Max McDermott
Science ReporterMax is a neuroscientist and science reporter. His research revolves around an underexplored protein receptor, called GPR171, and its possible use as a pharmacological target for pain. He reports on opioids, outer space and Great Salt Lake. He loves Utah and its many stories.
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As wildfires rage in Northwestern states, a recent University of Utah study finds that wildfire smoke is rising higher into the air and likely spreading further. Coauthor of the study, Assistant Research Professor, Derek Mallia, says, "Instead of seeing smoke having local and regional impacts across the Western US, it's possible now that areas across the Eastern US might more frequently see smoke episodes."
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At the end of a visit to Cache Valley last week Gov. Spencer Cox held an agriculture town hall. During the hour-long Q&A he addressed the concerns of the county's farmers and ranchers.
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Marji Mozart, frontwoman for the Marji Mozart Band, grew up in an FLDS community in Colorado City, Arizona. Through the help of an advocacy group, she left the community in 2018. We talked about the story behind her award-winning song "Is Somebody Out There."
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A USU climate says a California megaflood could have implications for much of the Intermountain West.
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The night sky and its constellations have guided sailors and traveler since time immemorial. Similar principles are used to identify a satellite’s position through the use of a camera-like instrument called a star tracker. The Paris-based space instrumentation company, Sodern, displayed their star tracker at USU's 36th annual Small Sat conference.
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STP-H6-SSIVP was attached to the International Space Station from 2019-2022 and was designed to test supercomputing in space. Evan Gretok says his work was to use artificial intelligence to train the satellite to autonomously identify and classify satellite imagery.
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Utah speaker of the house, Brad Wilson, says proactive measures to the save the Great Salt Lake will save Utah billions of dollars in the long run. He talked to the Great Salt Lake initiative at the Farmington Bay Wildlife Refugee on the banks of Great Salt Lake.
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Utah State University researchers are implementing a program to prevent opioid misuse— and other negative behaviors— in three rural Utah county schools. They recently presented their work at an opioid research conference in Valencia, Spain.
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During routine surveillance the Utah Division of Wildlife has confirmed the first case of Chronic wasting disease in Salt Lake County.
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Chants and speeches were heard from the steps of the Utah Capitol in Salt Lake City Friday at a protest organized by a coalition of reproductive rights organizations.