Life Span Institute Blog

The Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (KCART) will be joining KU Baseball to support autistic individuals and their families at the second annual Autism Family Day game

Life Span Institute staff Donna Burruss, Laci Ulrich, and Jennifer Myers Holwick were recognized for their service in late February.

Will Davis, a KU alumnus mentored by Michael Amlung of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, recently published research on cannabis use with the help of the Patrick Guthrie Hawks for Hope Award. 

KU highlights exceptional faculty researchers who exhibit talent and tenacity in their academic disciplines, heightening the university's reputation as one of the nation’s leading research universities.

Staying hydrated by drinking fluids is about more than quenching your thirst. Joints work better and can absorb the shock of movement. Toxins get flushed, your skin is more resilient and your kidneys can better remove waste. But as you go from a workout at the gym to work or back home, how do you know if you’re hydrated? 

About 100 KU Span Institute staff, investigators and students gathered Jan. 11 for the 2024 Collaboratory at Maceli’s.  Presentations explored community engagement and the impact of research. 

Researchers concerned changes to the American Community Survey, the most comprehensive survey of American life, has the potential to significantly disrupt the knowledge of and ability to conduct research about people with disabilities.

Data validity is something that research teams are always concerned with (or should be concerned with). Building systems into data collection that mitigate the risk of invalid or erroneous data is a best practice, and there are many ways to do that. Well-designed online surveys and data collection instruments that limit the ranges of input values, for example, are a core way that tools like REDCap improve the quality and validity of data.

Presenters from Kansas and the University of Kansas shared how initiatives in the state are working to end sexual violence using a framework of support structures that include reducing disparities and addressing social determinants of health.

If you're hosting friends or family who have a physical disability, you may worry about how to accommodate their needs. The good news is that, with helpful tips from the free “Making Homes Visitable” booklet, you can host loved ones for the holidays.