Just 10 years ago, no one knew how to grow intestinal stem cells outside of the body, preventing scientists from uncovering the mysteries of the gut and the problems surrounding it. But in 2010, that all changed — when Scott Magness’s lab became the first in the United States to grow “mini-guts” inside a petri dish, using them to develop better treatments for human gastrointestinal diseases.

Virginie Papadopoulou specializes in using ultrasound technology to study the body in extreme environments, ranging from the physiology of scuba divers to the blood flow in cancerous tumors. Her weapon of choice? Tiny bubbles.

Juanita Limas is a PhD candidate and HHMI Gilliam Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology within the UNC School of Medicine. Her research focuses on genes with the potential to cause cancer, specifically those that disrupt the cell cycle by affecting mechanisms of DNA replication.

Most theoretical physicists don’t see their predictions confirmed in their lifetimes, as it can take centuries to discover the physical phenomena that mark them true. But that hasn’t been the case for UNC's Laura Mersini-Houghton, who’s seen six of her predictions about the origins of the universe verified in the last decade — a feat that’s grabbed everyone’s attention, from documentary filmmakers to the late Stephen Hawking.

Hannah Kim is a junior double-majoring in psychology and economics, with a minor in social and economic justice, within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on determining the differences in the prevalence of psychological disorders among different demographics.

Heat-resistant. Cold-weather tough. Outer space savvy. If anything, tardigrades are survivors above all else. But what makes them so resilient? Thomas Boothby strives to figure that out and discover how these microscopic animals can be used to preserve biological samples like blood, human tissue, and vaccines.

Priya Kumar is a professor of anesthesiology in the clinical division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology within the UNC School of Medicine. Her research focuses on exploring interventions to protect the heart against surgical stress — specifically whether blood pressure management and bleeding reduction can prevent heart complications during non-cardiac surgery.

Margaret Dillon is an associate professor and director of cochlear implant clinical research in the Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery within the UNC School of Medicine. Her research focuses on optimizing how cochlear implants distribute and present speech information and the new patient populations who may benefit from this hearing technology.

Alyssa Grube is a PhD student in the Department of Environmental Sciences & Engineering within the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Her research focuses on detecting antibiotic-resistant genes in the Galápagos Islands to better understand the effects of human-caused pollution on bacterial communities.

Keyaira Crudup is a junior majoring in biomedical and health sciences engineering within the UNC/NC State Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. Her research focuses on improving the walking speed of aging individuals by training them to increase the amount of force they use to push themselves forward.

Ashley Ward is the climate integration and outreach associate for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments program, based out of the Department of Geography within the UNC College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on identifying and increasing awareness of the health impacts from extreme climate events in the Carolinas.

While autonomous vehicles begin to appear on roadways, gaps in knowledge are blocking the way to their full integration. Researchers at UNC are asking the tough questions to ensure that the driverless car picking you up will be safe for passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike.