THE CENTER FOR RESEARCH INNOVATION
SPARK FUND AWARDEES
Representing multiple colleges and disciplines, this cohort of Spark Fund awardees presented diverse and exciting projects to CRI—giving us a detailed glimpse into the society-driven impact our community looks to achieve.
With expert assistance from Spark Fund advisors, the CRI carefully evaluated over twenty applicants and selected six research opportunities to fund and grow.
FALL 2023
Leanne Chukoskie
Transforming Diabetes Care with Smart Technologies
Ke Zhang
Developing polymer-enhanced oligonucleotide therapeutics for myotonic dystrophy type 1
Sara M. Hashmi
High throughput microfluidic tensiometry/elastometry
Alexander R Ivanov
Next-generation ultra-low flow chromatography column technology for high sensitivity analysis of limited biomedical samples
Jason Radford
True Voice
Aarti Sathyanarayana
My Atlas
SPRING 2023
Dori Woods
Compartmentalizing Biology to Diagnose and Treat Disease
Randall Erb
Broadening the Aperture for Accessible Markets for Thermoformable Ceramics
Eno Ebong
Structurally and Functionally Repaired Endothelium Glycocalyx
Yi Zheng
Nanofibrous bio-paint for large-scale passive cooling
Rebecca Carrier
Streamlining Oral Drug Formulation Using Model-driven Design of Lipid-based Vehicles
Leigh D. Plant
Developing Custom Treatment Strategies for Muscular Dystrophy Ailments
FALL 2022
Carolyn Lee-Parsons
Engineering plants to produce increased anti-cancer drug precursors
Edmund Yeh
Designing an advanced content delivery platform for adaptive bitrate video streaming
Ke Zhang
Completing a proof-of-concept study of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate
Ryan Koppes
Building a stem cell strategy for improving peripheral nerve repair
Yaning Li
Testing 3D tiled auxetic metamaterial (3D TAMM) for impact-resistance Applications
Diomedes Logothetis
Developing selective modulators of brain GIRK1/2 for treatment of epilepsy
SPRING 2022
Mansoor Amiji
Oral RNA Tx -Solutions for Oral RNA Delivery
Peter Bex
Validating AI-guided, rapid, self-administered vision diagnostics in a remote setting
Sara M. Hashmi
High throughput microfluidic tensiometry/elastometry
Purnima Makris
Passive Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing of Marine Ecosystems
Mohsen Moghaddam
AI Technologies for Need Finding, Concept Evaluation, and Generative Design
Emily Zimmerman
NeuroSense Diagnostics
FALL 2021
Randall Erb and Jason Bice
New advanced manufacturing platforms that can process phononic crystals into intricate parts at high rates of production.
Jeff Ruberti
CRISPR Cas9 Acceleration of Human Active Collagen Production
Aatmesh Shrivastava
“Ultra-low Power Wake-up” with Analog Computing for Always on Connectivity
Ben Woolston
A Co-Culture Method for Enhanced Biofuel and Biochemical Production from Untreated Waste Gases
Yi Zheng
Recyclable, Scalable and Self-cleaning Passive Cooling Paper for Building Roofs
Sunny Zhou
Spatial and Temporal Activation of Protein Therapeutics by Light: Animal Testing for Photo-Caged Immunotoxin to Treat Eye Cancer
SPRING 2021
Tomasso Melodia
Developing a 6G network optimization platform for high-performance mobile users.
Sara Rouhanifard
Introducing an AI-based system for water quality monitoring with precise measurements.
Raymond Fu
Optimizing medical compression to assist diagnostics with wearable devices for real-time data collection.
Tania Konry
Konry Lab produces rapid, low-cost, highly accurate, and readily available point of care testing (POCT) solutions for microbial pathogen detection.
Neel Joshi
Engineering an oral probiotic to treat inflammatory diseases and enhance gut health.
Safa Jamali
Advancing machine learning to optimize components in multi-functional fluid systems.
FALL 2023
Leanne Chukoskie
Compartmentalizing Biology to Diagnose and Treat Disease
Ke Zhang
Developing polymer-enhanced oligonucleotide therapeutics for myotonic dystrophy type 1
Sara M. Hashmi
High throughput microfluidic tensiometry/elastometry
Alexander R Ivanov
Next-generation ultra-low flow chromatography column technology for high sensitivity analysis of limited biomedical samples
Jason Radford
True Voice
Aarti Sathyanarayana
My Atlas
SPRING 2023
Dori Woods
Compartmentalizing Biology to Diagnose and Treat Disease
Randall Erb
Broadening the Aperture for Accessible Markets for Thermoformable Ceramics
Eno Ebong
Structurally and Functionally Repaired Endothelium Glycocalyx
Yi Zheng
Nanofibrous bio-paint for large-scale passive cooling
Rebecca Carrier
Streamlining Oral Drug Formulation Using Model-driven Design of Lipid-based Vehicles
Leigh D. Plant
Developing Custom Treatment Strategies for Muscular Dystrophy Ailments
FALL 2022
Carolyn Lee-Parsons
Engineering plants to produce increased anti-cancer drug precursors
Edmund Yeh
Designing an advanced content delivery platform for adaptive bitrate video streaming
Ke Zhang
Completing a proof-of-concept study of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate
Ryan Koppes
Building a stem cell strategy for improving peripheral nerve repair
Yaning Li
Testing 3D tiled auxetic metamaterial (3D TAMM) for impact-resistance Applications
Diomedes Logothetis
Developing selective modulators of brain GIRK1/2 for treatment of epilepsy
SPRING 2022
Mansoor Amiji
Oral RNA Tx -Solutions for Oral RNA Delivery
Peter Bex
Validating AI-guided, rapid, self-administered vision diagnostics in a remote setting
Sara M. Hashmi
High throughput microfluidic tensiometry/elastometry
Purnima Makris
Passive Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing of Marine Ecosystems
Mohsen Moghaddam
AI Technologies for Need Finding, Concept Evaluation, and Generative Design
Emily Zimmerman
NeuroSense Diagnostics
FALL 2021
Randall Erb and Jason Bice
New advanced manufacturing platforms that can process phononic crystals into intricate parts at high rates of production.
Jeff Ruberti
CRISPR Cas9 Acceleration of Human Active Collagen Production
Aatmesh Shrivastava
"Ultra-low Power Wake-up" with Analog Computing for Always on Connectivity
Ben Woolston
A Co-Culture Method for Enhanced Biofuel and Biochemical Production from Untreated Waste Gases
YI ZHENG
Recyclable, Scalable and Self-cleaning Passive Cooling Paper for Building Roofs
SUNNY ZHOU
Spatial and Temporal Activation of Protein Therapeutics by Light: Animal Testing for Photo-Caged Immunotoxin to Treat Eye Cancer
SPRING 2021
Tomasso Melodia
Developing a 6G network optimization platform for high-performance mobile users.
Sara Rouhanifard
Introducing an AI-based system for water quality monitoring with precise measurements.
Raymond Fu
Optimizing medical compression to assist diagnostics with wearable devices for real-time data collection.
Tania Konry
Konry Lab produces rapid, low-cost, highly accurate, and readily available point of care testing (POCT) solutions for microbial pathogen detection.
Neel Joshi
Engineering an oral probiotic to treat inflammatory diseases and enhance gut health.
Safa Jamali
Advancing machine learning to optimize components in multi-functional fluid systems.
Sara Hashmi
RESEARCH
High throughput microfluidic tensiometry/elastometry
Industry
Microfluidics
About the Hashmi Lab
The Hashmi Complex Fluids Lab studies the flow of soft materials through small spaces. We are interested in how phenomena like droplet deformation, particle softness and polymer gelation affect the ability of fluids to travel through microchannels and other small pore spaces. We seek to improve our understanding of soft material flows in disparate contexts from biomedicine to industry and the environment. In biomedical contexts, the impact of material softness on flow has implications for and can indicate a variety of disease states from pre-diabetes to metastatic cancer. In another example, biopolymers are used as soft scaffolds or platforms to encapsulate cells in flow tests like PCR.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
We investigate how material softness determines complex fluid flow. However, we turn this idea on its head for this project: we observe what happens in flow as a way to measure gel or particle softness. Our device measures the shape of soft particles as they squeeze and deform through small spaces. As a result, any scientist using our fluidic droplet/particle maker can immediately learn the material properties of the droplets or particles they are generating. Our in-situ, in-line technology will increase high-throughput efficiency in microfluidic platforms that encapsulate cells in droplets and particles for genetic testing, drug discovery, and other applications. We will work with advisors from the microfluidics and pharmaceutical industries to ensure the maximum impact of our innovation.
Project Leadership
Sara M. Hashmi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, with affiliations with the Departments of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and Chemistry and Chemical Biology. She brings her expertise in soft materials, microfluidics, optical microscopy, fluid dynamics and theoretical modeling to this project. Two students in the Hashmi Complex Fluids Lab, Ph.D. candidate Sabrina Marnoto and undergraduate co-op student Avi Patel, will contribute to various aspects of this project from designing control materials to validating and extending the technology to broader contexts.
Aarti Sathyanarayana
RESEARCH
My Atlas
ABOUT THE LAB
The Signal processing and Ai for Time variant Health data (SATH) Lab’s focus is to study how longitudinal data from clinical and consumer devices can improve health outcomes, access to care, and quality of life. The lab focuses on developing novel machine learning and signal processing methods for improving the screening, monitoring and treatment of mental health and neurological disorders. My Atlas translates the innovative algorithms developed from our research into real world impact through a mental health app.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
My Atlas employs multimodal digital phenotyping via passive sensing to offer personalized, context-aware suggestions aimed at quantifying and enhancing the mental health of undergraduate college students. Leveraging everyday data collected from smartphones and wearables, the application empowers users, providing valuable insights into their mental well-being. Through the tracking of aggregated features extracted from this data, such as sleep patterns, social interactions, and academic stress, My Atlas enhances self-awareness and mitigates mental health challenges. Additionally, the app delivers context-aware, personalized recommendations, customized to students’ lifestyles, offering straightforward opportunities for behavior change and ultimately fostering improved mental well-being.
ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP TEAM
Aarti Sathyanarayana is an Assistant Professor, joint between the Bouvé College of Health Sciences and the Khoury College of Computer Science, and an Affiliated Faculty with the Experiential AI Institute at Northeastern University. She directs The SATH (Signal processing and Artificial intelligence for Time variant Health data) Lab, and has held positions at Apple Intel, Harvard Medical School, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Mayo Clinic. As Chief Scientific Officer, her interdisciplinary expertise leads the scientific endeavors at MyAtlas, including the design, development and validation of the algorithms.
Nita Akoh is the CEO of My Atlas. She is an Alumni of Northeastern as of Spring 2023, with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Neuroscience. Her primary roles are setting the strategic direction, managing the operations, and implementing the product development and logistics.
Garrett Fritz is the CTO of MyAtlas. He has 6+ years of experience as a VP of Product and Engineering and has co-founded 3 app-based startups in the social and wellness space. Garrett’s primary roles are leading the development and launch of the app, managing the data pipeline and architecture, and ensuring data security and storage.
Alexander Ivanov
RESEARCH
Next-generation ultra-low flow chromatography column technology for high sensitivity analysis of limited biomedical samples
ABOUT THE IVANOV LAB
The Ivanov lab develops novel separation- and mass spectrometry-based technologies to answer challenging biomedical questions and enable new applications. Our current research focuses on studies of limited cell populations (down to single cells), proteoforms, protein interactions, new modalities of biotherapeutics, and extracellular microvesicles for diagnostics, new therapies, and personalized medicine applications. Most recently, we developed and validated several approaches for proteomic and glycomic characterization of minuscule amounts of clinical and biological samples (patent pending) and have spun out a start-up, MixedLCmediA, led by Drs. Alexander Ivanov and Michal Gregus.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
The goal of this research conducted by MixedLCmediA and supported by the Spark Fund is to develop novel chromatography technologies for high sensitivity mass spectrometry-based proteomic and multi-omic analysis of limited biomedical samples. Here, Alexander and Michal are developing next-generation chromatography column technologies to acquire urgently needed new knowledge in fundamental biology and clinical research and enable novel biological, diagnostic, and prognostic studies.
Project Leadership
The lead researchers on this project are Drs. Alexander Ivanov and Michal Gregus bring over 25 years of experience in developing novel micro- and nano-scale separation, mass spectrometry, and molecular characterization technologies.
Alexander Ivanov, Ph.D., holds the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, and he is a Faculty Fellow at the Barnett Institute of Chemical & Biological Analysis and the Faculty Director of the Mass Spectrometry Facility at Northeastern University.
Michal Gregus, Ph.D., is a Research Scientist who works closely with Alexander and other members of the Ivanov laboratory. He is passionate about technology development and entrepreneurship, and he is interested in bringing his research advances to the market space.
Jason Radford
RESEARCH
True Voice
ABOUT THE SOCIAL DESIGN LAB
The Social Design Lab is focused on translating social science research into technologies, programs, and initiatives that solve problems. We work with researchers to identify implementation pathways, engage practitioners, and develop pathways to impact. Our recent projects include the online behavioral science platform, Volunteer Science, the misinformation identification company, Ostrea Cultura, and we’re developing tools to strengthening couples’ relationships.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
The research behind True Voice is focused on identifying authentic accounts online for social listening. Where inauthentic or unverifiable accounts may make up anywhere between 10% to 100% of accounts on a platform, True Voice identifies authentic accounts at a rate above 99.998%. This allows researchers and practitioners to observe what real people think, do, and are exposed to online.
Project Leadership
The True Voice project is led by Dr. Jason Radford, the director of the Social Design Lab, and Dr. Burcu Yucesoy, former postdoc and founder of the Northeastern startup Book AI. Each brings a unique blend of entrepreneurship and science to the project. This research builds off of fundamental discoveries made by researchers in David Lazer’s Lab who continue to advise the project.
Leanne Chukoskie
RESEARCH
Transforming Diabetes Care with Smart Technologies
Industry
Healthcare
ABOUT REHABILITATION GAMES – EXTENDED REALITY (REGAME-XR) LABORATORY
ReGame-XR Lab is where innovation meets empathy, and technology embraces human potential. At the heart of our research, we leverage cutting-edge sensor technology to craft assessments and interventions with one goal in mind: to enhance the quality of life for individuals navigating the complexities of cognitive and motor challenges.
Our commitment extends beyond traditional methodologies; we believe in the transformative power of play. We create engaging games that are more than just entertaining – they incorporate pivotal elements of our rehabilitation science research. These games are carefully designed to turn rigorous cognitive and physical exercises into captivating experiences, fostering not only improvement but also enjoyment for our participants.
Through this unique blend of playful mechanics and serious science, we are dedicated to advancing the field of rehabilitation science. We continuously refine our methods, measurements, and interventions to bring about real change. We strive to explore new horizons in cognitive and motor rehabilitation, one innovative step at a time.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Our project is at the cutting edge of diabetes management, focusing on the integration of Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) and smartwatch technologies into a comprehensive and user-friendly mobile application. We are committed to transforming diabetes care by offering a platform that not only tracks essential health data but also engages users in a unique and interactive experience.
We’ve designed a sensor-driven game within the app that invites users to embark on a Hero’s journey, turning daily health management into an immersive adventure. Leveraging real-time data from fitness trackers and CGMs, the app delivers insights, ensuring that glucose monitoring is both current and convenient.
By fusing technology with gamification, our approach aims to motivate users towards proactive self-care and improved glucose control. With the potential for personalized predictions and feedback, our solution empowers individuals with diabetes to take charge of their health journey, paving the way for enhanced well-being and quality of life.
Project Leadership
Our multidisciplinary Research Team is led by Principal Investigator Dr. Leanne Chukoskie and PhD candidate Sundar Rengarajan from the Human Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences (HMRS) program, both of whom specialize in the creation of sensor-based applications and games. Nursing PhD candidate and Pediatric Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Rebecka Evans contributes a wealth of knowledge from both clinical practice and research in pediatric T1D. Assistant Professor Varun Mishra, with his expertise in mobile health (mHealth) sensing, joins forces with Assistant Professor Cody Dunne, a visualization specialist, and Professor Casper Harteveld, who is renowned for his work in educational games and their scalability. We also have the expertise of Associate Professor Miso Kim, an expert in health research, user experience design, and patient-centered advocacy. Complementing the team is Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor Lena Gleaton from Charlotte, who brings her valuable pediatric nursing perspective to guide our Decision Support Tool (DST) in minimizing adverse events. Together, we are dedicated to shaping a tool that promises to transform pediatric T1D management by integrating clinical expertise with innovative technology and user-centered design.
Safa Jamali
ABOUT Jamali’s lab
The lab’s methodology leverages the most recent advances in the world of science-based machine learning to accelerate material design and discovery as well as process control and design for complex and multi-component fluid systems.
Technology Descriptions
Neel Joshi
ABOUT this research
Tantu is developing innovative microbe-based therapeutics expressed and delivered to the site of intestinal lesions to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and other gastrointestinal diseases without systemic side effects.
Technology Descriptions
Tantu Therapeutics: Synthetic Biology-Based Live Biotherapeutics for the Gut
Raymond Fu
ABOUT this research
Pathfind uses patented deep learning model compression techniques to transform once costly AI algorithms into customized lightweight processes. Pathfind enables complex computer vision and machine learning programs to run in real time on simple devices – bringing cutting-edge innovation to telemedicine, in-home fitness and other markets.
Tomasso Melodia
ABOUT Melodia’s LAB
The Melodia lab is developing CellOS, a data-driven network operating system to automate the control of 5G/6G cellular networks and maximize their performance. CellOS combines softwarization and virtualization principles, network slicing and intent-based networking with data-driven solutions to automate network control and deliver high-performance services to mobile users.
Technology Descriptions
Intelligence and Learning in O-RAN for 5G and 6G Cellular Networks
A Unified Framework for Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) Network Slicing in 5G Networks
CellOS: A Network Operating System for Softwarized and Self-Optimizing Cellular Networks
Mechanisms for the Enforcement of Network Slicing Policies in Virtualized Cellular Networks
Leigh D. Plant
RESEARCH
Developing Custom Treatment Strategies for Muscular Dystrophy Ailments
Industry
Healthcare
ABOUT PROFESSOR Plant’s LAB
The Plant lab studies voltage-gated sodium channels (NaVs), the cellular machines that drive action potential generation in cardiovascular, muscular, and neural tissues. The activity of NaV channels is controlled by various protein partners and post-translational modifications that regulate the channel’s behavior in response to hormones, neurotransmitters, and cell signaling pathways. Dysregulation of these signaling pathways, or mutations in the genes that encode for NaV channels can evoke devasting electrical disorders ranging from cardiac arrhythmias, pain, and epilepsy to muscular dystrophy and myotonia. Our lab uses a multidisciplinary approach to understanding these problems, creating new tools to dissect and control how cell signaling processes regulate NaV channels in health and disease.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Muscular dystrophies (MD) are rare, genetic disorders of skeletal muscle that have a profound, detrimental effect on the quality of a patient’s life and cause premature death. Several MDs are characterized by spells of muscle stiffness and pain that are often exacerbated by physical activity or cold. MDs are often associated with mutations in scn4a, the gene encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel protein, Nav1.4. There is no cure for MD, and the current FDA-approved treatments aim to manage disease symptoms by reducing severity and the activity of the patient. Apart from their prohibitive pricing, the drugs have undesirable side effects including balance disorders, vomiting, skin rash and joint pain. There is a clear and pressing unmet need for more effective drugs with substantially improved therapeutic efficacy. Meeting this need requires deeper insight into the regulation of Nav1.4 channels. Our lab discovered that the activity of Nav1.4 channels is critically dependent on the signaling phospholipid, PIP2. Here, we leverage state-of-the-art tools, such as patch-clamp and a strategy to control through light (optogenetics) to advance our understanding of mutation in scn4a associated with MD.
Project Leadership
Leigh D. Plant Ph.D. is assistant professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences and is also affiliated with The Center for Drug Discovery of Northeastern University. Dr. Plant is an expert in ion channel biophysics and pharmacology and his work was recently highlighted in the Journal of General Physiology. Dr. Plant is from the UK, and started his training working with venomous snakes that yield toxins that have unlocked our understanding of ion channels.
Kirin Gada, M.B.B.S./Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in the Plant Lab and has worked on the relationship between ion channels and PIP2 with potassium channels in her PhD and NaV channels in her postdoctoral career.
Rebecca Carrier
RESEARCH
Streamlining Oral Drug Formulation Using Model-driven Design of Lipid-based Vehicles
Industry
Chemical Engineering
ABOUT THE CARRIER LAB
The Advanced Drug Delivery Research (ADDRes) Lab applies engineering principles to develop relevant models of health and disease and enable effective delivery of therapeutics. We focus largely on advancing intestinal and retinal tissue engineering and drug delivery. Major research thrusts include developing: 1. theoretical and experimental frameworks to predict the impact of dietary lipids on the absorption and bio-availability of oral drugs, 2. In vitro models for studying the human microbiome-gut-immune axis and transport at the intestinal mucosal barrier, and 3. biomaterials to support development of retinal organoids as well as the delivery, survival, and integration of implanted cells (https://carrier.sites.northeastern.edu).
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
It is estimated that over 90% of compounds emerging from pharmaceutical and biotechnology discovery pipelines have low oral bioavailability. Despite the poor bioavailability, oral delivery is heavily preferred over other routes of administration. Lipids can have a tremendous impact on oral drug absorption, enhancing bioavailability by several hundred percent. Despite decades of research, relatively few commercial oral formulations incorporate lipid-based delivery systems. This is due in large part to resource-intensive trial and error testing in the design of lipid-based formulations. We have developed a mechanism-based algorithm that can reduce the need for trial-and-error formulation development with lipids by providing rational guidance on the most optimal quantities and types of lipids to achieve desired drug absorption kinetics. In this project, we are making critical extensions to our algorithm to also capture the impact of common added components of lipid-based formulations including surfactants that have a partially lipophilic and partially hydrophilic nature.
Project Leadership
The key researchers on this project are Prof. Rebecca Carrier and Dr. Oljora Rezhdo. Prof. Rebecca Carrier is a faculty member in Chemical Engineering with affiliations in Biology and Bioengineering. Dr. Oljora Rezhdo is a research scientist with a PhD in Chemical Engineering and expertise in drug delivery, lipid function in the gastrointestinal tract, and modeling of the gastrointestinal tract.
Yi Zheng
RESEARCH
Nanofibrous bio-paint for large-scale passive cooling
Industry
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
About Prof. Zheng’s Lab
Prof. Zheng leads the Nano Energy Laboratory which emphasizes the theoretical, analytical, and experimental investigations on energy transport phenomena and opto-thermal sensing. The lab aims to enhance physical, particularly thermal and optical, properties of functional materials and explore their applications in energy conversion, storage, and harvesting systems, thermophotovoltaics, sensing, thermal diodes and transistors, and passive cooling technique.
About This Project
As of 2022, compressor-based cooling systems, providing comfortable interior environments for infrastructure (e.g., buildings), account for about 20% of total worldwide electricity consumption. The resultant greenhouse gas emissions expelled to the environment intensify global warming and accelerate climate change. Here, we are proposing an energy-efficient, eco-friendly cooling approach that is vital to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Emerging passive cooling technologies have the potential to solve this problem. Such an approach, with strong market potential in both highly developed and developing regions, is becoming an attractive candidate for improving the energy efficiency of buildings by reducing the need for the coolants, electricity, and compressors required by traditional mechanical cooling systems.
Project Leadership
Prof. Yi Zheng is the PI of this Spark Fund project. He is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Affiliated Faculty at the Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Director of Nano Energy Laboratory at Northeastern University. He also founded the clean-tech startup company Planck Energies to commercialize the energy-saving materials for infrastructure. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. from Columbia University and B.S. from the Tsinghua University, all in Mechanical Engineering. Prof. Zheng has secured external funding from diverse sources including multiple federal agencies NSF, NIH, NASA, DARPA, ONR, US Air Force, as well as industrial funding from 3M, MassVentures, and Soleeva Energy.
Andrew Caratenuto is the Co-PI of this project. He is currently a senior Ph.D. candidate under Prof. Zheng’s supervision and the CEO of Planck Energies
Eno Ebong
RESEARCH
Structurally and Functionally Repaired Endothelium Glycocalyx
Industry
Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering
About the Ebong Mechanobiology Lab
The Ebong Mechanobiology Lab studies how blood flow affects endothelial cells lining blood vessels, focusing on the glycocalyx. The glycocalyx, a gel-like structure of sugars and proteins, converts mechanical forces into biological responses to protect against disease. Shedding of the glycocalyx promotes pathological remodeling, leading to atherosclerosis and tumor formation. The lab replicates healthy and disruptive conditions using in vitro systems and live animal studies to understand the flow-glycocalyx-endothelial cell relationship. Their goal is to develop therapies to reverse disease progression.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of the majority of heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms, peripheral vascular disorders, and other cardiovascular conditions that affect millions of adults worldwide. The economic burden is $363 billion for health care and lost productivity in America alone. Current therapeutic approaches primarily target advanced stages of the disease. The goal of this research, supported by the Spark Fund, is to develop a new therapeutic approach that will be capable of intervening in early disease stages, by regenerating the vasculoprotective endothelial cell surface glycocalyx that is mechanically sensitive and damaged at the onset of atherosclerosis.
Project Leadership
Dr. Ebong E. Ebong, who leads the project team, holds joint appointments in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, with Biology affiliation. An expert on cardiovascular cell and molecular mechanobiology, endothelium glycocalyx, and vascular remodeling, Dr. Ebong is supported by PhD students Ronodeep Mitra (Chemical Engineering) and Kaleigh Pentland (Bioengineering). There are several additional team members who, together with Dr. Ebong, Mr. Mitra, and Ms. Pentland, create a multidisciplinary research team with expertise in chemical engineering, bioengineering, chemistry, mechanobiology, imaging, pharmacology, and medicine. This team is uniquely suited to advance this Spark Fund project.
Randall Erb & Jason Bice
RESEARCH
Broadening the Aperture for Accessible Markets for Thermoformable Ceramics
Industry
Materials Engineering
ABOUT PROFFESOR ERB AND BICE’S LAB
Randy Erb leads and Jason Bice is a core member of the DAPS Lab that leverages colloidal physics to direct the assembly of material microstructures enabling new and enhanced materials properties. Here, Randy and Jason are developing advanced manufacturing processes for the generation of textured all-ceramics that offer the next generation of thermal management solutions.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Certain types of ceramics known as phononic crystals exhibit the remarkable combination of thermal conductivity and electrical insulation. These properties offers a route toward thermal management solutions that are deeply demanded by high density electronics, RF systems, and battery packs. Here, Randy and Jason are developing knowledge around new advanced manufacturing platforms that can process these all-ceramics into intricate parts at high rates of production.
Project Leadership
Randy Erb, Ph.D. has been investigating the interplay between material microstructure and properties for over a decade. His key expertise lies in leveraging colloidal physics within advanced manufacturing systems to drive the assembly of mesoscale material structures. He has a strong track record of successfully commercializing advanced manufacturing technologies.
Jason Bice, MS is defending his Ph.D. thesis soon on the processing-structure-property relationships of phononic crystals. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and seeks to bring his thesis work to bear on the high value market of thermal management solutions.
Dori Woods
RESEARCH
Compartmentalizing Biology to Diagnose and Treat Disease
Industry
Life Sciences
About the Woods lab
The Woods Laboratory is interested in studying the role of mitochondria in normal and disease states, with a major emphasis on how mitochondria are specifically tailored to a cell’s functional or dysfunctional requirements. We aim to leverage our expertise and cutting-edge methods to fully harness the therapeutic potential of mitochondrial subtypes, as well as deeply explore the causal link of mitochondrial function in the maintenance of critical cell fate processes. Most recently, we developed and validated a computational pipeline (patent pending) to thoroughly assess cellular component (e.g., mitochondria) constructs in great detail, and have spun it out into a start-up, Calafate Biologics.
About this research
With its disruptive Compartmentalized Cell Biology (CCB) approach, Calafate Biologics is uncovering previously hidden target genes from widely available multi-omics datasets in a variety of biological processes ranging from cancer chemoresistance to neurodegeneration. By anchoring data exploration to a biologically relevant component (organelle of interest), our contemporary integrated pipeline outputs immediately clear and actionable leads ushering in a new era of next-generation diagnostic and therapeutic products.
Project Leadership
Calafate co-founders Prof. Dori Woods, Ph.D., and Prof. Jonathan Tilly, Ph.D. bring over 25 years of experience in discovering novel mitochondrial mechanisms and properties with a high-impact on cell fate mapping and death. Recent graduate and co-founder, Fausto Capelluto, Ph.D. is spearheading the development of the CCB-pipeline technology and its various applications.
Zhaohui Sunny Zhou
RESEARCH
Spatial and Temporal Activation of Protein Therapeutics by Light: Animal Testing for Photo-Caged Immunotoxin to Treat Eye Cancer
Industry
Biopharmaceutical
ABOUT PROFFESOR ZHOU’S LAB
Our invention and platform enable the spatial and temporal activation of peptide and protein drugs by light and other stimuli for more efficacious and less toxic therapeutics. Furthermore, our technologies open exciting new opportunities for novel drug targets that otherwise not suited for traditional approaches.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
A fundamental impediment in drug development is the limited therapeutic index, due to the on-target/off-tumor toxicity. Our approach is to mask (or cage) peptides and proteins, rendering them inactive. Our invention and platform enable both the chemo-enzymatic site-specific conjugation and the engineered chemistry tailored for the controlled re-activation (unmasking or uncaging). For clinical applications, after administering to the patients, then upon exposure to light (or other stimuli), the mask is removed, the active form is regenerated with precise spatial and temporal controls, thereby expanding therapeutic index.
Project Leadership
Professor Sunny Zhou’s laboratory, aka SunnyLand, applies protein chemistry, analysis and engineering to biology and medicine. Their “Hybrid Modality Engineering of Proteins” platform introduces non-canonical chemical moieties and/or scaffolds into peptides and proteins to confer novel functions (mode of action) otherwise unavailable via recombinant technology. Dr. Amissi Sadiki (Sunny’s former student), Professor Bryan Spring (expert in photomedicine) and Sunny are co-founders of NIRa Biosciences, which focuses on photo-immunotherapy and has received Series A VC funding.
TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTIONS
Chemo-enzymatic Site-specific Photocaging of Peptides and Proteins
Diomedes Logothetis
RESEARCH
Developing selective modulators of brain GIRK1/2 for treatment of epilepsy
Industry
Health Care
ABOUT PROFESSOR LOGOTHETIS’S LAB
The Logothetis lab focuses on the molecular details of how the signaling membrane phospholipid, PIP2, controls gating of ion channels, such as the G-protein gated inwardly rectifying K+ channels (GIRKs). GIRK activation inhibits excitability and is involved in conditions, such as epilepsy, pain/opioid addiction and cardiac arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation. Small molecule drugs can activate GIRKs allosterically. Computer simulations of GIRKs with PIP2 and small molecule activators have captured the details of channel gating, offering a platform for dynamic structure-based drug design.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a rare pediatric epilepsy starting as early as 6 months of age, characterized with severe prolonged, recurrent seizures, and considerable risk of sudden unexplained death from epilepsy (SUDEP). No cure for DS is known, and current FDA-approved treatments are ineffective and poorly tolerated by the patients.
In a properly functioning brain, firing of inhibitory and excitatory neurons maintains a balance in electrical activity. However in DS, silencing mutations in sodium channels, found mainly in inhibitory interneurons, cause an imbalance and hyperexcitability leading to seizures. Our drug candidates can reduce hyperexcitability and restore balance by selectively acting on the GIRKs found in the regions of the brain associated with seizure generation. Our approach to drug discovery mitigates the risk of off-target effects and toxicities (i.e. cardiac toxicity), as shown by our lead drug candidate.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Diomedes E. Logothetis, Ph.D. is a professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, leading research efforts in the field on the molecular basis of function and malfunction of ion channels. Currently, he is affiliated with The Center for Drug Discovery and the Roux Institute of Northeastern University.
Stelios Smirnakis, M.D./Ph.D. is an associate professor of Neurobiology and practicing neurologist at Harvard Medical School & Brigham and Women’s Hospital while also conducting research on neural circuit function and malfunction during disease states.
Andrew Zorn, M.S. is an industry experts and product of the industrial Ph.D. program at Northeastern University. Andrew is a pharmacologist who brings his life science business and corporate strategy expertise to GRIK Therapeutics.
ARTICLES
Yaning Li
RESEARCH
Testing 3D tiled auxetic metamaterial (3D TAMM) for impact-resistance Applications
Industry
Advanced Materials
ABOUT PROFESSOR LI’S LAB
The Mechanics, Biomimetics, and 3D/4D Printing Research Lab focuses on exploring the mechanics and innovative design of new engineering materials including mechanical metamaterials, bio-inspired composites, and smart and adaptive architected materials. We aim to leverage mechanics, materials, biomimetics, and advanced additive manufacturing to not only design and fabricate the new generation of materials with unusual mechanical properties, but also revolutionize the material design and manufacturing framework.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
We will design and fabricate new three-dimensional tiled auxetic metamaterial (3D TAM), targeting applications in battery enclosure designs and packaging. 3D TAM are composed of tiled elements with relative locomotion to each other to achieve programmable auxeticity and superior impact resistance and energy dissipation capability. Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Finite Element (FE) simulations will be used to design and systematically quantify the mechanical properties of 3D TAM. Selected designs will be fabricated via a multi-material 3D printer. Mechanical experiments will be performed on the 3D printed prototypes to evaluate their mechanical performance under both static and dynamic loads.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Yaning Li, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. She leads the Mechanics, Biomimetics and 3D/4D printing research lab. She will bring her expertise in mechanics and design of mechanical metamaterials, finite element simulations, bio-inspired engineering and additive manufacturing to this project. Dr. Tiantian Li and Richard Nash (Ph.D candidate), who are two core members of the project, will lead the project. Graduate students Yunzheng Yang, Shengbin Zhang, Lin Gu, Siyao Liu, Ammar Batwa from the group, and Dr. Anastassios Mavrokefalos from Rogers will peripherally support the project.
Ryan Koppes
RESEARCH
Building a stem cell strategy for improving peripheral nerve repair
Industry
Health Care
ABOUT PROFESSOR KOPPES’ LAB
The laboratory for Neuromodulation and Neuromuscular repair (LNNR) is working on developing a fundamental understanding of how the nervous system’s structure informs function and developing new 3D in vitro platforms to provide new insight. The lab is focused on developing new strategies including stem cell sourcing, biomaterials, and stimulation modalities for nerve repair, as well as innovations in the organ-on-a-chip through the inclusion of high-throughput design, instrumentation, and the inclusion of the autonomic nervous system.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Over 3.5 million peripheral nerve injury cases are reported throughout the world each year. Injuries to the peripheral nervous system are often caused by trauma to the extremities. Main causes include car accidents, gunshot injuries, and stretching/crush injuries with a high (83%) prevalence in people under the age of 55, especially military personnel. With the increase in trauma incidents as well as the increase in medical capabilities (patients can survive more extensive injuries), it is expected that the number of injuries occurring per year will increase. Schwann cells are paramount in promoting and guiding regenerating neurons after injury. However, severely injured tissue lacks sufficient Schwann cells to facilitate the repair process. Our research focuses on differentiating Olfactory Mucosa-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells towards a Schwann cell to offer an alternative source for surgical intervention. The success of this project will shift the way surgeons handle traumatic injury, allowing more synthetic material to be utilized in the repair of injury, saving the very limited donor tissue for critical needs.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Dr. Ryan Koppes has been an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University since 2015, where he has founded the Laboratory for Neuromodulation and Neuromuscular Repair (LNNR). Ryan received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York in 2013. Dr. Koppes has been working on new solutions for peripheral nerve repair for over ten years now. He is also working on the development of innervated, human organs-on-a-chip. Dr. Koppes also enjoys teaching Chemical Engineering Experimental Design Lab II (Unit Operations II) for senior engineers, as well as mentoring undergraduates in the laboratory.
Dr. Abigail Koppes joined the department of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University in 2014 where her group, the Advanced Biomaterials for Neuroengineering Laboratory (ABNEL), harnesses biochemical engineering methods to address challenges in nervous system disorders and dysfunction.
Katelyn Neuman is an ABD PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Northeastern. She has spearheaded this research thrust and has been responsible for stem cell isolation, differentiation protocol development, and characterization.
Ke Zhang
RESEARCH
Completing a proof-of-concept study of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy candidate
Industry
Health Care
ABOUT PROFESSOR ZHANG’S LAB
Prof. Zhang’s laboratory is transforming the field of gene regulation therapeutics with a proprietary oligonucleotide enhancer technology termed the Brushield™. The Brushield™ platform can rapidly generate potent clinical leads with reduced side effects and enhanced delivery to non-liver sites. In some preclinical models, Brushield™ reduces the dosage requirement by two orders of magnitude while suppressing side effects and immunogenicity. This technology is being licensed by an NU spinout called pacDNA Inc., which is now beginning commercial operations in LabCentral 700, Cambridge, MA.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Where traditional drugs work by interfering with the function of a protein, gene regulation technologies attack disease at the source by inhibiting or correcting the production of the problematic protein from its genetic instructions. However, multiple challenges remain, such as rapid renal clearance, inefficient delivery to non-liver organs, and immunogenicity/toxicity, which reduce the scope of gene regulation drug development to a few concentrated disease settings. pacDNA Inc. aims to change the status quo by developing a safe and efficient oligonucleotide delivery technology that addresses non-liver organs, reduces cost, and minimizes off-target effects.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
With formal training in polymers, Prof. Zhang, PhD is devoting his career to facilitating the marriage of synthetic polymers and nucleic acids. His prized inventions include several forms of DNA-polymer amphiphiles, conjugates, and nanoparticles, which are being geared towards materials science and disease treatment.
Edmund Yeh
RESEARCH
Designing an advanced content delivery platform for adaptive bitrate video streaming
Industry
Internet of Things (IoT)
ABOUT PROFESSOR YEH’S LAB
The Networking for Big Data Laboratory led by Professor Yeh focuses on developing innovative architectures, algorithms, and implementations for networking and systems for data- and computation-intensive engineering, science, and health applications. The lab has developed leading technologies for data caching, edge computing, networked distributed learning, wireless network optimization, and coding. The primary aim is the design of platforms which efficiently and securely share, process, and learn from data over heterogeneous networks.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Video delivery accounted for over 80% of US internet usage in 2022. With increasing mobile traffic, surging demand for content and gaming, the advent of 8K, immersive, and 360 degree VR technologies, rapidly increasing video volumes are placing an enormous burden on current content delivery networks. This project is dedicated to the development of a highly efficient, scalable video delivery platform which will overcome the above challenge with innovative bitrate selection, caching and forwarding algorithms for adaptive bitrate streaming, their software implementation, application interfaces and hardware acceleration platforms.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Edmund Yeh is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a Khoury College of Computer Sciences courtesy appointment. Professor Yeh directs the Networking for Big Data Laboratory, and brings extensive experience in network architecture design, algorithm development, as well as system implementation. PhD candidates Yuezhou Liu, Yuanhao Wu and Faruk Volkan Mutlu bring experience in algorithmic, software and hardware system development experience in networking, caching, and video processing.
Carolyn Lee-Parsons
RESEARCH
Engineering plants to produce increased anti-cancer drug precursors
Industry
Health Care
ABOUT THE LEE-PARSONS LAB
Plants produce a wide array of valuable, biologically active natural products that we use as medicines (i.e. anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-infectives, antimicrobials). While plants are amazing chemists, these compounds are produced in limited concentrations. The overall vision of the research in the Lee-Parsons Lab is to understand how plants regulate the production of these critical plant-derived pharmaceuticals towards the goal of engineering their enhanced production and meeting the need for these important medicines (https://lee-parsons.sites.northeastern.edu/).
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
The plant-derived pharmaceuticals of interest are the terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) from cultures of the Catharanthus roseus plant. The C. roseus plant produces several highly-valued TIAs, including the anti-cancer drugs vinblastine and vincristine. The high cost ($4 – 60 million/kg) and need for these anti-cancer compounds motivate our research to better understand their biosynthesis and ultimately overproduce these valuable TIAs economically and reproducibly using engineered C. roseus plants or cultures as the production platform. In this project, we are investigating regulators that turn on and turn off the production of limiting precursors to the anti-cancer compounds towards engineering a high-yielding plant.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
The key researchers on this project are Prof. Carolyn Lee-Parsons and Dr. Lauren Cole. Prof. Carolyn Lee-Parsons is a faculty member jointly appointed in Chemical Engineering and Chemistry & Chemical Biology, with affiliations in Biology and Bioengineering. Dr. Lauren Cole is a post-doctoral researcher with her PhD in Bioengineering and expertise in plant biotechnology and plant specialized metabolism.
Emily Zimmerman
RESEARCH
NeuroSense Diagnostics
Industry
Life Sciences
ABOUT PROFFESOR ZIMMERMAN’S LAB
NeuroSense Diagnostics – the only non-contact infant suck monitoring system that will enable families to thrive. Our smartphone app will offer infant suck monitoring to a vast potential customer base—in a package far more affordable and convenient than existing options—by leveraging cutting edge, in-house computer vision technology developed by our uniquely qualified team.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Infant feeding is complex and consists of sucking, swallowing, and breathing and all must be coordinated for feeding to occur successfully. Currently, assessment of infant feeding is extremely subjective and includes assessing all these components together at the same time by observing a bottle feed or by simply placing a gloved finger in the infant’s mouth to feel the strength of their suck. This trial-and-error approach can have devastating outcomes for the developing infant and can lead to feeding aversions and prolonged hospitalizations. Objectively measuring and longitudinally monitoring the patterns of non-nutritive suck (NNS)—sucking without nutrient being delivered—guides therapy and improves safety by lowering the risk of feeding aversion and the danger of milk aspiration into the lungs. Currently, no technology currently exists to track infant NNS remotely. Put simply, if we had more quantitative and accurate data, we could do more targeted feeding therapies earlier and we could blunt developmental delays.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Professor Zimmerman directs the Speech and Neurodevelopment Lab SNL, which examines the environment, psychosocial, physiological, and genetic factors surrounding sucking and feeding development. She has approximately 8 years of experience in the NICU as a feeding researcher.
Professor Ostadabbas is a co-founder of NeuroSense Diagnostics and directs the Augmented Cognition Laboratory (ACLab). She will bring her expertise in infant facial landmark tracking to this innovation with assistance from Dr. Wan, a Senior Computational Scientist at the Roux Institute.
Mansoor Amiji
RESEARCH
Oral RNA Tx -Solutions for Oral RNA Delivery
Industry
Life Sciences
ABOUT PROFESSOR AMIJI’S LAB
The Laboratory for Biomaterials and Advanced Nano-Delivery Systems (BANDS) focuses on research at the interface of medicine and material science to solve important biomedical problems. Our group is interested in the development of novel delivery technologies for drugs and genes to different target sites in the body, including gastro-intestinal tract, brain, and specific cells such the tumor and immune cells. The main focus of the lab is to ensure that the delivery technologies are clinically and commercially translatable.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
With the overwhelming success of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, there is an increased interest in the development of nucleic acid delivery technologies for therapeutics and vaccines. Oral administration is the most convenient and patient-friendly route of drug and vaccine administration in the body. The multi-compartmental polymeric (MCP) formulations provide a platform for oral administration of nucleic acid molecules, such as mRNA, into the body. This work will enable MCP formulations to be developed for specific target therapeutic or vaccination areas and to commercialize the technology through effective partnerships.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Mansoor Amiji, PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, & Professor of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University. Professor Amiji has over 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical formulation development and his lab at Northeastern University has made significant advances in the development of target specific drug and gene delivery systems.
TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTIONS
Sara M. Hashmi
RESEARCH
High throughput microfluidic tensiometry/elastometry
Industry
Microfluidics
ABOUT PROFESSOR HASHMI’S LAB
The Hashmi Complex Fluids Lab studies the flow of soft materials through small spaces. We are interested in how phenomena like droplet deformation, particle softness and polymer gelation affect the ability of fluids to travel through pore spaces, thus improving our understanding of flows in disparate contexts from biomedicine to industry and the environment. In biomedical contexts, the impact of material softness on flow has implications for and also can indicate a variety of disease states from pre-diabetes to metastatic cancer.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
While we mainly investigate how material softness determines complex fluid flow, in this project we turn this idea on its head: we measure flow to quantify both droplet surface tension and particle softness. Our in-situ, in-line technology will help increase stability and high-throughput efficiency in a variety of microfluidic platforms that use droplet and particle encapsulation for drug discovery, pharmaceutical development, and other applications. We will work with advisors from the microfluidics industry to ensure maximum impact of our innovation.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Sara M. Hashmi, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, with affiliations with the Departments of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering and Chemistry and Chemical Biology. She brings her expertise in microfluidics, optical microscopy, materials characterization and theoretical modeling to this project. Two fourth year graduate students in the Hashmi Complex Fluids Lab, Barrett Smith and Sabrina Marnoto, will contribute to various aspects of this project from designing control materials to validating and extending the technology to broader contexts.
Peter Bex
RESEARCH
Validating AI-guided, rapid, self-administered vision diagnostics in a remote setting
Industry
Life Sciences
ABOUT PROFFESOR BEX’S LAB
The Translational Vision Science Lab’s focus is to study the developmental and aging human visual system both to enhance the fundamental understanding of human visual perception and cognition and also to improve diagnostic and treatment regimes for visual disorders in clinical populations. These clinical applications have the potential to be useful beyond specific research applications and thus our lab aims to translate the insights gained during the research into useful and impactful patents and products.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment worldwide as it causes blind spots that progressively diminishes the central visual field that is used to see details of the world such as reading this text and recognising faces. Current treatments for AMD aim to slow or stop the progression of the disease as there is currently no cure. Therefore, early detection of the disease and monitoring its progression during treatment are critical.
Clinical diagnostics suffer a number of problems: A patient needs to attend a clinic, needs to see a trained clinician who can administer tests that are cumbersome, time-consuming, and unable to detect subtle, small changes of vision due to disease progression or treatment intervention.
The current project will use computer-based, rapid, self-administered vision diagnostics that probe multiple visual functions before and during AMD treatment, and will conduct those tests remotely.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Prof. Bex, Ph.D., is the head of the translational vision science lab. His research investigates the developmental and aging human visual system using quantitative approaches. Prof. Bex has worked on the diagnosis and rehabilitation of AMD and developed together with Dr. Skerswetat the methods deployed during this project. He will be advisor for data analysis and scientific communication.
Dr. Skerswetat is a trained optometrist by background (M.Sc.) and has working experience with AMD patients both clinically as well as during research projects conducted in Prof. Bex’s lab. He is also a trained researcher with a Ph.D. in vision science and developed together with Prof. Bex a novel vision diagnostics platform since he started his postdoctoral research in the fall of 2019. He will take the lead of the research project.
Purnima Makris
RESEARCH
Passive Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing of Marine Ecosystems
Industry
Marine Sciences
ABOUT PROFESSOR MAKRIS’ LAB
The Laboratory for Ocean Acoustics and Ecosystem Sensing led by Prof. Purnima Ratilal-Makris leads research, design, and development of acoustic based sensor technologies for instantaneous wide area ocean sensing, including rapid detection, localization and classification. The lab focuses on developing mobile, towable large-aperture densely-populated coherent hydrophone array systems including both sensor hardware and real-time array data analysis and processing software for enabling rapid scientific discoveries at sea. The lab is designing a compact version of the array to be used commercially for general purpose sensing on smaller vessels making the array technology accessible to wide range of ocean users.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Underwater linear towed coherent hydrophone arrays are multifaceted and extremely versatile leading to a multitude of applications requiring ocean environmental awareness, including commercial and recreational, academic research and conservation, as well as maritime security. This hydrophone array technology developed at NU has large sensing frequency range from ~10 Hz (fin whale calls) to ~ 50,000 Hz (dolphin clicks), with lower frequencies capable of sensing wide areas ~100 km in diameter from array. The compact version of the array will contain 96 or 128 hydrophones compared to the full array system built in Prof. Ratilal-Makris’ lab comprising of 160 elements. This will lead to a version of the array that can be readily moved by personnel without the use of machinery.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
- Purnima Makris, PhD will lead the overall project, technical vision, and customer relations
- Max Radermacher, PhD candidate will lead the ADC research and development
- Matthew Schinault, PhD candidate will lead the compact winch development
- Hamed Mohebbi-Kalkhoran, PhD will lead enhancements to real-time software acquisition and GUI development
- Sai Geetha Seri, PhD candidate will continue to make advancements to data protocols to improve packet error rates.
Mohsen Moghaddam
RESEARCH
AI Technologies for Need Finding, Concept Evaluation, and Generative Design
Industry
Life Sciences
ABOUT PROFFESORS MOGHADDAM, MARION, AND CIUCCARELLI
Prof. Moghaddam’s lab is developing new AI technologies that aim at augmenting early-stage product design decisions by eliciting latent user needs from online reviews through natural language processing and recommending novel and user-centered concepts to designers through generative design. Prof. Marion’s research is focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the innovation process using new digital tools. Prof. Ciuccarelli’s research focuses on the design transformations that help make sense of data and information to improve decision making processes.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
This Spark Fund project envisions an end-to-end AI-powered SaaS platform integrated in the value chain from assessing user needs through design generation and evaluation of novel concepts. This will allow designers to ‘fine tune’ desired attributes and innovativeness level, making it appealing to a wide range of industry verticals, from consumer products to software design. As co-founders of a startup Advanced Design Augmentation (ADA) Technologies, LLC, the PIs strive to foster designer-AI co-creation and innovation centered on empathy with users and bias mitigation, to bridge the gap between user need discovery, social impact, and design. The team is actively developing a first generation of the platform to be tested with initial industry partners in the fall of 2022.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Mohsen Moghaddam is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and an Affiliated Faculty with Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University. His primary roles in this project include leading the design, development, and validation of the AI models and algorithms for large-scale need finding, concept evaluation, and generative design.
Tucker Marion is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at D’Amore-McKim School of Business and the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University. His primary roles are the tactical and strategic development of commercial solutions of the technologies. This includes managing prototype development, resources, and industry collaborations.
Paolo Ciuccarelli is a Professor and Director of Center for Design at the College of Arts Media and Design at Northeastern University. His primary roles involve testing and validation of the developed AI technologies through laboratory experiments involving novice and expert designers.
Randall erb and jason bice
RESEARCH
New advanced manufacturing platforms that can process phononic crystals into intricate parts at high rates of production
Industry
Materials Engineering
ABOUT PROFFESOR ERB AND BICE’S LAB
Randy Erb leads and Jason Bice is a core member of the DAPS Lab that leverages colloidal physics to direct the assembly of material microstructures enabling new and enhanced materials properties. Here, Randy and Jason are developing advanced manufacturing processes for the generation of textured all-ceramics that offer the next generation of thermal management solutions.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Certain types of ceramics known as phononic crystals exhibit the remarkable combination of thermal conductivity and electrical insulation. These properties offers a route toward thermal management solutions that are deeply demanded by high density electronics, RF systems, and battery packs. Here, Randy and Jason are developing knowledge around new advanced manufacturing platforms that can process these all-ceramics into intricate parts at high rates of production.
Project Leadership
Randy Erb, Ph.D. has been investigating the interplay between material microstructure and properties for over a decade. His key expertise lies in leveraging colloidal physics within advanced manufacturing systems to drive the assembly of mesoscale material structures. He has a strong track record of successfully commercializing advanced manufacturing technologies.
Jason Bice, MS is defending his Ph.D. thesis soon on the processing-structure-property relationships of phononic crystals. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and seeks to bring his thesis work to bear on the high value market of thermal management solutions.
AATMESH
SHRIVASTAVA
RESEARCH
Think Analog: Analog computing based always on connectivity for IoT devices
Industry
Semiconductor, IoT
ABOUT Professor Shrivastava’s Lab
The Shrivastava Lab develops analog computing based ultra-low power connectivity system-on-chip (SoC) technologies. We envision developing the circuit design, radio architecture, and application software for ultra-low power wake-up radio technology.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Maintaining continuous connectivity among IoT devices remains a technological challenge owing to the large power consumption of radios. This research focuses on reducing the power consumption of radios by over 6-orders of magnitude. We aim to develop <20 nano-watts, wake-up radio circuits that can achieve a sensitivity greater than -90 dBm, to realize approximately 100-feet connectivity. The radio architecture is based on the energy detection of the incoming radio signal implemented using high sensitivity passive energy detection circuits to realize ultra-low power operation. We have demonstrated the design feasibility with a proto-type chip that shows connectivity over 10-feet distance.
Project Leadership
Aatmesh Shrivastava, PhD will lead the overall project and technical vision
Ankit Mittal, PhD candidate will lead the Wake-up Radio technology development.
Nikita Mirchandani, PhD candidate and Ziyue Xu, PhD candidate will lead on developing the supporting analog computing and energy harvesting technologies.
Ben Woolston
RESEARCH
A Co-Culture Approach for Enhanced Biofuel and Biochemical Production from Waste Gases
Industry
Biotechnology / Sustainable Energy
ABOUT PROFFESOR WOOLSTON’S LAB
The Woolston lab is developing a symbiotic co-culture to enable the high-yield conversion of carbon-rich waste gases to high-value fuels and chemicals. The use of multiple microbes with specialized metabolic capabilities enables the generation a wider portfolio of products and more stable operation than is possible with a single microbe.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Benjamin Woolston, PhD is focused on developing engineered microbes to solve challenges in sustainable energy and the human gut microbiota. His interdisciplinary research program draws on expertise in metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, microbiology and biochemistry.
JEFFREY RUBERTI
RESEARCH
CRISPR Cas-9 Production of Human Collagen
Industry
Life Sciences
ABOUT PROFESSOR RUBERTI’s LAB
The Extracellular Matrix Engineering Research Laboratory (EMERL) examines the formation of collagenous matrices based on mechanochemistry. Our fundamental hypothesis is that collagen is an active energetic molecule whose energy state is lowered when subjected to mechanical tensile force and that this behavior or an analog of it is responsible for the construction of animals across the all Phyla. Ultimately, the work done at EMERL is aimed at translation to clinical mechanotherapies.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
There are currently few reliable sources of human active collagen. To construct therapeutics that deliver active collagen to injuries, the EMERL lab has been working to enhance the production of this very important molecule using the CRISPR Cas-9 promotional system. Thus the work will be focused on developing and optimizing methods to induce human fibroblasts to produce large amounts of type I collagen. In addition, the packaging of collagen into a metastable liquid crystal for in vivo delivery of active collagen is also part of this effort.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Jeffrey Ruberti, Ph.D. has been focused on collagen mechanochemistry for almost two decades. The results of his investigations have uncovered a substantial opportunity to develop therapies that will alleviate the healing issues associated with connective tissue injuries.
Alexandra Silverman, MS. Alex has been working with human cells since she joined Professor Ruberti’s lab as a freshman. She has been focused on cell-mediated assembly of collagen and will be working to translate her work into collagen production for this project. She will be leading the student team on the CRISPR work.
YI ZHENG
RESEARCH
Recyclable, Scalable and Self-Cleaning Passive Cooling Paper
Industry
Clean Energy
ABOUT PROFESSOR ZHENG’s LAB
Prof. Zheng leads a growing lab featuring nano energy from multiple disciplines in materials science, physics, and engineering. He emphasizes the basic and applied study of thermal transport through multifunctional materials. The lab aims to offer energy solutions for applications in the areas of renewable energy harvesting, energy management, thermophotovoltaics, water desalination, and nano sensing.
ABOUT THIS RESEARCH
Compressor-based cooling systems, providing comfortable interior environments for infrastructure, account for about 20% of total worldwide electricity consumption. The resultant greenhouse gas emissions intensify global warming and accelerate climate change. As such, an carbon-neutral, eco-friendly cooling approach is vital. Emerging passive cooling technologies are the perfect solution to this problem, without any energy consumption.
Such an approach, with great market opportunities in both highly developed and developing regions and countries, is becoming an attractive candidate for improving energy efficiencies for buildings, because it eliminates the need for the coolant fluids, electricity, and compressors required by traditional mechanical cooling systems.
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
Yi Zheng, PhD is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University. In this project, he will conduct the prototype manufacturing and lead the product and business plan development. He is also the Founder and President of a start-up Planck Energies, which produces cost-reducing and energy saving technologies and helps mitigate worldwide environmental crises. In this project, he will conduct the prototype manufacturing and lead the product and business plan development.