Natural Sciences Division

Elissa Khodikian, a graduate student in the Department of Biology, researches how certain mosquito species adapt to saline environments in the Pacific Northwest. Originally from Lebanon and later studying in Canada, Elissa came to UW to continue her research under Dr. Andrea Durant. Her story highlights her passion for evolutionary biology and the important role mentorship as well as community have played in shaping her experience at UW.

Mary Brunkow's unconventional journey from UW genetics student to Nobel laureate was shaped by a love of discovery.

Bean plants have been recruiting wasps to fight their battles for them since long before anyone noticed. A caterpillar bites down, the plant releases a chemical signal, and predatory wasps come flying in to finish it off. That part biologists already knew. What they couldnt explain was how the plant told the difference between a caterpillar and a rainstorm. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

Included in this science round up is a story about how plants call wasps to their defense. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is interviewed.

UW researchers examined almost 3,000 science guidelines and assessment questions for any connections to society. Of the approximately 200 elements that had real-world implications, many discussed ethics and public health issues.

Graduating with bachelor's degrees in neuroscience and French, Hunter Jung is heading to France for a cognitive neuroscience program that reflects both interests.

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: how climate change is redirecting rivers, what bean plants use to protect themselves from pests, where the water in an atmospheric river comes from and how researchers are making tensegrities tiny.

A brand new astronomical observatory has discovered over 11,000 previously-unknown asteroids. Mario Juri, professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. And you don’t have to wait until June: Take a look at everything still happening in May. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time: Through July...

New research from a University of Washington scientist could give oyster farmers in Willapa Bay a fighting chance at battling burrowing ghost shrimp, little crustaceans that cause big problems. Jennifer Ruesink, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

From CERN in the ‘60s, to Brookhaven National Laboratory in the ‘90s, and now at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Illinois, it took a village to find the Muon g-2. The complex, experimental measurement of this subatomic particle’s magnetism has the potential to completely reshape our understanding of the universe. 

Last month, the physics community’s quest for absurd precision received recognition. The Muon g-2 experiment won the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, dubbed the “Oscars of Science.” The $3 million prize is split among 384 researchers across generations. Alongside a global legion of researchers, UW physics professor and CENPA Director David Hertzog and professor emeritus Peter Kammel played leading roles on the Muon g-2 team. 

It turns out interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was almost called 3I/Rubin, after researchers found that the giant survey telescope coincidentally spotted this visitor from the stars over a week before it was officially discovered. Colin Orion Chandler, project scientist at UW's DIRAC Institute, is referenced.

There is a promising new way to control burrowing shrimp, small marine excavators native to Washington. Jennifer Ruesink, a UW professor of biology, is quoted.

Many animals, from cockroaches to cats, can walk without input from the brain. Yet scientists have struggled to pinpoint the responsible rhythm-generating circuit, or central pattern generator, in the spinal cord in any organism.The UW's John Tuthill, professor of neurobiology and biophysics at the UW, and Bing Brunton, professor of biology, are quoted.

Members of the UW Math AI Lab traveled to Rio de Janeiro for ICLR 2026, where undergraduates Luke Alexander, Evan Wang, Rohan Pandey, and Simon Chess joined Vasily Ilin, Math PhD student and Math AI Lab Director, to present five papers on AI for Math. The lab is also celebrating Vasily’s paper being accepted as an ICML 2026 main-conference spotlight paper (top 2.2%).