Each year, more than 12,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. The disease grows rapidly, adapts quickly, and evades the immune system—making it one of the most difficult cancers to treat.At the University of Notre Dame, Meenal Datta, the Jane Schoelch DeFlorio Collegiate Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and her research team are pushing the boundaries of cancer research by taking the fight to space. In 2024, they launched a first-of-its-kind glioblastoma experiment to the International Space Station, using microgravity to grow more realistic tumor models and accelerate testing for new therapies.Their groundbreaking work is helping scientists understand glioblastoma in new ways—and bringing us closer to a cure here on Earth.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed nation. For many new mothers, the weeks and months after giving birth can be the most dangerous—and too often, lifesaving care ends too soon.When Notre Dame professor, nurse, and researcher Joyce Adams saw these risks firsthand, she developed a groundbreaking model of postpartum care. Tested in Ghana and now saving lives in the U.S., her Focused Postpartum Care (Focused-PPC) program offers women yearlong follow-up visits, education on warning signs, and peer-to-peer support.Learn more: https://go.nd.edu/fighting-for-maternal-health

Notre Dame researchers have developed an “electronic nose” that can sniff out bird flu before it spreads—helping farmers protect their flocks and livelihoods.Instead of slow, invasive lab tests, this new sensor detects airborne signs of disease in real time. Designed with farmers in mind, it comes in two easy formats: a barn-mounted monitor and a handheld device. Faster detection means fewer sick birds, safer food, and stronger farms.Learn more about Notre Dame research: https://go.nd.edu/fighting-for-faster-virus-detection

Every second counts in a hurricane.Notre Dame researchers are using drones and ocean floats to uncover how storms gain strength—helping predict not just where a hurricane will strike, but how powerful it will be.Better forecasts. Smarter decisions.Learn more: https://go.nd.edu/a3e931

When 12-year-old Lauren Eglite saw a "What Would You Fight For?" feature about groundbreaking peanut allergy research, she asked her father, a pharmaceutical executive and Notre Dame alumnus, if he could help.That question sparked a unique partnership with Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor Basar Bilgicer, leading to the creation of Artin Immunology—a startup determined to transform Bilgicer’s research into a revolutionary drug. Unlike existing treatments, Bilgicer’s approach blocks peanut allergens before they can trigger dangerous immune overreactions, without compromising the immune system itself.Now a Notre Dame student, Lauren is fighting alongside Bilgicer to advance this research, hoping to create a safer future for millions living with peanut and other allergies.Learn more at https://go.nd.edu/557f19