Medicine can treat infections after people get sick, but 性视界传媒 infectious disease expert Mollie Jewett is seeking to halt Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, which causes Lyme disease, in its tracks without relying on general antibiotics. Her goal: 鈥渟tarve鈥� the bacteria of the nutrients they need to function before they spread through the human body.

Jewett, professor and head of the Immunity and Pathogenesis Research Division at 性视界传媒鈥檚 College of Medicine, is supported by a recently renewed five-year, $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.

She is entering a third consecutive federally funded research cycle with $513,314 received this year. Jewett鈥檚 research builds upon more than a decade of discoveries that have narrowed the search for ways to stop B. burgdorferi from triggering Lyme disease, one of the nation鈥檚 most common vector-borne diseases. Her team includes a 性视界传媒 undergraduate who occasionally struggled to walk because of pain from Lyme disease.

The disease is spread by blacklegged ticks that become infected after biting mammals or birds carrying the bacteria. The ticks are so small, humans often don鈥檛 notice they have been bitten. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache and fatigue, which often are misdiagnosed as a virus or the flu. Even after treatment, Lyme disease patients can face complications including nervous system and heart issues, severe fatigue and arthritic pain.

The disease is most commonly found in Maine to Virginia and in the upper Midwest but is spreading as suburban growth enters wildlife areas. 性视界传媒 reports few cases of Lyme disease annually, but travelers who go to endemic areas like New England are at increased risk.

A New Approach to Battle Borrelia

性视界传媒 researchers are focused on how B. burgdorferi manages to survive and thrive as it spreads in ticks and mammals to humans.

鈥淭he bacteria need to adapt to two different environments, and so we want to know how it does that,鈥� Jewett says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at what the bacteria eat and what it needs to survive. In our lab, we call Borrelia a wimpy pathogen because it can鈥檛 make a lot of the nutrients it needs on its own, and so it scavenges what it needs from wherever it is.鈥�

The first iteration of the NIH grant allowed the scientists to screen all of the bacteria鈥檚 genes that might be important for the infection. With the second grant, Jewett targeted three genes that appeared to play a role in spreading the infection from a bite on the skin to other parts of the human body.

“One of these three genes we found is important to the ability of the bacteria to consume riboflavin. We want to target this gene and see if we can starve the bacteria.” 鈥� Mollie Jewett, 性视界传媒 infectious disease expert

Now they have focused on riboflavin, commonly known as vitamin B2, after discovering that B. burgdorferi salvages the vitamin from each host to sustain itself.

鈥淥ne of these three genes we found is important to the ability of the bacteria to consume riboflavin,鈥� Jewett says. 鈥淲e know that riboflavin is a precursor for other cellular activities that are important to the metabolism of the bacteria. Essentially, we want to target this gene and see if we can starve the bacteria.鈥�

If their theory is successful, it could lead to therapies specific to B. burgdorferi that would prevent successful bacterial infection by limiting its riboflavin uptake. An advantage of such potential treatments would be that patients don鈥檛 have to take general antibiotics that can also harm the body鈥檚 good bacteria and increase risks for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The 性视界传媒 team is collaborating with Baylor University scientists to trace exactly how riboflavin is used by the bacteria.

Students Driving Discovery

Biomedical sciences doctoral student Anna Schulz 鈥�25MS played a key role in pinpointing specific ways the bacteria use riboflavin to generate energy. She served as first author on a recent publication examining these processes, and says she鈥檚 looking forward to growing as a researcher in this next phase.

鈥淎s a first author, I took more ownership over the experiments and the writing process,鈥� Schulz says. 鈥淸Jewett] was really great about letting me lead the project as a student. Borrelia is so unique, and there鈥檚 still so much we don鈥檛 know, and that鈥檚 what keeps me engaged with this research.鈥�

“… I couldn鈥檛 treat it until years after I got infected. So, I truly care about finding new treatments for Lyme disease.” 鈥� Grace Easterling, 性视界传媒 biomedical sciences student

Third-year biomedical sciences undergraduate Grace Easterling says she was drawn to Jewett鈥檚 lab because she previously developed Lyme disease and suffered tremendous joint pain. She was determined to find a way to protect others.

鈥淚t was something that, because we live in 性视界传媒, wasn鈥檛 caught early because it鈥檚 not as common,鈥� Easterling says. 鈥淚 struggled for a long time to get diagnosed, and I couldn鈥檛 treat it until years after I got infected. So, I truly care about finding new treatments for Lyme disease and understanding the bacteria.鈥�

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01AI099094. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

The nationwide initiative encourages interdisciplinary teams to develop new AI models and research workflows capable of addressing national challenges across fields such as advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, critical materials, energy and quantum information.

鈥淭he Genesis Mission harnesses the collective strengths of the nation鈥檚 leading institutions across academia, industry, and government to accelerate the pace of discovery,鈥� says Winston Schoenfeld, 性视界传媒 vice president for research and innovation. 鈥溞允咏绱解�檚 participation reflects聽the expertise of our researchers聽and talented students, whose contributions will help shape AI-enabled scientific workflows and transform technological advances into real-world solutions that fuel American competitiveness.鈥�

A New Approach to Creating Fuels and Chemicals

As interdisciplinary scientific challenges become increasingly data-intensive, applying human ingenuity to advanced technologies creates possibilities to solve long-standing industry issues.

Ling鈥檚 contribution to the Genesis Mission will aim to address problems with biomanufacturing by developing an AI digital twin (virtual replication). This digital twin predicts and optimizes bioprocess performance, enabling improved process monitoring, decision-making, and scale-up.

The project will also provide opportunities for 性视界传媒 researchers at different stages of their careers to contribute to the work. Pinzhen Lin, who will begin a doctoral degree at 性视界传媒鈥檚 College of Optics and Photonics in Fall 2026, will join Ling鈥檚 research group and lead development of the project鈥檚 real-time sensor, including its characterization and performance benchmarking. Jirui Fu 鈥�24PhD, a 性视界传媒 mechanical engineering doctoral graduate and postdoctoral scholar in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, will also assist with the project.

鈥淭he challenge is that conventionally scaling up biomanufacturing is slow and prone to failure, creating a need for smarter tools to accelerate development,鈥� Ling says. 鈥淚f successful, this project could significantly accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable biomanufacturing for fuels and chemicals, making the process faster, cheaper and less risky.鈥�

With industry-academic collaboration at the core of the Genesis Mission, Ling is working on the project with Kansas State University Assistant Professor Yian Chen, as well as the National Laboratory of the Rockies researchers Ajinkya Pal, Jason DesVeaux and Evan Komp.

A Mission With Many Benefits

Although the Genesis Mission is focused on accelerating scientific discovery, Ling believes the work has the potential to create benefits that extend beyond the research community.

鈥淭he AI digital twin framework developed here has strong potential as a commercial platform that can be adopted across a wide range of industries, from energy to materials,鈥� Ling says. 鈥淢ore broadly, it could lower the barriers for industrial partners to adopt bio-based processes, helping drive the transition toward a more sustainable economy.鈥�

For Ling, the research also represents an opportunity to see emerging technologies applied to real-world challenges.

鈥淎s an early-career researcher, I feel very fortunate to lead and participate in a mission of this scale,鈥� Ling says. 鈥淲hat excites me most is the opportunity to apply this technology to solve real-world problems, and to see how it can be integrated with the rapidly advancing field of AI.鈥�

This project will be supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science through the Genesis Mission, a Transforming Science and Energy with AI initiative.

Over millions of years, flowing water etched valleys, shaped mountainsides and formed the branching blue and green scars visible across Earth 鈥� and potentially those on other celestial bodies.

Now, 性视界传媒 researchers and collaborating institutions developed a framework capable of reconstructing realistic 3D landscapes using only 2D river network patterns. By combining computer models that simulate how river networksform with principles of hydraulic geometry 鈥� the study of how rivers naturally shape themselves over time 鈥� the researchers were able to estimate terrain features such as elevation, channel depth, slope and sediment transport.

The approach could help scientists better understand how landscapes evolve under different environmental conditions on Earth and potentially other planetary bodies such as Mars and Titan.

Rivers as Geological Records

According to Arvind Singh, an associate professor in 性视界传媒鈥檚 Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering, river networks preserve traces of the physical processes and external forcings that shaped them over time.

鈥淩iver networks encode the integrated effects of hydrologic and geomorphic processes, reflected in metrics such as drainage structure, channel geometry, relief and hypsometry (the measurement of elevation and depth),鈥� Singh says.

Reconstructing Landscapes from Networks

Traditionally, researchers study river systems by starting with 3D topographic data gathered through satellite imaging and digital elevation models, then extracting river networks from the terrain.

The new framework flips that process.

Instead of beginning with terrain itself, the researchers investigated whether river networks contain enough information to reconstruct landscapes from the ground up.

鈥淏ecause traditional approaches require full topography and only describe patterns, reverse engineering (e.g., from networks) can reveal the underlying physical processes that govern landscape form,鈥� Singh says.

The researchers say river networks can reveal far more than simple drainage patterns. Under the framework, the geometry of the networks can also help estimate hidden environmental variables tied to landscape formation.

鈥淎 key insight is that realistic 3D landscapes, and even unobservable quantities like discharge or sediment transport, can be reconstructed from 2D network structure alone, revealing strong constraints imposed by fundamental scaling laws,鈥� Singh says.

Testing Alien Worlds

Because the framework is dimensionless and scalable, researchers were also able to adapt the model to hypothetical landscapes on Mars and Titan by changing variables such as gravity and sediment density.

The resulting simulations revealed how river valleys and terrain formations may differ across planetary environments. Compared to Earth and Mars, Titan鈥檚 lower gravity and unique environmental conditions produced wider channels, deeper river systems and flatter overall landscapes.

鈥淢ars and Titan provide natural laboratories with different gravity and fluid/sediment properties, allowing the framework to test how identical network structures yield different landscapes under altered physical conditions.”鈥擜rvind Singh, associate professor

The planetary comparisons allowed the researchers to test how different environmental conditions influence landscape formation even when river structures remain similar.

鈥淢ars and Titan provide natural laboratories with different gravity and fluid/sediment properties, allowing the framework to test how identical network structures yield different landscapes under altered physical conditions,鈥� Singh says.

The simulations also demonstrated how gravity and sediment behavior can dramatically alter the shape of landscapes over time.

鈥淒ifferences in gravity and sediment properties directly alter channel width, depth, slope, and relief, leading to distinct landscape geometries even with the same network structure,鈥� Singh says.

The researchers say the framework may also help scientists better understand how precipitation, sediment size and watershed structure influence the evolution of landscapes over time. Unlike many traditional landscape evolution models, the framework explicitly resolves river channels and their physical characteristics, including depth, slope and gravel transport.

A New Framework for Landscape Evolution

The researchers say the framework differs from many traditional landscape evolution models because it directly incorporates the physical properties of river channels into the simulations.

鈥淭his framework couples probabilistic 2D channel network generation with physically based, dimensionally consistent hydraulic geometry and hillslope models, explicitly resolving channel properties and producing fully scalable 3D landscapes,鈥� Singh says.

By revealing how river networks preserve hidden information about the worlds they shape, the researchers hope the framework can help scientists better understand not only Earth鈥檚 geological past, but also the ancient landscapes of distant planetary environments.

聽The study was conducted by researchers from 性视界传媒, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and collaborating institutions, with support from the 性视界传媒 P3 program and other funding sources.

性视界传媒 researchers are known worldwide for their innovative studies, groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to patented technologies that have impacted society and influenced other leaders in the field.

Two College of Engineering and Computer Science professors and a three-time 性视界传媒 alum-turned-courtesy faculty appointee are now being recognized for their achievements that have advanced the quality of life for the state of 性视界传媒 and the nation.

Professors Reza Abdolvand and Ni-bin Chang and Lockheed Martin Fellow Clara Rivero Baleine 鈥�01 鈥�03MS 鈥�05PhD have been named 2026 inductees of the 性视界传媒 Inventors Hall of Fame (FIHF). This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

This initiative celebrates pioneering inventors and empowers future problem-solvers and changemakers.

This year, 10 inventors from 性视界传媒 will be inducted during a formal ceremony in Tampa on Nov. 6. Since FIHF was founded in 2013, five faculty inventors from 性视界传媒 have been recognized with the distinction.

鈥淚nduction into the 性视界传媒 Inventors Hall of Fame represents the ultimate validation of a lifelong commitment to translating academic research into industry practice,鈥� Chang says. 鈥淏eing inducted into the Hall of Fame, which includes over 90 inventors in different fields is also a testament to the thriving 性视界传媒 innovation ecosystem and the power of continuous, groundbreaking discovery.鈥�

A Career in Environmental Innovation

Chang was selected for induction based on his groundbreaking invention of green sorption media (GSM) and sustainable water treatment technologies that improve water quality.

GSM is a cost-effective and sustainable type of filtration media that uses recycled byproducts and natural minerals to treat stormwater runoff, wastewater effluent, groundwater flow and agricultural discharge.

There are a variety of patented GSM blends that can filter heavy metals, pathogens and contaminants from water systems. This process not only restores aquatic ecosystems but halts the transmission of waterborne diseases, and eliminates cyanotoxins and 鈥渇orever chemicals鈥� from water that can harm both humans and animals.

鈥淩emoving these diverse contaminants from water matrices provides profound, cascading benefits for both human health and aquatic ecosystems,鈥� Chang says. 鈥淏y eliminating the risk pathways associated with both acute exposure and chronic bioaccumulation, these GSM-based treatment technologies support fundamental ecological balance and public well-being.鈥�

GSM blends are already used at more than 300 water treatment sites across the U.S.

The Inventor of Advanced Electronics

Abdolvand, the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was named an inductee for his contributions to the field of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) 鈥� incredibly small devices that have mighty power. Specifically, he is the inventor of a class of microelectronics called Thin-Film Piezoelectric-on-Substrate (TPoS) devices, which improve the reliability and efficiency of a wide range of electronics, including cell phones.

鈥淏y improving the efficiency and reliability of the components that make up these systems, the impact, while often invisible to the end user, is very real,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淏etter performance, lower power consumption, and more reliable devices are the kinds of improvements that quietly make everyday technology work better for everyone.鈥�

Abdolvand鈥檚 interest in innovation stems from his natural sense of curiosity. He says his tendency to connect the dots between seemingly unrelated events or systems has served him well throughout his career in research and academia.

鈥淭he moment it all clicked was during my Ph.D., when I was first given the opportunity to work on genuinely hard technical problems,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淚 realized I could come up with solutions that simply did not exist yet. That realization was a turning point.鈥�

As his career progresses, Abdolvand hopes to leave behind a legacy that is less about devices and innovation and more about people. His passion for educating, inspiring and creating opportunities for students means more than the impacts of his inventions.

鈥淲hat excites me most is seeing students take the seed ideas developed at the university and carry them forward into their own companies, their own inventions, their own contributions to society,鈥� Abdolvand says. 鈥淭hat chain of innovation 鈥� from a research lab to a startup to a product that improves people’s lives 鈥� is what I find truly meaningful. If I can play even a small role in setting that chain in motion for as many students as possible, that is the legacy I would be interested to leave behind.鈥�

On the Cutting Edge of聽Infrared聽Materials and Optics

Driven by a desire to protect people and advance technologies that matter, Rivero Baleine joined Lockheed Martin, a 性视界传媒 Pegasus Partner, in 2005 after completing three degrees in six years at 性视界传媒.

Rivero Baleine now serves as a Lockheed Martin fellow, contributing to cutting鈥慹dge innovation in infrared materials and optics.

Rivero-Baleine鈥檚 gradient refractive index optical materials and metamaterial coatings transformed infrared sensing systems for defense and advanced photonics applications.

鈥淚 am profoundly proud and deeply humbled to be welcomed into such an extraordinary community of inventors and innovators,鈥� Rivero-Baleine says. 鈥淲hat inspires me most is knowing that these聽innovations will聽become part of systems that protect service members, strengthen national security and expand the capabilities of the platforms we rely on. That sense of purpose continues to聽drive聽my work every day.鈥�

Rivero Baleine continues to maintain strong ties with 性视界传媒 through a courtesy faculty appointment at CREOL and serves on the CREOL Dean Advisory Board and the 性视界传媒 Material Science Industrial Advisory board.

Rivero Baleine is a Burnett Honors Scholar and earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in physics, and a 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and a doctorate in optics.

Two 性视界传媒 researchers have received U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Awards supporting separate engineering research projects focused on how complex systems sense, adapt and respond to changing environments.

The awards were presented to Chinwendu Enyioha, an assistant professor in , and Mohiuddin Quadir, an associate professor in . Among NSF鈥檚 most prestigious recognitions for early-career faculty, the CAREER Award supports researchers who show strong potential as academic leaders while integrating research, education and student development.

Recognizing Emerging Research Leaders

While Enyioha and Quadir work in different engineering fields, both researchers are developing systems designed to respond under complex conditions 鈥� including autonomous systems coordinating under limited communication and nanoparticles interacting with biological signals in complex environments.

Enyioha says the award will enable his group to build on years of prior work, including early doctoral students who helped lay the foundation for the project.

鈥淚t gives us the opportunity to study these problems and acknowledges the effort that has gone into making important findings in this area,鈥� Enyioha says. 鈥淚t will enable us to continue training doctoral students and make contributions to the broader cyber-physical systems research community.鈥�

For Quadir, the award will help support the long-term development of ideas his research group has been pursuing for years for engineering 鈥榮mart鈥� materials with programmable form and function.

鈥淭his recognition means a very significant impact for our research group and for the progression of our ideas,鈥� Quadir says. 鈥淭his is a core idea that we want to develop over time, and for that, you need logistic support, intellectual support, collaborations, and of course, newer ideas.鈥�

Designing Autonomous Systems Under Communication Constraints

Enyioha鈥檚 CAREER project, 鈥淟imited-Communication Control of Teams of Autonomous Systems鈥� focuses on developing mathematical frameworks and distributed algorithms that allow teams of autonomous systems to coordinate effectively under bandwidth-limited communication constraints.

The research examines how spatially distributed systems 鈥� including robotic networks, wireless sensors and autonomous infrastructure systems 鈥� can continue operating cooperatively even when communication bandwidth becomes constrained or unreliable.

鈥淥ne way to think about it is if you have a bunch of robots that need to solve a particular task. Clearly they have to talk and agree and coordinate,鈥� Enyioha says. 鈥淭he question we are interested in is how can they solve that problem when they are not able to talk freely with one another?鈥�

Communication constraints are common in real-world environments, including disaster zones, underwater systems and crowded networks where many devices compete for limited bandwidth.

鈥淥ur focus isn鈥檛 on situations where we have no communication, but on being efficient in how we use limited communication resources down to single bits,鈥� Enyioha says.

To explain the concept, Enyioha compares the challenge to compressing navigation instructions.

鈥淚f you want to go from Orlando to Houston, Google Maps gives you a long list of instructions,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut if you only had two pieces of information to give someone, you might say, 鈥楪o north. Then go west.鈥欌��

The project also studies resilient systems capable of continuing to operate even when communication channels fail or individual components become compromised, an important challenge in areas such as disaster response, autonomous infrastructure and large-scale robotic systems.

鈥淚n the community we call this designing autonomous systems that gracefully degrade,鈥� Enyioha says.

Engineering Materials That Respond to Biological Signals

Quadir鈥檚 CAREER project, 鈥淣anoscale Interactions of Stimuli-responsive Nanoparticles with Enzymes,鈥� investigates how engineered nanoparticles can be designed to recognize and respond to biological signals in ways that mimic certain characteristics found in living systems.

鈥淎s you know, in [human] physiology, in the physiology of the plants, in the physiology of any living materials around the world, there is a very basic paradigm that goes on, which is selective responsiveness to a particular stimulus within the myriad of noises,鈥� Quadir says. 鈥淭his sensitivity means a system can register and isolate signals from a complex external environment and translate them into an action.鈥�

Quadir says his research group is trying to translate that biological principle into the materials world by engineering nanoparticles capable of recognizing specific molecular signals and producing targeted responses.

The research focuses on enzyme-responsive nanomaterials 鈥� particles capable of interacting with enzymes at the molecular level. Quadir says his research group designs and engineers the molecular building blocks of nanoparticles so they can recognize specific enzyme signals and respond accordingly.

Potential applications could include medicine, aging research, environmental science, and adaptive materials capable of responding to dynamic biological environments.

Supporting Long-Term Research and Education

Both CAREER projects include education and outreach components designed to train students and expand engagement with emerging areas of engineering.

Education and workforce development are central components of Enyioha鈥檚 CAREER Award, he says. His research group includes doctoral, 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and undergraduate students who participate in research on autonomy, machine learning, and distributed optimization theory, with applications to networked cyber-physical systems. Beyond the university, he also introduces younger students to these fields through programs such as 性视界传媒 Camp Connect, where K-12 participants are introduced to decision-making algorithms and autonomy during a week-long summer program.

鈥淪eeing real demonstrations helped them understand how core concepts from math and physics apply to real problems,鈥� Enyioha says.

Quadir acknowledges the work done by the graduate students and postdocs towards the research goal. He is grateful to his mentors, collaborators and colleagues at the department and college for their guidance and inspiration, and the National Science Foundation for research support.

Quadir says scientific and engineering research ultimately aims to improve the lives of others.

Together, the awards highlight how 性视界传媒 researchers are advancing engineering systems capable of adapting to increasingly complex biological, computational and real-world environments.

Enyioha鈥檚 CAREER Award project, 鈥淟imited-Communication Control of Teams of Autonomous Systems,鈥� is supported under NSF award GR110760. Quadir鈥檚 CAREER Award project, 鈥淣anoscale Interactions of Stimuli-responsive Nanoparticles with Enzymes,鈥� is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under awards GR111180 and GR111181 (Award number聽 – 2609681)

For a group of seven 性视界传媒 graduate students and alums, it starts with curiosity and a willingness to explore the unknown.

Researchers studying topics ranging from galaxy formation and invasive fire ant species interactions across 性视界传媒 ecosystems to sustainable propulsion systems, harmful algal blooms and organic chemistry with potential pharmaceutical applications have earned recognition through the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF)鈥檚 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). One of the nation鈥檚 most competitive honors, the fellowship supports students pursuing research-based 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in STEM fields while helping develop the next generation of innovators and scientific leaders.

The 2026 性视界传媒 recipients of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship are:

• Charlotte Moore 鈥�25
  Physics, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Jennifer Hughes 鈥�25
  Environmental engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Burnett Honors College
• Melissa Deinys 鈥�26
  Chemistry, College of Sciences and Burnett Honors College
• Noah Swann 鈥�24
  Chemistry, College of Sciences
• Kalissa Moseley
  Integrative biology, College of Sciences
• Emilio Pereira 鈥�25
  Aerospace engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Burnett Honors College
• Brendan Shrader 鈥�25
  Mathematics, College of Sciences, and Burnett Honors College

Chasing Challenges

The fellows鈥� research spans different disciplines, but many are driven by a common goal: developing solutions to better our world.

性视界传媒 mathematics and physics alum Charlotte Moore 鈥�25 studies galaxy evolution in the early universe, a field that has rapidly advanced thanks to new observational technologies such as the James Webb Space Telescope.

鈥淲e鈥檙e in an era of very rapid improvement in observing technology,鈥� says Moore, an astrophysics doctoral student at the University of California, Santa Barbara. 鈥淭here is a lot of data from very early times in the universe I can use that just wasn鈥檛 available before the past five years or so.鈥�

Jennifer Hughes 鈥�25, a 性视界传媒 environmental engineering and biology alum, became interested in research after seeing a graduate student demonstrate a microbial fuel cell powered by bacteria in research lab during her first semester at 性视界传媒.

鈥淚 was immediately fascinated by the idea that bacteria could generate an electrical current,鈥� says Hughes, an incoming 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 student in biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University whose research at 性视界传媒 focused on harmful algal blooms and algal bioremediation.

Melissa Deinys 鈥�26, a 性视界传媒 biotechnology alum and current chemistry doctoral student whose research focuses on environmental health and ecosystem protection technologies, says her passion for science stems from a curiosity about how the world works and encouragement from her parents to keep asking questions.

鈥淲hat I love most about research is that it allows me to combine my natural curiosity with a meaningful impact,鈥� Deinys says.

Scientific Curiosity and Discovery

Moore said her interest in astronomy began early through physics courses and science programs she explored while growing up. She later became interested in studying galaxies through undergraduate research experiences and opportunities to work directly with researchers in the field.

Deinys says one of the experiences that most shaped her perspective on research came while presenting mangrove disease research during a community outreach event.

鈥淎s researchers, we often focus on experiments, data analysis and publications, but at the end of the day, the purpose of research is to help people,鈥� Deinys says.

The Reality of Discovery

While scientific breakthroughs may be the end goal, several fellows say the real work of research happens in the setbacks, uncertainty and persistence that lead to discovery.

For chemistry alum Noah Swann 鈥�24, whose work focuses on organic chemistry and natural product synthesis, repeated setbacks are an expected part of lab research.

鈥淚 was told when I first started in the lab that 90% of the reactions you run won鈥檛 work,鈥� says Swann, a chemistry doctoral student at the University of Chicago. 鈥淎t the end of the day, you realize that there is no failure, only learning.鈥�

Kalissa Moseley, a 性视界传媒 integrative biology doctoral student who studies invasive fire ant interactions across 性视界传媒 ecosystems, says one of her earliest undergraduate research projects helped reshape how she approached experimental design and scientific problem-solving.

鈥淓ven though this project was [challenging], I walked away with a much better skillset in experimental design,鈥� Moseley says.

Working through uncertainty has become one of the most important lessons for 性视界传媒 aerospace engineering alum Emilio Pereira 鈥�25, whose research focuses on hypersonics and detonative combustion for propulsion and power generation systems.

鈥淣othing worth doing has ever been easy,鈥� says Pereira, a mechanical engineering doctoral student at Purdue. 鈥淭he ability to recognize this and not beat myself down and be empowered by my own inadequacies, is what鈥檚 allowed me to succeed.鈥�

The Power of Mentorship

Many fellows credit 性视界传媒 faculty mentors, undergraduate research opportunities and hands-on lab experiences with helping shape their academic and professional journeys.

Moore points to undergraduate research experiences with Professor of Physics , which helped prepare her for graduate research and provided early exposure to scientific collaboration and conference opportunities.

Participating in undergraduate research and completing her Honors Undergraduate Thesis strengthened Hughes鈥� research skills for graduate study and the NSF fellowship.

Swann credits Professor of Chemistry with empowering him to lead his own research project and pursue research professionally.

Looking Ahead

Whether they鈥檙e studying distant galaxies, invasive species, sustainable energy systems, environmental resilience or future medicines, the fellows share a belief that research can make a meaningful difference.

Several hope to advance scientific discovery. Others envision mentoring the next generation of STEM students and researchers.

These ambitions are already taking shape in labs, field sites and research centers 鈥� one question, experiment and discovery at a time.

For Hughes, that future includes continuing research focused on biological systems and environmental resilience. For Moore, it includes continuing astronomy research as new observational technologies expand scientists鈥� ability to study the early universe.

Moseley says she hopes her future research can contribute to improving invasive species management strategies and understanding how invasive ants affect ecosystems across 性视界传媒.

Deinys says she hopes to eventually build a career that combines research, mentorship and public impact while helping future students see themselves represented in STEM fields.

Brendan Shrader 鈥�25, a 性视界传媒 mathematics alum and Burnett Honors Scholar, also received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and will pursue graduate studies in mathematical biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Students interested in applying for the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program or other major national awards should contact the Office of Prestigious Awards 补迟听opa@ucf.edu.

Now CATER is expanding its mission and its reach as it shifts from a center within the College of Engineering and Computer Science to an official university center, effective July 1. This new iteration of CATER includes structured goals for faculty success, advancing new industry and national lab partnerships and the development of new research and testing facilities for students and faculty.

鈥溞允咏绱� has an unparallel industrial ecosystem that includes turbomachinery companies, space propulsion companies and aviation companies,鈥� Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair Jayanta Kapat says. 鈥淐ATER works at the intersection of these technologies and strives to provide the best training to 性视界传媒 students who will work for these organizations, capable of providing them with fast and quality technical solutions.鈥�

Fostering Faculty Mentorship

性视界传媒 sets up its faculty for long-term success, in part, through quality mentorship.

As part of Kapat鈥檚 plan, core senior CATER faculty members will mentor incoming assistant professors who join CATER as core faculty members until they receive promotion and tenure. Throughout the process, junior faculty will receive guidance on the grant funding process and networking as well as student recruitment and advising.

CATER鈥檚 current interdisciplinary faculty expertise includes mechanical and aerospace engineering, and modeling, simulation and training.

鈥淭he typical faculty career is 20 to 30 years, and we want our faculty to stay successful over that period of time,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淣one of this is taught in a university as a course. So in CATER we have created a very intense one-to-one mentorship plan that worked well in the previous version of CATER so that core members can sustain productivity over their entire faculty careers.鈥�

Redefining the Research Focus

To be considered or to remain a core member of CATER, senior faculty will need to continuously meet specific metrics such as annual research expenditures, total annual awards, the number of mentored graduate students, number doctoral graduations, publications, etc.

CATER won鈥檛 expand beyond 15 core members and 10 research faculty members, while keeping its focus on various research applications, such as hypersonics and national security, energy and sustainability, advanced air mobility, and space power and propulsion.

鈥淭hese are the areas where we contribute to the university’s overall strategic initiatives that President Alexander N. Cartwright implemented as part of 性视界传媒鈥檚 strategic plan,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淪o this is our contribution to the university鈥檚 strategic goals.鈥�

The faculty are already working on several research projects to support CATER鈥檚 research pillars, including the development of digital twin architecture for power plants and aviation systems, creating new fuels for zero-emission aviation, use of supercritical carbon dioxide, molten salt and ammonia as energy carriers for future power generation systems, expanding design paradigm using advanced manufacturing and newer materials, and investigating the possibility of building a power plant on the moon.

Expanding Industry Partnerships

CATER also supports industry needs through partnerships with major energy, aerospace and defense organizations that are based in Central 性视界传媒, including Pegasus Partner Siemens Energy. For the past decade, CATER鈥檚 homebase has been the Siemens Energy Center on the main campus. But now researchers have additional facilities that support their work.

CATER and the Aerospace Technology Group (ATG) have collaborated on the CATER-ATG Engine Research Test (CERT) facility, which recently opened at Valkaria Airport near Melbourne, 性视界传媒. The space allows CATER researchers to certify engine parts and develop/validate new technologies that companies like Boeing or GE could incorporate into their next generation aviation systems.

Professor Kareem Ahmed, a world expert in hypersonic and space propulsion, is using the space to conduct fuel tests for the Department of Defense. Professor Subith Vasu, a world expert in supercritical carbon dioxide oxy-combustion and ammonia combustion, will conduct engine testing of ammonia as a fuel for an actual aviation gas turbine 鈥� one of the first in the world.

Kapat鈥檚 group is conducting ground testing of hypersonic flight components and will conduct cracking of ammonia using heat from a gas turbine exhaust. Such experiments can鈥檛 be run on the 性视界传媒 campus.

A third joint facility called the CATER Applied Propulsion and Energy Center (CAPE), is under development with start of operation expected by August. This would house several mid-TRL experimental rigs on supercritical carbon dioxide cycle, molten salt systems and components, energy storage, advanced air mobility, etc.

CAPE facility will be also strategically located close to the world鈥檚 largest molten salt energy storage facility, called MOSS, being planned by Siemens Energy and will be used to test components for thermal energy storage systems and thermal interface for advanced nuclear reactors. Siemens Energy would own the MOSS facility while a nuclear reactor company will supply a large fraction of the equipment. 性视界传媒 researchers will help operate and use the facility to conduct research and train the next generation of nuclear and mechanical engineers.

鈥淲e need to train the new workforce because there is not enough people trained in nuclear engineering anymore,鈥� Kapat says. 鈥淢echanical engineering is a nuclear-adjacent area, so they see this as an opportunity to train the workforce by letting them run the facility. So it鈥檚 a win-win for everybody.鈥�

性视界传媒 Professor Michal Masternak and his team have identified molecular changes in the liver that happen when space travelers experience radiation and microgravity. These changes 鈥� that resemble accelerated aging 鈥� provide new insight into how prolonged space missions may increase health risks for astronauts and reveal potential targets for therapies that could combat age-related diseases on Earth.

鈥淛ust 24 hours after radiation exposure, there are many genetic changes in the liver that are remarkably similar to what happens during aging.鈥� 鈥� Professor Michal Masternak

鈥淲e focused on the liver because it is one of the major metabolic organs in our body,鈥� says Masternak, leader of the College of Medicine鈥檚 aging and space medicine research efforts. 鈥淲hat we found was that just 24 hours after radiation exposure, there are many genetic changes in the liver that are remarkably similar to what happens during aging. We can assume that if someone were in space much longer, the damage could be much greater.鈥�

The findings were recently published in聽GeroScience.

Navigating the Science

For their study, 性视界传媒 researchers and scientists from the U.S. created a simulated deep space environment in the lab. The team exposed animal models to simulated microgravity for 14 days and galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle events at NASA Space Radiation Laboratory trying to mimic the dosage that astronauts would be exposed to during a trip to Mars.

The exposure triggered noticeable and potentially harmful changes in the liver, including increased cellular senescence (aging and decreased cell function), inflammation and fibrosis. Left untreated, these conditions can eventually lead to declining and even failing organ function.

The research team then compared their results with data collected from astronaut blood samples taken during the NASA Twins Study and Inspiration4 astronauts. They saw similar genetic changes in blood.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got this raw data from human studies, and they show that some of these changes are similar,鈥� Masternak says. 鈥淭hat tells us we鈥檙e identifying useful molecular targets that one day could help protect astronauts during long-duration space missions.鈥�

They聽also聽went a step further to see聽whether the聽changes could be treated. They聽identified聽a group of molecules known as antagomirs that alter several aging and inflammatory genetic pathways聽by interacting with the body鈥檚聽microRNA. This system could pinpoint promising聽future聽therapies for space travelers.

Understanding Aging in the Space Age

Masternak says聽the nation鈥檚聽growing space industry provides a unique opportunity to study aging at an accelerated pace.

鈥淰ery often when we study different aging processes, it takes time,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ven in humans, it鈥檚 almost impossible because it would take decades. But if we see some acceleration of aging in space, then we can translate it to human studies. We can observe processes happening much faster, understand them better and eventually use that knowledge to improve health for people here on Earth.鈥�

鈥淚f we see some acceleration of aging in space, then … we can observe processes happening much faster, understand them better and eventually use that knowledge to improve health for people here on Earth.鈥� 鈥� Masternak

Those discoveries could eventually lead to therapies that slow age-related diseases, preserve organ function and improve quality of life for everyone as they age.

鈥淥ur understanding of aging is very complex,鈥� Masternak says. 鈥淎ging isn’t simply wrinkles or cosmetic changes. It鈥檚 the gradual and cascading failure of multiple organs and biological systems that happen at the same time. By understanding what starts that process and where it happens, we have a better chance of preventing many diseases before they develop. That is one of the biggest outstanding questions.鈥�

Students Positioned at the Forefront of Space Medicine

College of Medicine students are also benefitting from space medicine research. Biomedical sciences Ph.D. student Md聽Tanjim Alam聽鈥�25MS聽joined Masternak’s laboratory during his聽biotechnology聽master’s program after initially planning to study cancer in relation to aging biology. Then he was introduced to space medicine, including processing astronaut samples from commercial space travelers to study how extreme environments affect human biology. That research has inspired him.

鈥淚 want to keep exploring the unknown,鈥� Alam says. 鈥淚 really want to understand how space travel influences human health, particularly its effects on aging and cancer.鈥�

叠颈辞迟别肠丑苍辞濒辞驳测听驳谤补诲耻补迟别听蝉迟耻诲别苍迟听厂补谤补丑听厂.听厂颈诲诲颈辩颈听鈥�24听says the interdisciplinary nature of the research attracted her to the space medicine and aging lab.

鈥淲hen people think of aging, they think only about elderly populations,鈥� says Siddiqi, who earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree as a Burnett Honors Scholar in biomedical sciences. 鈥淏ut we study aging across different stages of life and different environments, including space. I’ll always be focused on improving quality of life. I want to better understand diseases that are increasingly prevalent and find ways to recognize them earlier, before they progress to later stages.鈥�

Funding and Disclosure:

搁别辫谤别蝉别苍迟颈苍驳听鲍颁贵,听Natalie Hayslip聽鈥�24聽served as first author, while聽Sarah Ashiqueali聽鈥�21MS 鈥�24PhD, Xiang Zhu, Ridwan Hussein聽鈥�22聽and聽Mishfak聽Mansoor also contributed to the research.聽Researchers from聽Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine,聽Universidade聽Federal de Pelotas,聽the聽University of聽Pittsburgh聽and聽the聽University of North Carolina at Chapel聽Hill聽also聽contributed.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Award Number (FAIN): 2317758(MMM), Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Program of the聽性视界传媒 Department of Health,聽Public Health Research, Biomedical Research Program聽24A12 (MMM), and the National Science Centre, Poland UMO-2023/51/B/NZ5/00498 (MMM).

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the awarding agencies.

After years of research and development聽led by聽experts 补迟听性视界传媒聽in collaboration with researchers聽from聽universities across the U.S.聽and in Europe, the Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA) has reached two major milestones: powering its first full-scale study to address one of virtual reality鈥檚 most persistent barriers to adoption and awarding its first use grant聽to enhance immersive learning and information聽across industries.

VERA, a聽platform funded by the聽U.S.聽National Science Foundation, is the first, large-scale system for extended reality human subjects research and designed to advance the speed, scale and scope of immersive research. The platform enables immersive researchers to design, deploy, and manage virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) studies with remote participants therefore significantly improving the quality of the science, while reducing costs, lowering logistical barriers and expanding participant reach.

鈥淣o one has built anything like VERA before,鈥� says Pegasus Professor Gregory Welch, lead principal investigator on VERA. 鈥淭he team was really starting from scratch to create this national platform, integrating AI technologies and establishing policies and procedures that will produce methodologically rigorous behavioral data.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited for VERA to聽now聽start聽to run聽in an open beta mode and reach these two firsts,鈥澛燱elch continues.

Accelerating Understanding of Cybersickness

For its first major large-scale study聽leveraging聽remote participants, VERA is helping researchers address one of the most persistent challenges in virtual reality: cybersickness.

Cybersickness occurs when symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and discomfort are caused by a mismatch between visual motion in a headset and the user鈥檚 physical motion. Associate Professor of Computer Science Gerd Bruder, who is an affiliate researcher in the Institute of Simulation and Training, is leading the research study in collaboration with other 性视界传媒 researchers and external partners.

鈥淯nderstanding聽who is聽susceptible聽to cybersickness is critical to improving VR accessibility,聽making聽VR聽more comfortable for all users聽and聽enabling聽broader adoption across research, education and industry,鈥� Bruder聽says.

Early data collection highlights the聽powerful聽capabilities of the VERA platform to accelerate VR research at an unprecedented scale.

In just 15 cumulative days, VERA had more than 250 participants聽complete聽the full study protocol. In comparison, the聽original in-lab study collected data from聽just聽30 participants聽and in traditional VR research聽settings,聽studies with hundreds of participants often require several months to complete.

For the study, each participant experiences a controlled VR rollercoaster ride on their own headset and provides sickness ratings at periodic intervals, a pre- and post- exposure questionnaire, an in-VR visual acuity assessment, and continuous head-tracking data. Each session is completed in approximately 30 minutes at home.

鈥淭he sectors where VERA can make an impact聽are聽expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.鈥�

Enrollment is ongoing with a target of 2,000 participants. Preliminary analyses already suggest meaningful individual differences in how quickly and severely participants experience cybersickness.

鈥淰ERA was built to study problems like this with a combination of speed, scale and experimental complexity not previously possible,鈥� Welch says. 鈥淭he sectors where VERA can make an impact are expansive, from healthcare to workforce training to accessibility to learning.鈥�

Groundbreaking Immersive Learning Project

For the first project selected in its Use Grant program, VERA is supporting innovative research to study how different immersive technologies engage learners in different ways. The study will help inform how to leverage emerging technologies in education, cultural institutions, public engagement and more.

The grant was awarded to the聽San Jos茅 State University School of Information Library Technology Integration Lab in Silicon Valley and New Media Learning,聽one of the largest providers of virtual reality programming in public libraries.

The project will support a collaborative virtual reality research environment integrated with VERA with participants from across the U.S. in public libraries, universities and other sites.

Researchers will collect behavioral and interaction data including attention patterns, object interaction, navigation pathways, movement, clicks, engagement metrics, and time-on-task, supplemented by surveys and participant feedback. The resulting research environment will serve a scalable prototype for future applications to make immersive learning experiences more accessible to communities worldwide.

A distinguishing feature of the project is the active involvement of San Jos茅 State University undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Information who will work alongside faculty researchers and technology partners to gain hands-on experience.

鈥淏eing selected as the first VERA Use Grant recipient is both an honor and an extraordinary opportunity,鈥� says Anthony S. Chow, professor in the San Jos茅 State University School of Information and founder of the Library Technology Integration Lab. 鈥淭hrough this collaboration, we hope to generate research that helps libraries, educators, museums and community organizations leverage virtual reality to address some of society鈥檚 most important challenges while creating meaningful research opportunities for students.鈥�

鈥淲e are excited to welcome聽San Jos茅 State University聽and New Media Learning as the first recipients of a VERA聽Use聽Grant,鈥� Welch聽says. 鈥淭heir聽expertise聽in libraries, immersive learning, public聽engagement聽and emerging technologies makes them ideal partners聽for聽demonstrating聽how VERA can accelerate impactful XR research. We believe this collaboration will help聽establish聽new models for studying learning, engagement, and information behavior in immersive environments.鈥�

Berinstain, director of the 性视界传媒 Space Institute at 性视界传媒,聽 has more than 30 years of experience spanning government, industry and academia. Throughout his career, he has led major space initiatives, advanced international collaborations and worked to expand opportunities across the rapidly evolving space sector.

Founded in 1963 to fuel the space race, 性视界传媒 is America’s Space University. Berinstain’s appointment to lead the 性视界传媒 Space Research Consortium underscores 性视界传媒’s leadership and expertise in this evolving field.

The consortium is a statewide partnership uniting 性视界传媒鈥檚 major research universities 鈥� Embry鈥慠iddle Aeronautical University, 性视界传媒 A&M University, 性视界传媒 Institute of Technology, 性视界传媒 International University, 性视界传媒 State University, 性视界传媒, the University of 性视界传媒 and the University of South 性视界传媒 鈥� with government, industry and investment partners.

“I am honored to lead the 性视界传媒 Space Research Consortium at a time of tremendous opportunity for space research and innovation.” 鈥� Alain Berinstain, 性视界传媒 Space Institute director at 性视界传媒

“I am honored to lead the 性视界传媒 Space Research Consortium at a time of tremendous opportunity for space research and innovation,” says Berinstain, who is a resident of 性视界传媒鈥檚 Space Coast. “性视界传媒 is the world鈥檚 busiest and best place to launch to space. I look forward to working with 性视界传媒 universities, industry and government partners to accomplish together what no individual member of the consortium can achieve on their own and to advance 性视界传媒鈥檚 leadership in space.鈥�

From 1997 to 2013, Berinstain worked at the Canadian Space Agency, including serving as director of planetary exploration and space astronomy. He has advised companies such as Virgin Galactic and served as chief strategy officer at Space Tango and at CSS Inc.

“Dr. Berinstain brings a unique combination of leadership experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the space sector,” says David Norton, vice president for research at the University of 性视界传媒 and chair of the 性视界传媒 Space Research Consortium board. “He has a proven ability to build partnerships and advance the collaborative mission of the 性视界传媒 Space Research Consortium.”

“Dr. Berinstain brings a unique combination of leadership experience, strategic vision and deep knowledge of the space sector.” 鈥� David Norton, 聽chair of the 性视界传媒 Space Research Consortium board

Faculty and students at the member universities are advancing a wide range of space research that supports everything from exploration and discovery to practical technologies needed for future missions. Ongoing work across the consortium includes developing smarter spacecraft and satellites; improving propulsion, navigation and communications systems; designing new materials that can withstand the harsh conditions of space; and creating technologies to manufacture, build and operate in space and on the lunar surface.

鈥淩esearchers are also focused on using space for the benefit of Earth, addressing human health issues including aging, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson鈥檚 disease,鈥� Berinstain says. 鈥淎s Earthlings prepare to explore the moon, mars and beyond, understanding the human side of spaceflight is key. This includes studies of how people, plants and biological systems function in space; efforts to grow food in lunar and Martian conditions; and research in planetary science, astrophysics, space weather and Earth observation. As a team, we can take on bold, new challenges.鈥�

Together, these efforts reflect a shared commitment to advancing knowledge, supporting long鈥慸uration space missions, strengthening the space economy and translating scientific breakthroughs into real鈥憌orld benefits, Norton says.