Labs and Groups

The AOIL consists of a team of ophthalmologists, engineers, software specialists, statisticians, and trainees that focus primarily on the study of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the world. The groups of Profs. Schuman, Wollstein and Ishikawa develop advanced imaging tools to detect this disease, monitor its progression, and investigate its pathogenesis.

ARPL performs fundamental and applied research in robot autonomy. The lab develops agile autonomous drones that can navigate on their own using only onboard sensors without relying on maps, GPS or motion capture systems.

The systems and computational neuroscience laboratory of Professor Dora Angelaki focuses on how the brain generates perception and cognition. Her group studies how multi-sensory signals flow dynamically across brain areas, how causal inference is implemented in the brain, how beliefs propagate through the network, and how internal states modulate this information flow.

We aim to establish mathematical models, quantitative criteria, and algorithmic/computational foundations toward their implementations in robotics (for design and control), biomechanical systems (for prediction and analysis), and their intersections such as lower-body wearable robots. Our current research topics include energetics of dynamic systems, legged balance and gait stability, and integration of dynamics/control with numerical optimization.

The laboratory of Professor Jef Boeke is well known for foundational work on mechanistic and genomic aspects of retro-transposition in both yeast and mammalian systems. After more than three decades, they continue to scrutinize their favorite genomic parasites. In addition, the Boeke lab is heavily involved in the development of novel technologies in genetics, genomics and synthetic biology.

Led by Prof. Brandon Reagen, our research group specializes in computer hardware design, with a primary goal of making privacy-preserving computation practical. 

We also focus on optimizing machine learning systems for private computation. With a strong emphasis on energy-efficiency and security, our work aims to accelerate secure computation and enable privacy-preserving machine learning.

David Truong’s lab uses principles from synthetic and systems biology, cell fate reprogramming, epigenetics, and immunology. He and his team perform large-scale genome engineering in human and mouse stem cells towards cell therapies and regenerative medicine. The group currently focuses on developing programmable off-the-shelf dendritic cells from human iPSCs as a cancer immunotherapy platform. They are also building universal “personalized” iPSCs as an off-the-shelf cell for making living therapies.

Professor Dan Sodickson’s research primarily addressed the development of new techniques for biomedical imaging to improve human health. He leads a multidisciplinary team that develops new methods for rapid continuous imaging, taking advantage of recent developments in parallel imaging, compressed sensing, and artificial intelligence. This work extends to clinical applications of MRI, PET and CT.

The overarching goal of our research is to develop the principles needed to incorporate unstructured, Internet and mobile data into a better understanding of population-level health. We primarily develop computational methods across data mining, natural language processing, and machine learning to generate features for spatio-temporal population-level public health models.

Professor Andreas Hielscher’s team focuses on developing clinically relevant optical tomographic imaging systems. They apply these devices and wearable electronics to the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, such as breast cancer, arthritis, peripheral artery disease, diabetic foot syndrome, and real-time monitoring of brain activities.

Professor Rose Faghih group develops biomedical signal processing and control algorithms for human-technology interactions and monitoring. These state-of-the-art tools are employed for prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of pathological conditions related to neuro-endocrine and neuro-psychiatric disorders.

The research in Professor Sage Chen’s lab aims to find solutions for real-time brain-machine interfaces, pain management, and psychiatric disorders. Developing a better understanding of memory and sleep is another goal. To accomplish all this, they advance and integrate the fields of computational neuroscience, neural engineering, and machine learning.

CCRL conducts research projects on unmanned vehicles, autonomy and navigation, control systems, cyber-security, and machine learning.

Professor Lukasz Witek’s research group performs in vivo and in vitro evaluations of a wide range of (bio)materials that can be used as implants for dental and orthopedic applications. A special focus is on 3D printing of bio-ceramic materials for tissue regeneration.

What are the causes and consequences of genomic copy number alterations (i.e. aneuploidy) in cancer and how does this affect patients’ response to therapy, especially immuno-therapy? These are among the main questions Prof. Teresa Davoli’s lab is interested in. To answer these questions, they utilize a variety of experimental and computational approaches, from large- scale genetic screens in human cells, to prediction of survival in cancer patients.

The Data, Intelligence and Computation in Engineering (DICE) Lab is led by Assistant Professor Chinmay Hegde and focuses on theoretical and applied aspects deep learning and machine learning.

Our research focuses on computer hardware, including electronic design automation (EDA) and micro-architectural solutions for energy-efficient (En), secure (Su), and reliable (Re) computing.

Researchers at the Fire Research Group work on an online, scenario-based simulation training program for firefighters. ALIVE (Advanced Learning through Integrated Visual Environments) is a decades-long effort to bridge the information gap between research and real-life firefighting.

The Hartman Research Laboratory investigates the kinetics of chemical reactions and the design of the reactors in which they take place. Catalysis and reaction engineering is at the heart of virtually every process or system in which a chemical transformation occurs.

Our research is concentrated on developing complete solutions for data center networks, software-defined networks, high-speed switching and routing, network security and traffic measurement problems.

Located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the IDM XR Lab provides access to the latest XR equipment and informational workshops and tutorials.

The Immersive Computing Lab at NYU Tandon School of Engineering conducts cutting edge research that spans the fields of computer graphics, physics, and computational cognition, with the goal of creating unprecedented virtual and augmented reality systems to revolutionize urban life. Our research directions include novel multimodal/low-latency/immersive interaction devices, bio-physically inspired wearable displays, perception-aware VR/AR, and beyond.

The ultimate goal of Professor Kirsch’s research is to define novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint diseases and injuries. To this end the laboratory studies mechanisms involved in the regulation of cartilage homeostasis, maintenance and pathology. In addition, research is performed on how cells and the joint environment interact.

Professor Khalil Ramadi and his team develop innovative approaches for the modulation of neural activity throughout the body. The goal is to come up with novel therapies for neurologic, metabolic, and immune disorders. They combine mechanical, electrical, materials, and bio-engineering toolkits in the design of minimally invasive technologies.

At the Laboratory for Living Interfaces we study the interaction of organisms and their environment through scientific and design enquiries. Through experimental practice, we aim to understand how the design decisions of architects, city planners, and material scientists affect the ubiquitous living component of the spaces we inhabit: the environmental microbiome.

Personalized immunotherapies involving CAR T cells, TCRs and BiTEs,  have revolutionized the treatment of cancer. They provide in cures in subsets of cancer patients, yet remain ineffective for the majority of patients. Prof. Mark Yarmarkovich aims to expand the use of curative immunotherapies. To this end, his group develops and employ technologies at the intersection of genomics, proteomics, immunology, antibody engineering and computational biology.

To respond to a changing environment, cells have to express the right genes at the right time. Professor Timothy Lionnet’s lab tries to understand how exactly this is achieved and how robust responses emerge from random molecular events. Getting insights into these biomolecular processes will ultimately provide new tools to tackle, for example, wound healing, cancer, and many other diseases.

We try to understand the fundamental principles for robot locomotion and manipulation that will endow robots with the robustness and adaptability necessary to efficiently and autonomously act in an unknown and changing environment.

The research in the Professor Yong-Ak (Rafael) Song’s group at NYU-AD lies at the interface between biology, physics and engineering. More specifically, their research is focused on applying microfluidics and nanofluidics to broad range of challenges in bioscience and medicine.

We are involved in inventing cutting-edge photonic techniques for detecting individual virus particles. We recently detected single Influenza A virus in-vitro and is pushing its patented Whispering Gallery Mode Biosensor to higher sensitivity in order to detect single HIV virions.

We focus on engineering macromolecules. We aim to predictably design or engineer artificial therapeutics, biocatalysts, scaffolds and cells.

Our research lies at the interface of multifunctional material development and electrochemical engineering. Electrochemical devices are ubiquitous to a broad range of energy conversion technologies and chemical processes.

Hoagang Cai’s lab advancec nanotechnology for biological and biomedical applications. Employing nanolithographic technology, his group creates designer biomaterials and metasurfaces with unprecedented precision and functionality. Applications range from studying T-cell activation in cancer treatment to photo-stimulation in optogenetics and brain research.

Blending theory with experiments, Professor Andras Gyorgy’s team focuses on the behavior of networks with particular emphasis on synthetic biology applications.

Kevin Chan and his group are developing and applying new methods for noninvasive imaging of neurodegeneration, neurodevelopment, neuroplasticity, and neuroregeneration in people with vision-related diseases and injuries. They study the structural, metabolic, physiological, and functional relationships between the eyes, brain, and behavior with the mission to improve vision.

An interdisciplinary initiative dedicated to the study of disability and the development of accessible, assistive and rehab technologies.

Research activities in Professor Yao Wang’s group deal with encoding and distributing videos among a large number of users. Of special interest are diverse network access links and applications to biomedical imaging. The lab collaborates extensively with other research groups in wireless communication and networking at the School of Engineering and NYU’s medical school and hospitals.

NYU WIRELESS is a vibrant academic research center that is pushing the boundaries of wireless communications, sensing and networking. Centered at NYU Tandon and involving industry leaders, faculty and students throughout the entire NYU community, NYU WIRELESS offers a world-class research environment that is creating the fundamental theories and techniques for future mass-deployable wireless devices across a wide range of applications and markets.

Every day, our brains cycle through different states of awareness: from the rich conscious experiences during wakefulness to dreamless sleep to the bizarre experiences during dreaming sleep. Understanding the neural basis of conscious awareness is the basic goal of Prof. Biyu He’s team. She is using a combination functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magneto- encephalography (MEG) and invasive electrophysiology to explore relevant neural mechanisms and characterize various neuropsychiatric illnesses.

Professor Smita Rao and her colleagues in the Center of Health and Rehabilitation Research study the effects of exercise in individuals with diabetes, neuropathy, osteoarthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions. Her research focuses on improving physical therapy and rehabilitation care in these patients.

Focuses on developing responsive soft materials for biomedical applications. The group uses tools from chemical and materials engineering, nanotechnology, chemistry and biology to create functional soft materials via scalable synthetic processes and to understand the material behavior in biological systems.

Garetz Group — We investigate the ways that laser light can passively and actively interact with materials. We use depolarized light scattering to passively characterize the micron-scale grain structure of block copolymer materials, which influences their viscoelastic, adhesive, optical and electrical properties. We use lasers to actively induce the nucleation of supersaturated solutions, providing novel ways of controlling crystal size, morphology and polymorphism.

The primary objective of Professor Kenichiro Kamei’s lab is to revolutionize the field of biomedical engineering by reconstructing complete human and animal bodies using cutting-edge engineering techniques. A prime example of their work is the development of the “Body on a Chip” (BoC) system, which simulates physiological and pathological conditions of living organisms in vitro. This work has far-reaching implications for drug discovery and regenerative medicine.

Advances in miniaturized sensors and actuators, as well as artificial intelligence (AI), have broadened horizons for assistive and rehabilitative technologies. The team of Professor JohnRoss Rizzo, MD, is leveraging these innovations to help patients with conditions such as blindness and stroke, enhancing their ability to interact physically with their environment.

Professor Chakravarti’s research group tries to understand how the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates cellular functions and tissue homeostasis. In their work they use cell cultures and mouse models to gain a better understanding of the role of neutrophil, macrophage and dendritic cell functions in bacterial and viral infections. In addition, they explore the ECM changes and the underlying genetic causes in corneal diseases.

The Silverman Laboratory conducts research to understand and design sustainable and appropriate wastewater treatment process, in an effort to protect public health and environmental quality. Our research is focused on water quality, wastewater treatment, detection and control of waterborne pathogens, design of natural wastewater treatment systems (e.g., treatment ponds and constructed wetlands), and the safe reuse of human waste.

Social behaviors such as fighting, defense, and parenting, are innate and ubiquitous across the animal kingdoms. The research in Dr. Lin’s laboratory centers on understanding the neural circuits underlying these behaviors. Various genetic engineering, tracing, functional manipulation, in vivo electrophysiological recording and computational tools are combined to dissect the neural circuits in a great detail.

SONYC researchers have launched a citizen science initiative to train artificial intelligence (AI) technology to understand exactly which sounds are contributing to unhealthy levels of noise in New York City. A first-of-its-kind project addressing urban noise pollution, SONYC is based at NYU Tandon’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP).

Tissue maintenance and regeneration are crucial for preserving tissue functionality and organismal health. With age and disease, both of these processes can become inefficient. Professor Wosczyna’s laboratory seeks to identify cellular mechanisms that are responsible for pathological phenotypes. They look for molecular targets that can be modified to extend tissue functionality further into age.

Our group focuses on the development of novel materials and devices for energy conversion and storage. True to our name, we design and study transformative technologies that have the ability to change the status quo and promote the adoption of sustainable energy generation and use.

It combines a series of new concepts, technologies and services to integrate information, vehicles and transportation infrastructure to increase mobility, safety and comfort, and reduce energy waste and pollution.

Our mission is to change the way urban engineering is done by bridging the gap between Civil Engineering and Computer Science. We focus on developing tools to better understand the urban built environment through pioneering new means to optimize and synthesize multi-modal data collection, storage, and processing.