accomplishment is earned by 75% or more of the varsity roster having an average grade point average (GPA) of 90% or above; 171 student-athletes earned that accomplishment.
Business Titan Awarded Student Employee Scholarship
Business administration student Trisha Tran Truong was selected as the fall 2025 recipient of the Auxiliary Services Student Employee Scholarship, which recognizes a student employee who demonstrates academic dedication, leadership and a strong commitment to serving the campus community. Truong has been a member of the campus dining team since 2022, working at the on-campus […]
KCCI Investigates: What one science teacher taught students about water quality
First- through fifth-grade students at Bergman Academy in Des Moines took on one of Iowa's biggest environmental issues at the school's first science fair: water quality.
Criminology, political science student turns resilience into leadership
Through mentorship, leadership in the Liberal Arts Chaiken Center, and service to her Pittsburgh community, Trinidy Manison, a Penn State College of the Liberal Arts student, has committed to uplifting others while preparing for a future in law.
Professor motivates students to nurture their inner entrepreneur
Mercer University professor Dr. Briana Stenard approaches teaching with a spirit that demonstrates that the best learning prioritizes confidence and ingenuity.
Examining government-business relationships in Chile - College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate student Jaime Lindh studies the relationships between local governments and business communities in his native country of Chile.
From idea to publication: How RISE Ambassadors are impacting science education
When Sara Brownell began the RISE Ambassadors program three years ago as part of her Charter Professorship, she hoped to make a positive impact on STEM learning environments by empowering undergraduate students to have greater agency in both the research conducted and its translation into meaningful change.
STUDENT ORG SPOTLIGHT
Colorado Law is home to nearly 50 active student organizations. These organizations empower law students to increase their knowledge, gain leadership
RPI Athletics Celebrates 50 Years of Women's Sports
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute proudly celebrates 50 years of women's varsity athletics—a milestone that reflects decades of progress, achievement, and opportunity for generations of student-athletes. What began as a commitment to expanding access in intercollegiate athletics has grown into a vibrant and competitive tradition that continues to shape the RPI community today.
Two-Time National Champion Boxer, Business Student Aidan Jubb: ‘When the Final Bell Rings…You’re Like, ‘Is It Already Over?’’’
'Winning is great, and that's when the hard work pays off'
How this Indiana teacher makes her AP personal finance class click for students
With over two decades of teaching under her belt, Kristin Lidstrom is piloting the AP class for Fishers students. “By the time students are making real financial decisions, they should already feel confident navigating them, not encountering the concepts for the first time,” she said.
Charles County Science Fair Winners Announced Following Annual Expo
WALDORF, Md. – Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held the 10th annual History, Industry, Technology and Science Expo, also known as HITS, on March 21 at St. Charles High School. Each year the Expo features student history and science fair projects on display for judging. Science fair project categories included behavioral/medicine and health science, chemistry, […]
Should computer science be compulsory in Ohio schools?
Currently, twelve states in the US are phasing in requirements for students to complete a computer science course before graduating high school. Should Ohio become the 13th state? That is what a pair of bills in the Ohio Statehouse are proposing to do.
New business program to train students for competitive industries
Rice’s Virani Undergraduate School of Business announced the Moody Business Scholars Program on March 12. The program will introduce a new initiative to prepare students for careers in competitive industries.
IPS Students Showcase Data Science Skills with Pascal Siakam at Arsenal Tech
Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers will visit Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) on Thursdaay, March 26 to celebrate student achievements in the ‘Data Dunkers’ program. Driven by a partnership between the PS43 Foundation and Dell Technologies, this initiative leverages basketball to teach foundational STEM and data analysis skills. During the event, Siakam will meet with… Read More »IPS Students Showcase Data Science Skills with Pascal Siakam at Arsenal Tech
The Student Entertainment Board to host their third drag show on March 27
SEB hosts various events throughout the school year, from all night parties and haunted houses to daily movie nights and more. As spring approaches and the clocks move forward, SEB shifts its focus to one of campuses most anticipated and vibrant events of the season: an Up All Night Drag Show. This year, the drag...
Cordova students will compete in Alaska Science Olympiad
Students will be traveling from Cordova, Keni, Minto, Nome, Palmer, Seldovia and Utqiagvik to compete with counterparts in the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
Ten Pieces of Non-Technical Career Advice for Engineering and Computer Science Students
At a new event focused on student success and career readiness at the Jacobs School of Engineering, alumni and faculty shared non-technical career advice with current students.
Midland ISD CTE Animal Science Program: Career Success for Students
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Midland ISD Career and Technical Education is opening doors for students to become career-ready. Animal Science is one of the four-year plan programs within CTE that high s...
Opinion | Is the Madness of Sports Betting Here to Stay?
Students discuss the expansion of online gambling across the U.S.
Kansas Legislature's negotiators on education bills drop sports ban tied to Christian calendar
Senate and House negotiators removed from a bill a mandate to dramatically expand periods in which schools could schedule sports activities for students.
MIT hosts its first High School Regional Science Bowl
High school teams competed in the 2026 MIT Science Bowl Invitational. The volunteer-run event is an opportunity for top students from across the country and current MIT students to connect.
Students compete at Central Nebraska science fair in Kearney
Organizers said the regional competition featured 40 projects from schools across central Nebraska.
Advancing Science, Students Provide Fun and Free STEM Programs for Low-Income Youth
Alyssa Huang seriously loves science and math. And she’s on a mission to make every kid feel the same way.
Nancy Bostock lands support from majority of Pinellas legislative delegation
'Our students and parents deserve leaders at every level of government who will work together to put them first.'
UMaine sports management students enjoy networking trip to Indiana
Westfield’s Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus, more Indianapolis-based experiences
Nine Brody School of Medicine students match to ECU Health for residency training
Fourth-year medical students from the Brody School of Medicine learned where they will take on residency during Match Day.
CCPS students place in 2026 science fair
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held the 10th annual History, Industry, Technology and Science Expo, also known as HITS, on March 21 at St. Charles High School.
Commentary: Morristown youth sports need more coaches—here’s how to help
A student aims to match experienced athletes with youth leagues in need of coaches.
Brookdale Student Leana Vitale Turns Passion for Science into Research Success
Leana Vitale is proving that curiosity, determination, and hard work can open remarkable doors. A Brookdale student graduating this spring with two associate degrees in biology and chemistry, she has already distinguished herself as an
Inside the DOCS Community Health Leadership Conference at the Miller School of Medicine
Medical students at the Miller School lead the DOCS Community Health Leadership Conference, showcasing student‑run projects.
Why going to an HBCU might be better for Black students’ health
A study found correlation between the environment and long-term wellness in sample of 1,978 who attended college between 1940-80
Partnership Brings Nursing Students to Front Lines of Community Health in South DeKalb
A new partnership between nursing students at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College and New Life Community Alliance creates opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience.
Lessons from China—Questrom Class Took BU Students on Memorable Business Trip
Over spring break, 25 Boston University students joined Professor, Greg Stoller to see what Chinese companies could teach them
UW-Oshkosh nursing students among first to try new electronic health record platform from Epic
Thanks to a partnership with Epic, UW-Oshkosh nursing students are early adopters—among the very first to try a new electronic health record platform called Lyceum.
What's for Lunch? 25 Years of Inspired Science in Schools
The Sisters in Science student organization has quietly shaped young learners in Kalamazoo by presenting hands-on experiences in schools.
Salamander Migration Has New Citizen Science Component
Each spring, blue-spotted salamanders emerge from their underground burrows at Presque Isle Park in Marquette and venture across the road to lay their eggs. Northern Michigan University students have been involved in conservation, data collection and public education efforts for this annual event, but this year, the general public is invited to play a more active role in salamander migration research. Northern Michigan University Biology Department Head Jill Leonard encourages community members to participate in the Marquette Citizen Science Project.
UGA student turns mahjong passion into growing business: Marejong
University of Georgia student Mary Dalton Dowdy started her own business, Marejong, teaching mahjong lessons in Athens, Jefferson, Watkinsville and Wrens, Georgia. She found a unique market, becoming one of
How can you explore careers worldwide? Binghamton student founds club to find out
Binghamton University School of Management student Liam Foley discovers how connecting with diverse cultures creates new pathways for success after founding an international business club.
Why are the Virginia Cavaliers sports teams also called the Wahoos?
The term “Wahoos” or “Hoos” are almost exclusively used by Virginia students when referring to their athletes and fans.
I was on the Air Canada flight that crashed at LaGuardia
A 22-year-old student was on an Air Canada flight that crashed at LaGuardia Airport. He described the moment of the collision and the aftermath.
NASA Data Hackathon Inspires Community Action
On Jan. 31, students, library staff, researchers, and community members gathered at the University of Florida’s (UF) Marston Science Library for the
Chemistry student develops clear polish that turns your fingernail into a touch-screen stylus
Researchers have developed a prototype nail polish to help more people access electrically-charged touch screens.
Babson and Microsoft Team Up to Help Small Businesses with AI · Babson Thought & Action
Students from The Generator, Babson’s interdisciplinary AI lab, worked with small business owners to give feedback on a Microsoft AI tool.
STC HVACR student turns childhood lessons into vision for future business
Currently pursuing an associate degree in Heating, Ventilation, AC and Refrigeration (HVACR) at South Texas College, Cesar Bernal III said he was just 12 years old when he began watching his father turn determination and hard work into a small but thriving air-conditioning business in Weslaco.
Bridging science and music - College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate student Briana Nave studies music's use and interactions with modern scientific medicine in the early 20th century.
Free sports physicals return for public school students in Flagler and Volusia counties
Thousands of middle and high school students in public schools across Volusia and Flagler counties can receive free sports physicals this spring as AdventHealth helps young athletes prepare safely for the upcoming season.
Benjamin Logan students shine at Regional Science Day competition
Benjamin Logan students had a strong showing at the Ohio Academy of Science Regional Science Day at Ohio Northern University. Competing against top students from […]
Rising job opportunities in sports management attract students
Kaleb Tkacs became involved in sports management from the moment he stepped foot on Duquesne University’s campus in August 2023. Tkacs, of Scottdale, joined as a volunteer film crew member with the Duquesne football team that fall. In 2024, he was elevated as a student assistant, overseeing the film crew,
Scholar Athlete of the Week: Andra Stokes, Stevens High School
KSAT 12 Sports and CHRISTUS Children’s shine a spotlight on a local senior student athlete
Students Learn the Science of Tree Felling at Treehaven
Click here to view this video from wjfw.com.
UTA College of Business to connect students, professionals with networking, elevator pitch event
Students, business professionals and recruiters will mingle from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the UTA Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Development.
Column: Accessing mental health support shouldn’t require a walk across campus
"While well-intentioned universities have developed mental health support systems, they are poorly designed to meet students’ needs."
Spring Health Fair delivers commitment to student wellness
The Student Wellness Advisory Committee hosted their annual Spring Health Fair on Friday afternoon where students were able to gain free tote bags, learn from live simulations and gain insight on new clubs and organizations centered on wellness.
Politics, protests and popular culture: The University of Minnesota community responds to ICE impact through memes and music
Outside Coffman Union on March 3, The University of Minnesota’s Students for a Democratic Society protested Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s presence in Minnesota and on campus, despite reports that Operation...
Students compete in Virginia Science Olympiad State Tournament at UVA
The tournament’s events ranged from knowledge tests to building robots.
Students compete in Virginia Science Olympiad State Tournament at UVA
The tournament’s events ranged from knowledge tests to building robots.
Student researchers bring Kentucky State University science to Posters-at-the-Capitol
With lawmakers just steps away, three Kentucky State University undergraduates presented research on cattle health, soil amendments and food safety at the Capitol Annex on March 5, bringing student-led agricultural […]
Your Thymus and Your Healthspan
Our thymus gland plays a central role in the development or our immune system, specifically for supporting T cell development (how these cells got their name, maturation and differentiation in the thymus) and discriminating between self and foreign, non-self antigen proteins with production of dendritic cells. As we age, our thymus gland shrinks—the process known as involution—with progressive change from spongy to fatty tissue, with loss of functionality. But this process, with respect to timeline and extent, markedly varies from one person to the next. And to make things even more complicated, our thymus gland anatomy and precise location in the chest also is highly variable. So the famous Frank Netter diagrams from the 1960s (such as at left below) don’t capture the remarkable heterogeneity that a random set of 12 chest CT scans (below at right). What I consider as 2 landmark papers in Nature this week (here and here) used AI to quantify health of the thymus in 2 large cohorts, and then correlate the metric to a broad array of health outcomes. In this edition of Ground Truths, I’m going to cover three questions: (1) How was thymus health determined by AI?; (2) How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? and (3) Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? Subscribe 1. How was thymus health determined by AI? This was accomplished by extensive work developing and validating an AI pipeline for 2 stages, the first for localization and segmentation of the thymus bed, and the second to quantify a digital marker, termed the thymic health score. There’s a lot to this algorithmic development, so I won’t go into all the details, but just provide a rudimentary outline of what was done. The 1st stage used supervised learning with 2 radiologists reviewing 2,461 chest CT scans. That work trained a 3D U-Net model to automatically identify the thymic bed’s 3D cropped region using center of mass coordinates, which reached 99.8% accuracy. The 2nd stage used a foundation model that was pre-trained with SwAV (which stands for Swapping Assignment between multiple Views), a self-supervised model, that generated a high-dimensional thymus representation of 4,096 features. That compares to the radiology reductionist and subjective scoring of 0 to 3 where 0 means the thymus is fully degenerated and fatty, and 3 is considered dense, intact glandular soft tissue. Notably, the self-supervised learning (SSL) performance was superior to supervised (AUC ~0.75 vs 0.55, respectively) reflecting the shallowness of the 0-3 classifier vs SSL’s holistic, self-taught AI. The thymic health score ranged from 0 to 100, with the highest number indexed to fully preserved thymic health. The algorithmic work extended to explainability with both Shapely value distribution, meaning the model was holistic not relying on any “magic” pixel, and occlusion sensitivity, demonstrating the model’s performance was not affected by ribs, sternum, lung tissue, but rather focused on the thymic bed directly. Below are a few saliency maps from the occlusion sensitivity that indicate the thymic bed focus, not affected by neighboring structures, using the jet color scale. Now the AI was ready for processing ~25,000 CT scans, each over 30 MB files, from the 2 large participant cohorts to provide a thymic health score, it did so in less than 14 hours, which is less than 2 seconds per scan! Share 2. How is thymus health linked to key clinical outcomes? The two cohorts were the National Lung Screening Trial, NLST (N=25,031) and the Framingham Heart Study, FHS (N=2,581) each with baseline demographics and long term follow up of >12 years for health outcomes. From the NSLT, you can see below that increased age and body-mass index were correlated to reduced thymic health. And, overall, men had reduced thymic health scores compared with women. There are a lot of graphs in the paper for outcomes, for both the NLST and FHS cohorts. To simplify the major outcomes, below is a composite Figure with striking reduction of all-cause mortality and for the different causes of death. The results were consistent between the 2 cohorts. For example, the cardiovascular mortality hazard ratio average was 0.57 in NLST and 0.38 in FHS (weighted to be 0.53 for the aggregate). The reduction of mortality also extended to digestive diseases and pulmonary disease (data not shown below). Lung cancer incidence was reduced by 36% for high vs low thymic health (Figure below, with a panel -incidence and b panel-mortality, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, smoking status). Notably, there was a smoker’s paradox: lower incidence and improved survival for lung cancer in smokers who had a high thymus health score. Smoking was associated with lower thymic scores whereas alcohol was not. Higher thymic health was linked to higher HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower fasting blood glucose, and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Inflammation biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, were elevated in the people with lower thymic health scores. In their second paper, the same team looked at the relationship between thymic score and outcomes for 3,476 patients receiving cancer immunotherapy. The non-small cell lung cancer progression-free survival was reduced in patients with low thymic health score. A parallel relationship for survival was seen for other types of cancer including melanoma, breast, and kidney with a 44% lower risk among high thymic scores (Figure). A similar pattern was seen with different immune checkpoint inhibitors. The thymus health score outperformed programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)and tumor mutation burden (TMB) assay of the tumor and was an independent prognostic marker of progression-free survival. In this dataset, a direct connect with thymus score and adaptive immune function was noted with a correlation before cancer treatment for both T-cell diversity and thymus T-cell production (a metric known as T cell receptor excision circles). Thymus Removal Study There is a highly relevant citation about thymus function before moving onto ways to rejuvenate it. In 2023, a very important study of thymus removal during cardiothoracic surgery was published, with 1146 patients undergoing thymus removal vs 1146 matched controls (mean age 55 years). The adverse outcomes for thymus removal were striking, with a 2.9 higher risk of all-cause mortality and doubling of cancer incidence, 1.5 fold increase in cancer mortality, and 1.5-fold increase in autoimmune diseases. The immune function showed marked compromise after thymus removal, as reflected by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells (Figure below) Share Ground Truths 3. Are there ways we can promote a healthy (aka rejuvenate) thymus gland in our later years? In recent months we’ve learned a lot about the process of thymus involution and the pathways by which this may be modulated. Thymus involution is primarily due to loss to thymus epithelial cells (TECs) and there are 2 subtypes with different functions: the cortical, responsible for positive selection of T cells, and the medullary, for negative selection. When adipose tissue infiltrates the thymus, thymic adipocytes are pro-inflammatory, knocking out T-cell output. Likewise, systemic inflammation, or “inflammaging,” from smoking, obesity, and chronic stress promote thymic adipocytes. Now, from preclinical studies, we know about key pathways that account for these processes. Historically, back in 2014, FOXN1 was recognized as a single master transcription factor essential for TEC function, with studies in mice with forced FOXN1 upregulation leading to thymus regeneration. That laid the foundation for potential regrowth of quiescent thymus cells. It took awhile to find pathways to accomplish this goal and to even refute its role as the master regulator. The Liver-Thymus Axis Feng Zhang and his team recently showed that injection of an mRNA vaccine to the liver encoding DLL1, IL-7 and FLT3-L in combination, factors known to support thymopoiesis (Figure), successfully enhanced immune function in aged mice. However, the effect was transient. The FGF21 Story Two reports in 2025 addressed the thymus gland’s production of FGF21, a growth factor (fibroblast growth factor 21) and its control of thymus involution. This growth factor is also produced by the liver, but it doesn’t have impact on the thymus in aged rodent models. In contrast, The liver’s hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to reverse senescent TEC structural changes. Growth hormone stimulates production of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the liver and the thymus. Two small studies in human participants (TRIIM, for Thymus Regeneration, Immunorestoration, and Insulin Mitigation) of 6 and 50 people, respectively, treated with combined human growth hormone, metformin and DHEA, suggested the potential of slowing epigenetic aging and improving thymus mass and function. But the combination of drugs, small sample, and lack of controls make conclusions murky. Increased thymus FGF21 led to increased CD8 T cells in old mice and extended healthspan and improved physical performance. Building on the previous FOXN1 data, ablation of β-klotho, the obligatory co-receptor for FOXN1, accelerated thymic aging. The benefit to FGF21 was confirmed in a companion paper using an FGF21 knock-in mouse model showing thymus enlargement and increased TECs throughout the lifespan. (schematic Figure below). The accompanying editorial for these 2 papers speculated: “The proposed link between age-associated thymus involution and organismal aging is intriguing, and suggests we might seek to achieve systemic rejuvenation by counteracting thymic involution.” Other Factors Lessons from the Axolotl (Mexican Salamander) In an elegant set of experiments of the axolotl (Figure), known for its complete thymus regeneration after total surgical removal, mediators were identified. Surprisingly FOXN1 was dispensable. But midkine, a growth factor, appeared to be the driver, the initiator of thymus cell growth, survival, and repair. Other components that contributed were Postn+ (periostin-expressing mesenchymal niches) and Ccl19, a chemokine protein from the bloodstream. RANK and RANKL RANK (receptor activator of nuclear factor κB its ligand (RANKL) have been considered key regulators of medullary TECs. In a study of both aged mice and human thymus cell cultures, their key role was confirmed, with multiple benefits of resorting TEC function, recruitment of progenitor cells, and T cell development. Subscribe Summing Up This body of work strongly supports the health of the thymus gland as a critical regulator of human healthspan, not just a correlate or link. The new landmark studies are reinforced by the regenerative biology experimental models that have shown, via an array of mediators, that healthspan of aged mice is at least in part dependent on thymus gland function and its critical role for maintaining adaptive immunity. It sure seems that we’d be better off having an immune reservoir of naive T cells instead of a profile in older adults of exhausted, low quality, memory T cells, with a senescent phenotype. It is striking that we ignored the importance of the thymus gland for many decades. A wake-up call was the results of the thymectomy matched control study reviewed here, with the opposite of high thymic health score improved health outcomes. The convergence of AI and healthspan here is notable. The exceptional and laborious work for developing and validating (no less explaining) the AI to quantify thymus health set the foundation for probing the connect the major health outcomes in two cohorts with extensive follow-up. We’ve never had a way to meaningfully quantify the thymus gland before, so this represents important leverage of supervised, self-supervised, and transformer models. The study wouldn’t have been possible without AI. And it begs the question as to whether there are ways we can maintain our thymus at a high health score. But it’s not so simple to rejuvenate our thymus. There are multiple risks including the induction of autoimmunity, increasing the risk of cancer, and inducing a pro-inflammatory state. For example, factors that increase TEC proliferation could compromise the medulllary negative selection process and leak out auto-reactive (self-attacking) T cells. Thymic cells could be induced to proliferate, but we know, for example, that growth hormone and IGF-1 are associated with an increase risk of cancer. If thymus rejuvenation doesn’t clear out the accumulated senescent cells in older adults, then inflammation within the gland could block the production of TECs. Keeping these risks in mind, we now have identified many ways to keep our thymus healthy as we age that undoubtedly will be tested in clinical trials going forward. Ultimately, the benefit-to-risk tradeoffs will be defined. In the meantime, we have desperately needed an immunome. As I’ve stressed in multiple prior Ground Truths, we have no test in the clinic to assess a patient’s immune status! It was very encouraging for me to get an email from Hugo Aerts, the senior author of the landmark papers in the days after they were published: “I also wanted to say that your Substack on “Why We Need an Immunome” was inspiring for this work. We found it a very compelling perspective and greatly enjoyed reading it.” Just having an assessment of a person’s immune status via a chest CT scan, with millions of these performed per year, might help in guiding the right immunotherapy for cancer (e.g. more intensive, combinations for those with low thymic health scores) and help define people who are increased risk for age-related diseases of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative. The main theme of Super Agers is that we now have many layers of data (genetics, proteins, biomarkers, organ clocks that can be integrated via multimodal AI) for us to define a person’s specific risk decades before one of these age-related diseases leads to symptoms, enabling prevention. From the new studies this week, we can add thymus health score as yet another way to understand a person’s risk, a window into their adaptive immune system and healthspan. And perhaps someday we will be able to safely rejuvenate the thymus, or maintain its health through one’s life, and use the thymus health score to monitor. NB: I wrote this post (No A.I.) A Quick Poll Loading... ********************************************************************* Thanks to Ground Truths subscribers (now > 200,000) from every US state and 212 countries. Your subscription to these free essays and podcasts makes my work in putting them together worthwhile. Please join! If you found this interesting PLEASE share it! Share Ground Truths Paid subscriptions are voluntary and all proceeds from them go to support Scripps Research. They do allow for posting comments and questions, which I do my best to respond to. Please don’t hesitate to post comments and give me feedback. Let me know topics that you would like to see covered. Leave a comment Many thanks to those who have contributed—they have greatly helped fund our summer internship programs for the past two years. It enabled us to accept and support 47 summer interns in 2025! We aim to accept even more of the several thousand who will apply for summer 2026.
Immigration crackdown impact on local Latino-owned businesses
Latino business owners told WRAL News that fear and uncertainty following a nationwide crackdown in immigration enforcement are keeping some families out of public spaces, leaving small businesses struggling to survive. This story was written by Oriana Torre, a senior graduating journalism student at the University of Florida, participating in the CBC-UNC News Media Multiplatform Fellowship.
Oscar-Winning Alumnus Returns to Pasadena’s ArtCenter for Entertainment Design Expo
One week after winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, KPop Demon Hunters co-director Chris Appelhans returns today to ArtCenter College of Design, the Pasadena campus where he studied illustration, for the college’s third annual Entertainment Design Expo. The expo, known as ENTX, opens the Hillside Campus to the public for a full day of gallery exhibitions, game playtesting, animation screenings and interactive experiences featuring work from more than 200 ArtCenter students and alumni. General admission is free with advance registration. Two industry panels — including Appelhans’s talk — require $15 tickets. Appelhans, who graduated from ArtCenter with a bachelor of fine arts in 2002, co-directed KPop Demon Hunters with Maggie Kang. The animated film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released on Netflix, became the streaming platform’s most-watched film in history, according to Netflix, and swept awards season with wins at the Golden Globes, the Annie Awards and the Grammys before taking the Oscar on March 15. His talk and audience Q&A is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ahmanson Auditorium. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. The film’s ArtCenter ties extend beyond its co-director. Art director Angela Sung, cinematographer Gary H. Lee, visual development artist Celine Kim and painter Simon Baek are all ArtCenter graduates who worked on the production, according to the college. The free portions of ENTX include a concept design showcase, a production design gallery, a model gallery, a stop motion studio preview, an alumni gallery and a KPop Demon Hunters fan art gallery. Visitors can also playtest games designed by ArtCenter students. An Animation Shorts Showcase runs from 2 to 3 p.m. and includes “Boy, I’m Scared,” a capstone short by ArtCenter graduate Lindsey Tenaglia that was named a semifinalist for the 2025 Student Academy Awards in the animation category. Also screening
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