Adolescents are chronically sleep deprived on school days, which negatively impacts their well-being and ability to learn. A new study conducted by the University of Zurich and the University Children's Hospital Zurich reveals that a flexible start to the school day can improve adolescents' sleep, health and academic performance.

Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed an AI-based tool that combines cancer-related and traditional cardiovascular factors. The new risk prediction model enables more precise, individualized treatment for cancer patients who suffer a heart attack.

Seventy percent of soils in Europe are contaminated with pesticides. A Europe-wide study co-led by researchers of the University of Zurich now shows that their effects on soil life are substantial, as pesticides suppress various beneficial soil organisms. To protect soil biodiversity, the findings should be taken into account in current pesticide regulations.

More and more young adults abstain from entering committed romantic relationships, and this may be affecting their well-being. A new study conducted at the University of Zurich shows that long-term singles experience a sharper decline in life satisfaction over time and feel lonelier and more depressed - especially in their late twenties.

Cereals have natural resistance to pathogenic fungi, but powdery mildew, for example, can overcome this resistance. A team at the University of Zurich has now discovered a new mechanism that enables powdery mildew to outsmart the immune system of wheat. This opens the door to targeted development of resistant varieties with a reduced risk of resistance breakthrough.

A study by the University of Zurich, based on policy changes in Spain, shows that teenagers drink significantly less alcohol when the minimum legal drinking age is raised. In addition, a reduction in drinking also leads to improved academic performance and mental health. These findings could be relevant for Switzerland as well.

A team of researchers from the University of Zurich and the NCCR PlanetS is challenging our understanding of the Solar System planets interior. The composition of Uranus and Neptune, the two outer most planets, might be more rocky and less icy than previously thought.

Physical aggression by adolescents against their parents is more common than many might believe, according to a long-term longitudinal study from Zurich. Among young people aged 11 to 24, physical aggression against parents peaks at 13, with approximately five percent continuing the behavior into adulthood.

The University of Zurich has been chosen to host two new National Centers of Competence in Research, providing long-term support for cutting-edge work in childhood cancer diagnostics and treatment as well as in muon research.

Memantine, a long-approved and cost-effective drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, could also benefit patients with sickle cell anemia in the future. Initial clinical data from an international research group led by the University of Zurich (UZH) indicate that the active ingredient is well tolerated, reduces symptoms and improves quality of life in people suffering from the hereditary disease.

One of the leading triggers for multiple sclerosis (MS) is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. However, certain gene variants also play an important role. Researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown that it is the molecular interaction between environmental and genetic risk factors that ultimately triggers the disease.

Climate change, trust in science and health were among the most popular topics covered by UZH media releases and articles in 2025. As in past years, our stories about research at UZH resonated all'over the world.

The yeast Candida albicans colonizes mucosal surfaces and is usually harmless. However, under certain conditions it can cause dangerous infections. A research team at the University of Zurich has now discovered how the immune system prevents the transformation from a harmless colonizer to a pathogenic mode. This happens, among other things, by sequestering zinc.

In some regions in Africa, large herbivores struggle to get enough sodium. As many of the continent's protected areas are in regions where salt levels are low, this scarcity may also affect conservation efforts, according to researchers.