Research
Associate Professor Xiaoyun Ding and his team in the Biomedical Microfluidics Laboratory (BMMLab) stumbled across an interesting anomaly during a cell sensing project that used different forms of acoustic waves to measure cell mechanics. The group discovered a new wave mode never seen before that can unlock a new level of cell manipulation capabilities.
Associate Research Professor Svenja Knappe is apart of a team of physicists and engineers studying quantum technology. In a novel study, the group has discovered a new way to measure the orientation of magnetic fields using atoms. Their findings could one day lead to the creation of new quantum sensors that can map the activity of the human brain or even help airplanes navigate the globe.
Research Professor John W. Daily has spent several decades studying combustion, including wildfire behavior and the technology used to track fires and predict where wildfires might turn. In this article by The Conversation, Daily explains this technology and how it may have been used in the recent LA fires to prevent greater catastrophe.
Watch Jacob Segil, CEO of Afference and research professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, showcase a new piece of haptic technology in an episode of Freethink's Hard Reset docuseries that will "redraw the borders of reality."
Avalanche risk may be rising around the world, and as temperature patterns change, they may be more difficult to predict. Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend uses a technique in her lab called photoelasticity to study small-scale avalanches. In this article published by The Conversation, she explains what causes these innocent-looking snow slopes to collapse, and gives tips to help skiers survive if they encounter one.
Research Professor Jacob Segil is also the CEO of Boulder startup Afference. The company traveled to Las Vegas for this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to showcase what's being called "the new frontier" of spatial computing: a neural haptic ring that allows users to feel something even when touching nothing.
Associate Professor Chunmei Ban and her research team are exploring the use of sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-based energy storage. Sodium is widely distributed in the Earth's crust and is an appealing candidate to remedy concerns over resource scarcity with lithium-ion batteries.
Robert Wilson (PhDMechEngr'20), a senior researcher and project manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, has been selected by NASA to participate in the last simulated mission to Mars in 2024. NASA scientists use these simulated missions to study the effects of deep space on human health.
In a study conducted by Assistant Teaching Professor James Harper and his consultation company Realize Research, LLC, it was found that regions where heavy storms and floods are more prevalent cause households in those areas to stop using and maintaining their toilets. Toilet dysfunction is a huge source of pollution, can increase the burden on water treatment systems and is a major risk of human health.
Paula Pérez (MechEngr'22; MCivEngr'23) is a Wind Energy Analyst and Equity Researcher for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) who has used engineering to help local communities across the globe find sustainable solutions to water and energy challenges.