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Michael Pollastri
Professor and Interim Dean, College of Science

Michael Pollastri in the Press

Michael Pollastri for Northeastern Global News

This tropical disease is second only to malaria as a parasitic killer. So why haven’t you heard of it?

This tropical disease is second only to malaria as a parasitic killer. So why haven’t you heard of it?

The deadly strain of leishmaniasis infects 300,000 people annually, causing 20,000 deaths. It's the second largest cause of parasitic death.
Why you should care about rare tropical diseases

Why you should care about rare tropical diseases

They’re neglected, they’re tropical, and they affect mostly the poor—so why should Americans be concerned about tropical diseases?
The science behind fireworks

The science behind fireworks

Have you ever wondered what makes a firework…work? We did. So we asked Michael Pollastri, associate professor and chair of the chemistry department, what’s happening inside those Fourth of July favorites—and which color fireworks are particularly challenging to create.
Collaboration: ‘Where the magic starts happening’

Collaboration: ‘Where the magic starts happening’

Innovative minds and collaborative spirits came together for two featured events at the opening of Northeastern’s Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex: “NU Talks: Innovating Across Disciplines” and the panel discussion “The Future of Interdisciplinary Research.” ISEC, the speakers agreed, represents both.
Northeastern’s research partnerships in Cuba open the doors to scientific exchange

Northeastern’s research partnerships in Cuba open the doors to scientific exchange

Northeastern faculty and administrators visited Cuba last week, with members of Congress, to expand upon the university’s academic and research partnerships there, which are paving the way for myriad research opportunities in areas such as coastal sustainability, tropical diseases, and the social sciences. This story is the fourth in our five-part series covering the visit.
3Qs: Four new elements added to periodic table

3Qs: Four new elements added to periodic table

The seventh row of the periodic table is now complete after Monday’s announcement of four new chemical elements. Chemistry professor Michael Pollastri explains why this is an important milestone for science.
Graduate researcher wins fellowship to design drugs to combat deadly disease

Graduate researcher wins fellowship to design drugs to combat deadly disease

Chemistry doctoral student Dana Klug makes possible drug options the way a chef makes a gourmet dish—adding an atom of hydrogen here, removing an atom of nitrogen there—to stop a deadly parasite in its tracks.
New grant to advance sleeping sickness treatment research

New grant to advance sleeping sickness treatment research

Through this $2.5 million award, Pollastri’s Laboratory will develop and test compounds identified as options for treating sleeping sickness.
New research offers hope in treating sleeping sickness

New research offers hope in treating sleeping sickness

The neglected tropical disease affects tens of thousands of people and is mostly fatal. Now, new research co-authored by Northeastern chemistry professor Michael Pollastri has identified hundreds of chemical compounds that could lead to a cure.
Neglected for too long

Neglected for too long

During a panel discussion on Ebola earlier this month, Northeastern professors Michael Pollastri and Richard Wamai discussed other issues the Ebola outbreak is underscoring.