Recent reports suggest a large majority of children and teens have used AI chatbots, sometimes turning to them for emotional support or advice — roles experts caution about their potential impact on adolescent mental health.
As artificial intelligence plays an increasingly prominent role in decoding DNA, tracking pathogens and accelerating drug discovery, the line between real capability and hype can be unclear. Rice experts can provide clear, technically grounded perspectives on how these tools are meaningfully advancing disease detection, public health preparedness and treatment design.
Researchers at Rice and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have unveiled a physics-based model of magnetic resonance relaxation that bridges molecular-scale dynamics with macroscopic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, promising new insight into how contrast agents interact with water molecules.
Rice researchers weigh in on graphite’s rise to critical mineral status, mapping out trajectories toward more resilient, clean and efficient supply practices and systems.
Rice researchers studying a class of atom-thin semiconductors known as transition metal dichalcogenides have discovered that light can trigger a physical shift in their atomic lattice, creating a tunable way to adjust the materials’ behavior and properties.
A new collaboration between Rice and Baylor College of Medicine is using artificial intelligence to alert clinicians to early signs of kidney trouble giving them critical time to intervene before lasting damage occurs.
Rice researchers and collaborators developed a computational tool that can help identify which specific types of cells in the body are genetically linked to complex human traits and diseases, including in forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Rice researchers are working with physician scientists at Houston Methodist to develop a soft, wearable “sleep cap” designed to measure and improve deep sleep, a process critical for protecting the brain against dementia and related diseases.
LLMs and the Brain, a symposium featuring researchers from Rice, Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Montreal and other institutions explored the intersection between neuroscience and AI. The conversation around brain research extends beyond the university and is unfolding at the state level. On Nov. 4, Texas voters will decide on Proposition 14, which would fund the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) with $3 billion over 10 years, creating the largest state-funded dementia research program in the country.
A team of researchers at Rice has developed a new catalyst that dramatically reduces the amount of iridium needed in proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers, a key technology for generating green hydrogen from water.
Rice's Ken Kennedy Institute hosted the fourth annual AI in Health Conference, convening over 550 attendees across the four-day event for plenary speaker sessions, networking and workshops that explored key areas for artificial intelligence-driven advancement across health and public health domains.