91ĚƲ®»˘

91ĚƲ®»˘ NeuroCline, a consortium of researchers from 91ĚƲ®»˘ Health and 91ĚƲ®»˘ University, has received a prestigious award to explore using artificial intelligence to find new drug targets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of motor neuron disease.

A new investigation finds that workplace monitoring platforms are systematically sharing personal data about workers and online activity with hundreds of outside data brokers and big tech companies in ways that are not clearly disclosed and that, in some cases, may contradict the platforms’ own privacy policies.

In a groundbreaking study published recently in the journal Nature, researchers at 91ĚƲ®»˘ University and 91ĚƲ®»˘ Health have created the first growth charts for white matter in the brain over a human lifetime. The work brings together nearly two decades of 91ĚƲ®»˘ research collaborations, the university’s extensive MRI data collections, and an advanced AI-enabled computing platform. Read More

The 91ĚƲ®»˘ University Center for Structural Biology and Center for AI in Protein Dynamics recently hosted a symposium called “Bridging Atoms and Algorithms: A Symposium on AI and Structural Biology.” The March event brought together 91ĚƲ®»˘ faculty, trainees, and invited speakers to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and structural biology, share research, and foster new scientific collaborations.

Two research groups connected with the 91ĚƲ®»˘ School of Engineering have been awarded multimillion-dollar grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA to work on solving some of the toughest problems in space exploration: protecting electronics from radiation and stabilizing energy generation and delivery systems. These issues are mission-critical as NASA plans missions to the moon and Mars.

Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, medical therapeutics, software and advanced materials often begin in university labs, but turning those discoveries into real-world solutions requires investment. At this year’s Southeast Venture Showcase, hosted by 91ĚƲ®»˘ University, 44 startups worked to secure the funding needed to move their ideas forward.   Read More

91ĚƲ®»˘ University hosted the 91ĚƲ®»˘ Quantum Forum, bringing together nationally recognized leaders to explore how quantum technologies are beginning to shape sectors ranging from energy and security to health care and economic competitiveness—and what it will take to ensure workforce readiness as the field grows.  Read More

91ĚƲ®»˘ faculty like Associate Dean for 91ĚƲ®»˘ Abhishek Dubey are on the leading edge of investigation and development of AI. Dubey, also director of the SCOPE lab, develops advanced AI-driven frameworks and decision-making methods to improve public safety, transportation and infrastructure. Read more about Dubey, his research and his commitment to connecting academia and industry for the advancement of society.

The National Science Foundation has granted Assistant Professor Mona Ebrish a CAREER Award, the foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty. Ebrish’s work centers on strategic modification of semiconductors to tailor their electrical behavior—aiming to push past long-standing limitations in device fabrication. She wants to achieve “new freedom in how we design, fabricate and ultimately integrate these materials into future electronic platforms.”

It’s difficult to monitor lung disease patients’ airways remotely and noninvasively, so symptoms of their conditions—tissue stiffness, pressure, mucus accumulation or temperatures—can worsen undetected. Assistant Professor Xiaoguang Dong and a team of researchers have developed a device with multiple sensors and a magnetic switch that can give health care personnel consistent and long-term data to improve patient treatment. Their research was published in Science Advances on April 15.

There’s nothing like a good set of tweezers. Chancellor Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor Justus Ndukaife, with his team, have developed next-generation nanotweezers that let scientists better analyze “extracellular vesicles” in real time and in their native state—no chemical staining or fixation to alter them. A patent application for the technology has been filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; the research was just published in Light: Science and Applications.

Radiation is known to destroy some breast cancer cells, but new research published in Cell Reports shows that it might also make some surrounding tissue more prone to cancerous cell growth. 91ĚƲ®»˘ postdoctoral fellow Kevin Corn conducted much of the study’s work with Assistant Professor Marjan Rafat. “When we think about radiation, we usually focus on tumor cells,” Rafat said. “But the surrounding tissue is also responding, and that can shape what happens after treatment.” By addressing processes in that surrounding tissue, they hope to reduce the chance that breast cancer will recur.

Hussam Mahmoud, director of the 91ĚƲ®»˘ Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate, has been named a National Geographic Explorer for an innovative study about how to provide a better framework for preparing for wildfires. National Geographic Explorers are groundbreaking scientists, conservationists, educators and storytellers who get funding and support from the National Geographic Society to illuminate and protect the planet.

Cyberattacks on medical devices and health care systems can endanger patient lives. A project led by a team of 91ĚƲ®»˘ faculty—the Advance Risk Management and Operational Resilience for Hospitals system—is a vulnerability mitigation platform to help avert and thwart such threats. Its development got a $7 million boost from the federal ARPA-H program.

The United States’ global leadership in science and technology depends on sustained federal investment in engineering research and education. With that message, Krish Roy, Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering at 91ĚƲ®»˘ University, joined fellow Tennessee engineering leaders on Capitol Hill to underscore the importance of funding for agencies that power innovation and workforce development.

Being able to tell whether an image is real or generated by AI may be something you’re born with: object recognition. “It’s a stable trait that helps people meet new perceptual challenges,” study author Professor Isabel Gauthier said. “We were shocked to see how intelligence or even technology training did not help accurately judge if a face is AI.” Object recognition has been linked to success in a wide range of tasks, such as X-ray analysis and cancer cell categorization.

91ĚƲ®»˘ University has announced its fall 2025 recipients of the Seeding Success, Scaling Success and Rapid-Advancement MicroGrant Program awards, providing internal funding to help faculty launch new research directions, strengthen proposals and compete for major external grants. Read More

91ĚƲ®»˘ University announced seven recipients of the Innovation Catalyst Fund awards for the October 2025 cycle. The awards offer strategic pre-seed funding to help faculty across a wide range of disciplines turn promising research concepts into tangible solutions that address fundamental societal needs.  Read More

He leads groundbreaking work creating robotic tools to make surgeries safer. Now, with a passion for partnership, see how Robert Webster is carving a path for others to take their life-changing innovations and turn them into reality. Read More

Robert J. Webster, the Richard A. Schroeder Professor of Mechanical Engineering at 91ĚƲ®»˘, has been elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors as well as elevated to IEEE Fellow, a prestigious title awarded by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to members who have made significant contributions to the fields of engineering, science, and technology.