UIS professor examines reliability of AI predictions for drug discovery

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Nov. 5, 2026) - A new study by University of Illinois Springfield computer science associate professor Yanhui Guo finds that improving average uncertainty estimates in AI models does not guarantee dependable estimates for unfamiliar molecules or better selection of drug-discovery candidates.

UIS professor Lan Dong's new book explores the life, career and cultural influence of award-winning graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang.

Megan Styles, Suyang Yu and Brandon Derman received a $20,000 grant to study community responses to climate disasters in Illinois and Brazil.

Reporting Non-University Activities (RNUA) will be Sept. 14-28, 2026. Even if there are no activities to report, a disclosure must be submitted by each covered individual.

A new nationwide study led by a University of Illinois Springfield faculty member finds that people in lower-income communities and communities of color are more likely to live near sites where industries dispose of cancer-causing chemicals. The research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute.

Sociodemographic characteristics of populations living near industrial land disposals of known and suspected carcinogens across the United States

Abstract

Background: Industrial facilities dispose of millions of pounds of chemical waste in U.S.-based landfills, surface impoundments, and underground injection wells annually, but information on populations living in proximity to these releases is limited.

A propensity score weighted cross-sectional study examining 225,443 children finds that asthma may serve as an early clinical risk indicator for immune-mediated musculoskeletal conditions, suggesting shared inflammatory pathways between the two diseases.

A University of Illinois Springfield epidemiologist is leading a growing, community-engaged effort to reduce lung cancer risk in Sangamon County and surrounding communities by bringing radon education, testing and screening resources directly to residents.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas and a leading risk factor for lung cancer, responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the United States.

Can lessons from illustrated narratives apply to health care? At the University of Illinois Springfield, students are discovering that stories told through words and images can offer powerful insight into illness, caregiving and the human side of medicine.