“The ABI is unique because it brings together researchers from a diverse array of fields,” said ABI Director Li-Huei Tsai, Picower Professor in the the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (BCS). “Today’s symposium showcases MIT’s collective brilliance across neuroscience, engineering, chemistry, and beyond.”
One of the talks, for instance, featured a team effort including Giovanni Traverso, the Karl Van Tassel (1925) Professor of Mechanical Engineering and a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who has joined forces with Tsai and other collaborators to develop an artificial intelligence system that could improve personalized Alzheimer’s care by matching patients to the best prevention interventions for them. The system integrates data from clinical trials, patient lifestyle histories, and multi-omics data (e.g., genomics, proteomics) to predict an individual’s Alzheimer’s progression and likely response to interventions.
Speaking alongside project leads Arvid Gollwitzer, an engineer-scientist in the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and MIT-Novo Nordisk AI Fellow Adrián Noriega de la Colina, Traverso described how the team engineered an AI model, called FINGERS-7B, to integrate these multiple highly diverse data sources into its training, thereby amassing 8 trillion “tokens” to inform its predictions.
“Every individual is very unique in their biology, and that links to how we respond to those interventions,” said Noriega. Not only could AI predictions help tailor individual prevention measures, he added, but also it could inform clinical trial designs by better pinpointing the most appropriate populations to target with a prospective drug or other treatment.
Picower Professor Earl K. Miller focused on prevention of a different problem for the aging brain: cognitive side effects from exposure to too much general anesthesia. Noting high rates of postoperative delirium in older adults after major surgery, Miller described his research with ABI founding member and Institute Professor Emery N. Brown, a Picower Institute and BCS colleague, to develop a closed-loop system that uses brain wave-based measurements of unconsciousness to optimize anesthesia dosing. Miller and Brown’s labs have shown that regardless of their molecular means of action, multiple anesthesia drugs induce unconsciousness in the same way: by shifting brainwaves out of phase with each other, disrupting the coordination of communication across the brain’s cortex that sustains cognition and consciousness. Informed by such brain wave “signatures” of unconsciousness, the system could help anesthesiologists to safely tailor dosing during surgery.
In her talk, associate professor of mechanical engineering Ritu Raman, the Eugene Bell Career Development Chair of Tissue Engineering, described how she’s approaching the study of neuromuscular diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and muscular dytrophies, by developing advanced lab models of muscle tissue that also integrate nerves and vasculature. For instance, for ALS, her lab has been able to make the cultures from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients. The lab models give her team an opportunity to examine neuromuscular junctions in detail and to model how they change in response to potentially therapeutic drugs.
In many neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, a major pathology is misfolding and aggregation of intrinsically disordered proteins, such as amyloid-beta or alpha-synuclein. In her talk, William R (1964) and Daniel L. (1995) Young Career Development Assistant Professor of Chemistry Oleta Johnson described her lab’s work to prevent aggregation before it starts. In pursuit of that strategy, she said her lab’s research is focused on developing the chemical knowledge and means to identify proteins at issue, detect that they are moving into a problematic state, and then control their conformation.
Eugene McDermott Professor in the Brain Sciences and Human Behavior Alan Jasanoff, a member of the BCS and Biological Engineering departments as well as the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, described a very different application of chemistry to aging brain research. He described how his lab develops novel chemical probes to make molecules in the brain visible in magnetic resonance imaging. These include the neuromodulatory enzyme cholinesterase, which is the target of many of the few drugs approved to treat Alzheimer’s, and also lipids, which several brain cell types mishandle in Alzheimer’s, Tsai and others have shown. His lab has also developed technology to genetically encode a novel probe in brain cells to improve MRI visualization of brain activity.
And while many researchers focus on the prominent problems that proteins or lipids present in neurodegenerative disease, Novartis Professor of Chemistry Laura Kiessling discussed a less-appreciated but still important component of cellular function: sugars called glycans that line the surface of cells. In particular, researchers have linked a glycan called heparan sulfate to Alzheimer’s disease. Kiessling’s lab, working with ABI founding member Ed Boyden, Y. Eva Tan Professor of Neurotechnology, is working to characterize and understand glycans. Her lab, for instance, has shown that glycans of different sequences organize on cell membranes so that they can bind and recruit specific proteins to distinct regions on cells.
“We are really excited about the fact that we’ve observed this now for the first time and have a toolkit to study other diseases,” she said. Understanding glycan binding could even give scientists a means to target different cells and cellular processes.
Following the six talks, more than a dozen trainees at a poster session presented even more aging brain-related projects from around the Institute, further highlighting MIT’s diversity of research in the area, something the ABI exists to encourage.
From massive AI datasets to the sugars on individual cells, the symposium highlighted how MIT scientists are pushing the frontiers of science and engineering to improve understanding of, and interventions for, the health of the aging brain.
]]>The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Chemistry, together with the Schwarzman College of Computing, located at 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 invite applications for a position bridging chemistry and computational, machine-learning, or generative AI approaches at the level of a tenure-track Assistant Professor, beginning July 1, 2027 or as soon thereafter as possible.
We seek outstanding candidates who develop and apply frontier computational approaches, including machine learning and generative methods, to address important problems across all areas of chemistry. Example areas of chemistry include; molecular, materials, biomolecular, and reaction discovery; advances in electronic-structure theory, molecular simulation, and multiscale modeling; sustainability and energy; and quantum simulation and materials.
Also of interest are candidates developing chemistry-informed, data-efficient models and AI-enabled experimentation. We especially welcome applicants merging innovative computational or machine-learning approaches with experimental strategies to address fundamental questions and/or devise new technologies in the chemical sciences. A Ph.D. in chemistry, computational chemistry, biochemistry, computer science (with a multi-year chemistry postdoc), or a related discipline is required by the start of employment.
The successful candidate will have a shared appointment in the Department of Chemistry and the SCC, in either the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) or the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), depending on best fit. Tenure-track faculty are expected to develop and lead a vibrant, independent research program, play an active role in shaping the academic work and culture of both the Chemistry and the SCC research communities, and share our commitment to undergraduate and graduate education.
Together with the SCC, MIT Chemistry is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment that emphasizes mentoring and welcomes diverse backgrounds. The successful candidate will be provided with lab and office space, a generous start-up package, and access to state-of-the-art core facilities.
Applications are being accepted at Academic Jobs Online.
To receive full consideration, completed applications must be received by November 15, 2026.
Pay range for a 9-month academic appointment at the Assistant Professor rank: $143,200 – $154,000.
MIT provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the Institute reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of posting. The pay offered to a selected candidate during hiring will be based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience and education/training, internal peer equity, and applicable legal requirements. This pay range represents base pay only and does not include any other benefits or compensation.
MIT is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from individuals from all identities and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive equitable consideration for employment based on their experience and qualifications and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin. View MIT Policy on Non Discrimination and EEOC’s Know Your Rights. Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check, including possible verification of any findings of misconduct (or pending investigations) from prior employers.
]]>The mission of the ACCESS program is to increase the diversity of qualified applicants to PhD programs in chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science throughout the United States. ACCESS is a weekend of educational and informative events that will introduce talented sophomores, juniors and seniors to the benefits of a graduate education in these fields. The goal of ACCESS is not to prepare students for graduate school at MIT specifically, but rather to introduce them to the advantages of choosing a graduate career path at an institution that best meets each participant’s individual needs.
The weekend-long program offered students an overview of graduate education through seminars, faculty talks, and interactive sessions, all designed to give a greater understanding of the application process and an insight into the career opportunities that stem from PhD programs. The majority of participants in prior years have applied for and enrolled in PhD programs.
Thirteen of the program’s 26 attendees participated in the Chemistry schedule, which kicked off with a welcome from Department Head and Class of 1942 Professor Matt Shoulders. Chemistry faculty and alumni engaged with students throughout the weekend. Professors Kit Cummins and Alex Radosevich, and PhD student, Alex Cumming spoke on the Graduate Admissions panel; and Assistant Professor Sam Peng, Dr. Whitney Hess, and Dr. Andrew DiChiaria engaged with the participants in the Careers in Chemistry panel. Moungi Bawendi, Lester Wolfe Professor of Chemistry, provided the keynote address.
In addition, the weekend included a campus tour, a Duck Boat tour, a Quantum Dots presentation with members of the Bawendi Group, a Communications Workshop, and two-minute drills. The program concluded with a reception dinner.
To learn more about the MIT ACCESS program, including how to apply, visit the MIT ACCESS website.
]]>This year’s funded projects include harnessing AI to accelerate discoveries for improved cancer treatments, helping stroke survivors regain natural speech and communication, advancing placenta research to develop new treatments for preeclampsia, and unlocking existing drug therapies to treat hundreds of rare diseases.
The 58 awards, totaling approximately $237.5 million, will support investigators pursuing bold ideas that challenge conventional approaches and could open new pathways to scientific discovery. Awards will begin in 2026 and provide support for up to five years, pending the availability of funds.
The High-Risk, High-Reward Research program supports researchers at different career stages who propose highly innovative research that may be difficult to pursue with traditional NIH funding mechanisms. The program encourages investigators to think beyond established scientific boundaries and to pursue revolutionary ideas across the NIH mission to advance knowledge and enhance health.
New Innovator Awardees
Three MIT researchers received an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, which recognizes “exceptional creativity proposing bold, highly innovative and impactful research.” They are:
This year NIH issued 7 Pioneer Awards, 42 New Innovator Awards, 6 Transformative Research Awards, and 3 Early Independence Awards in 2026. Funding for the awards comes from the NIH Common Fund, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), and the Office of Research Innovation, Validation, and Application (ORIVA).
]]>“I think chemistry is a blend of theoretical and experimental insights, so from a young age I have been curious about ‘the central science’, despite not having early access to state-of-the-art laboratories,” Minh said. “Moreover, synthesizing organic molecules and their macromolecular analogs has always been a fun yet challenging pursuit for scientists. I am motivated to propose simple, elegant, and effective solutions for the synthesis of desired compounds and materials.”
Georgia began her career at MIT as an Area Assistant in the Department of Architecture in 2024 and joined Chemistry’s Finance team last year, September 2025. Since then, she has supported a range of pre- and post-award research administration activities while also developing internal financial tools and processes that have strengthened the team’s efficiency and compliance efforts.
During her time in Chemistry, Georgia has distinguished herself through her dedication, teamwork, initiative, financial management skills, and strong commitment to fiscal responsibility. She consistently provides thoughtful, high-quality support to our research community and has developed valuable resources for the Finance team.
]]>Such a platform opens opportunities for low-power edge computing applications, interactive medical and environmental monitoring systems, and smart robots.
The researchers accomplished this by leveraging the unique mechanical response of soft polymers at the nanoscale. A mechanical response is how a structure changes when a force is applied to it.
They harnessed this response to create tiny mechanical devices that use reconfigurable motion to remember and process information in a way that mimics how neurons behave in the brain.
Because key computing functions are built into the intrinsic properties of the soft polymer material, the number of components needed to perform the functions are minimized, enabling a compact and versatile platform for information processing.
“Complex and coupled nanoscale phenomena can provide tremendous opportunities for new approaches to information processing and integrating multiple functionalities, such as computing, sensing, and actuation. This could enable levels of energy efficiency, autonomy, and reconfigurability in nanoscale devices and systems that are challenging to achieve with conventional computing platforms,” says Farnaz Niroui, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science (EECS), a member of the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE), and senior author of a paper on this device. “Here, we harness the intrinsic mechanical properties of materials to engineer device-level dynamics, such that the material building blocks play a much more active role in defining device functionality than conventionally considered.”
She is joined on the paper by co-lead authors Peter Satterthwaite and Sarah Spector, EECS graduate students; as well as Jeremiah Johnson, the A. Thomas Guertin Professor of Chemistry at MIT; Maxwell Conte, a graduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Teddy Hsieh, an EECS graduate student; postdoc Eduard Bobylev; and Srinidhi Venkatesh ’25. The research appears today in Science Advances.
Bioinspired computation
Biological systems can leverage physical changes, like motion or deformation, to process information efficiently and without needing access to a central controller.
For instance, an octopus has a highly distributed nervous systems, with about two-thirds of its neurons spread throughout its arms. This allows the octopus to sense and process information about its environment locally and generate responses without requiring access to the central brain.
As an example, an octopus can mechanically change the color cells in its skin, enabling it to go through a rapid and context-specific camouflage process.
“You can think of an octopus as continuous computing matter, with computing, memory, sensing, and actuation distributed throughout its body,” Niroui adds.
Inspired by such performance, the researchers sought to develop a platform that can compute using mechanical transformations at the nanoscale. In mechanical computing, calculations are performed through physical transformations like movement and compression.
While bioinspired mechanical computing platforms have been developed at the micro and macro scales, the MIT researchers shrunk their device to the nanoscale. At this scale, even minute mechanical transformations can lead to drastic changes in a material’s properties. This can enable complex computing in an energy-efficient platform.
But achieving the reversible nanomechanical transformations needed for such computing is a fundamental challenge. When two surfaces come very close, they experience strong adhesive forces that pull the surfaces together, making them impossible to unstick.
To overcome this fundamental challenge, the researchers built a device with a super-thin film of the soft polymer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) sandwiched between two metal electrodes. This soft spacer balances the adhesive forces between the two metal surfaces, keeping the electrodes from crashing together in an irreversible way.
“The soft material in serves as a ‘nano-spring,’ to help balance the forces to achieve nanoscale mechanical reconfiguration in a controlled and reversible manner,” Niroui explains.
When the researchers apply a voltage to the device, the two metal plates attract to one another, compressing the soft material and altering the electrical current flowing through the device.
“PDMS is viscoelastic, which means that after being compressed, it takes time to return to its original state. This allows the devices to dynamically remember the history of forces and voltages applied to them, and convert that history into an electrical response,” says Satterthwaite.
They researchers used this performance to demonstrate an artificial neuron.
Brain-inspired information processing
In the brain, each neuron accumulates an electrical charge a little bit at a time until it reaches a threshold and fires, passing information to other neurons in the network.
The researchers’ device mirrors this behavior. As voltage is applied over time, it accumulates stimulus as the electrodes gradually compress the PDMS. After crossing a threshold, it “fires” like a neuron before relaxing back to its original state.
“We have this complex functionality, which is the basis of biological computing, all contained in one nanoscale device,” Satterthwaite says.
Since computing and memory are incorporated within a single device with no need for external components, like capacitors or complex circuitry, this platform can achieve high energy efficiency with a small footprint.
“The performance highly relies on the memory introduced using the soft polymer. We can intentionally engineer this over a large design space to meet the requirements of the desired applications,” Spector says.
The device can also be compatible with biological systems, Spector adds. For instance, it could be useful in applications like smart prosthetics that can rapidly process tactile data or low-power wearable patches that collect and analyze health indicators in real-time.
In the future, the researchers want to expand this work to further integrate sensing with computing and memory to realize nanomechanical computing matter with applications in intelligent and adaptive systems.
This work was funded, in part, by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), an MIT EECS MathWorks Fellowship, and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. Device fabrication was carried out, in part, using MIT.nano facilities.
]]>MIT researchers have now developed an electrochemical approach to promote hydrogen release from ammonia while simultaneously separating and concentrating the hydrogen into a high-purity stream. Their strategy, which uses electricity to speed up the extraction, reduces the temperature and energy required to recover hydrogen from ammonia and other hydrogen carriers.
In a new study, the researchers showed that their approach can generate highly concentrated, pure streams of hydrogen.
“We have shown the ability to use electrochemistry to drive thermodynamically uphill and kinetically difficult dehydrogenation reactions,” says Yogesh Surendranath, the Donner Professor of Science and a professor of chemistry and chemical engineering. “In this case, we studied the conversion of ammonia and a liquid organic molecule because of their importance as possible hydrogen carriers for a hydrogen economy. But the concepts we learned here could in principle be translated further, and we’re actively working on translating it to other important dehydrogenation reactions.”
Surendranath is the corresponding author of the study, which appears today in Nature. MIT postdoc Rui Zeng, now a professor of materials science and engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology in Shenzhen, China, is the paper’s lead author.
Extracting hydrogen
Hydrogen is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing and chemical processing and is also an energy carrier in fuel cells that use hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity without combustion. Expanding its use, however, will require practical ways to store and distribute it.
Hydrogen gas itself is difficult to transport efficiently without compression or liquefaction. One alternative is to store hydrogen chemically in compounds that are liquids or can be readily liquefied, then release it where and when it is needed.
Ammonia is one promising hydrogen carrier because it is already produced and transported across large distances, but recovering hydrogen from ammonia remains challenging. That process, known as “cracking,” requires temperatures higher than 500 degrees Celsius to achieve high reaction rates and conversion. The hydrogen must then be separated from nitrogen and unreacted ammonia.
“We wanted to ask whether we could use electrical inputs to drive what would otherwise be an unfavorable dehydrogenation reaction, and simultaneously do it in a way that would separate the hydrogen from the hydrogen carrier, so that it would be very pure and could be used directly in a fuel cell or other application that requires a high purity hydrogen stream,” Surendranath says.
The key element of the researchers’ new design is the coupling of a palladium-based separation membrane with a hydrogen-generating electrode through a molten hydroxide electrolyte. The separation membrane selectively transports hydrogen while preventing other components of the reaction mixture from passing through.
Using the new setup, ammonia is first dehydrogenated by a catalyst containing ruthenium and cesium. The hydrogen then reaches the separation membrane, whose opposite side is in contact with a molten hydroxide electrolyte.
The electrochemical gradient across this membrane effectively creates a “vacuum” for hydrogen, providing a strong driving force for its transport across the membrane. It also converts the hydrogen into protons and electrons, which travel separately through the molten electrolyte and external circuit, respectively, before recombining at a second electrode to form hydrogen gas.
Because the membrane selectively transports hydrogen, the system produces a concentrated stream of hydrogen gas without requiring a separate downstream purification process.
“Using this electrochemical process, we’re able to do this active pumping of hydrogen from a low concentration to a high concentration,” Surendranath says.
Continuously extracting hydrogen can also help drive the dehydrogenation reaction forward, especially when the presence of hydrogen inhibits the reaction. In this way, this strategy does more than separate the product: It changes the reaction environment and enables hydrogen recovery under milder conditions.
This process thus can be performed at temperatures around 200 or 300 degrees Celsius, much lower than those required for conventional ammonia cracking. Another advantage is that it creates a pure stream of hydrogen that doesn’t need to be purified later on — a step that requires additional energy.
Curtis Berlinguette, a professor of chemistry and chemical and biological engineering at the University of British Columbia, described the method as “a powerful new way” to solve the problem of obtaining a pure stream of hydrogen from ammonia and other hydrogen carriers.
“By using electricity to pull hydrogen through the membrane as it is released, they accelerate the dehydrogenation of ammonia and liquid organic hydrogen carriers while simultaneously producing a purified hydrogen stream. This is an important advance for the energy sciences because it opens a credible pathway for transporting hydrogen in stable chemical carriers and releasing it where and when it is needed,” says Berlinguette, who was not involved in the research.
Powering transportation
In this study, the researchers showed that this approach could be used to dehydrogenate not only ammonia but also methylcyclohexane. This molecule is part of a class known as liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs), which also hold potential as an energy carrier.
The researchers envision that their new strategy could be useful for transportation applications, such as powering cars, buses, or ships, or for fabricating semiconductors or electronics. Pure hydrogen gas is used for several steps in semiconductor manufacturing, where it plays important roles in boosting manufacturing yields and reducing surface defects.
Because palladium is an expensive metal, the researchers are now working on ways to reduce the amount of palladium needed for the separation membrane. They are also working on scaling up the process, and on applying it to other dehydrogenation reactions that could be industrially useful.
The research was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
]]>“I like chemistry because I feel that the subject applies to everyday life,” said Jordan. “I want to make a positive impact on others through my research, and I thought that pursuing a PhD in chemistry would enable me to do this. What I enjoy most about my project is that I can directly apply my work to drug discovery, and I hope the science I am developing now will one day lead to a new class of medicines.”
As the subject of this Graduate Student Spotlight, Jordan shares something that was common in his childhood but will seem strange to future generations, the most famous people he’s met, the funniest show he’s seen, and more.
Supported by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the program reflects QMIT’s vision of expanding the boundaries of quantum science by encouraging researchers to connect quantum approaches with other disciplines and emerging applications.
As opportunities in quantum research expand, investing in outstanding early-career researchers has never been more important. These fellowships are designed to help cultivate the next generation of quantum leaders, providing the resources and collaborative environment needed to advance transformative research at MIT.
“Quantum science and technology is in a period of extraordinary opportunity, opening new pathways to solving problems across computation, materials, sensing, and communication. Programs like this help MIT attract outstanding researchers whose ideas will shape the future of the field,” says Anantha Chandrakasan, MIT provost and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Launched in December 2025 as an MIT strategic initiative, QMIT brings together researchers from across the Institute to accelerate quantum discovery and apply quantum advances to some of society’s most consequential scientific, technological, industrial, and national security challenges.
“Quantum science is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary,” says Danna Freedman, the Frederick George Keyes Professor of Chemistry and faculty director of QMIT. “Some of the most exciting breakthroughs will come from researchers who combine deep expertise in quantum with new perspectives from other fields. This fellowship is designed to create exactly those kinds of opportunities.”
The QMIT Fellowship is intentionally designed to foster an interdisciplinary research community. Eligible applicants are outstanding quantum researchers working in a range of fields across physics, chemistry and materials science, and fundamental aspects of biological and Earth sciences. The program specifically seeks researchers whose work combines deep expertise in quantum science with a willingness to explore new intellectual frontiers.
One example of the interdisciplinary vision behind the program is the possibility of applying quantum systems to better understand biological processes, bringing together expertise in atomic physics, quantum algorithms, and biology. The fellows will be embedded across the research areas that define QMIT, including quantum computing, quantum sensing and precision measurement, quantum materials, quantum simulation, and quantum networks. Their research may also explore emerging interdisciplinary approaches that combine artificial intelligence and quantum science.
Fellows supported through the program will join MIT’s extensive quantum ecosystem, working alongside researchers across the Institute, including those affiliated with the Research Laboratory of Electronics, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, the Department of Physics, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, and numerous interdisciplinary research centers and laboratories.
Beyond supporting individual research projects, the fellowship program is intended to strengthen the broader quantum community at MIT by fostering collaboration, mentorship, and intellectual exchange across disciplines.
“Quantum research, in the next few years and across a wide range of domains, is going to make the impossible possible,” says Ian Waitz, MIT’s vice president for research and the head of QMIT. “The QMIT fellowship program is an investment in outstanding postdoctoral scholars who will help bring tremendous new quantum capabilities to unforeseen, creative, and transformative applications in science and technology.”
The inaugural QMIT Fellows will begin their appointments during the 2026 academic year. QMIT expects to open applications for a new cohort in fall 2026 as it continues building a community of researchers working across disciplines to advance the future of quantum science.
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