faculty

Herbert Levine, University Distinguished Professor of Physics, looks over research with graduate student Shubham Tripathi in the new Center for the Physics Underlying Mammalian Biology and Complex Diseases. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

He’s using theoretical physics to make sense of cancer

Herbert Levine, University Distinguished Professor of Physics at Northeastern, is collaborating with cancer biologists to explore fundamental questions, including how cancer spreads and why immunotherapies only work for certain patients.

by Brittany Flaherty - contributor August 22, 2019

Alireza Ramezani, assistant professor of electrical and chemical engineering, created Bat Bot, which is an autonomous drone that can flap its wings, glide, make sharp turns, and swoop down. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Mesmerized by how bats ‘dance in the air,’ this new Northeastern professor built a robotic one

As a postdoctoral researcher, Alireza Ramezani and his colleagues created a drone that can flap its wings, glide, make sharp turns, and swoop down. Now as a faculty member at Northeastern, he’s focused on building a next-generation version whose maneuverability, light weight, and small frame could improve surveillance and be safer to fly near humans than today’s drones.

by Greg St. Martin September 19, 2018

Beth Molnar, an associate professor of health sciences at Northeastern, has volunteered at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center for 20 years. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Patriots honor professor for providing support to victims of sexual violence

Beth Molnar has volunteered at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center for 20 years. In honor of that work, the Patriots named her a Myra Kraft Community MVP and donated $10,000 to the center.

by Greg St. Martin June 27, 2018

Sisters from Guatemala seeking asylum cross a bridge to a port of entry in to the United States from Matamoros, Mexico, on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Trump signed an executive order to stop separating families at the border. But what does it actually do?

President Donald J. Trump’s executive order doesn’t solve the crisis at the border. Some families will stay separated for years. Separating children from their parents can result in long-term psychological damage. And the root of the problem, the administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy, is still very much in place, Northeastern experts say.

by Molly Callahan June 21, 2018

Here’s all you need to know about the stealthiest creatures in the ocean

Type “cephalopod camouflage” into YouTube and be prepared to gasp. Cephalopods—which include octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish—can change their color, shape, and texture to blend in with their background. “They are charismatic and very smart,” said Dan Distel, director of Northeastern’s Ocean Genome Legacy Center. “They’re the most intelligent invertebrates, as far as we know.”

by Allie Nicodemo June 20, 2018

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Foundation funding helps keep journalism alive—but most money goes to a select few nonprofit media outlets

Funding for the nonprofit news sector is highly concentrated among a few dozen outlets and provided by a handful of huge grants rather than a lot of small ones. Those were among the findings of a group of researchers at Northeastern’s School of Journalism and the Shorenstein Center, who earlier this week released what they believe is the largest ever data analysis of foundation-funded journalism.

by Molly Callahan June 19, 2018

Briony Swire-Thompson, a postdoctoral fellow, is on the frontline in the battle against misinformation. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Tired of being manipulated by fake news? This Northeastern researcher is creating the tools we need to fight against it.

Behavioral psychologist Briony Swire-Thompson is on the frontline in the battle against misinformation. Understanding how the brain stores and retrieves information will make efforts to fight propaganda more effective.

by Bill Ibelle June 18, 2018

In this file photo from 2017, referee Fahad Al Mirdasi looks at a video screen during the Confederations Cup, Group A soccer match between Mexico and Russia. Football’s rules-making panel advised FIFA to approve video review technology for referees before the 2018 World Cup. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, file)

How video technology could change the 2018 World Cup

The 2018 World Cup in Russia is underway, and this year, there will be a new addition to the referee staff—a system of Video Assistant Referees. Northeastern experts weigh in on how video technology has changed the world of sports.

by Sophia Fox-Sowell June 14, 2018

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island on Tuesday, June 12, 2018 in Singapore. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)

US-North Korea meeting could lead to historic peace or disaster—‘the devil is in the details’

Monday’s historic meeting between President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was a big gamble for Trump, said political science professor Costas Panagopoulos. “If the deal falls apart and Trump feels betrayed by the North Koreans, he might be more inclined to react in a very hostile and exaggerated way,” he said.

by Molly Callahan June 12, 2018

When it comes to problem-solving as a team, says Chris Riedl, constant communication is actually a bad thing. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Bursts of inspiration come from bursts of communication

Imagine a group messaging platform in which people fire off questions, responses, and ideas in a cluster and then go radio-silent for a relatively long period of time as they work on the task at hand. This is what Northeastern assistant professor Chris Riedl calls “bursty” communication, which his research shows leads to superior outcomes at the office.

by Allie Nicodemo June 11, 2018