Faculty Research News

Amanda Moses Ferreira inside Michelle Peace's lab. Ferreira is removing a tiny sample from edibles advertised as containing delta-8. (Allen Jones, University Marketing)

VCU lab testing delta-8 products finds misleading labeling, lack of safety standards

Dec. 15, 2021

“At the end of the day, it’s a consumer safety issue. For the most part, people are not aware of what they’re buying and cannot make informed decisions about what they consume.”

A VCU-led study of students in seven countries early in the pandemic finds that college students were more likely to practice social distancing if they believed two things: that it would protect against COVID-19 and that it was an action they could easily carry out. (Getty Images)

To persuade college students to practice social distancing, scaring them into action isn’t enough

Nov. 9, 2021

A VCU-led study of students in 7 countries early in the pandemic finds that effective messages emphasized that social distancing would protect against COVID-19 and that it was something people could easily do.

A fMRI image of the MPFC brain region that is blunted for intimate partner aggression, as compared to aggression against close friends and strangers.

Study discovers unique brain signature of intimate partner aggression

Oct. 14, 2021

VCU researchers used fMRI technology to observe the brain activity of romantic partners experiencing intimate partner aggression in real time.

The Robert E. Lee monument in June 2020. VCU's Humanities Research Center brings together faculty and graduate students from different departments across VCU with common research interests. Among them: a new research group called Memory and Monuments, which seeks to investigate issues of race, power and memory, mainly focused around local Confederate monuments and African American landmarks. (Max Schlickenmeyer, University Marketing)

Supporting humanities research and collaboration among scholars

Oct. 13, 2021

VCU’s Humanities Research Center brings together faculty and graduate students with common research interests.

A new clinical trial will offer community members experiencing depression while pregnant with opportunities to take part in activities designed to increase social connectedness and strengthen their emotional health and well-being. (Getty Images)

Pregnant individuals experiencing depression will have access to mindfulness activities through a VCU study

Oct. 11, 2021

The newly funded study will focus on serving Richmond’s minority, low-income or low-education community members and, if effective, could be replicated elsewhere.

The CDC has awarded a $6 million grant to two VCU researchers who will co-lead a project to identify strategies that prevent and decrease rates of youth violence in Richmond. (File photo, University Marketing)

CDC awards $6M grant to VCU to address youth violence in Richmond and beyond

Sept. 29, 2021

The grant is one of only five awarded nationally and designates VCU as one of the CDC’s Youth Violence Prevention Centers.

In 2020, more than 5,100 people under age 18 were shot and more than 1,300 were killed in the U.S. (Getty Images)

NIH awards $2M to study VCU program focused on reducing youth violence amid surge in gun injuries and death

Sept. 23, 2021

The program, Bridging the Gap, provides violently injured patients with a brief hospital-based intervention that aims to prevent retaliatory violence.

John Smith with VCU doctoral students Natalie Bohmke and Nico Chavez. (Tom Kojcsich, University Marketing)

For Richmond residents with kidney disease, a new program offers free exercise rehabilitation

Sept. 21, 2021

Renal Rehab, run by VCU’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, helps chronic kidney disease and renal transplant patients integrate exercise and improved nutrition into their lifestyle.

Jeanine Guidry, assistant professor and director of the Media+Health Lab in the VCU's Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture. (Tom Kojcsich, University Marketing)

Variants, misinformation, vaccine hesitancy: Jeanine Guidry’s work is more crucial than ever

Sept. 20, 2021

Guidry, a VCU professor and researcher, has been studying public health communication for years. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become a topic of international importance.

Tal Simmons with animal bones donated to VCU from the Search and Rescue Tracking Institute. (Kevin Morley, University Marketing)

Search and rescue group gets training in bone identification with VCU professor

Sept. 13, 2021

Members are trained to look for clothing on bushes or broken tree limbs but don’t have as much experience identifying and documenting human remains.