KU Discoveries

A collaboration between researchers on the KU Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses is protecting patient privacy using artificial intelligence to remove medically unnecessary information from electrocardiograms. 

Past military conflicts can help us understand the future of warfare and its effects on civilian populations. Colin Baker, an undergraduate student in the Department of History, received an Undergraduate Research Initiative stipend to travel to the National Archives & Records Administration in Washington, D.C., to review military records assessing the use of tanks during the Vietnam War. 

KU researchers are boosting tolerance to water stress in rice and wheat using mycorrhizal inoculants, developing a smoking cessation intervention for cancer survivors with chronic pain, using data to identify priority locations for roadway speed reduction, collecting knowledge for climate adaptation, and more — all with the aid of external funding awarded in July. 

A research discovery from the University of Kansas is helping take sophisticated movement analysis beyond specialized laboratories and into real-world settings.

Built on Axiocell, a force-sensing technology developed by KU researchers and commercialized through a startup at KU Innovation Park, LaunchPad allows athletes, coaches, clinicians and researchers to measure how force moves through the body in seconds using a portable force plate. The innovation is creating new opportunities in sports performance, rehabilitation and fall prevention while earning national recognition for its public impact.

Read how a KU discovery evolved from fundamental research into a technology platform with the potential to transform healthcare, robotics and beyond.

Following a successful spring cohort of 9 teams, KU is accepting applications for its next five-week virtual NSF I-Corps regional program. This evidence-based, inquiry-driven training helps faculty, students and research teams explore stakeholder needs, potential applications and broader significance of their innovative technology.

Applications for the fall 2026 cohort are due Sept. 8 ahead of the virtual program launch on Sept. 21.

The NSF Regional I-Corps program teaches participants how to use a hypothesis-driven approach called customer discovery to engage stakeholders, uncover unmet needs and identify novel applications that can inspire future research directions and engage potential industry collaborators. The stakeholder insights gathered through customer discovery can directly strengthen translation plans, project narratives and broader impacts sections of future competitive grant proposals.

Key program highlights

Key dates and next steps

Behind every successful award are teams of KU research support staff who help investigators identify opportunities, prepare and submit complicated proposals under strict deadlines, help manage finances and compliance for funded projects, and more. They are the unsung heroes of KU research, greasing the wheels of innovation and discovery.

In each issue of KU Discoveries, we shine a spotlight on a research support staff member deemed particularly outstanding by colleagues. Click or tap the button below this month's story to nominate a deserving candidate from any unit at KU.

Lori Schlenker | Associate Director of Collections & Facilities | KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum

Behind every museum collection is someone working to ensure the specimens, artifacts and records that researchers rely on remain accessible for generations. At the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum, that responsibility falls to Lori Schlenker, associate director of collections & facilities.

Schlenker helps oversee more than 11 million biological specimens and 2 million archaeological artifacts while managing the buildings and research spaces that house them. Her work supports research in biological diversity, evolution, ecosystems and human history while safeguarding irreplaceable collections for future research.

Schlenker joined the Biodiversity Institute in 2003 and served in several roles before being named to her current position in 2024. Before coming to KU, she spent a decade working at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

“What makes Lori so good at her job is her attention to detail,” said Natalie Vondrak, communications coordinator for the Biodiversity Institute. “As registrar, she manages and formalizes the accession process, which documents the museum's legal acquisition of biological specimens or archaeological objects. Because our researchers collect from around the world, Lori has countless permits, regulations and international laws to track and consider when new specimens are added to the collection. Her incredible attention to detail helps protect the integrity of our collections while supporting the researchers who depend on them.”

The Biodiversity Institute’s collections and research spaces span eight buildings, some more than 125 years old, creating ongoing maintenance challenges. Colleagues say Schlenker brings the same attention to detail and stewardship to the institute’s facilities, ensuring they meet the needs of researchers, students and visitors.

“Lori is a creative problem solver. She is an exceptional record-keeper, and she navigates communication between groups effectively and reliably,” said Emily Ryan, director of The Commons, a multidisciplinary scholarly center located in a building Schlenker manages. “With limited funding support, she ensures that deferred maintenance challenges don't progress to emergency status, and she maintains standards of excellence that a museum collection warrants.”

More than 100 KU scientists and graduate students use the institute’s collections, and Schlenker’s work is essential to facilitating their research.

“Lori exemplifies what it means to live out an organization’s mission,” Vondrak said. “Her commitment to the ethical stewardship of our collections, ability to build meaningful relationships with the public and extensive knowledge of the museum’s history make her an invaluable resource to our team and a mentor to the next generation of museum professionals.”

Please join us for a Collaborative Research Luncheon focused on health humanities.

Together with experts from across One KU, we will explore how we might collaborate across disciplines to better understand questions of health, wellbeing, illness, health disparities, healing and access to care. Bring your experience, your values, your curiosity and/or your expertise and join the conversation. Everyone is welcome. 

The luncheon will feature a panel of experts, table-based conversations, and opportunities for networking. 

Collaborative Research Luncheon: Health Humanities
Wednesday, Sept. 9 | 12 – 1:30 p.m.
Forum A, Burge Union
Register today

Panelists:

Collaborative Research Luncheons welcome KU researchers across all ranks and disciplines to expand professional networks and open new pathways to research excellence that transcend the traditional silos of academic thought, foster interdisciplinary connection, and jump-start novel collaborations.

INTEGRITY & COMPLIANCE

To better align processes and advance One KU initiatives, the annual conflict of interest (COI) disclosure cycle for faculty and staff on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses will move from September to February beginning this academic year.

This change supports the integration of the myDisclosure system, used for Lawrence and Edwards campuses, with the Medical Center's myResearch suite, helping create a more consistent and streamlined disclosure process across all campuses.

What does this mean for Lawrence and Edwards campus employees? The next institution-wide COI disclosure window will open in February.

Individuals engaged in research activities may still need to complete COI disclosure profile updates before February to meet research compliance requirements.

Additional information and instructions will be provided prior to the launch.

The Office of Audit, Risk & Compliance appreciates the cooperation of faculty and staff as it works to enhance and align KU’s compliance systems and processes. Questions? Please email coi@ku.edu.

FINANCE

KU Center for Research increased the mileage reimbursement for KURES-funded travel to match the IRS rate for personal vehicle mileage to 76 cents per mile for business travel occurring on or after July 1, 2026. 

RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION

If you are required to complete research security training (RST) to comply with federal agency requirements, please access and complete the course directly through KU’s CITI Program portal.

Completing the training through CITI allows your completion to be automatically recorded in the university's training records, reducing the need for manual verification and follow-up. This helps ensure training requirements are documented accurately and efficiently.

To access the 1-hour RST course, click or tap the link below to enroll in the course directly. The course will appear under the “My Courses” tab after signing into CITI via KU single sign-on. If you have never signed into CITI using your KU ID, you will be prompted to create an account.

Register for the 1- Hour Research Security Course

The 1-hour RST course training meets the research security training requirements of federal sponsors, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Agriculture (USDA), and National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA). The training is valid for one year after the completion date and needs to be completed annually for the duration of the award.

Thank you for your cooperation in supporting an efficient training and compliance process. If you have questions or encounter issues accessing the training, please email rcrtraining@ku.edu.

Falling into AI, One KU's premier AI summit, returns Sept. 22 – 24 with three days of keynote presentations, breakout sessions, research showcases and networking opportunities exploring the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence. Faculty, staff, students and community partners from the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses are invited to join the conversation on how AI is shaping education, research, healthcare and the future of work. Learn more + register

Questions? Comments? Content suggestions?
Mindie Paget  |  Office of Research  |  mpaget@ku.edu

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