Tip Sheets
If you are interested in speaking to College of Science faculty regarding their research, reach out to Tracy Mason, Assistant Dean, Strategic Marketing and Communications by emailing tmason11@gmu.edu or calling 703-993-8723.
Mason scientists leads mission to design lunar payloadJanuary 15, 2025
On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, the ASPIRE ONE Lunar Record blasted into orbit as part of the Ghost Riders in the Sky Lunar mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Firefly missions are part of the NASA CLPS initiative in the Artemis program. The ASPIRE ONE Lunar Record interdisciplinary research team, led by George Mason University Associate Professor of Computational and Data Sciences, Anamaria Berea, aims to establish a new theoretical framework for planetary-scale archival communication. In this case, the team of scientists from several universities designed a part of the LifeShip payload to preserve our Earth’s cultural and scientific heritage, and are placing it on the Moon.
The digital portion of the LifeShip payload, similar to the Voyager golden records, is intended for future humans and contains diverse content including videos, global aspirations, scientific materials, historical records and cultural artifacts. “The first phase launched successfully, and if it lands successfully on the Moon after 45 days (early March), the archive will live there for posterity/eternity,” Berea explained. Berea is available to describe the space 'message in a bottle' contents and the process to select the lunar archives.
Mason scientists sound “wake-up call” on Virginia’s wildfiresMarch 25, 2024
Wildfires seldom capture attention in Virginia, in stark contrast to the rampant fires that scorch the western United States. Yet, the recent flames that engulfed Page and Shenandoah Counties highlight an urgent need for better emergency readiness and response. Swift actions from emergency managers and first responders, complemented by fortunate rainfall, helped dodge a dire outcome. This incident must serve as a wake-up call, emphasizing the necessity to recognize our vulnerabilities and equip ourselves with advanced plans and tools for tackling disasters proactively. Connect with our scientists available for comment and graphics.
Photo by Joanne Francis on Unsplash.
Climate change poses a real danger to U.S. national security, and the Virginia economy in particular, Mason scientist saysFebruary 23, 2022
George Mason University’s Jim Kinter says an additional foot of rising sea levels by 2050 will adversely affect U.S. national security while simultaneously inflicting potentially “devastating” consequences to a Virginia economy dependent on a robust military presence.
“The presence of so many military installations and personnel in Virginia obviously makes the U.S. military a substantial contributor to Virginia’s economy. In the worst-case scenario, if the military finds it too costly or difficult to maintain bases in Virginia and it decides to relocate those bases, the cost to the Virginia economy would be devastating, as other areas experiencing base closures have discovered.”
-Jim Kinter
Sampling method for capturing immune activation and inflammatory responsesFebruary 21, 2022
Mariaelena Pierobon, Associate Professor, Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine and Raymond Wadlow, an oncologist at the Inova Schar Cancer Institute will test a novel sampling method for capturing immune activation and inflammatory responses within the tumor microenvironment of patients affected by gastroesophageal cancers.
"We seek to test a novel sampling method for capturing immune activation and inflammatory responses within the tumor microenvironment of patients affected by gastroesophageal cancers. We envision using this sampling method to identify predictive markers of response to treatment with standard of care in combination with immunotherapy in cancer."
-Mariaelena Pierobon
Find our what this approach could mean for gastroesophageal cancer patients.
