Northeastern College of Science

Starfish are dying from a mysterious disease. She hunts for answers A deadly starfish wasting disease is plaguing the East Coast. Meet the Northeastern University researcher leading the charge to save them.

The sunflower star has nearly vanished from the US West Coast. Sea star wasting disease has killed billions over the past decade, wiping out about 90% of this species - PhD candidate Angela Jones is working to understand why. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3ZMDYoI
#COSConnects #MarineBiology

What can babies teach us about brain development? Northeastern researched used EEG to track the brain activity of babies, revealing new discoveries about their development.

How does a baby’s brain organize itself in early life? New research from Assistant Professor Laurel Gabard-Durnam uses EEG to track how brain networks form during babies’ first two years. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4asrLM1
#COSConnects #Psychology

How lobstermen could help save our coastal habitats Insights gained through decades of lobster fishing could provide an invaluable understanding of changing climate dynamics, new research shows.

Warming waters are threatening Maine’s lobster fishery. 🦞
Professor Jonathan Grabowski found that lobstermen’s local ecological knowledge is key to understanding changing marine ecosystems. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/49ygND1

#COSConnects #Ecology

Breakthrough research uses machine learning to better predict New England floods Researchers used machine learning to aggregate nearly five decades of weather data to understand factors leading to New England flooding.

Why is flooding so hard to predict in New England? Northeastern researchers Samuel Muñoz and Lindsay Lawrence used machine learning to identify four patterns that lead to flooding, improving future forecasts. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4sKKEBa

#COSConnects #ClimateChange

AI could revolutionize drug discovery. But how can we regulate it? Jared Auclair proposes a new regulatory framework that would keep AI innovation moving and get drugs to patients in need.

AI is racing ahead in health care, but regulation is struggling to keep up. Northeastern researchers used AI to create a framework to sort through conflicting global rules and highlight best practices. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3LFaqWy

#COSConnects #AI

Researchers decode the chemistry behind a deadly genetic disorder Northeastern University researchers used AI to predict which mutations cause OTC deficiency, paving the way for future treatments.

Northeastern researchers used machine learning to study genetic mutations behind OTC deficiency. The work, led by profs
@mjchemist.bsky.social & Penny Beuning, combines AI and lab experiments to reveal key biochemical mechanisms. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3LzSInw

#COSConnects #ChemicalBiology

Does Earth actually have a second moon? Astrophysicists say there’s ‘at least six other quasi-moons’ Does Earth actually have a second moon? Northeastern University astrophysicists say there’s at least six other quasi-moons.

What is a quasi-moon exactly? Assistant professors Jacqueline McCleary and Jonathan Blazek explain the difference between 2025 PN7 - the recently discovered celestial object that appears to be in Earth's orbit - and the moon.
Read more: https://bit.ly/4sGGTwy🧪

#COSConnects #Astrophysics

Sociology, meet ecology: How the variability of coffee harvests can teach us about sustainable farming New research looks at farmers’ responses to variable crop yields to make better recommendations for resilient practices.

Coffee plants often cycle between high and low yields, a pattern known as alternate bearing. Northeastern researchers Gabriela Garcia and Laura Kuhl studied how small coffee farmers manage this challenge. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qlkdAv

#COSConnects #Ecology

We all have an innate need to feel like we matter. But as author Jennifer Wallace notes, that need often goes unmet. We talk about how to solve this mattering deficit. I also chat with Duke's Patty Van Cappellen about the wisdom spiritual traditions offer to help podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Next gen scanner could unlock new treatments for brain injuries The scanner, housed in Northeastern University Professor Craig Ferris’ lab, combines PET/MRI technology for better preclinical imaging.

Psychology professor Craig Ferris is advancing brain imaging research with a new Mediso nanoScan 7T PET/MRI scanner. The first of its kind in the U.S., the device allows PET and MRI scans at the same time for improved preclinical imaging. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/49B5avd
#COSConnects #Psychology

From coastal resilience to streamlining product development, Northeastern researchers are the state’s AI innovators The AI Models Innovation Challenge provided $2.9M to researchers and organizations using AI to solve Massachusett's most pressing problems.

Instead of sea walls, professor Jim Chen is using #AI to help coastal communities prepare for sea level rise. The goal is to turn data into actionable insights and improve risk assessments more efficiently. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3YwQLew

#COSConnects #EnvironmentalScience

The key to international space cooperation is developments in biotechnology, Northeastern researchers say The report, “A Policy Framework for International Cooperation in Space Biotechnology,” is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

As humanity imagines life beyond Earth, making space settlements safe and sustainable is a growing challenge. A new report from Northeastern researchers explores how biotechnology may shape the future of civilization in space. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4pBacxA
#COSConnects #Biotech

Preserving biological specimens for DNA analysis just got easier Dan Distel and his students found a way to preserve DNA in lab specimens without refrigeration or hazardous chemicals.

DNA preservation has long been difficult, but Northeastern researchers led by Dan Distel found a new approach. Using EDTA, a common food additive, the Ocean Genome Legacy Center improved DNA preservation in frozen tissue samples. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3L5hDiI
#COSConnects #DNA

Northeastern research finds aerobic fitness and lower body fat are associated with better mental health outcomes in children Research finds aerobic fitness and lower body fat are associated with better mental health outcomes in children.

Mental health challenges and obesity have both increased in recent decades, particularly among children. New research from Northeastern University links lower body fat and higher aerobic fitness with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/49L2YlX

#COSConnects

Northeastern University professor honored with prestigious American Psychological Association award Laurel Gabard-Durnam, whose work focuses on brain plasticity, will receive the 2026 Boyd McCandless Award for developmental psychology.

Congratulations! 🎉 Laurel Gabard-Durnam, assistant professor of psychology, has been named the 2026 Boyd McCandless Award recipient for her work on brain development and plasticity. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/45UL65R

#COSConnects #Psychology

The Antarctic Ocean of the last ice age has stories to tell about a warming planet New research describes how a critical process of carbon dioxide storage in the Southern Ocean slowed during the last deglaciation.

Antarctic sea ice loss once sped up global warming by disrupting carbon capture.

With ice retreating again today, Assistant Professor Chengfei He is rethinking how ocean warming ended the last ice age. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3KBTi3C

#COSConnects #ClimateChange

This double Husky created her own co-op working on life-changing cancer therapies CAR-T cell therapy can serve as a life saving treatment for blood cancers. But they can come with complications.

CAR T-cell therapy shows promise, but side effects are still a concern. MS student Federica Ciummo worked on improving the therapy during her summer co-op at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Center in Madrid, Spain. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/452L7V9
#COSConnects #CancerResearch

Want to build like biology? These researchers are bridging proteins between bacteria Northeastern researchers have discovered a way to engineer E. coli cells to grow into new structures through direct, cell-to-cell contact.

Growth may look simple, but building structure in living systems is complex.
Associate professor Neel Joshi and PhD student Rong Chang modified E. coli to bind together using disordered proteins, exploring how organization emerges. 🧪

Read more:https://bit.ly/3NAPNLM

#COSConnects #ChemicalBiology

Comet or alien spaceship? An astrophysicist explains what we know about interstellar traveler 3I/Atlas Only the third interstellar object to pass through our solar system, comet 3I/Atlas is a rarity worth paying attention to, an expert says.

3I/Atlas is just the third interstellar comet ever observed — and it still has much to teach us about our universe, says assistant physics professor Jacqueline McCleary. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qIV1U5

#COSConnects #Astrophysics

Want to eradicate malaria-bearing mosquitoes? Try fungus, this researcher says A Northeastern postdoc has created a mathematical model that demonstrates how a fungal solution could control malarial mosquito populations.

A fungal solution could eliminate up to 86% of malaria carrying mosquitoes, new research shows. Led by Northeastern researcher Binod Pant, the study is the first to model the effectiveness of the fungus Met Hybrid.🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3LEHH4l

#COSConnects #NetworkScience

Drought and low water levels could slow global trade at the Panama Canal A Northeastern researcher says lowering greenhouse gas emissions will mitigate low water levels in the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal relies on fresh water, but drought is limiting traffic.

New research from Associate Prof. Samuel Muñoz warns shipping disruptions will increase as the climate warms without emissions cuts or adaptation. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/3YQYTqt

#COSConnects #ClimateChange

Houston, we have a Husky One of 10 candidates selected out of 8,000, Imelda Muller is an expert in space medicine and how outer space impacts the human body.

NASA’s newest astronaut class includes Imelda Muller, College of Science '13.
Selected from more than 8,000 applicants, the anesthesiologist with expertise in space medicine will now begin astronaut training. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/44267Lg

#COSConnects #NASA

Precise maps of the brain’s deepest corners are made possible through tools developed by these Northeastern researchers Northeastern researchers have developed a set of tools that offer precise mapping of the brain’s deepest corners.

Tiny neural signals can be hard to find among billions of molecules, which is why precision matters in brain imaging. Assistant Prof. Stephanie Noble’s NeuroPRISM Lab develops tools that make deep-brain neuroimaging more reliable and reproducible. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4pPzdWD

#COSConnects

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Community-Engaged Research as a Teaching Tool. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Want to learn ways to incorporate community-engaged research into your teaching? Finding challenges making ecology real for your students? Or maybe you have resources to share with your colleagues! Bring your favorite beverage and join the conversation hosted by the ESA Education Committee. Host: Helaina Gomez, Tennessee Aquarium Speakers: Melissa Weatherwax, Blackfeet Community College Gabriela Garcia, EEE Scholar, Northeastern University

Want to learn ways to incorporate community-engaged research into your teaching? Join this free event next week hosted by the ESA Education Committee. Find solutions to making ecology real for your students, or share your own experiences! https://ow.ly/ibAL50XBUiM

Researchers use machine learning to predict dengue fever with 80% accuracy Northeastern researchers use machine learning to predict dengue fever outbreaks, giving health officials time to prepare for spikes.

Professor Mauricio Santillana and team can now predict dengue outbreaks with 80% accuracy using #MachineLearning — a major boost for public health planning as global cases continue to rise. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4ivDGen

#COSConnects #Physics #NetworkScience

Using invasive wetland grasses, Northeastern grads adopt a green approach to stop erosion Using invasive wetlands grasses as beds for native spartina, Northeastern grads use a green approach to putting the brakes on erosion.

Working with The Emerald Tutu, Northeastern grads are turning invasive phragmites into coastal protectors.By twisting the culled grass into mats for native spartina to grow, they are fighting erosion and restoring shoreline habitats. 🧪

Read more: https://bit.ly/4akm4QD

What if sensors could spot plant stress in real time? These Northeastern researchers made it happen A group of Northeastern University researchers recently developed sensors that change color to indicate the health status of plants.

Plants that show how they feel? Northeastern researchers designed color-changing sensors that reveal plant health in minutes — helping everyone from home gardeners to farmers grow smarter. 🧪

Read more: http://bit.ly/3WsXrcD

#COSConnects

Northeastern research finds infant anesthesia may speed up brain development Northeastern research reveals how anesthesia can accelerate brain development in infants, raising questions about surgery timings.

Could anesthesia boost learning in babies? Research from assistant professor Laurel Gabard-Durnam found early exposure may accelerate how infants learn — revealing new clues about the developing brain and how timing shapes growth. 🧪

Read more: http://bit.ly/43El71l

#COSConnects #Psychology

⏰ 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵!

NetSci 2026 abstract submissions close Dec 19 — just around the corner.
If you’re doing exciting work in network science (theory, computation, or applications), this is your chance to share it with a global community.

📅 Submit by Dec 19
🔗 www.netsci2026.com/call-for-abs...

Connectome caricatures remove large-amplitude coactivation patterns in resting-state fMRI to emphasize individual differences - Nature Neuroscience Dominant coactivation patterns are primarily studied in resting-state fMRI. Here, the authors study the rest of the signal, which reveals ‘caricatured’ connectomes with improved behavioral prediction.

Connectome caricatures remove large-amplitude coactivation patterns in resting-state fMRI to emphasize individual differences

www.nature.com/articles/s41...