Koa Haole, or “foreign Koa,” is an invasive shrub that is overrunning Hawaiʻi’s vulnerable native ecosystems. Deemed one of the top 100 worst invasive species in the world, Koa Haole poses a major threat to Hawaiʻi’s indigenous plants and environment. According to Dan Rubinoff of the Dept. of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Koa Haole is especially problematic for Hawaiʻi because it can grow anywhere – even in rocky soil. Its seeds spread far and fast, and they are extremely difficult to get rid of.

The Insectary for Scientific Training and Advances in Research (InSTAR) is a new core facility located inside the Life Sciences Building at UHM. It is designed to serve the UH community as well as outside users. “InSTAR aims to create the necessary infrastructure needed for proper insect-rearing conditions,” says Nicole Yoneishi of InSTAR. “Its goal is to promote research on insect microbiotas and advance research in medical entomology by providing core services and training.”

Don’t throw away your trash just yet. On April 22, at Hale Tuahine in Mānoa Valley, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) groups HGN and FETCH held various activities and learning opportunities for the community in honor of Earth Day. 

If you are an adult with high blood pressure, consider participating in a new research study, “Development and validation of a novel tool to assess sodium intake for heart disease prevention in a multiethnic population,” by the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences. Current salt consumption is the major risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and accurate measurement of dietary sodium intake is an important part of developing dietary interventions for hypertension and CVD risk, explains PhD student Leah Kaplan.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has selected CTAHR as one of four minority-serving institutions to receive technical assistance support from USAID’s Partnerships Incubator. This means that CTAHR will now work alongside USAID to develop and implement approaches to providing foreign aid to countries around the world. Organizations are selected for USAID’s Partnership Incubator program based on their potential to provide valuable localized or non-traditional knowledge and tools to improve foreign aid.