National Science Foundation

She wants to make batteries that get minors out of the mines

Sydney Morris, a fourth-year chemical engineering major at Northeastern, studies how to make batteries last longer, perform better, and cause less harm to the environment, as well as the people who mine the materials needed to make them.

by Emily Arntsen May 10, 2021

We know how to make AI work. How can we make it work fairly?

“The most common approach to fairness right now is to take an existing model and check whether it’s fair,” says David Liu, a doctoral student at Northeastern who recently received a National Science Foundation grant to research the problems of fairness and and the inability to reproduce an experiment in artificial intelligence. “Instead of checking after the fact, what we really want to do is bake fairness into the design process itself.”

by Emily Arntsen - contributor April 26, 2021

Max Bi, assistant professor of physics, received a National Science Foundation CAREER award for cellular research. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

His parents wanted a better life for Max Bi. Their gamble paid off.

Their decision to emigrate to the U.S. from China when Bi was 14 enabled him to pursue a career in higher education. Bi, an assistant professor of physics at Northeastern, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award for cellular research that could advance the understanding of cancer, asthma, and other diseases.

by Ian Thomsen April 7, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

He’s launching his research into space

By studying the way the microscopic particles in gels respond to microgravity on the International Space Station, Safa Jamali, an assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, wants to better understand complex fluids—and eventually help make better consumer goods and materials.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa September 16, 2020

James Halverson, an assistant professor of physics in the College of Science, uses artificial intelligence to untangle knots and uncover the secrets of the universe. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Why you need a computer to understand strings and knots

Some questions are simply too big for humans to answer alone. “How does the universe work?” is a good example. James Halverson and Brent Nelson, physicists at Northeastern, are getting a little extra help from artificial intelligence to uncover the secrets of why we exist.

by Emily Arntsen August 26, 2020

What if we could get COVID-19 test results instantly?

A breathalyzer created by engineering professor Nian Sun could dramatically reduce the time it takes to test for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Once…

by Benjamin Bertsch and Adam Fischer July 23, 2020

A gas sensor used to detect airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus in professor Nian Sun’s lab in Egan Research Center. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

These new sensors can detect coronavirus particles on your breath, instantly

Instead of sticking swabs up our noses, what if we could instantly detect viral particles we breathe out? That is precisely the kind of technology that Nian Sun, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is working on.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa July 17, 2020

The Mon(IoT)r Lab run by David Choffnes, an associate professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences, is an apartment outfitted with cutting-edge smart devices, where researchers study how data is collected and shared online. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

We know companies are collecting and sharing our data. Is there anything we can do about it?

Northeastern researchers David Choffnes, Woodrow Hartzog, and Alan Mislove are teaming up on a five-year project that is anticipated to produce new technologies that safeguard personal data collected over the internet, as well as inform policy development around personal data privacy.

by Khalida Sarwari July 1, 2020

COVID-19 misconceptions are hard to fight. Cognitive psychology might help.

When it comes to learning about the coronavirus, “common sense” can lead to crucial misconceptions. John Coley, an associate professor of psychology, is studying those misconceptions in children to help fight misinformation about COVID-19.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa June 3, 2020

Sagar Kamarthi is a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

The future of manufacturing is here. Are we ready?

Sagar Kamarthi, who teaches mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern, is helping the workforce prepare for a new landscape. This year, he is one of two faculty to receive Northeastern’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

by Khalida Sarwari April 29, 2020