Rice Research Review

Researchers from Rice University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center created a new microscope that can quickly and inexpensively image large tissue sections, potentially during surgery, to determine whether an entire tumor has been removed. The microscope can rapidly image relatively thick pieces of tissue with cellular resolution, and could allow surgeons to inspect the margins of tumors within minutes of their removal. Learn More 

“Smart clothing” developed by a Rice University lab employs its conductive nanotube thread to weave functionality into regular apparel. The Brown School of Engineering lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Matteo Pasquali reported in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters that it sewed nanotube fibers into athletic wear to monitor the heart rate and take a continual electrocardiogram (EKG) of the wearer. The fibers gathered accurate EKG and heart rates without the fuss of smartwatches or chest monitors. Learn More 

Research shows executives are likely to overestimate the financial benefits of strategy planning — as conducted by an overwhelming majority of large companies — by a factor of five. Executives at 88% of large companies engage in strategy planning, according to the research featured in a chapter of "Focus: How to Plan Strategy and Improve Execution to Achieve Growth," a book co-authored by Vikas Mittal, professor of marketing at the Rice's Jones Graduate School of Business, and Shrihari Sridhar, professor of marketing at Texas A&M University's Mays Business School. The objectives of the practice are setting goals, assigning resources, defining major initiatives, and creating and adjusting budgets, all with the hope of improving financial performance. Most of the time, it doesn’t work. Learn More