News & Announcements
Working to solve our most challenging environmental problems
DRI’s research calls on the expertise and methods of scientists from multiple scientific disciplines. More than 400 highly-skilled scientists, engineers, technicians, students, and staff work collaboratively within and across four research divisions, focused on understanding and answering critical science questions about global climate change, water quality and availability, air quality, the sustainability of desert lands, life in extreme environments, education, and more.
Wildfire smoke more dangerous than other air pollutants for asthma patients
Photo caption: Smoke from wildfires covering the city of Sparks, Nevada. Credit: GChapel, Adobe Images. Reno, Nev. (Sept. 22, 2020) - For people who suffer from asthma, wildfire smoke is more hazardous than other types of air pollution, according to a new study...
DRI, EDF, NASA, and Google Announce Web Application to Transform Water Management in the Western United States
Vic Etyemezian, Ph.D., is the Interim Vice President of Research at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and specializes in the study of dust emissions. Vic has been a member of the DRI community since 1999, when he started his career at DRI as a post-doctoral scientist with the Division of Atmospheric Sciences in Las Vegas. He recently published a paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health titled “Valley Fever: Environmental Risk Factors and Exposure Pathways Deduced from Field Measurements in California,” working alongside colleagues Antje Lauer, Ph.D. (California State University Bakersfied), George Nikolich, M.S. (DRI), and others, so we connected with Vic to learn more about the project.
Dr. Kumud Acharya Appointed Permanent President of DRI
LAS VEGAS – Dr. Kumud Acharya, an ecological engineer whose pioneering work in Nevada helped local and state water managers address aquatic invasive species threatening both Lake Mead and Lake Tahoe, was appointed the permanent president of the Desert Research...
Population genetic screening shown to efficiently identify increased risk for inherited disease
Healthy Nevada Project’s community-based approach reveals up to 90% of CDC Tier 1 genetic condition risks missed using clinical care guidelines Reno, Nev. (July 27, 2020) – In a new study published today in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers behind the Healthy...
New USDA Grant Will Fund COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit for Tribal Extension Agents
Reno, Nev. (July 23, 2020) – Several members of the Native Waters on Arid Lands (NWAL) project team, led by Maureen McCarthy, Ph.D., of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, have been awarded a $300k grant from the US Department of Agriculture National...
New study investigates link between clothes dryers and microplastic pollution in Lake Tahoe
Reno, Nev. & South Lake Tahoe, Cal. (July 20, 2020) - Last year, Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the League to Save Lake Tahoe detected microplastics in Lake Tahoe for the first time ever, many of which were microfibers. This discovery revealed that...
New USDA grant to support Diné (Navajo) and Hopi Teachers in Placed-Based STEM curriculum
Reno, Nev. (July 14, 2020) - Meghan Collins, M.S., Education Lead for the Native Waters on Arid Lands (NWAL) project and Assistant Research Scientist at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno has received a $100k grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s...
DRI’S WaterStart Program GOED Knowledge Fund Success Story
This story was reposted with permission from the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. CARSON CITY, Nev. – After investments totaling $4.3 million through the Knowledge Fund administered by the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), the...
Camp Fire tragedy leads to new wildfire research
With a new $2 Million grant from the National Science Foundation, an interdisciplinary team of researchers including Adam Watts, Ph.D. of the Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno are initiating an effort to develop new tools for assessing and mitigating wildfire...
Tu Biomics, Agriculture Biotechnology Company Spins Out Of DRI
Carson City, Nev. – The Desert Research Institute (DRI) has successfully spun out its first research-based company focused on innovative solutions in agriculture with support from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) Knowledge Fund. Tu Biomics Inc.,...