Professor of Anthropology John Verano’s excavation of the site of a 500-year-old mass child sacrifice that took place on the northern coast of Peru is featured in the February National Geographic magazine. The article, “An Unthinkable Sacrifice,” provides details about the findings, including how some of the children were killed, how they were buried and the growing number of skeletons recovered from ongoing excavations.

Dr. Jessica Shank, associate professor of gynecologic oncology at the School of Medicine, is on a mission to raise awareness that cervical cancer is preventable. “This is a cancer that can be prevented with regular Pap smear screening and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine,” she said.

A new study at the Tulane National Primate Research Center showed for the first time that an experimental drug can save nonhuman primates exposed to deadly ricin toxin, a potential bioterrorism agent.

“I think any system that removes egregious human error from the game could work.”

Gabe Feldman, sports law professor, talking about the potential need for more video replays during NFL games after the infamous no call for pass interference in the Saints vs. Rams NFC Championship.

“I liked beer. I still like beer.” Long before Judge Brett Kavanaugh uttered these infamous words during confirmation hearings for his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court in September, alcoholic beverages were a part of the life and work of the justices of the Supreme Court. In her new book, Glass and Gavel: The U.S. Supreme Court and Alcohol, Nancy Maveety, professor and chair of political science, discusses how the justices have participated in both the enjoyment and the restriction of beverage alcohol throughout our country’s history.

As reported in Live Science, lip balms for dry, chapped lips provide only temporary comfort, and some types can make scaly lips even drier. That’s because, in part, when the thin film of moisture from the lip balm evaporates, it dehydrates your lips even more. “It starts a vicious cycle,” said Dr. Leah Jacob, an assistant professor of dermatology in the School of Medicine.

After analyzing the diets of 16,000 Americans, researchers led by Diego Rose, professor of public health, found that preparing meals with a small carbon footprint is as simple as using less animal protein. “People whose diets had a lower carbon footprint were eating less red meat and dairy — which contribute to a larger share of greenhouse gas emissions and are high in saturated fat — and consuming more healthful foods like poultry, whole grains and plant-based proteins,” he said.

William C. Wimley, professor of biochemistry in the School of Medicine, is making soup, but not the kind you’d probably like to sip. In his lab, in a cell soup, he’s synthesizing peptides in order to create ones with therapeutic potential, particularly as smart-delivery systems to deliver drugs that have shown promise against microbes known as “superbugs.” Wimley’s work is supported by the National Institutes of Health and was recognized in the NIH Director’s Blog.

“They come to me because they have been lost to history.”

Jesmyn Ward, creative writing professor, in The New York Times, talking about her characters in her award-winning novels — like Esch in Salvage the Bones (2011) and Jojo in Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017).

Bruce Fleury, a professor in Tulane’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has plenty to say about birds — so much so that he’s developed a 12-part lecture series that even the most novice bird-watcher will find both insightful and entertaining.