Two PhD students at Michigan Technological University have been awarded prestigious National Science Foundation grants to pursue research on osteoporosis.

Meghan McGee is studying the famed question "Why don't bears get osteoporosis?" (from the prolonged periods of inactivity associated with hibernation) and focusing on the effects of a specific hormone in rats.

Meanwhile, Matt Barron is investigating how bone grows in response to stimulation in the hope of pioneering how to grow bone outside the body. It's great to see that these two young people are concerned about the long-term consequences of bone health and dedicating their efforts to helping find answers for osteoporosis and related conditions.

Check out more on the projects at http://www.mininggazette.com/stories/articles.asp?articleID=8511