Student Research News

Danielle Ansong, a first-generation Ghanaian American, chose to attend VCU because of its diversity and the sterling reputation of its School of Medicine. (Kevin Morley, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Danielle Ansong pursues longtime interest in medicine with research and volunteer work

March 1, 2023

Ansong, a VCU junior and president of the African Student Union, volunteers as an EMT and greeter and helps with the Simple Sunflower program.

Emily Pitts, a sophomore anthropology major, paints a 3-D-printed replica of the JB55 Connecticut "vampire" skull. (Brian McNeill, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

19th-century ‘Connecticut vampire’ receives forensic facial reconstruction with help from VCU researchers

Jan. 3, 2023

VCU team from Virtual Curation Laboratory provides 3-D digital model of skull of man who died in the 1830s and then received unusual burial.

Octavia Christopher, a biology major in the College of Humanities and Sciences, was one of three spring 2022 VCU graduates to earn Fulbright grants this year. (Contributed photo)

A Year in Review: 21 VCU students, recent alumni receive national, international scholarships and fellowships in 2022

Dec. 13, 2022

Standouts strengthen their expertise, experience and credentials through prestigious scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

This week, Gladys Shaw, left, will be graduating with a Ph.D. in neuroscience from the VCU School of Medicine. She and three other graduating students were part of VCU's Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Ph.D. Program. (Courtesy of Gladys Shaw).

Class of 2022: Four standouts in research training program for underrepresented students earn their doctorates

Dec. 9, 2022

The Initiative for Maximizing Student Development program at VCU expands opportunities for biomedical students from historically excluded groups. Four Ph.D. students from the program will be graduating this month, the biggest class in its history.

Eric Escobar-Chena, a biology major who will graduate in December, is a teaching assistant in a VCU entomology course and works in VCU's "bug lab." (Photo by Kevin Morley, University Marketing.)

Class of 2022: In the ‘Bug Lab,’ Eric Escobar-Chena gained a passion for research and a respect for insects

Nov. 18, 2022

Biology major is considering graduate school opportunities in ecology with a focus on field work and beetles.

Divorce or relationship discord between parents is associated with children's risk for the potential of alcohol use disorder as adults, a study co-authored by a VCU Department of Psychology doctoral student found. (Getty Images)

Divorce or relationship discord between parents may indicate children’s genetic risk for future alcohol misuse

Nov. 16, 2022

A study, co-authored by a VCU developmental psychology doctoral student and a Rutgers researcher, found that experiencing adversities around divorce and marital discord can be “one pathway through which genetic risk for alcohol problems is passed from parents to their children.”

From left, VCU forensic science alum Bailey Jones; VCU forensic science doctoral student Tyson Baird; VCU forensic science alum and former lab manager Laerissa Reveil; and Michelle Peace, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Forensic Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences. (Contributed photo.)

VCU forensic science department wins three research awards

Nov. 16, 2022

Scientists, who each worked in VCU’s Forensic Toxicology Research lab, honored at Society of Forensic Toxicologists meeting.

Jacques Moore, a history graduate student and author, is a Marine Corps veteran and operated a local automobile dealership for decades. (Contributed photo)

History buff and VCU graduate student Jacques Moore is fascinated with the British monarchy

Oct. 19, 2022

His interest led him to co-author a book that celebrated the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.

Angela Lehman, who is pursuing a master's degree in history, loves that research allows her to tell "stories that haven’t been heard or are incomplete or misunderstood." (Contributed photo)

Angela Lehman helps untangle Virginia’s school desegregation history

Oct. 7, 2022

Graduate student now eyes career related to museum or historic site work.

A study co-led by VCU and Rutgers researchers found that teen alcohol misuse can have consequences for physical health and life satisfaction into an individual's 30s. (Getty Images)

Adults who misused alcohol as teens report dissatisfaction and poor health in midlife, study finds

Sept. 27, 2022

A Virginia Commonwealth University- and Rutgers-led study of more than 2,700 pairs of twins showed the consequences of drinking in adolescence for health can last decades.