More than 1 million people across the United States live with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that affects the brain, optic nerves and spine. MS is an unpredictable disorder, with symptoms — such as overwhelming fatigue, muscle spasms and vision problems — flaring up and then subsiding over days, months or even years. To identify new treatment paradigms for MS, studying the underlying damage to the nervous system is key.

, a neurobiologist at the University of 91�Թ�, studies the role that the loss and regeneration of myelin plays in MS progression. A fatty substance that protects nerve cells, myelin envelopes the axons of the brain as they route the electrical signals that carry information throughout the nervous system, similar to how plastic insulation protects electrical wires. The damage and swelling that follow myelin loss in MS form distinct “lesions,” which vary in size, number and location in the nervous system.

Because collecting viable tissue samples from patients with progressive disease is a challenge, scientists rely on preclinical biological models. A new study from the Adams research group, out today in , empirically compares for the first time two prevailing models — cuprizone (CPZ) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) — for the study of myelin loss and regeneration in MS.

“Our analysis of these two models of myelin loss and regeneration provides a road map based on robust scientific evidence that we hope will advance the study of MS and related diseases,” said Adams, who is the Gallagher Assistant Professor in the .

The CPZ and LPC paradigms are used largely interchangeably. But while both models degrade myelin, the timeline and localization of myelin loss varies between the two. CPZ causes widespread loss of myelin over several weeks. LPC, on the other hand, induces a lesion in just one place within days. This new research, which was funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, points to specific scenarios in which one model is better suited, depending on which aspect of MS is under investigation.

“If you’re studying the myelin-producing cells and what’s happening to them in MS — are they stressed, dying or trying to repair? — CPZ is better, since the loss of myelin is more gradual,” Adams said. “For studying the immune cells that respond to the myelin loss, LPC may be better, since the immune response is more aggressive than in CPZ.”

Beyond comparing CPZ and LPC to each other, Adams’ team also analyzed the resulting lesions from each preclinical model alongside data obtained from human MS tissue samples. The researchers constructed genetic maps of each type of tissue with the help of single-cell RNA sequencing, allowing them to examine the genetic changes that occurred in response to demyelination.

“By matching each model to features seen in diseased tissue from real patients, we can be sure that we’re targeting things that are actually causing disease in human patients,” Adams said. “There are so many potential paths to follow, so we want to make sure that the path chosen has direct relevance to MS patients.”

In addition to phenotypic differences, the genetic changes in diseased cells vary between the two models — an area of future exploration for the Adams research group.

“We were surprised to see several interesting genetic variations in some cell types, but we don’t yet know if these changes encourage or discourage myelin regeneration,” Adams said. “Learning more about these shifts in gene expression may reveal how MS affects the nervous system and how the body responds to it, which is essential groundwork for developing new therapies.”

Since MS flare-ups are primarily triggered by the immune system’s reaction to lesions — which also attacks healthy cells — current clinical treatments focus on quelling this autoimmune response. The regeneration of lost myelin within MS lesions, on the other hand, remains a promising yet unrealized drug target.

“The strategic use of these two preclinical models is essential for translating insights into therapies that might restore lost myelin,” Adams said. “We need to better understand the very process of demyelination in order to treat one of the root causes of this debilitating disorder.”

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

“I’m honored to have been selected to serve on the EPA Science Advisory Board,” Doudrick said. “The board plays an important role in providing independent, research-based guidance on complex environmental issues, helping ensure that decisions are informed by the best available evidence and remain practical for communities.”

Doudrick, a faculty affiliate of and 91�Թ�’s , is the only academic researcher among the selected board members who are from Indiana.

An environmental engineer, Doudrick specializes in emerging contaminants of concern in drinking water, (PFAS) — also called “forever chemicals” — and micro- and nanoplastics. His work focuses on identifying viable, cost-effective solutions to treat emerging contaminants and improve conventional water treatment processes.

“We aim to target and eliminate these contaminants in ways that are both effective and fiscally responsible, which is increasingly important as utilities and regulators navigate these challenges,” Doudrick said. His lab is currently working on multiple PFAS-related projects, including a study of PFAS leaching from contaminated pavements into the surrounding environment.

“Kyle Doudrick’s appointment to the EPA’s Science Advisory Board is outstanding news for public health and the environment,” said , the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the . “His expertise on the critical environmental problems of microplastics and PFAS will be critical to protecting vital resources upon which we all depend.”

Doudrick earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in civil engineering at the University of Memphis. He completed his doctoral studies in environmental engineering at Arizona State University. He joined the 91�Թ� faculty in 2014.

To learn more about 91�Թ�’s engagement in the nation’s capital, visit the . To learn more about Doudrick’s research, produced by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at on April 30.

“I am honored to have been elected to such a distinguished group of scholars,” Swenson said. “I am grateful to my colleagues and, particularly, the students I’ve worked with over the years. They have inspired me to integrate multiple disciplines and novel perspectives, which has resulted in exciting new insights into forest health and biodiversity.”

This recognition honors his integration of genomics data into community ecology with a special focus on trees and forests. Swenson is one of eight fellows elected this year.

A plant biologist by training, Swenson’s research seeks to understand the distribution and dynamics of biodiversity through space and time, with a focus on woody plant ecology and evolution. His interdisciplinary approach to studying variation in tree performance spans draws on concepts and techniques from several fields, including genomics, remote sensing and machine learning. The collection of large data sets across disciplines allows his research group to quantify drivers of tree performance over time, which is essential for predicting the fate of individual species and forests in the future.

Swenson completed his undergraduate degree at St. Olaf College before going on to complete his master of science at New Mexico State University. His Ph.D., from the University of Arizona, was in ecology and evolutionary biology with a focus on global change. Swenson then went to Harvard University to complete a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. He joined 91�Թ� in 2021.

Swenson’s work has been published in leading scientific journals, including Science, Nature and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His scholarship has been recognized with a Guggenheim fellowship and Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researcher award. He currently serves as an associate editor for Ecology Letters.

“We are incredibly proud of Nate for this well-deserved honor,” said , the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . “His individual scholarship is exemplary, and we are grateful for his leadership at the University of 91�Թ� Environmental Research Center, which serves as a vital outdoor classroom and field laboratory. By integrating advanced data science and artificial intelligence with traditional field ecology, Nate ensures that our students and scholars have access to the most sophisticated tools available to address the pressing environmental challenges of our time.”

The ESA Fellows program, established in 2012, recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement or application of ecological knowledge in academics, government, nonprofit organizations and the broader society. Fellows are elected for life and are celebrated for their leadership in ecological science.

“These fellows represent a remarkable group of scientists whose contributions are shaping the direction of ecological research and its application,” said Peter Groffman, president of the ESA. “I am delighted to see their achievements recognized by their peers. Their work is expanding how we understand ecological systems while also informing decisions that affect ecosystems and communities. ESA is proud to count them among its members, and we look forward to the continued impact of their work.”

“While I am humbled by the recognition of my work as an individual researcher, this honor also highlights the University of 91�Թ�’s role in advancing ecological science and underscores the necessity of the field-based research we prioritize at UNDERC,” Swenson said.

He will be formally recognized during a ceremony at ESA’s 2026 Annual Meeting this summer in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at on April 15, 2026.

The highlights and celebrates U.S. academic institutions that play a large role in advancing innovation through the critical step of protecting their intellectual property through patents. A strong patent portfolio enables and empowers researchers to translate their inventions: bringing important technologies to the marketplace, bolstering the economy and creating impactful societal solutions.

Patents awarded to 91�Թ� over the past year include new printable electronics and biosensing devices; highly specific insecticides; new methods for cancer drug development, single-cell capture and nanoparticle assembly; new systems to enable fast flight; novel dyes for bioimaging; new technologies for making wireless communication more secure and more energy-efficient; and more.

“Securing a place among top patent grantees requires a robust research and innovation ecosystem, one which we have cultivated here at the University,” said , executive director of the University’s . “We’re proud to empower our researchers to translate their discoveries into impact, and ensure that 91�Թ�’s research does not merely exist in the lab, but is positioned to drive economic growth and improve lives through commercialization.”

“These universities and their inventive faculty are at the forefront of driving national innovation and competitiveness,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the NAI. “By moving their ideas to market and protecting their IP with patents, these institutions are ensuring that the U.S. not only remains competitive on the global stage, but directly shapes the future of innovation.”

The NAI has published the since 2013 and introduced the Top 100 U.S. Universities list in 2023 to provide a more focused view of the national innovation landscape and the contributions made by U.S. academic institutions.

In addition to its institutional rankings, the NAI also recognizes individual academic inventors through its fellows and senior member programs. Current 91�Թ� faculty who have also been elected NAI fellows include , the Bernard Keating-Crawford Professor of Engineering and the faculty director of the (ASEND) core facility and the ; , the Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Engineering and associate vice president for research; , the Myron and Rosemary Noble Collegiate Professor of Structural Engineering; , the Bayer Corporation Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; and , the Frank M. Freimann Professor of Electrical Engineering.

Recently, three faculty members were : , associate professor in the ; , the Stinson Professor of Nanotechnology; and , the Frank M. Freimann Collegiate Professor of Biomedical Electronics.

Learn more about innovation at 91�Թ� on the .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

New research conducted at the (UNDERC) suggests that upland forests harboring trees with a common and incurable fungal disease known as heart rot could actually be emitting more methane than they take in, therefore releasing more greenhouse gases than previously thought. Methane, a flammable natural gas, is more than 30 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

“Historically, upland forests were thought to be strong methane sinks because they have organisms in their dry soils that take up methane instead of releasing it to the atmosphere,” said , an ecologist at the who supervised the research. “Heart rot disease has the potential to switch upland forests from being methane sinks to methane sources since diseased trees emit more methane than healthy trees.”

The healthy trees that Rocha and colleagues investigated in the northwoods of Wisconsin and Michigan emitted less methane than nearby trees infected with heart rot, a slow-acting, internal disease caused by fungi that results in the decay of a tree’s trunk and branches from the inside and affects hardwood trees globally. As the severity of the infection increases, so too does the amount of methane released from each tree.

The study, among the first to link methane venting to tree health, was published in , a leading international plant science journal.

To non-invasively measure the severity of the heart rot, researchers employed a technique called sonic tomography, which uses sound waves to map the location of the rot inside each trunk. Sound moves differently through rotted wood and healthy wood and, once captured by sensors placed onto the bark, is used to generate a map of disease severity.

From there, the researchers measured the carbon-based greenhouse gases flowing out of each tree. While carbon dioxide venting remained largely stable from tree to tree, regardless of disease state, methane emissions increased according to the level of heart rot severity in the tree.

Further, Chathuranga Senevirathne, a 91�Թ� graduate student in Rocha’s lab who led the study, pinpointed where each type of gas was coming from by drilling into the tree at regular intervals and taking new gas measurements as he went. In doing so, he found that carbon dioxide quantities peaked just underneath the bark, a section called the sapwood, while methane emissions topped out in the very center of the trunk, called the heartwood.

“While it’s been established for a few decades that trees do give off some methane, even when in a healthy state, the connection between methane and heart rot hadn’t been explored,” said Rocha, who is an associate professor in the . “Everyone in the field had accepted that it was coming through the soil, but it turns out it’s coming from the center of the tree itself.”

To rule out soil transport, the researchers sampled the carbon dioxide and methane flows in the soil around the base of each tree studied. Regardless of the disease progression of the tree, the soils released small amounts of carbon dioxide and absorbed small amounts of methane.

Despite the apparent correlation between heart rot and gas emission, the fungi that cause the disease are not directly responsible for the elevated methane levels observed, as heart-rot fungi taken from a diseased tree did not produce methane in the lab. Instead, the fungi are aided in breaking down heartwood by methanogens, a group of methane-producing single-celled microorganisms called archaea, whose presence the researchers verified by removing samples of wood from the heart of each tree and analyzing them with genomic sequencing.

“Decomposition is a complex process which involves both the heart-rot fungi and methanogens, since methanogens ‘eat’ the wood to produce methane,” said Rocha, who is a faculty affiliate of and . “The fungi are not directly responsible for the methane emissions, but at the same time, heart rot creates an ideal microenvironment for the archaea to thrive.”

One characteristic of this microenvironment is bark fractures, which appear on the surface of the tree as the interior deteriorates. Fractures in a tree’s skin also permit the more efficient release of methane from the heartwood to the exterior. As trees become sicker and sicker with heart rot, methanogen production receives a boost, while proliferating bark fractures create methane emission “hot spots” on the surface of the tree.

“With the progression of heart rot, diseased trees become methane hotspots on the forest level, while bark fractures act as hotspots at the tree level,” Senevirathne said. “With the discovery of these new emissions, there’s a good chance that the amount of methane upland forests take in has been overestimated in ecosystem models.”

“Identifying the sources and sinks of methane is one of the biggest mysteries and hottest topics in forest science,” said Nathan Swenson, a forest ecologist and the Gillen Director of the . “The work from Rocha’s laboratory has elegantly demonstrated the important role disease plays in the carbon cycle.”

Rocha and Senevirathne’s future work at UNDERC will investigate these flows on an ecosystem level and aim to determine the tipping point where upland forests could transition from carbon sink to carbon source, which could challenge the widely accepted impact of forests on climate.

“The outstanding natural setting and scientific infrastructure at UNDERC uniquely position the center to host cutting-edge research like that performed by Senevirathne and colleagues, integrating genomic analysis to ecosystem gas flux,” Swenson said.

Funding from the National Science Foundation and NASA supported this research. Senevirathne was funded by the Merrilee Clark Redmond Endowment, and field work was supported by the Hank Family Endowment.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at on February 25, 2026.

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Members are selected by their peers for pioneering advancements in their fields and for leadership in major engineering endeavors, including the development and implementation of innovative approaches to engineering education.

“I am honored and humbled to have been elected to such a distinguished group of scholars,” said , who also serves as an associate vice president of research. “I am grateful to my colleagues and students here at 91�Թ� who I have had the privilege to work with in the development and application of molecular simulation methods to help tackle some of the most challenging problems in energy and sustainability facing society.”

Maginn is a globally recognized leader in research linking the physical properties of materials to their chemical composition. The NAE is recognizing him “for development and application of molecular modeling and simulation of complex systems involving slow dynamics and long-ranged interactions.”

Maginn’s research has had a major impact on chemical engineering by enabling engineers to design and optimize materials and processes at the molecular level for energy and environmental applications. By developing widely used computational tools and design methods, his research allows engineers to predict material performance before materials are synthesized, reducing development time, cost and risk. These advances have helped move molecular simulation from a specialized research tool into a practical engineering approach used in academia, industry and national laboratories worldwide.

A pioneer in the use of molecular simulations to investigate ionic liquids, Maginn developed new algorithms and open-source simulation tools that made predictive modeling of charged fluids both accurate and broadly accessible. He holds nine patents in this field, and his work led to the development of the open-source Monte Carlo package Cassandra, most commonly used to compute the thermodynamic properties of fluids.

“Ed Maginn’s foundational research in molecular simulation has helped shape modern chemical engineering,” said , the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering. “His election to the National Academy of Engineering is a fitting recognition of his scientific leadership, innovation and lasting impact on the field.”

Maginn’s work has directly informed the development of new materials for carbon capture, energy storage, separations and sustainable refrigeration. He is to the , a National Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center, alongside 11 other 91�Թ� faculty members. He also participates in two Energy Frontier Research Centers supported by the Department of Energy: and .

Maginn has published more than 270 peer-reviewed papers with more than 34,000 citations. He has written 10 book chapters. Maginn has been a senior editor of the and served on the editorial boards for leading publications in his field, including the , and the .

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Ed on the remarkable achievement of election to the NAE,” said , the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . “He is both a top researcher and highly respected administrator and educator — such an outstanding recognition for his tremendous research impact and national leadership is well-deserved.”

Since joining the 91�Թ� faculty in 1995, Maginn has served as chair of the , as well as associate dean for academic programs in the . Maginn is also recognized for his excellence in teaching, having received 91�Թ�’s highest honors for faculty instruction: the James A. Burns, C.S.C., Award for Distinction in Graduate Education in 2018 and the Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in 2022. In addition, Maginn has mentored more than 35 doctoral students and over 20 postdoctoral scholars. He is a trustee and executive director of the nonprofit , which promotes the use of computational methods in chemical engineering.

Maginn was in 2023. He was recently honored with the Ernest Thiele Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2021 and the Iowa State University College of Engineering Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering (PACE) award in 2020. Maginn is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Maginn graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, followed by a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

With his election to the NAE, Maginn joins a distinguished group of 91�Թ� colleagues who have also received this honor, including , the Robert M. Moran Professor of Engineering; , professor emeritus of chemical and biomolecular engineering; , the Clifford and Evelyn Brosey Professor Emeritus of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering; Steve Walker, professor of the practice; and , the Huisking Foundation, Inc. Collegiate Research Professor.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Traditional sampling is too labor-intensive for whole-forest surveys, while modern genomics—though capable of pinpointing active genes—is still too expensive for large-scale application. Remote sensing offers a high-resolution solution from the skies, but currently limited paradigms for data analysis mean the images obtained do not say enough, early enough.

A new study from researchers at the University of 91�Թ�, published in , uncovers a more comprehensive picture of forest health. Funded by NASA, the research shows that spectral reflectance—a measurement obtained from satellite images—corresponds with the expression of specific genes.

Reflectance is how much light reflects off of leaf material, and at which specific wavelengths, in the visible and near-infrared range. Calculated as the ratio of reflected light to incoming light and measured using special sensors, reflectance data reveals a unique signature specific to the leaf’s composition and condition.

“This has the potential to revolutionize forest health monitoring,” said , the Gillen Director of the (UNDERC) who led the study. “By connecting reflectance with gene expression, we can get a real-time measure of forest health at the genomic level that picks up the early indicators of declining forest health and connects them back to real changes happening on the cellular level.”

While reflectance is a strong indicator of both physical and chemical leaf properties, the utility of knowing these features is limited without the ability to determine their molecular origin.

“We now have the ability to fly an airplane over a whole forest and rapidly document the traits of every tree’s canopy, but what we can actually say about a certain tree’s condition is still quite simple,” said Swenson, professor in the . “So, we wanted to go beyond that, asking: Is there a significant relationship between the reflectance of a leaf and its gene expression?”

In short, the answer is yes.

Swenson, with the help of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, collected leaf samples from two common tree species—sugar maple and red maple—at the University’s in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

At the point of collection, reflectance data for the surface of each leaf was measured and recorded, before the sample was preserved and processed for gene expression analysis. This analysis focused on genes related to water response, drought, photosynthesis and plant-pest or plant-pathogen interactions. The reflectance data was also processed to determine the wavelengths of light reflected or absorbed by a particular leaf.

For more than half of the genes analyzed, the researchers found a strong correlation with specific reflectance wavelengths. This means that across most of the trees surveyed, those whose leaves expressed a certain gene reflected or absorbed the same “signature” wavelengths of light as other leaves that expressed the same gene.

“We’ve done it here on just a small scale, but the potential for predicting the expression of hundreds to thousands of ecologically important genes from reflectance is immense,” Swenson said. “We could monitor whole forests on the genomic scale, via sensors on the international space station.”

To apply this newly-defined correlation to whole forests, Swenson is looking to scale previous research. A 2024 study combined satellite images with artificial intelligence-enabled computational networks to create tree species maps for the .

The AI model, developed by a multi-institutional team including Swenson, can be trained to identify particular trees by species using images of the whole forest’s canopy collected by sensors. When layered together with reflectance and gene expression data, the model has the potential to generate a complete profile for a single tree based on its species, reflectance signature and the gene expression map for that species. Doing so would allow researchers to single out struggling individuals or clusters more efficiently for intervention.

"You can take these models that we're generating at the leaf level and apply them to those new data sets of reflectance whether that's from an airplane or from a satellite. And then you can build a map of gene expression on the scale of a national forest,” Swenson said. “The end goal here is using the right data to rapidly assess how trees are responding to stressors, so that we can intervene before the forest hits a crisis point.”

Such an undertaking requires the input of experts in remote sensing, genomics and ecology, all of which are members of Swenson’s research team within the University’s . Co-authors of the Nature Communications study include postdoctoral scholar Yanni Chen, graduate student Alexander Cox, and former graduate students Logan Monks and Vanessa Rubio.

“This work doesn’t happen without scientists from vastly different fields, ecologists alongside genomicists alongside data scientists, sitting down at a table together and engaging with the same question from different angles,” Swenson said. “We need all of our individual strengths pulling together to meet these challenges.”

Researchers hope that pinpointing pH-sensitive structures in proteins would help them determine how proteins respond to pH changes in normal and diseased cells alike and, ultimately, to design drugs to treat these diseases.

Now, in a new study out today in , researchers at the University of 91�Թ� present a computational process that can scan hundreds of proteins in a few days, screening for pH-sensitive protein structures.

“Before even picking up a pipette or running a single experiment, we can predict which proteins are sensitive to these pH changes, which proteins actually drive these critical processes like division, migration, cancer development and neurodegenerative disease development,” said , the Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in the “No more searching for the needle in the haystack.”

Determining exactly how pH changes affect the behavior-driving proteins on a molecular level has been a challenge because researchers must laboriously test individual proteins in a signaling pathway for pH sensitivity one by one. Across biology, only 70 cytoplasmic proteins have been confirmed as pH-sensitive — though researchers hypothesize that there are many, many more — and of those, the molecular mechanisms of only 20 are known.

The new study, supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, developed and validated a modular, computational pipeline that predicts the location of pH-sensitive structures based on existing structural and experimental data.

In the process of developing the pipeline, White’s research group predicted and validated the pH sensitivity of a distinctive binding module known as the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, which appears in proteins crucial for cell signaling, immune response and development, as well as the pH-dependent function of c-Src, an intensively studied enzyme that is activated in many cancers.

“These proteins are central to cell regulation in addition to being mutated in certain cancers, and in addition to showing that they are pH-sensitive, we’ve also found exactly where on the protein the pH regulation is occurring,” explained Papa Kobina Van Dyck, the lead study author and a recent doctoral graduate in . “We’ve managed to condense 25 years of work into a few weeks.”

“In addition to cancer and neurodegeneration, pH dynamics are associated with diabetes, autoimmune disorders and traumatic brain injury,” White said. “Our pipeline is a powerful tool for understanding and, ultimately, designing treatments for these conditions, with the potential to transform the field.”

To read the complete news story, visit .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

The University of 91�Թ� and Under Armour announced a new, long-term and unprecedented partnership to pursue innovation through joint research. Over the next decade, both organizations will co-invest in research initiatives that span multiple colleges and disciplines, and allow 91�Թ�’s faculty, staff and student researchers to work alongside Under Armour personnel to identify research questions and design solutions for impact on campus and beyond.

“91�Թ� and Under Armour already have a long-standing partnership focused on driving excellence on the playing field and shaping elite student-athletes,” said , the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . “We are thrilled by this evolution in our relationship, which will similarly drive excellence in the research lab and shape the next generation of elite scientific, engineering and business innovators.”

A key focus of the research collaborations will build upon the University’s long-standing expertise in materials and environmental science. This will include testing recyclable, biodegradable or low-impact fabrics and polymers; exploring the environmental impact of garment degradation; and researching novel polymer materials. Other initiatives will leverage 91�Թ�’s established student-athlete health and performance testing protocols to evaluate Under Armour prototypes in the real world. Such cooperative testing will also enable the tailoring of products to meet the precise needs of 91�Թ� student-athletes as they adapt to the ongoing effects of intense training and the travel inherent in college athletics.

“While standing on this strong internal foundation, partnering with Under Armour will add a new dimension of industry expertise that elevates our efforts to bring innovations from the lab to the playing field.”

In addition, the partnership will explore opportunities to leverage the University’s advanced capabilities in computation and predictive modeling to enhance performance insights and product development to better serve student-athletes at 91�Թ� and across the country.

“At Under Armour, innovation is hardwired into everything we do — that includes designing and manufacturing products that help athletes at the highest levels gain that extra competitive edge, and that fulfill our core commitment to thinking, acting and operating sustainably,” said Kyle Blakely, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Development and Testing at Under Armour. “This is a perfect partnership because it will combine Under Armour’s expertise in producing the best-performing gear and apparel on the market with 91�Թ�’s world-class research in materials and environmental science. Providing athletes with performance solutions that simultaneously help protect the planet is the dream, and through this partnership we’ll be able to get even closer to making that dream a reality.”

By engaging Under Armour’s commercial expertise in human performance and athletic product development on campus, the partnership also enables educational and professional advancement for undergraduate and graduate students, including research experiences, internships and employment opportunities.

The new agreement will further strengthen internal ties between and 91�Թ� Athletics. Earlier this year, the two units awarded three research teams the first-ever , which provide funding to support exceptional research projects that contribute meaningfully to fields related to human health, well-being and performance.

“We are incredibly pleased with the momentum Athletics and Research have already built together,” said , the Pat and Jana Eilers Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance. “While standing on this strong internal foundation, partnering with Under Armour will add a new dimension of industry expertise that elevates our efforts to bring innovations from the lab to the playing field.”

To learn more about the ways 91�Թ� Research is partnering with 91�Թ� Athletics on research facilities, infrastructure, opportunities and funding related to the science of elite performance, contact sportsperformance@nd.edu or athleticsresearch-list@nd.edu.

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Contact: Erin Fennessy, writing program manager, 91�Թ� Research, efenness@nd.edu, 574-631-8183

Speaking about Deak’s hire, , the John and Catherine Martin Vice President for Research, said, “After an extensive national search, I am thrilled that we found our new leader right here at 91�Թ�. Karen’s distinctive skills and collaborative mindset are exactly what the commercialization and innovation landscape at the University needs right now, especially as we look to build a partnership-centric unit that works hand-in-glove with our faculty, staff, and student researchers, our community, and our corporate partners.”

As interim director, Deak has led the refocusing of the team to better support the commercialization of University-created technology. Under this new framework, the team of researcher liaisons fully focuses on supporting faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate student researchers across all disciplines by helping them identify research that is potentially patentable or commercially promising.

The new structure also includes a separate Technology Protection and Licensing Team, which focuses on identifying and maintaining intellectual property (IP) protection for inventions and University-created work. This team also includes experts who focus on licensing research to corporate partners who are interested in developing it into products and services that advance the common good.

The final piece of the IDEA Center’s new Research Commercialization framework is the Ventures and Strategic External Relations Team, which is responsible for exploring and initiating new external relationships, while also nurturing existing partnerships. This team is currently responsible for administering the IDEA Center's Pit Road Fund and the University's relationship with the 1842 Fund and Alloy Partners, and aims to significantly grow the number of external partnerships focused on commercializing 91�Թ�’s research.

“I’m thrilled by the invitation to become a permanent member of such a great team,” Deak said. “I’ve greatly enjoyed my time in the interim role, and I’m humbled to have been selected to continue leading the IDEA Center as we work in partnership with the University’s researchers.”

Deak brings a diverse portfolio of experiences to her position, with expertise in patent law, philanthropic fundraising, student engagement, and project management, including previous roles in the early operations of the IDEA Center. She holds a doctorate in genetics from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“With her extensive background in patent law and commercialization, Karen is well-positioned to lead the IDEA Center into a new chapter of supporting researchers and their ideas on the entire journey from early development to commercial launch."

Deak began her career at what is now the world's largest law firm, where she worked as a patent agent, representing clients as diverse as Washington University in St. Louis and large multinationals such as Monsanto, to help them prepare and prosecute patent applications at the U.S. Patent Office. Initially recruited to the University via the College of Science, Deak was tasked with planning, creating, and managing a master's-level program teaching patent law to prospective patent agents, which she directed for five years.

Before formally joining the IDEA Center’s staff in 2017, Deak was involved in its establishment and early growth. As commercialization specialist for 91�Թ� Research, she served the faculty liaison to the developing IDEA Center. Deak expanded the impact of the center’s partnerships as director of network engagement, as she developed and leveraged a nationwide, multi-industry network of external alumni experts to help commercialize 91�Թ�-generated innovations.

Deak then went on to lead the creation of strategic growth and fundraising plans for 91�Թ� Research, , and the IDEA Center, as the academic advancement director within the . Prior to returning to the University to serve as interim director at the IDEA Center, Deak supported the work of two start-ups in a variety of roles.

“With her extensive background in patent law and commercialization, Karen is well-positioned to lead the IDEA Center into a new chapter of supporting researchers and their ideas on the entire journey from early development to commercial launch. We are excited to have her on the 91�Թ� Research team,” said Rhoads.

Learn more about Deak and the IDEA Center on the .

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at on October 17, 2025.

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is one of the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research in the context of their organization’s mission.

, the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the , said, “We congratulate these exceptional faculty members for the recognition that the CAREER award bestows upon their work, which is both inventive and ambitious. 91�Թ�’s success with this program is a testament to both the groundbreaking research conducted here and the translation of this work into our classrooms and communities, investments in both current innovation and future talent for our nation.”

This year’s CAREER award recipients are:

, assistant professor in the

Kong will conduct a project titled “Security Foundations of Safe Learning Enabled Cyber-Physical Systems.” Kong will study new security vulnerabilities of learning-enabled cyber-physical systems and develop novel defense techniques to enhance real-world safety. Kong will evaluate the deployment of these techniques on multiple applications including autonomous vehicles and other robotic systems, with the goal of helping ensure the reliable operation of cyber-physical applications in the real world.

To promote student interest in cyber-physical systems, Kong and his team will integrate their research into educational programs at all levels, including summer learning opportunities with programmable robotic cars for K-12 students, as well as an annual robotics challenge and additional research programming for undergraduates at 91�Թ�.

, assistant professor in the

Liu’s project, “Atomic-scale Josephson Spectroscopic Imaging of Unconventional and Non-reciprocal Superconductivity,” will examine the directionality of electron flow in superconductors at the atomic level, with the objective of gaining insight into the very nature of superconductivity and its underlying mechanisms.

At the same time, Liu will broaden the educational impact of superconductor research through a STEM Teachers residency program, during which middle school teachers will participate directly in research and co-develop curriculum materials. Liu’s group will also design and construct demonstration setups for use in classrooms, research facilities and museums.

, assistant professor in the

Osheron will conduct a project titled “Probing low mass final states with the CMS detector,” targeting complex particle interactions predicted by theories that go beyond the current foundational theory of particle physics, called the Standard Model. At the Compact Muon Solenoid detector (CMS), one of the four main detectors at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in Geneva, Switzerland, Osherson will develop advanced data analysis techniques, including re-imagining facial recognition tools to help interpret complex data produced by the CMS detector, with the goal of uncovering novel particles and interactions.

Simultaneously, Osherson will integrate his research into outreach programming tailored for high school students and teachers, including promoting greater participation in virtual particle physics workshops.

, assistant professor in the

Ramsey will conduct a project titled “Model theory, independence, and approximation.” Ramsey is specifically interested in smoothly approximable structures, which are infinite geometries that can be seen as “limits” of finite geometric structures. Drawing inspiration from smoothly approximable structures, Ramsey will develop the necessary tools to understand and explore even more complex analogues of these geometries, which will enable meaningful applications to algebra, representation theory and combinatorics.

Alongside his research, Ramsey will expand educational access to model theory by organizing a summer school for graduate students at 91�Թ�, as well as collaborating with students in world regions where learning exposure to high-level mathematical logic is limited.

Since the program’s inception in 1995, NSF CAREER awards have been given to 147 researchers at the University of 91�Թ�. To learn more, visit the .

Joule Bergerson, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary (Canada), has been selected to serve as the faculty director of at the University of 91�Թ� (South Bend, Indiana, USA), effective August 1. Bergerson has also been appointed the inaugural Richard and Ellen Stanley Professor of Energy Systems Engineering in the . As a leading expert in energy technology assessment, her research informs infrastructure and investment decisions as well as energy innovations in the global effort to more aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“ND Energy was formed to meet the global need for answers to complex energy and sustainability challenges,” said , John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . “With her profound knowledge of the economic and environmental impact of emerging energy technologies, Joule is the ideal leader for the next phase of energy research at 91�Թ�.”

At the intersection of policy and technical innovation, Bergerson’s work involves scientists, engineers and members of the business community who are developing new energy technologies. Her goal is to equip stakeholders with tools to assess the financial and environmental costs of energy — from generation to use to waste management — facilitating a clearer understanding of the complex benefits and trade-offs of energy production and expenditure.

An international collaborator, Bergerson has published numerous open-source tools for modeling energy systems. Her , a tool for estimating the impact of crude oil quality and oil refinery layout on greenhouse gas emissions, informs the (OCI), and . In recognition of her leadership, Bergerson presented the life cycle model at the  in Paris.

, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of 91�Թ�’s and professor of civil engineering, said, “We are thrilled that Joule will be joining our College of Engineering faculty and very grateful to Richard and Ellen Stanley for endowing the named chair that attracted her to 91�Թ�. Joule’s talents and expertise ideally complement those of our current faculty engaged in energy and sustainability focused research, and will enable us to advance new solutions for clean energy transitions that are equitable and just.”

Bergerson’s interdisciplinary and diplomatic approach to energy development resonates with the mission of ND Energy. By bringing together experts in engineering, sustainability and international relations, the center was created to address the most pressing global energy issues of our time. The University’s reaffirmed its commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable energy future, and, under Bergerson’s leadership, ND Energy will play a key role in supporting this effort.

“My work to date has gone beyond the engineering of energy to include the economic and operational aspects of energy production, which are so important in today’s world,” Bergerson said. “In order to plan for a more sustainable and equitable future, we must have the data to be well-informed, and I am thrilled to join my experience with the mission of the University and work alongside world-class colleagues toward this end.”

Bergerson earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry and environmental science from the University of Western Ontario and a master’s degree in chemical and environmental engineering from the University of Toronto. She completed her doctoral studies in the joint programs of civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University before joining the University of Calgary as a postdoctoral fellow in 2005.

Bergerson has received numerous institutional awards for excellence throughout two decades of teaching and research. In 2017, she was named a for her leadership in technology assessments in the energy sector. In 2024, she was recognized by the Assessment with their Leadership in Academia Award.

Learn more about Bergerson and .