Northeastern University College of Engineering

COE WIE Students Meet-Up
2024-12-04 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC), 805 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join us for an all-day office hour session to discuss creating a welcoming environment for female-identifying students in COE. Drop by for coffee, conversation, and to share any questions, concerns, or suggestions for the next semester.
Date: December 4th
Time: All day (9am-5pm)
Location: ISEC 5th Floor Common Area

Bioengineering Fall Seminar Series
2024-12-04 12:00 (America/New_York) | 105 Shillman Hall, 360 Huntington Ave, 105 SH, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Wednesdays 12-1pm in 105 Shillman Hall, unless otherwise stated. All are welcome.
Speakers

9/6: Sara Rouhanifard, PhD
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern University
9/11: Mingyang Lu, PhD
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Northeastern University
9/18: Joanna Dahl, PhD
Assistant Professor of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Boston
9/25: Stirling Churchman, PhD
Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School
10/2: Sujit Datta, PhD *in collaboration with CHME*
Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biophysics at California Institute of Technology
10/9: Yizeng Li, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University
10/16: Song Li, PhD
Chancellor’s Professor and Department Chair of Bioengineering at
the University of California Los Angeles
10/23: Seemantini Nadkarni, PhD
Associate Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School
10/30: None
11/6: Ramkumar “Ram” Annamalai, PhD
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University at Buffalo
11/13:
None
11/20: Lingchong You, PhD
James L. Meriam Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Director of the Center for Quantitative Biodesign at Duke University
11/27:
None, Thanksgiving
12/4: Jeffrey Moffit, PhD
Assistant Professor in Microbiology at Harvard Medical School
11/6: Jeffrey Fredberg, PhD, *Friday*
Professor of Bioengineering and Physiology at Harvard School for Public Health

Chemical Engineering Fall Seminar Series: Omokolade Adebowale
2024-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 305 Shillman, 360 Huntington Ave, 305 Shillman, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Multiscale Mechanoimmunology: From Molecular Mechanisms to Precision Therapies
Location: 305 Shillman Hall
Abstract: Multiscale Mechanoimmunology: From Molecular Mechanisms to Precision Therapies Therapeutic immune cells have the potential to treat complex diseases. Some therapies, such as CAR T cells, are effective against blood cancers but are not effective against solid cancers, which comprise about 90% of adult cancers. A key requirement of the role of therapeutic cells in tumor eradication is their ability to migrate to and infiltrate the tumor. To accomplish this, cells navigate various mechanoimmunological factors, such as tissue viscoelasticity. One consequence of viscoelasticity is time-dependent stress relaxation – a decrease in stress in response to applied deformation. However, the mechanisms by which viscoelasticity regulates migration are not fully understood. In addition, limited studies have quantitatively compared the transport of cell therapies in tissue-like environments. My research aims to address these research gaps. To address the potential role of viscoelasticity on 3D cell migration, I developed hydrogels that mimic the stress relaxation behavior of native tissues. I found that enhanced stress relaxation potentiates monocyte migration. Mechanistically, our data support a model whereby WASP-mediated actin polymerization generates physical force at the leading edge of the cell to generate micron-sized channels for cells to migrate through. In a separate project, I integrated macrophage phenotype and morphometric transitions. Together, our studies establish a platform to determine the role of mechanical cues in shaping the immune response and to leverage fundamental mechanisms to enable the rational design of “living drugs.”

Kolade Adebowale will join the Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering as an assistant professor in Spring 2025. Dr. Adebowale received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2021 under the guidance of Professor Ovijit Chaudhuri. Dr. Adebowale is a postdoctoral fellow with Professor Samir Mitragotri at Harvard University. While at Stanford, Dr. Adebowale received the NSF GRFP, a Stanford Graduate Fellowship, and an NIH F31 grant. At Harvard, Dr. Adebowale was awarded an NSF Ascend – MPS postdoctoral fellowship and was an NIH MOSAIC K99/R00 scholar. Dr. Adebowale’s main research areas are biomaterials, mechanobiology, and immunology. He seeks to integrate engineering design principles in cancer immunology to enable rational engineering and prediction of effective, next-generation immune cell therapies. Furthermore, Dr. Adebowale strives to understand how the complex functionality of the immune system arises from mechanical cues and simple biophysical principles. Dr. Adebowale is excited to teach and mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers.

UPLIFT 2024 - First Year Research Program
2024-12-04 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | 168 SN, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
The UPLIFT program is an academic year research program for first-year students across the College of Engineering. In the fall, students are invited to attend a series of research seminars hosted by faculty. In the spring, selected UPLIFT Students engage directly with CoE Faculty members to conduct research, ~3-5 hours each week. Students are then encouraged to apply for an REU experience in the summer (Links: NSF REU Search | ETAPS REU Applications). Additional support (office hours, monthly networking meetings, and research support) is provided by the Center for STEM Education.
If you are a first-year COE student and interested in attending UPLIFT seminars in the Fall of 2024 (a requirement to apply for the program), please RSVP here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UPLIFT2024-RSVP
Fall 2024 Seminar Schedule:
(Tu) September 24 @ Snell Eng. 168:
Francisco Hung (CoE ChemE): Computational Development of Liposomes with Tailored Mechanical Properties
(W) October 9 @ Snell Eng. 168:
Ozan Ozdemir (CoE MIE): Cold Spray and Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing Process Research
(Tu) October 22 @ Snell Eng. 168:
Damilola Daramola (CoE ChemE): Critical Materials from Waste Solids
(W) November 6 @ Churchill 103:
Eric Anderson (CoE ECE)*: Resilient Communication Systems for Emergency Responders
(Tu) November 12 @ Snell Eng. 168:
Paul Stevenson (CoS Physics): Quantum Sensing with Defective Diamonds
(W) December 4 @ Snell Eng. 168
Jacqueline McCleary (CoS Physics)*: Dust and Dark Matter at Megalight-year Scales
* = to be confirmed

Mechanical Engineering Capstone Day | Fall 2024
2024-12-05 08:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Curry Student Center, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
The MIE Department invites you to the Fall 2024 Mechanical Engineering Capstone Day on Thursday, December 5, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
Event Highlights:

Pitch Presentations: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Locations: SN 108, SN 168, CH 101, CH 103, MU 201
Poster Session: 10:15 AM – 11:30 AM
Location: Curry Student Center Indoor Quad/Pit

This is your opportunity to explore the innovative projects our talented student teams have been working on for the last five months and engage with their work firsthand. We look forward to seeing you there!

LinkedIn, CV, Resume: CommLab Drop-In Workshops
2024-12-05 12:00 - 13:00, 2024-12-12 12:00 - 13:00, 2024-12-19 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-01-09 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-01-16 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-01-23 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Join the CommLab’s empowering LinkedIn, CV, and Resume Drop-In Workshops any Thursday from 12 pm to 1 pm ET. This collaborative space offers valuable advice and peer feedback to enhance your online profile and professional presence. Join this workshop series through Zoom.

MLOps Innovation Expo
2024-12-09 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | Curry Student Center, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Please join us for the inaugural MLOps Innovation Expo, a showcase of groundbreaking work in AI and machine learning by our talented students.

📅 Date: Monday, December 9, 2024
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Location: Curry Student Center Ballroom

This dynamic event is your chance to witness cutting-edge AI innovations, connect with brilliant minds, and contribute to shaping the future of machine learning.

Event Highlights

Project Showcase: Experience end-to-end AI solutions tackling real-world challenges.
Networking Opportunities: Build connections with students and colleagues.
Competition: Cast your vote and help select the top projects through a blend of audience and faculty voting.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to celebrate the talent and creativity within our MIE community.
We hope to see you there!

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Peng Zhao
2024-12-10 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Name:
Peng Zhao
Title:
Impact of ECM-Based Hydrogel Delivery Vehicle Properties on Cell Survival in a 3D In Vitro Injection Model for Retinal Progenitor Cell Transplantation
Date:
12/10/2024
Time:
2:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Rebecca Carrier (Advisor)
Prof. Abigail Koppes
Prof. Sidi Bencherif
Prof. Michael Young
Location:
EXP 610-A
Abstract:
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss globally and a form of retinal degenerative (RD) disease. Current treatments, such as gene therapy, drugs, laser procedures, and neuroprotective approaches, cannot restore the photoreceptors lost in RD diseases. Cell transplantation into the subretinal space shows potential to enhance visual function, but low cell survival and efflux from the injection site present major obstacles. Mechanical forces during injection can severely damage cells, and the host microenvironment may further contribute to cell death. Following high-density subretinal injection, a compact cell bolus may form, resulting in nutrient depletion, low oxygen levels, pH imbalances, and waste accumulation—factors that exacerbate cell death.
Biomaterial scaffolds have been employed to improve cell survival and differentiation, though the ideal scaffold cues for supporting transplanted cell survival and integration remain undetermined. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro injection model to simulate subretinal bolus injection. Using this model, we found that the injection process and bolus microenvironment negatively impact human retinal progenitor cell (hRPC) viability, promoting apoptosis. Alginate-based hydrogels of varying stiffness and extracellular matrix (ECM) molecule compositions were created using factorial design. hRPC viability, apoptosis, and migration within the formed hydrogels were investigated through the 3D in vitro injection model and a 3D invasion assay. Factorial design analysis revealed that higher stiffness and the inclusion of laminin and hyaluronic acid enhance hRPC survival and 3D migration.
One challenge with studying cell responses in the context of cell transplantation is the inability to easily visualize cells at the transplantation site over time. Compared to traditional in vitro cultures, retinal explant models that retain native tissue structure and neuronal connections could provide physiologically relevant insights. Here, we developed a novel explant model for hRPC transplantation, wherein alginate-based hydrogels containing hRPCs were injected adjacent to cross-sectional retinal tissue slices. This setup allows visualization of the cells’ position relative to retinal tissue layers over time. Key cell behaviors, including migration, attachment, invasion, viability, and apoptosis, were tracked in real-time using confocal microscopy.

Graduate Student Drop-In Writing Hours
2024-12-11 09:00 - 11:00, 2024-12-18 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Curry Student Center, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Graduate students, are you looking for a place for focused research writing time? Join the CommLab drop-in writing hours any Wednesday between 9 -11 am ET. Drop in any Wednesday and stay for a short time or two hours. A CommLab Fellow will also be available to provide feedback on your writing. We will be meeting in weekly in 334 Curry Student Center. Note we will meet in 336 Curry Student Center on Wednesday, September 25th.

Gordon Institute Virtual Information Session
2024-12-11 17:30 - 18:30, 2025-01-15 17:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York)
Learn how you can earn a Graduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership as a stand-alone certificate or in combination with one of twenty-three Master of Science degrees offered through Northeastern’s College of Engineering, College of Science, or Khoury College of Computer Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering recognized The Gordon Institute of Engineering Leadership (GIEL) for its innovative curriculum, which combines technical education, leadership capabilities, and the “Challenge Project”—an opportunity for students to receive master’ s-level credit while working in industry.
By aligning technical proficiency with leadership capabilities, GIEL accelerates the development of high-potential engineers and prepares them to lead complex projects early in their careers. Upon completing the program, more than 88% of the 2022 class reported increased leadership responsibility, while more than 50% of the 2022 class reported being promoted within one year of graduation.
Our Director of Admissions will answer your application questions for Fall 2025.
You will have the opportunity to hear from alumni about how The Gordon Institute propelled their engineering careers. Program professors will also be present to answer curriculum questions.

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Yuan Li
2024-12-13 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Name:
Yuan Li
Title:
Establishing a Physiologically Relevant Upper Gastrointestinal In Vitro Model Incorporating Bile Salts and Simplified Commensal Microbial Consortium
Date:
12/13/2024
Time:
2:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Rebecca Carrier (Advisor)
Prof. Abigail Koppes
Prof. Erel Levine
Prof. Jiahe Li
Location:
EXP 610-A
Abstract:
Bacteria-epithelial-immune crosstalk plays crucial roles in intestinal physiology. Bile salts (BS) act as critical modulators of these interactions, influencing health and disease. Tools for studying interactions between BS, microbes, and host cells within the human intestinal mucosa are lacking.
In this project, we developed in vitro intestinal models for studying bacteria-epithelial-immune crosstalk. First, the impacts of individual BS (sodium taurocholate, NaTC; sodium glycochenodeoxycholate, NaGCDC; and sodium tauroursodeoxycholate, NaTUDC) on human primary intestinal epithelial monolayer co-cultures with Escherichia coli were studied. We observed that high BS concentrations disrupted barrier function, as evidenced by reduced transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), with NaGCDC causing the most significant damage. Interestingly, the addition of phyosphatidylcholine (PC) and E. coli were observed to mitigate the BS-induced monolayer TEER reductions.
To enhance the model’s physiological relevance, we next incorporated a simplified model bile (including NaTC, NaGCDC, NaTUDC, and PC), an apical hypoxic environment, dendritic cells, and a simplified commensal microbial consortium (Streptococcus mitis, Clostridium bifermentans, Prevotella melaninogenica, and Bifidobacterium longum). 4/1 mM concentrations of BS/PC micelles were observed to damage the epithelial barrier under hypoxic but not normoxic conditions. However, incorporation of the bacterial consortium protected the epithelium from BS/PC – associated damage. Furthermore, the presence of BS/PC alleviated barrier damage and inflammatory response induced by co-culture with the bacterial consortium, potentially in part through modulation of bacterial growth. In addition, we observed thicker mucus layers not only impacted the growth of consortium strains, resulting in enhanced growth of the probiotic Bifidobacterium longum, but also reduced inflammatory responses to bacteria and BS/PC-induced epithelial damage. In general, our in vitro model revealed that commensal microbes mitigate BS and BS/PC toxicity to the epithelial monolayer, while BS helps alleviate monolayer damage and inflammatory response caused by commensal microbes.
In preparation for transferring the developed model from static cell culture inserts to microfluidic devices for mimicking intestinal fluidic stimuli and enabling facile visualization of the mucosal interface, we designed a gut-on-chip platform with a vertical hydrogel-cultured epithelial monolayer. Three hydrogels (crosslinked collagen type I, PEG-VS, and PEG-SG-PLL) were evaluated for compatibility with human primary intestinal epithelial stem cells (HPIESCs). Collagen type I and PEG-SG-PLL were found to support HPIESC adhesion and monolayer formation, but collagen lost structural integrity under flow. PEG-VS, though functionalized with cell-binding peptides, only enabled partial monolayer formation. Notably, encapsulating organoids in PEG-VS near the gel-medium interface enabled crypt-like monolayer formation through organoid-driven gel re-structuring. Furthermore, we found that flow enhanced epithelial differentiation on PEG-SG-PLL and PEG-VS (encapsulation method), leading to thicker monolayers with taller columnar cells compared to static culture. These findings show PEG-SG-PLL and PEG-VS are good candidates for enabling transition of the bile-intestinal model to microfluidic chip platforms.

Virtual Monthly Coffee Hour with Neha!
2024-12-20 18:00 - 19:00, 2025-01-03 18:00 - 19:00 (Asia/Kolkata)
Join us for a coffee hour as Neha, College of Engineering enrollment coach in India, hosts a virtual webinar where you’ll:

Learn about our programs and co-op opportunities within the College of Engineering.
Explore the various campuses and impressive resources.
Learn about internal and external scholarships that you may qualify for.
Gain insight into the application process.

Graduate Student Virtual Drop-In Proposal Writing Hours
2025-01-07 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-01-14 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-01-21 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Graduate students, are you looking for support in writing your dissertation or research proposal? Join the CommLab virtual drop-in writing hours any Tuesday between 10 am -12 pm ET and stay for a short time or the whole two hours. A CommLab Fellow will be available to help you set writing goals and provide feedback on your writing. We will be meeting weekly on Zoom.

Cookies with the Dean of Engineering & First Year Engineering and Innovation Center Open House
2025-01-08 14:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | 368 SN, 360 Huntington Ave, 368 SN, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
*Intended only for COE undergrad students joining the Boston campus for the first time in Spring 2025.
Meet Dean Abowd and tour the First Year Engineering and Innovation Center (FYELIC) to discover tools, meeting spaces, & resources you can use, like laser cutting & 3D printing. Engage with the First-Year Engineering Faculty and our friendly student workers while enjoying cookies with your peers!

Elderly Action Recognition Challenge at WACV2025
2025-01-09 19:00 - 2025-02-15 19:00 (America/New_York)
Are you ready to make a real-world impact with your AI models? The EAR Challenge, part of the prestigious Computer Vision for Smalls Workshop at WACV 2025, is now open for registration!
💡 Why Join?
This challenge is more than just a competition; it’s a mission to advance the recognition of the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) for the elderly. Your innovations can improve safety and enhance quality of life, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in computer vision.
🎯 Your Objective:
Start with a general human action recognition benchmark and fine-tune your models on a specialized dataset of elderly-specific activities using transfer learning. Show us your robust, adaptable, and scalable solutions in real-world scenarios!
📅 Important Dates:

Submission Deadline: February 15, 2025

🔗 Register Now and learn more
#️⃣ Discord Channel
🛠️ Workshop Page
👥 Who Can Participate?
Everyone is welcome, whether you’re from academia, industry, or a student passionate about advancing AI for the societal good.
Proudly sponsored by Voxel51, this is your chance to innovate, collaborate, and make a difference. Let’s come together to improve elderly care with cutting-edge AI solutions!

ChE PhD Dissertation Defense: Chao Xu
2025-01-15 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York) | 610-A EXP, 360 Huntington Ave, 610-A EXP, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Name:
Chao Xu
Title:
Towards Automated Heterogeneous Catalysis Design: Integrating Activation Energy Estimation, Uncertainty Quantification, and Coverage-dependent Thermodynamics in Microkinetic Modeling
Date:
1/15/2025
Time:
12:00:00 PM
Committee Members:
Prof. Richard West (Advisor)
Prof. Qing Zhao
Dr. Franklin Goldsmith
Dr. Zack Ulissi
Location:
EXP 610-A
Abstract:
In the context of climate change, reducing CO2 emission and advancing sustainable development are global priorities. Developing efficient “green” fuel processes requires overcoming the low productivity of industrial catalysts, necessitating new catalyst designs. Traditional trial-and-error approaches are costly and time-intensive, but multi-scale modeling provides a low-cost, efficient alternative by exploring catalyst design across atomic to reactor scales.
This dissertation enhances scientific software such as Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG) and Cantera etc. for automating heterogeneous catalysis modeling to accelerate catalyst design. An active-learning workflow for calculating coverage-dependent thermodynamics with EquiformerV2, a graph neural network, was developed, complementing the existing RMG coverage-dependent kinetics functionality. The estimated coverage-dependent thermodynamics were validated through a CO/H2 methanation model on Ni. Because reaction activation energies are also affected by species’ coverage, the dissertation also addresses rapid reaction barrier estimation by implementing the Blowers-Masel Approximation (BMA), which relates a reaction barrier to enthalpy using minimal data. Integrated into Cantera, this method supports catalyst screening with linear scaling relationships (LSRs) and BMA kinetics. A methane partial oxidation study on 81 hypothetical metals demonstrated how BMA affects rate-limiting species and high-selectivity catalysts, while sensitive reactions remain unaffected.
Lastly, thermodynamic properties of surface species in catalytic methane partial oxidation models on Rh were estimated using DFT, LSRs, and a graph neural network named GEMNET, combined with Bayesian parameter estimation for process optimization. The three methods provided close thermodynamic data with different prior uncertainties, validating the feasibility of combining machine learning potentials with RMG for thermodynamic estimation on all kinds of binding facets. Bayesian parameter estimation improved simulation accuracy of the three estimation methods while uncovering active site information inaccessible through conventional means. The workflow effectively integrates experimental and computational uncertainties, enabling data-informed catalyst design and optimization.

Neurodiversity Initiative Paint Night
2025-01-21 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | 039 SL, 360 Huntington Ave, 039 SL, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Happy New Year from the Neurodiversity Initiative! It’s time to kick off the semester with another event from the Neurodiversity Initiative, we will be hosting a paint night on Tuesday, January 21st, SL039 in Snell Library at 6:00pm.
Feel free to join us as we build community, paint, and have pizza!
Register for Pathfinders Paint Night

Dr. King and Labor
2025-01-22 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Connecting Past and Present
Join the Centers of Excellence for a robust panel discussion about Dr. King and his connection to the labor movement, and about current labor movements.
We will view clips from the documentary By the River I Stand about Dr. King’s involvement in the organizing campaign for sanitation workers before his death.
Additionally, we will discuss the convergence and divergence of stakeholders’ overlapping and competing interests and the legal realities incumbent in the organizing process.
Location: 220 Dockser Hall or Virtual (receive a confirmation email with a url upon registering)

CommLab Scientific Oral Communication Practice Drop-In Series
2025-01-27 09:00 - 10:00 (America/New_York) | https://northeastern.zoom.us/meeting/register/Z5yCbd9WQ_OvtJoYqYSsMA
The NU CommLab is hosting a weekly virtual Scientific Oral Communication Drop-in practice for graduate students. Drop-in virtually any week to practice for your upcoming oral exams, proposals, thesis, dissertation or talks. Receive and implement feedback on your verbal and non-verbal public speaking skills. Register through Zoom.

Graduate Student Drop-In Writing Hours
2025-01-28 09:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York)
Graduate students, are you looking for a place for focused research writing time? Join the CommLab drop-in writing hours any Tuesday between 9 -11 am ET. Drop in any Tuesday and stay for a short time or two hours. A CommLab Fellow will also be available to provide feedback on your writing. We will be meeting in weekly in 334 Curry Student Center.
