{"690318":{"#nid":"690318","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Accelerating Discovery With AI ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientific discovery is often portrayed as the result of long hours alone in a lab, but true science is inherently collaborative. The most robust experimental processes are developed through partnerships across multiple areas of research. The need for specialized, multidisciplinary teams slows experiment design, execution, data analysis, and process updates, delaying technological validation and deployment. But if the increasingly automated tools scientists already use in the lab could contribute to this team process of experimental design, the timeline for these goals could be greatly accelerated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis concept of \u201clab tool as lab assistant\u201d is the premise of a recent paper in \u003Cem\u003Enpj | Computational Materials\u003C\/em\u003E titled \u201cThinking Microscopes: Agentic AI and the Future of Electron Microscopy,\u201d by Vida Jamali, assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Amirali Aghazadeh, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Josh Kacher, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the paper, the team introduces the concept of \u201cthinking electron microscopes,\u201d in which agentic AI systems are directly integrated with the instrument. This allows microscopes to move beyond their conventional role as characterization tools and toward functioning as co-scientists for human users.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrawing on advances in specialized large language models, or LLMs, that demonstrate their ability to collaborate, reason over data, and integrate prior knowledge, the team envisions specialized LLM-based agents assigned to specific roles and areas of knowledge expertise. By explicitly incorporating domain knowledge into specialized agents and distributing information across multiple agents with focused expertise, the approach enables parallel evaluation of competing hypotheses, clearer separation of roles \u2014\u0026nbsp;such as planning, simulation, and critique \u2014 and more transparent and robust reasoning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWithin the experimental pipeline, these agents can analyze materials\u2019 properties, physical data, chemical processes, and other relevant parameters. They could also collaborate with an agent that specializes in experimental design, refining iterative closed-loop experimentation, and real-time scientific discovery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the research focuses on AI collaboration, the team notes that human researchers must retain accountability for the accuracy and integrity of both the experimental process and the results reported. This oversight begins with advocating for greater open access to research materials in all formats, building community-driven data repositories, and adopting standardization in how experimental parameters and metadata are reported. Equally important, researchers should be willing to report data from failed experiments as well as successful outcomes. Finally, organizations should work together to standardize secure APIs that enable shared, remote access to infrastructure across distances.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWe see this as a step toward scientific instruments that do more than acquire data; systems that can reason over experiments, adapt measurements, and participate in the scientific discovery process alongside researchers. - Vida Jamali,\u0026nbsp;assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team is already developing these systems by connecting cloud-based, agentic infrastructures to microscopes at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/matter-systems.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EInstitute for Matter and Systems at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E. With the addition of agentic AI, the goal is to accelerate discovery and engineering of new nanoscale materials for energy and quantum applications, as well as advance capabilities in cryo-electron microscopy and structural biology. These tools can optimize data collection, link real-time microscope observations with structural models of proteins, and dynamically adjust and prioritize experiments. The team sees this work as the first step toward the next generation of \u201cthinking\u201d electron microscopes, as well as an advancement in scientific discovery across domains.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;- Christa M. Ernst\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis research is supported by the Institute for Data Engineering and Science and the Institute for Matter and Systems\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOriginal Publication\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EJamali, V., Aghazadeh, A. \u0026amp; Kacher, J.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41524-026-02077-y\u0022\u003EThinking microscopes: agentic AI and the future of electron microscopy.\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Cem\u003Enpj Computational Materials\u003C\/em\u003E 12, 149 (2026). https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41524-026-02077-y\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Automating Electron Microscopy Experimental Design With Agentic AI"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EScientific discovery is often portrayed as the result of long hours alone in a lab, but true science is inherently collaborative. The most robust experimental processes are developed through partnerships across multiple areas of research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New paper teams AI agents with microscopy tools to increase productivity in research processes."}],"uid":"27863","created_gmt":"2026-05-18 13:04:05","changed_gmt":"2026-05-18 19:16:22","author":"Christa Ernst","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680296":{"id":"680296","type":"image","title":"Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA photo of Vida Jamali, assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Amirali Aghazadeh, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Josh Kacher, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering standing in front of a TEM at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779109455","gmt_created":"2026-05-18 13:04:15","changed":"1779109455","gmt_changed":"2026-05-18 13:04:15","alt":"Vida Jamali, assistant professor the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Amirali Aghazadeh, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Josh Kacher, associate professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.  Photo courtesy of Amelia Neumeister; Georgia Institute of Technology","file":{"fid":"264543","name":"Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/18\/Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4622660,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/18\/Accelerating-Mats-Discovery-with-AI-Main-Pic-Amelia-N.jpg?itok=gH8M9NAb"}}},"media_ids":["680296"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"194241","name":"Institute for Matter and Systems"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChrista M. Ernst - \u003C\/strong\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager | Klaus Advance Computing Building 1120E | 266 Ferst Drive | Atlanta GA | 30332 | christa.ernst@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690119":{"#nid":"690119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biology Faculty Named Searle Scholar","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/saumya-jain\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaumya Jain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named a 2026 Searle Scholar and awarded a $450,000 research grant. His research focuses on how connections in the brain form during development and what goes wrong in conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJain is one of 15 scientists selected this year for \u201ctheir promise to change their fields by solving nature\u2019s puzzles in a broad range of fields and develop next-generation technologies that can reveal biological function,\u201d according to a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/searlescholars.org\/2026\/04\/29\/searle-scholars-program-names-15-scientists-as-searle-scholars-for-2026\/\u0022\u003ESearle Scholars Program press release\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are honored to be part of the Searle Scholars Program,\u201d Jain says. \u201cFor a young lab with ambitious goals, this kind of recognition means everything. It gives us the confidence and resources to pursue high-risk, high-reward questions that could one day make a real difference for people affected by neurodevelopmental disorders.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EJain received his Ph.D. in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona and completed his postdoctoral work at the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined Georgia Tech in 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESaumya Jain, assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;School of Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the Searle Scholars Program.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Saumya Jain, assistant professor in the\u00a0School of Biological Sciences, has received a grant from the Searle Scholars Program."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-05-04 17:16:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-12 19:11:21","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680155":{"id":"680155","type":"image","title":"Saumya Jain","body":null,"created":"1777915309","gmt_created":"2026-05-04 17:21:49","changed":"1777915309","gmt_changed":"2026-05-04 17:21:49","alt":"Saumya Jain stands in front of plants","file":{"fid":"264397","name":"Saumya-Jain.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":577179,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/04\/Saumya-Jain.jpg?itok=3UIiedV8"}}},"media_ids":["680155"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.thejainlab.com\/","title":"The Jain Lab"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192253","name":"cos-neuro"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690170":{"#nid":"690170","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Emily Weigel Receives National Award for Excellence in Ecology Education","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn recognition of her\u0026nbsp;extraordinary teaching, outreach, and mentoring activities,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/emily-weigel\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEmily Weigel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been awarded the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/esa.org\/about\/awards\/eugene-p-odum-award-for-excellence-in-ecology-education\/\u0022\u003EEugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education\u003C\/a\u003E by the Ecological Society of America (ESA).\u0026nbsp;Each year, the award celebrates a singleone individual\u2019s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m honored to receive the 2026 Odum Award,\u201d says Weigel, who is a senior academic professional in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cGeorgia Tech is widely recognized for its research excellence, but teaching is mission-critical to the ways we serve the public good. This award reflects the incredible work happening in our classes and communities that drives science, and science education, forward.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel is among 10 individuals selected nationwide for annual ESA awards. \u201cThis year\u2019s award recipients have each contributed something important to ecology, often in very different ways,\u201d says ESA President\u003Cstrong\u003E Peter Groffman\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u201cThese are ecologists whose efforts have shaped the field, supported colleagues and created opportunities for others. I\u2019m glad to see that kind of work acknowledged.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAbout Emily Weigel\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel\u2019s work focuses on improving biology education by examining how student backgrounds, values, and instructional practices shape learning outcomes. Her impact spans K\u201312 students, undergraduates, graduates, and members of the Atlanta community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKnown for her teaching innovations, she has pioneered new courses in biology, ecology, and statistics, and is also a leader in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/vip.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EVertically Integrated Projects program\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFrom studying the dynamics of flu, to using drone aerial footage to monitor Georgia Tech\u2019s changing landscape, to a long-term project monitoring the trees of the Campus Arboretum, Weigel shares that \u201cstudents thrive when they develop skills through real-world experiences.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWeigel has also creatively infused the traditional \u201cnature\u201d topics and fieldwork found in ecology curricula with modern technology and programming skills used in research. \u201cEffectively introducing professional skills, like programming in the language R, is innovative nationally,\u201d she says. By making R, an open-source programming language, more accessible, \u201cwe\u2019re preparing undergraduates for success in graduate school and their careers, and empowering them to learn other programming languages in the future.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to teaching, Weigel plays a central role in mentoring and supporting students across the Institute.\u0026nbsp;She serves as the undergraduate academic advisor for around one-sixth of Georgia Tech\u2019s Biology majors, mentors graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, and is\u0026nbsp;an instructor for the \u201cTech to Teaching\u201d capstone course in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cetl.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Teaching and Learning\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award celebrates Weigel\u0027s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award celebrates Weigel\u0027s sustained, outstanding work in ecology education."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 14:54:00","changed_gmt":"2026-05-06 16:03:47","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675732":{"id":"675732","type":"image","title":"Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences","body":null,"created":"1732636877","gmt_created":"2024-11-26 16:01:17","changed":"1732636877","gmt_changed":"2024-11-26 16:01:17","alt":"Emily Weigel, School of Biological Sciences","file":{"fid":"259393","name":"Emily Weigel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1688447,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/26\/Emily%20Weigel.jpg?itok=3q5Ssysf"}}},"media_ids":["675732"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/esa.org\/blog\/2026\/05\/06\/ecological-society-of-america-announces-2026-award-recipients\/","title":"Ecological Society of America announces 2026 award recipients"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690025":{"#nid":"690025","#data":{"type":"news","title":"James Stroud Awarded Linnean Society\u2019s Bicentenary Medal","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEvolutionary ecologist\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/stroudlab\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames Stroud\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/the-linnean-society-announces-2026-medal-and-award-recipients\u0022\u003Eawarded the Bicentenary Medal\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/\u0022\u003ELinnean Society of London\u003C\/a\u003E in recognition of his pioneering work in evolutionary ecology and community contributions. Stroud serves as an Elizabeth Smithgall-Watts Early Career Assistant Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOne the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/the-society\u0022\u003Eoldest existing biological societies in the world\u003C\/a\u003E, the Linnean Society of London is renowned as the venue where, in July 1858,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ECharles Darwin\u003C\/strong\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlfred Russel Wallace\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efirst publicly announced the theory of evolution by natural selection \u2014 more than a year before Darwin published\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EOn the Origin of Species\u003C\/em\u003E. The annual Bicentenary Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards for researchers studying natural history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis honor is profoundly meaningful to me \u2014 both as an evolutionary biologist and a Londoner,\u201d says Stroud. \u201cTo be recognized here, at the very heart of evolutionary biology\u2019s history, is deeply personal, incredibly exciting, and very special.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EStroud is one of 10 exemplary researchers to be recognized by the Linnean Society this year with a medal or award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are thrilled to celebrate the 2026 Linnean Society medal and award recipients, whose work advances our vision of a world where nature is understood, valued and protected,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMark\u0026nbsp;Watson\u003C\/strong\u003E, who serves as\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Epresident of the Linnean Society. \u201cAt a time when the importance of biodiversity and conservation has never been clearer, their achievements show the power of curiosity, dedication and scientific endeavor.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding Lizards \u2014 and Life on Earth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Stroud investigates the ecological and evolutionary processes of lizards in order to understand patterns of biological diversity at a larger scale.\u0026nbsp;\u201cStudying lizards in their natural habitats allows us to directly investigate how species adapt and evolve in real time,\u201d he explains, \u201cand this helps us understand how ecological and evolutionary processes shape life on Earth.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor over 10 years, he has run one of the longest-running evolutionary studies of its kind: catching, documenting, and releasing each of the 1,000 lizards who reside on \u201cLizard Island,\u201d Stroud\u2019s living lab in Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn 2025, he was awarded a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/mapping-evolution-james-stroud-named-2025-packard-fellow\u0022\u003EPackard Fellowship\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eto further develop the project by\u0026nbsp;equipping each lizard with a tiny sensor backpack to document their behaviors and movements in real time \u2014 with the goal of creating evolution\u2019s first high-definition map.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn 2014, Stroud also founded a community science project called \u201cLizards on the Loose\u201d to introduce middle school students to ecological science. A collaboration with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, the program now reaches students from over 100 schools across South Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe annual Bicentenary Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards for researchers studying natural history.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The annual Bicentenary Medal is considered one of the most prestigious awards for researchers studying natural history."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-04-27 17:53:01","changed_gmt":"2026-04-28 15:43:30","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674805":{"id":"674805","type":"image","title":"James Stroud ","body":null,"created":"1725457026","gmt_created":"2024-09-04 13:37:06","changed":"1725457266","gmt_changed":"2024-09-04 13:41:06","alt":"James Stroud ","file":{"fid":"258368","name":"Stroud_BES_portrait.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/04\/Stroud_BES_portrait.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/04\/Stroud_BES_portrait.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1200520,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/04\/Stroud_BES_portrait.png?itok=G30UrFWd"}}},"media_ids":["674805"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.linnean.org\/news\/2026\/04\/27\/the-linnean-society-announces-2026-medal-and-award-recipients","title":"The Linnean Society Announces 2026 Medal and Award Recipients"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690010":{"#nid":"690010","#data":{"type":"news","title":"When Promising Cures Collapse Before They Reach Patients","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHospitals filled to capacity. Case counts climbing by the hour. Quarantine became routine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt was the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe world needed a vaccine that didn\u2019t exist, and there was no clear timeline for one. No one knew how long the vaccine development process would take \u2014 or whether it would work at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen, less than a year later,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/news\/press-release\/press-release-detail\/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-topline-data-demonstrating\u0022\u003EPfizer and BioNTech\u003C\/a\u003E set a record for how fast a drug moved from clinical trials to federal authorization \u2014 and to people waiting as the virus surged worldwide. \u0026nbsp;That speed depended on more than scientific discovery. It hinged on trials, regulatory approval, and manufacturing at scale.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EExperience Made the Difference\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStartup BioNTech, a small biotech firm, had spent years developing \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/genetics\/understanding\/therapy\/mrnavaccines\/\u0022\u003EmRNA technology\u003C\/a\u003E. Pfizer, a huge pharmaceutical company, brought deep experience running large clinical trials, working with regulators, and manufacturing at scale. The two companies had worked together before, which meant they did not have to build trust, decision-making structures, or workflows in the middle of a crisis. Trials moved quickly. They knew what regulators required and how to meet those demands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Georgia Tech research, that kind of business alignment is far from common \u2014 and can explain why many promising drugs never reach patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/hora\/index.html\u0022\u003EManpreet Hora\u003C\/a\u003E, senior associate dean for programs and professor of operations management in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EScheller College of Business\u003C\/a\u003E, studies what happens after a drug leaves the lab. In a study published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/10591478261419268\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProduction and Operations Management\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, he and his coauthors analyzed nearly 300 biotech\u2013pharma partnerships to understand why some drugs make it through and others stall.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIf you are a patient, this process is out of your control,\u201d Hora said. \u201cIn some cases, it can cost lives.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhere It Breaks Down\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDrug development often depends on handoffs. Small biotech firms typically generate early discoveries. Larger pharmaceutical companies step in to run trials, work with regulators, and bring products to market.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut complications can arise when companies that lack similar experience levels try to develop the drug together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDecision-making slows down. Roles become unclear. The process starts to erode.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0022That\u0027s why partner choice matters,\u0022 Hora said, comparing the process to a popular TV show. \u0022It\u0027s like going on \u003Cem\u003EShark Tank\u003C\/em\u003E \u2014 just because someone is offering money doesn\u0027t mean they\u0027re the right partner.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHora said the Pfizer\u2013BioNTech partnership worked because both companies approached the work the same way, despite the difference in their size. Pfizer is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. BioNTech was a much smaller firm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat Decides the Outcome\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs of September 2025,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/news\/press-release\/press-release-detail\/pfizer-and-biontech-announce-topline-data-demonstrating#:~:text=This%20study%20was%20conducted%20to,or%20equivalents%20in%20other%20countries.\u0026amp;text=COMIRNATY%20(COVID%2D19%20VACCINE%2C,severe%20outcomes%20from%20COVID%2D19.\u0022\u003E5 billion doses\u003C\/a\u003E of the Pfizer\u2013BioNTech Covid vaccine have been distributed globally.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPfizer\u2019s chairman and CEO,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pfizer.com\/people\/leadership\/executives\/dr-albert_bourla\u0022\u003EAlbert Bourla\u003C\/a\u003E, attributes the unprecedented success to a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/intuitionlabs.ai\/articles\/global-pharma-thought-leaders-profiles\u0022\u003Eworld class collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E\u201d with BioNTech. He said,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/blogs\/new-atlanticist\/pfizers-albert-bourla-on-how-the-pandemic-ends\/#:~:text=So%20that%20also%20followed%20me,during%20these%20eight%20marvelous%20months.\u0022\u003E\u0022I think it was because both companies had developed very similar cultures\u2026We were both really very purpose-driven.\u201d\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHora\u0027s research comes to the same conclusion: In an industry where drugs can take a decade to reach patients, the wrong partner can mean they never arrive at all.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new Georgia Tech study finds that when a drug succeeds or fails, the science is only half the story. The other half is whether the companies developing it actually fit together.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EManpreet Hora, a professor at Georgia Tech\u0027s Scheller College of Business, analyzed nearly 300 biotech\u2013pharma partnerships and found that mismatched partners, such as companies with different experience levels, cultures, or decision-making styles, stall drug development. Roles blur. Trials drag. Promising treatments never reach patients.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Pfizer\u2013BioNTech Covid vaccine is the counterexample: two companies, vastly different in size, aligned on purpose and process. That alignment is what made speed possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHora\u0027s takeaway: in an industry where drugs take a decade to reach patients, the wrong partner can mean they never arrive at all.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech research shows how misaligned biotech\u2013pharma partnerships can delay or derail drug development."}],"uid":"36410","created_gmt":"2026-04-24 16:58:28","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 15:29:29","author":"mazriel3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680062":{"id":"680062","type":"image","title":"Biotech Partnerships","body":null,"created":"1777050820","gmt_created":"2026-04-24 17:13:40","changed":"1777050964","gmt_changed":"2026-04-24 17:16:04","alt":"Two medical professionals shaking hands in a lab","file":{"fid":"264298","name":"Biotech.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Biotech.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/24\/Biotech.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1959093,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/24\/Biotech.png?itok=CYp9PkmA"}}},"media_ids":["680062"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"179350","name":"biomedical egnineering"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle Azriel\u003Cbr\u003ESenior Writer, Editor \u2014 Research Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mazriel3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emazriel3@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["mazriel3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689875":{"#nid":"689875","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Hidden Language of Life\u2019s Early Proteins","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHow did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins \u2014 once limited to just half of today\u2019s amino acids \u2014 could still form the sophisticated structures life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe paper,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S258959742600047X\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Borderlands of Foldability: Lessons from Simplified Proteins\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, is a meta-analysis of six decades of protein research and reveals that ancient proteins may have been far more complicated and dynamic than previously thought.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERecently published in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ETrends in Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E, the study includes Georgia Tech researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser-Woolley Chair in Molecular Design, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/academics\/degrees\/phd\/quantitative-biosciences-phd\u0022\u003EQuantitative Biosciences\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. candidate\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/user\/231\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlfie-Louise Brownless\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECo-authors also include\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isct.ac.jp\/en\u0022\u003EInstitute of Science Tokyo\u003C\/a\u003E graduate student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKoh Seya\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/liamlongo.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELiam M. Longo\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who serves as a specially appointed associate professor at Science Tokyo and as an affiliate research scientist at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bmsis.org\/\u0022\u003EBlue Marble Space Institute of Science\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe research has implications ranging from the origins of life and the search for life in the universe to cutting-edge medical innovation. \u201cOne of the biggest unanswered questions in science is how life first began,\u201d says Kamerlin, who is a corresponding author of the study. \u201cUnderstanding how the first protein-like molecules formed and what the earliest proteins may have been like is a key part of that puzzle.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cProteins power our bodies \u2014 and all life on Earth,\u201d she adds. \u201cSimply put, the evolution of proteins is the reason that we\u2019re able to have this conversation at all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Protein Folding Paradox\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIf proteins are the scaffolding of life, amino acids are the components that make up that scaffolding. \u201cToday, an average protein is constructed from a chain of about 300 amino acids, involving 20 different types of amino acids,\u201d Kamerlin shares. Proteins fold when these chains twist into a specific 3-dimensional shape, creating structures critical for biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHowever, while these folds are essential, exactly\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ehow\u003C\/em\u003E a protein knows which way to fold remains a mystery. \u201cWe know that proteins didn\u2019t just fold randomly,\u201d Kamerlin shares, \u201cbecause randomly trying all possible configurations would take a protein longer than the age of the universe.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s a cornerstone problem in biological science called \u201cLevinthal\u2019s Paradox,\u201d and highlights a fundamental mystery: Proteins fold incredibly quickly into very specific combinations \u2014 but like a sheet of paper spontaneously folding into an origami swan, researchers don\u2019t know how proteins \u201cchoose\u201d the folds they make.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe can predict what a protein will look like, but can\u2019t tell you how it got there,\u201d Kamerlin adds. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re interested in exploring: how small early proteins developed into the complex proteins that support every living thing on today\u2019s Earth.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESimple Letters, Sophisticated Structures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEarly proteins likely had access to just half of today\u2019s amino acids. \u201cAbout 10-12 amino acids were likely available on early Earth,\u201d Kamerlin says. Like writing a story with just the letters \u201cA\u201d through \u201cL,\u201d researchers assumed that the \u2018vocabulary\u2019 proteins could build from such a limited amino acid alphabet would also be constrained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThere is a language to protein folding,\u201d Kamerlin explains. \u201cThat language is hidden in their structures. Our research is in trying to understand the rules \u2014 the grammar and vocabulary that dictate a protein fold.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe grammar they discovered was surprising: with a combination of creative techniques and environmental support, complex structures can arise from limited amino acid alphabets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe found that it is possible to develop complex folds with very simple tools \u2014 and certain environments, like salty ones, can help support that,\u201d Kamerlin shares. \u201cEarly proteins could also cross-link and associate, interacting like LEGO blocks to create more complex structures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPioneering Proteins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENow, the team is conducting research in environments that could mimic conditions on early Earth \u2014 aiming to discover more about how these regions could have given rise to today\u2019s complex proteins. \u201cThis aspect of our research also ties into the amazing\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/2026-frontiers-science-advancing-space-exploration-0\u0022\u003Espace research\u003C\/a\u003E happening at Georgia Tech,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cWhile we\u2019re interested in understanding early life on Earth, our work could help inform where best to look for evidence of life beyond our planet.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin specializes in creating computer models that simulate possible scenarios \u2013 creating an opportunity to quickly and efficiently test many theories. The most compelling of these can then be tested by her collaborator and co-author at Science Tokyo, Liam Longo, in lab experiments.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EProtein folding is also at the forefront of medical innovation, ranging from diagnostic tools to cancer treatments and neurodegenerative diseases. \u201cIn the broader scope, we\u2019re interested in discovering what we can design, what we can stress test, and what we can reconstruct with AI and other computational tools,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cBecause if you can understand how proteins fold, you gain the ability to design them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: NASA, the Human Frontier Science Program, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.trechm.2026.03.001\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Persistent link using digital object identifier\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.trechm.2026.03.001\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHow did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins formed the sophisticated structures life depends on.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Life\u2019s first alphabet was likely small \u2014 but surprisingly powerful."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-04-20 16:06:30","changed_gmt":"2026-04-27 14:35:23","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}},"680000":{"id":"680000","type":"image","title":"Amino acid diversity in peptides and proteins over time. Now, in the era of biotechnology, the amino acid alphabet is poised to expand again. (Figure Credit: \u201cThe borderlands of foldability: lessons from simplified proteins,\u201d Trends in Chemistry, 2026)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAmino acid diversity in peptides and proteins over time. Over time, the genetic code expanded into the 20-amino acid alphabet found in contemporary biology. Now, in the era of biotechnology, the amino acid alphabet is poised to expand once more. (Figure Credit: \u201cThe borderlands of foldability: lessons from simplified proteins,\u201d Koh Seya, Alfie\u2011Louise R. Brownless, Shina C. L. Kamerlin, and Liam M. Longo, \u003Cem\u003ETrends in Chemistry, \u003C\/em\u003E2026)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776701693","gmt_created":"2026-04-20 16:14:53","changed":"1776701693","gmt_changed":"2026-04-20 16:14:53","alt":"A diagram showing the history of peptides and proteins over time. It is shaped like an hourglass.","file":{"fid":"264232","name":"Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":591690,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/20\/Fig1Kamerlin.jpg?itok=l_Fxw_Fs"}}},"media_ids":["677019","680000"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192863","name":"go-ai"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689639":{"#nid":"689639","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Welcomes a Neuroethics Pioneer","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EArtificial intelligence has been touted as the most transformative technology of our time. With only a few years of mainstream use, it\u2019s changed how we work and communicate, generated billions of dollars in investments, and sparked global debate. But according to leading neuroethics expert \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/karen-rommelfanger-a-neuroscience-society-champion-of-ethics-and-inclusion\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKaren Rommelfanger\u003C\/a\u003E, the race isn\u2019t over yet.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCan you think of a more transformative technology than one that intervenes with the fundamental organ that drives your experience in the world?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat fundamental organ is the brain.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnologies interfacing directly with the brain have been reserved for treating severe injury or disease for decades. Now, neurotechnology is expanding into brain-responsive wearables meant to enhance, augment, and monitor everyday life. As these technologies accelerate and AI is incorporated, the question is no longer \u003Cem\u003Eif \u003C\/em\u003Eneurotechnology will transform society, but \u003Cem\u003Ehow \u003C\/em\u003E\u2014 and who will shape the boundaries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese are some of the questions on which Karen Rommelfanger has built her career. Trained as a biomedical researcher and neuroscientist, Rommelfanger went on to found the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/instituteofneuroethics.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroethics\u003C\/a\u003E, the world\u2019s first think and do tank devoted entirely to neuroethics, public engagement, and policy implementation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe brain is special; it\u2019s central to who we are,\u201d says Rommelfanger, who was also an inaugural recipient of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/dana-foundation-recognizes-two-neuroscience-society-champions-with-inaugural-awards\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDana Foundation Neuroscience and Society Award\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cAnd that means when you intervene with the brain, there are unique responsibilities. The field of neuroethics addresses things like: How do you ensure mental privacy? How do you protect free will? How do you ensure that people have the power to be narrators of their own lives and their cognitive experience?\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, Rommelfanger is joining Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS) as a professor of the practice, where she will work to further embed neuroethics into Georgia Tech\u2019s research and technology development ecosystem.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech is producing the next generation of neurotechnologists, and Karen\u2019s expertise will help ensure we\u2019re preparing them to think about societal impact as deeply as they think about the technical and scientific aspects of their work,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/christopher-john-rozell\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristopher Rozell\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of INNS. \u201cHer leadership strengthens the Institute in exactly the way this moment in neurotechnology demands.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has many, many ways that it leads in the technology ecosystem. But one of the powerful, unique ways it can lead is through neurotechnology,\u201d says Rommelfanger. \u201cI hope that the INNS, given its unique mandate for neuroscience, neurotechnology, and society, can be a lighthouse for these types of conversations.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENeuroethics by Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom institutional review boards to mandatory responsible research conduct training, ethics are a foundational part of scientific research. But designing neurotechnologies raises ethical challenges beyond the scope of typical training. What happens when discoveries leave the lab and enter people\u2019s lives?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat question sits at the core of Rommelfanger\u2019s work. She argues it\u2019s a neurotechnologist\u2019s responsibility to recognize and proactively address the need for unique safeguards for privacy, autonomy, and long-term responsibility. Her solution is to move neuroethics upstream, embedding it directly into the research, design, and deployment of neurotechnology through an approach she calls \u201cneuroethics by design.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNeuroethics by design considers ethics as a core criterion where principles can drive innovation with more of a lens toward societal outcomes,\u201d she says \u2014 an approach informed by years of advising national-level brain research initiatives and her experience at the intersection of clinical practice and ethics scholarship.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERather than treating ethics as a compliance checklist or a post hoc review, neuroethics by design integrates ethical thinking throughout the entire innovation lifecycle, from early ideation and research questions to product requirements, governance strategies, and long-term sustainability. She has used the approach for years as an embedded partner for neurotechnology startups in her neuroethics consultancy, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ningenstrategy.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENingen Co-Lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter decades as a traditional academic professor and then years advising companies and policymakers with this philosophy, Rommelfanger says Georgia Tech is the right place to scale this work. With its strength in neurotechnology and INNS\u2019s rare focus on neuroscience\u003Cem\u003E and\u003C\/em\u003E society, \u201cI could not think of a better place to launch and pilot this neuroethics by design scaling effort.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe will work with INNS to help equip researchers, students, and industry partners with practical tools for ethical decision-making. Her vision is not to create neuroethicists as a standalone profession, but to cultivate ethically engaged neurotechnologists and engineers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECentral to her plans at INNS are hands-on training programs that bring ethics out of the abstract and into practice. \u201cI wanted to be a professor of the practice because, while the field does need more scholars, what it really needs most at this point are practitioners.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERommelfanger is exploring modular content that can be embedded into existing courses across disciplines, as well as immersive training \u2014 such as neuroethics boot camps and problem-solving hackathons \u2014 that bring together students, faculty, and professionals to tackle real-world challenges collaboratively.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNo one discipline can solve all the ethical challenges ahead,\u201d says Rommelfanger. She is particularly interested in creating spaces where experts from across science and engineering, policy and law, design and the arts, and philosophy can work side by side with people with lived experience of neurological conditions. \u201cThe onus is not on scientists alone, but is a shared responsibility that benefits immensely from dialogue, accountability, and action across diverse communities.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy situating neuroethics within Georgia Tech\u2019s broader research ecosystem, Rommelfanger hopes INNS can help shift how the field evolves globally.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s really difficult to get your arms around something once it\u0027s out of the gate,\u201d she says, citing the rapid adoption of AI without proper ethical or policy guidelines. \u201cWith neurotechnology, we still have a little bit of time, but not that much time. We are at that moment where we could change the course of global history.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs brain interfacing tools move out of the lab and into everyday life, Karen Rommelfanger is bringing her global neuroethics expertise to Georgia Tech to prepare the next generation of ethical innovators.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As brain interfacing tools move out of the lab and into everyday life, Karen Rommelfanger is bringing her global neuroethics expertise to Georgia Tech to prepare the next generation of ethical innovators."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 15:20:52","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 17:46:36","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679924":{"id":"679924","type":"image","title":"Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKaren Rommelfanger recently joined Georgia Tech as a professor of the practice, where she will work with the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society to embed neuroethics into Georgia Tech\u2019s research and technology development ecosystem. Photo via the Dana Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776101751","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:35:51","changed":"1776102415","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:46:55","alt":"Karen Rommelfanger smiling in a warmly lit room. A window and brick wall are visible behind her.","file":{"fid":"264146","name":"Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":101822,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Karen-Rommelfanger.jpg?itok=uivAseBV"}},"679926":{"id":"679926","type":"image","title":"BrainMind.JPG","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKaren Rommelfanger (left) is a leading voice in neuroethics, with years of experience bridging neuroscience, technology development, ethics, and public policy to address the societal impacts of emerging brain technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1776101944","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 17:39:04","changed":"1776101944","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 17:39:04","alt":"Seated on the left, Karen Rommelfanger speaks on a panel at the 2026 Asilomar for the Brain and Mind conference. Panelists sit on stage in front of a large screen displaying the conference name, dates, and a brain-themed graphic, with an audience visible in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264148","name":"BrainMind.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/BrainMind.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/BrainMind.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":167461,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/BrainMind.JPG?itok=HALewFCU"}}},"media_ids":["679924","679926"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/lab-life-inside-institute-neuroscience-neurotechnology-and-society","title":"From Lab to Life: Inside the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)"},{"url":"https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/karen-rommelfanger-a-neuroscience-society-champion-of-ethics-and-inclusion\/","title":"Karen Rommelfanger: A Neuroscience \u0026 Society Champion of Ethics and Inclusion"},{"url":"https:\/\/dana.org\/article\/why-neuroethics-matters-in-the-age-of-brain-technology\/","title":"Why Neuroethics Matters in the Age of Brain Technology: A Conversation with Karen Rommelfanger"}],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194610","name":"National Interests\/National Security"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689660":{"#nid":"689660","#data":{"type":"news","title":"A Guide to Birdwatching at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMore than 11 million people live in Georgia, but on April nights, the state\u2019s residents on the ground are outnumbered by tens of millions of small songbirds flying overhead.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESpring migration season typically runs from March through May, peaking in April, according to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/benjamin%20freeman\u0022\u003EBen Freeman\u003C\/a\u003E, an ecologist and assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech. Georgia lies along the Atlantic Flyway, aiding migratory birds \u2014 such as warblers, sparrows, and flycatchers \u2014 with a path to the Appalachians, the Great Lakes, and their home territories, where they will breed in the spring.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAtlanta is often called a city in a forest, but the Tech campus offers additional green space, food, and shelter for many of the area\u2019s native species. From above, it attracts migrating birds in search of a rest stop along their route.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor birds native to the Atlanta metro area, like the Brown-headed Nuthatch and Northern Parula, Freeman says April is also the best time to see and hear them.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cApril is the prime bird month in Georgia,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s because, in addition to the migrating species passing through, our birds are breeding, they\u2019re out looking for food, and singing to defend their territory and impress a mate. This is also the time of year when they have their fanciest feathers, making it a beautiful time to observe them in nature.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/04\/guide-birdwatching-georgia-tech\u0022\u003ERead the full story\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/45127\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E. \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EApril is peak bird season in Georgia, so expect to see and hear plenty of species on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"April is peak bird season in Georgia, so expect to see and hear plenty of species on campus."}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-04-13 16:13:16","changed_gmt":"2026-04-13 17:21:12","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679923":{"id":"679923","type":"image","title":"American Robin","body":null,"created":"1776096880","gmt_created":"2026-04-13 16:14:40","changed":"1776096880","gmt_changed":"2026-04-13 16:14:40","alt":"American Robin sitting on Georgia Tech sign ","file":{"fid":"264145","name":"Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/13\/Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2277086,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/13\/Early-Bird-Gets-the-Worm--American-Robin-.JPG?itok=zHoUjJMu"}}},"media_ids":["679923"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"4620","name":"bird"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688969":{"#nid":"688969","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Carbon Into Chemistry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe building blocks of proteins, amino acids are essential for all living things. Twenty different amino acids build the thousands of proteins that carry out biological tasks. While some are made naturally in our bodies, others are absorbed through the food we eat.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAmino acids also play a critical role commercially where they are manufactured and added to pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, cosmetics, animal feeds, and industrial chemicals \u2014 an energy-intensive process leading to greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA landmark new system developed at Georgia Tech could lead to an alternative: a commercially scalable, environmentally sustainable method for amino acid production that is carbon negative, using more carbon than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe breakthrough builds on\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/new-carbon-negative-method-produce-essential-amino-acids\u0022\u003Ea method that the team pioneered\u003C\/a\u003E in 2024 and solves a key issue \u2013 increasing efficiency to an unprecedented 97% and reducing the bioprocess cost by over 40%.\u0026nbsp;It\u2019s\u0026nbsp;the highest reported conversion of CO2 equivalents into amino acids using any synthetic biology system to date.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPublished in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EACS Synthetic Biology,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ethe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022\u003ECell-Free-Based Thermophilic Biocatalyst for the Synthesis of Amino Acids From One-Carbon Feedstocks\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/catalog.gatech.edu\/programs\/bioengineering-phd\/\u0022\u003EBioengineering\u003C\/a\u003E Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERay Westenberg\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Eand\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/peralta-yahya.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProfessor Pamela Peralta-Yahya\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who holds joint appointments in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. The team also included\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EShaafique Chowdhury\u003C\/strong\u003E (Ph.D. ChBE 25) and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKimberly Wennerholm\u003C\/strong\u003E (ChBE 23)\u003Cstrong\u003E;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ealongside\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Washington\u003C\/a\u003E collaborators\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chainreaction.anl.gov\/ryan-cardiff\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERyan Cardiff\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, then a Ph.D. student and now a Chain Reaction Innovations Fellow at Argonne National Laboratory, and Charles W. H. Matthaei Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cheme.washington.edu\/facultyfinder\/james-carothers\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames M. Carothers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E; in addition to\u0026nbsp;Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Synthetic Biology Team Leader\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.pnnl.gov\/people\/alex-beliaev\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander S. Beliaev\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This work shifts the narrative from simply reducing carbon emissions to actually consuming them to create value,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;Peralta-Yahya.\u0026nbsp;\u201cWe are taking low-cost carbon sources and building essential ingredients in a truly carbon-negative process that is efficient, effective, and scalable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHeat-Loving Organisms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe work builds on the cell-free technology the team used in their earlier study. \u201cPreviously, we discovered that a system that uses the machinery of cells, without using actual living cells, could be used to create amino acids from carbon dioxide,\u201d Peralta-Yahya explains. \u201cBut to create a commercially viable system, we needed to increase the system\u2019s efficiency and reduce the cost.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team discovered that bits of leftover cells were consuming starting materials, and \u2014 like a machine with unnecessary gears or parts \u2014 this limited the system\u2019s efficiency. To optimize their \u201cmachine,\u201d the team would need to remove the extra background machinery.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022Leftover cell parts were using key resources without helping produce the amino acids we were looking for,\u201d says Peralta-Yahya. \u201cWe knew that heating the system could be one way to purify it because heat can denature these components.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe challenge was in how to protect the essential system components from the high temperatures, she adds. \u201cWe wondered if introducing enzymes produced by a heat-loving bacterium,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EMoorella thermoacetica,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Emight protect our system, while still allowing us to denature and remove that inefficient background machinery.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe results were astounding: after introducing the enzymes, heating and \u201ccleaning\u201d the system, and letting it cool to room temperature, synthesis of the amino acids serine and glycine leaped to 97% yield \u2014 nearly three times that of the team\u2019s previous system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling for Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo make the system viable for large-scale use, the team also needed to reduce costs. \u201cOne of the most costly components in this system is the cofactor tetrahydrofolate (THF),\u201d Peralta-Yahya shares. \u201cReducing the amount of THF needed to start the process was one way to make the system more inexpensive and ultimately more commercially viable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBy linking reaction steps so waste from one step fueled the next, the team devised a method to recycle THF within the system that reduces the amount of THF needed by five-fold \u2014 lowering bioprocessing costs by 42%.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis decrease in cost and increase in yield is a critical step forward in creating a method with real potential for use in industry and manufacturing,\u201d Peralta-Yahya says. \u201cThis system could pave the way for moving this carbon-negative technology out of the lab and onto the continuous, industrial scale.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: The Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E); U.S. Department of Energy; and the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research Program.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u0022 title=\u0022DOI URL\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.5c00352\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have developed a breakthrough system to manufacture valuable amino acids. It\u2019s the most efficient system of its kind \u2014 and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than it emits."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-03-17 16:04:13","changed_gmt":"2026-03-25 14:16:42","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679657":{"id":"679657","type":"image","title":"Amino Acids","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of a chain of amino acids forming a protein (Credit: Adobe Stock)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1773763467","gmt_created":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","changed":"1773763467","gmt_changed":"2026-03-17 16:04:27","alt":"Blue and orange spirals against a light blue background.","file":{"fid":"263840","name":"AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":483310,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/17\/AdobeStock_421110334_Preview.jpeg?itok=nVtDwueb"}}},"media_ids":["679657"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"192259","name":"cos-students"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688552":{"#nid":"688552","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Generating Buzz: A Protein-Packed Industry","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EIf you\u2019ve walked the aisles of a grocery store, scrolled through social media, watched television, or\u0026nbsp;set\u0026nbsp;foot in a fast-casual restaurant chain in recent months, you know that protein is having its moment.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003ESo, why are brands pushing protein?\u0026nbsp;An \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ific.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/IFIC-Spotlight-Survey-Protein-Perceptions.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInternational Food Information Council study\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;found that 70% of adults are looking to increase their protein\u0026nbsp;intake. But as it makes\u0026nbsp;its way into more products than ever before,\u0026nbsp;is it\u0026nbsp;too much of a good thing?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/lesley-baradel\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELesley Baradel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a\u0026nbsp;registered dietitian,\u0026nbsp;nutritionist,\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;lecturer\u0026nbsp;in the College of Sciences at Georgia Tech. She joined\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;Generating Buzz\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eto\u0026nbsp;discuss\u0026nbsp;the protein-packed trend, with implications ranging from health and wellness to marketing and how the rise of GLP-1s factors into the increased focus on the macronutrient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2026\/02\/generating-buzz-protein-packed-industry\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EListen to the \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGenerating Buzz \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epodcast episode.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn the latest episode of \u003Cem\u003EGenerating Buzz\u003C\/em\u003E, Lesley Baradel explores\u0026nbsp;the high-protein food craze and explains how the rise of GLP-1s factors into the increased focus on this essential macronutrient.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In the latest episode of Generating Buzz, Lesley Baradel explores\u00a0the high-protein food craze and explains how the rise of GLP-1s factors into the increased focus on this essential macronutrient. "}],"uid":"36583","created_gmt":"2026-02-26 17:55:16","changed_gmt":"2026-02-26 21:11:20","author":"lvidal7","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679457":{"id":"679457","type":"image","title":"Generating Buzz: A Protein-Packed Industry","body":null,"created":"1772128534","gmt_created":"2026-02-26 17:55:34","changed":"1772128534","gmt_changed":"2026-02-26 17:55:34","alt":"Colorful containers of \u0022high protein\u0022 ice cream","file":{"fid":"263621","name":"Protein-Header-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Protein-Header-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/26\/Protein-Header-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1360642,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/26\/Protein-Header-2.jpg?itok=5K6rmlcI"}}},"media_ids":["679457"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"88601","name":"podcast"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688133":{"#nid":"688133","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Biophysicist Lynn Kamerlin Becomes Institute of Physics Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Vasser Woolley Chair in Molecular Design\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/lynn-kamerlin\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has become an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iop.org\/\u0022\u003EInstitute of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E (IOP) Fellow. It is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022The IOP has a long and distinguished history as the primary learned society and professional body for physicists in the U.K., Ireland, and beyond,\u201d says Kamerlin, who completed both a Master of Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Theoretical Organic Chemistry\u0026nbsp;from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.birmingham.ac.uk\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Birmingham\u003C\/a\u003E in the United Kingdom. \u201cAs a society, it plays an important role in building community, promoting science, advancing advocacy for our discipline, and supporting the next generation of physicists.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin joins a list of distinguished Fellows that includes legendary physicists such as\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.iop.org\/about\/support-grants\/bell-burnell-fund\/woman-behind-fund\u0022\u003EDame\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJocelyn Bell Burnell\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a preeminent astrophysicist responsible for the discovery of pulsars (a previously unknown type of star) and the first female president of the IOP.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt is a great honor to be awarded Fellowship of the IOP, particularly as women more broadly remain vastly underrepresented in physics,\u201d Kamerlin says. \u201cI look forward to giving back to the physics community, supporting the mission of the society, and working to remind the next generation that physics is for everyone.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Lynn Kamerlin\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKamerlin\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/kamerlinlab.com\/\u0022\u003Eresearch in computational biophysics\u003C\/a\u003E is at the intersection of chemistry and biology, where she focuses on investigating fundamental physical chemistry and using computational tools to understand complex biomolecular problems. Currently, she is interested in leveraging machine learning tools to design new enzymes and in predicting protein structures and behaviors using large language models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to her roles at Georgia Tech, Kamerlin\u0026nbsp;is a senior editor of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/journal\/1469896x\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EProtein Science\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the editor-in-chief of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/publishingsupport.iopscience.iop.org\/journals\/electronic-structure\/about-electronic-structure\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EElectronic Structure\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, and was named a 2025-27 visiting professor at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/portal.research.lu.se\/en\/persons\/lynn-kamerlin\/\u0022\u003ELund University\u003C\/a\u003E. She\u0026nbsp;was also named a\u0026nbsp;Fellow of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rsc.org\/\u0022\u003ERoyal Society of Chemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, received the 2026\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/lynn-kamerlin-receives-biochemical-society-honor\u0022\u003EInspiration and Resilience Award\u003C\/a\u003E from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biochemistry.org\/\u0022\u003EBiochemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E, and was the 2023\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.biophysics.org\/\u0022\u003EBiophysical Society\u003C\/a\u003E Theory \u0026amp; Computation Subgroup Mid-Career Award Winner.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EIt is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society. \u0022I look forward to giving back to the physics community, supporting the mission of the society, and working to remind the next generation that physics is for everyone,\u0022 says Kamerlin.\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":" It is the highest degree of membership awarded by the society. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-09 17:30:13","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 17:32:36","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677019":{"id":"677019","type":"image","title":"Lynn Kamerlin","body":null,"created":"1746193435","gmt_created":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","changed":"1746193435","gmt_changed":"2025-05-02 13:43:55","alt":"Lynn Kamerlin headshot","file":{"fid":"260878","name":"lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":104455,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/02\/lynn-kamerlin_portrait.jpg?itok=UCfaKKYb"}}},"media_ids":["677019"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687826":{"#nid":"687826","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yellow Jacket Connection Sparks Glaucoma Research Fund at Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAn estimated 4 million Americans have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases that can lead to irreversible blindness.\u0026nbsp;Now, Georgia Tech is home to a Glaucoma Research Fund that will\u0026nbsp;support cutting-edge work to understand and advance treatments for the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new initiative was sparked by ongoing research at Georgia Tech \u2014 and a Yellow Jacket connection: when\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Youngblood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brightfocus.org\/news\/a-key-protein-could-alter-risk-for-pseudoexfoliation-glaucoma\/\u0022\u003Ework on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG)\u003C\/a\u003E was featured by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.brightfocus.org\/\u0022\u003EBrightFocus Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;it caught the attention of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Rucker,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EExcited that the research could change outcomes for people like her \u2014 and proud that it\u2019s happening at her husband\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EPhilip Rucker\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s, EE 72, alma mater \u2014 Jennifer Rucker reached out to Youngblood and her advisor,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E Professor and Kelly Sepcic Pfeil, Ph.D. Chair\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/raquel-lieberman\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaquel Lieberman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cAs the wife of a Georgia Tech graduate and an individual with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, I was inspired to support the scientists whose efforts may help me and others,\u201d Jennifer Rucker says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhat followed was a meaningful dialogue and a shared sense of purpose \u2014 and the creation of the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund (Wreck Glaucoma! Fund).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt meant so much that Jennifer took the initiative to reach out to learn more about our research,\u201d says Lieberman. \u201cMoments like this remind me how deeply meaningful it is to connect with people in the broader community who are navigating glaucoma. Opportunities for such personal connections are rare, but they inspire and further motivate us to achieve our lab\u2019s mission to improve the lives of individuals suffering from blindness diseases.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Personal Connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYoungblood\u2019s interest in glaucoma research also stems from a personal connection: her father\u0026nbsp;was diagnosed with glaucoma as a young adult.\u0026nbsp;Now, Youngblood\u0026nbsp;studies the genetic and molecular factors behind XFG in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/lieberman.chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ELieberman research lab\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cXFG is an aggressive form of the disease with no known cure,\u201d Youngblood says.\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EWhile scientists know that XFG is the result of abnormal accumulation of proteins in the eye, current treatments only address symptoms rather than treating the root cause of the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe know XFG is driven by protein buildup, but we still don\u2019t know\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Ewhy\u003C\/em\u003E it happens,\u201d she explains. \u201cMy work studying specific genetic variants aims to uncover this.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe Genetics of Glaucoma\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn particular, Youngblood is researching the role of LOXL1, a protein that plays a role in soft tissue throughout the body, including the eyes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cResearch has shown that people with variants in the genes responsible for this protein are more likely to have XFG,\u201d she says. \u201cThat made me curious to see if the variants might be impacting the structure of the LOXL1 protein itself and how those variants might lead to disease.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EYoungblood is currently testing her theory in the lab. \u201cMy hope is that new insight into proteins like LOXL1 will bring us closer to treatments that address XFG at its source,\u201d she says. \u201cThe new Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund is a tremendous step forward in making that hope a reality.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESupport the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPlease visit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/59801\/donations\/new?designation_id=a000015611000\u0026amp;\u0022\u003EGlaucoma Research Fund support page\u003C\/a\u003E to give to this specific program. To discuss additional philanthropic opportunities, please contact the College of Sciences Development Team:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:development@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edevelopment@cos.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYour investment ensures that these scholars and researchers have world-class resources, facilities, and mentors to excel in this critical work. Thank you for helping us shape the future.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen\u0026nbsp;Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Youngblood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u2019s\u0026nbsp;work on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) was featured by the\u0026nbsp;BrightFocus Foundation,\u0026nbsp;it caught the attention of\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Rucker,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ean Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago. What followed was a meaningful dialogue and a shared sense of purpose \u2014 and the creation of the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund (Wreck Glaucoma! Fund).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"When\u00a0Postdoctoral Research Fellow\u00a0Hannah Youngblood\u2019s\u00a0work on exfoliation glaucoma (XFG) was featured by the\u00a0BrightFocus Foundation,\u00a0it caught the attention of\u00a0Jennifer Rucker,\u00a0an Alabama resident who was diagnosed with XFG several years ago. "}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-01-29 17:23:21","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 15:19:24","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-02T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679130":{"id":"679130","type":"image","title":"Hannah Youngblood","body":null,"created":"1769722230","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 21:30:30","changed":"1769722339","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 21:32:19","alt":"Hannah Youngblood","file":{"fid":"263251","name":"Headshot.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":42055,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/Headshot.jpg?itok=1PjOSH2M"}},"679127":{"id":"679127","type":"image","title":"Raquel Lieberman","body":null,"created":"1769707506","gmt_created":"2026-01-29 17:25:06","changed":"1769722356","gmt_changed":"2026-01-29 21:32:36","alt":"Raquel Lieberman","file":{"fid":"263248","name":"083.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":14074756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/29\/083.jpg?itok=qPG_sbYX"}}},"media_ids":["679130","679127"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/59801\/donations\/new?designation_id=a000015611000\u0026","title":"Make a Gift to Support the Georgia Tech Glaucoma Research Fund"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"193234","name":"Campaign Stories"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"688310":{"#nid":"688310","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mapping Mountain Birds in a Changing World: Benjamin Freeman Awarded Sloan Fellowship For Mountain Bird Ecology Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/benjamin%20freeman\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benjamingfreeman.com\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBenjamin Freeman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E has been named a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/fellowships\/2026-Fellows\u0022\u003E2026 Sloan Research Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/\u0022\u003EAlfred P. Sloan Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E. Regarded as one of the\u0026nbsp;most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career scholars, the Fellowship recognizes researchers\u0026nbsp;\u201cwhose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe Sloan Research Fellows are among the most promising early-career researchers in the U.S. and Canada, already driving meaningful progress in their respective disciplines,\u201d \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sloan.org\/storage\/app\/media\/files\/press_releases\/2026_Sloan%20Research%20Fellowship_Announcement.pdf\u0022\u003Esays\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EStacie Bloom\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, president and chief executive officer of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. \u201cWe look forward to seeing how these exceptional scholars continue to unlock new scientific advancements, redefine their fields, and foster the wellbeing and knowledge of all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This is a wonderful and welcome surprise that will support my ongoing research on mountains across the globe,\u201d says Freeman. \u201cIt\u0027s a vote of confidence and will let me get out there and get to work.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman is one of 126 scientists selected this year for the honor and will receive a two-year $75,000 grant of flexible funding to support his research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHe joins the ranks of nearly 50 faculty from Georgia Tech who have received Sloan Research Fellowships, including School of Mathematics\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlex Blumenthal\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2024,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EHannah Choi\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2022,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EYao Yao\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2020,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKonstantin Tikhomirov\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2019,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELutz Warnke\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2018,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EZaher Hani\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2016,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJen Hom\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2015, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGreg Blekherman\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2012; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u0027s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EVinayak Agarwal\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2018; School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u0027\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EChristopher Reinhard\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2015; and School of Physics\u2019\u003Cstrong\u003E Chunhui (Rita) Du\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2024 and\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ETamara Bogdanovi\u0107\u003C\/strong\u003E in 2013.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman joined the Institute in 2023 and\u0026nbsp;was also recently named a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/research-takes-flight-benjamin-freeman-named-2024-packard-fellow\u0022\u003E2024 Packard Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the\u0026nbsp;David and Lucile Packard Foundation and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/benjamin-freeman-named-early-career-fellow-ecological-society-america\u0022\u003E2025 Early Career Fellow\u003C\/a\u003E by the Ecological Society of America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUnderstanding the \u2018escalator to extinction\u2019\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EKnown for his groundbreaking research in climate change and bird ecology, Freeman studies birds worldwide from Appalachia to Ecuador. He specializes in tropical populations where his work is centered on understanding how mountain species respond to a changing climate \u2014 and how to facilitate their survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTropical mountains are some of Earth\u2019s largest biodiversity hotspots; they harbor an extraordinary number of species,\u201d shares Freeman. \u201cAdditionally, tropical mountain birds are particularly sensitive to environmental change, so they can serve as an early warning system for global conservation efforts.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPreviously, his research has shown that some species are on an \u2018escalator to extinction\u2019 with vulnerable groups moving to higher elevations to escape warming temperatures. At the top of the escalator, some summit-dwelling species are disappearing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe know that many species are on this escalator,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cThe next step is to figure out which species are most vulnerable and why. In order to direct conservation efforts, we need to know who\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eis vulnerable, why\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Esmall increases in temperature have dramatic effects, and what\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ecan be done to help.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA worldwide early warning system\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo uncover those answers, Freeman is taking two approaches: mapping global patterns with big picture data and conducting on-the-ground research in the tropics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETo target the former, he created the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/benjamingfreeman.com\/mountainbirdnetwork\u0022\u003EMountain Bird Network\u003C\/a\u003E, which supports community scientists in conducting bird surveys on their local mountains. The goal is to create a system that allows researchers to diagnose vulnerable species before they are too sparse to save.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u201c\u003C\/strong\u003EWhen a species is in trouble, we need to know as soon as possible,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cOnce a population is small enough to be at risk of extinction, it\u2019s very hard to reverse that process. The Mountain Bird Network collects data on mountain bird abundances and distributions across the globe, which, when used with data from a global citizen science program called eBird, can be leveraged to build models to identify which species might be vulnerable before those populations become critically small.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3 dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EA living lab on Tech Mountain\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFreeman\u2019s other avenue of research involves building an ambitious living laboratory in Pinchincha, Ecuador. The research site will span thousands of meters along the flanks of a local mountain, spanning lowland rainforest, foothill rainforest, and cloud forest ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe mountain is home to thousands of birds from hundreds of species,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cMy goal is to track and understand their daily lives \u2014 and how climate changes impact them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EUsing cutting-edge tracking technology, he will tag and monitor their daily movements, mapping those against microclimate sensors placed at different elevations along the mountain\u2019s slopes. The challenge of placing and maintaining thousands of tiny sensors in rugged conditions means that it has never been done before.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ll track these birds for at least five years \u2013- but hopefully for decades,\u201d Freeman says. \u201cThe data we gather at Tech Mountain will be the first of its kind, and my hope is that it makes a real difference in conservation efforts worldwide.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003EThe fellowship is one of the\u0026nbsp;most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career scholars, and will support Freeman as he studies birds worldwide from Appalachia to Ecuador, investigating how mountain species respond to a changing climate \u2014 and how to facilitate their survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The fellowship is one of the\u00a0most competitive and prestigious awards available to early-career scholars."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-02-17 14:36:04","changed_gmt":"2026-02-19 14:23:25","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-02-17T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675323":{"id":"675323","type":"image","title":"Benjamin Freeman","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Benjamin Freeman\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1729016793","gmt_created":"2024-10-15 18:26:33","changed":"1729016793","gmt_changed":"2024-10-15 18:26:33","alt":"Benjamin Freeman","file":{"fid":"258934","name":"BenjaminFreeman.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/15\/BenjaminFreeman.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/10\/15\/BenjaminFreeman.png","mime":"image\/png","size":2771976,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/10\/15\/BenjaminFreeman.png?itok=fugaKOaT"}}},"media_ids":["675323"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/sloan.org\/storage\/app\/media\/files\/press_releases\/2026_Sloan%20Research%20Fellowship_Announcement.pdf","title":"2026 Sloan Research Fellows Announced"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/30-year-snapshot-pacific-northwestern-birds-shows-their-surprising-resilience","title":"A 30-Year \u201cSnapshot\u201d of Pacific Northwestern Birds Shows Their Surprising Resilience"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/research-takes-flight-benjamin-freeman-named-2024-packard-fellow","title":"Research Takes Flight: Benjamin Freeman Named 2024 Packard Fellow"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/benjamin-freeman-named-early-career-fellow-ecological-society-america","title":"Benjamin Freeman Named Early Career Fellow by Ecological Society of America"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687359":{"#nid":"687359","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Science for Public Good: Introducing the Community Engagement Graduate Fellows ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFour graduate students from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E were recently selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google. This one-year research opportunity awards up to $5,000 for each fellow to develop a project with local partners that aims to build stronger communities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt has been a pleasure for the Center for Programs to Increase Engagement in the Sciences (C-PIES) to collaborate with Google and the College of Sciences Advisory Board to bring this fellowship, which will positively impact our community and highlight how science can align with public good,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ELewis A. Wheaton\u003C\/strong\u003E, professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and director of C-PIES.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn the year ahead, the fellows will work with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cpies.cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EC-PIES\u003C\/a\u003E and community partners on campus and in the metro Atlanta area to develop projects in one of three priority areas: civic and policy engagement, community-engaged research, and K-12 research outreach.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe fellowship was open to all graduate students in the College of Sciences, and four inaugural fellows \u2014 Aniruddh Bakshi, Katherine Slenker, Miriam Simma, and Nikolai Simonov \u2014 were named based on their exciting, yet feasible applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Aniruddh Bakshi: Strengthening trust in science\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EPh.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAniruddh Bakshi\u003C\/strong\u003E studies the problem of drug delivery at the intersections of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and immunology. As mRNA vaccines are closely related to his area of research, he sees the need for a grassroots outreach movement from young academics to help bolster public confidence in rigorous scientific methodology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn collaboration with local hospitals and nonprofits, his proposed project is to start a social media content series, titled \u201cA Day in the Life of a Ph.D. Student,\u201d to show the realities of graduate school for those interested in this career path while connecting his research to broader public issues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cScience has the power to solve urgent problems, but only if people understand and trust it,\u201d says Bakshi. \u201cThrough this fellowship, I will use my research and outreach efforts to help strengthen that trust \u2014 showing how discoveries in drug delivery and vaccine design can make a real difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Katherine Slenker: Creating a biodiversity data network\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAtlanta is often referred to as \u201cthe city in a forest,\u201d but according to Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EKatherine Slenker\u003C\/strong\u003E, wildlife has a difficult time navigating across roads and housing developments, often resulting in human-wildlife conflict.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cConservation ecologists have long recommended that the movement of wildlife could be eased through the creation of \u2018ecological corridors,\u2019 which connect greenspaces and wildlife populations,\u201d she explains. \u201cDetermining the movement patterns of wildlife, and where such corridors may be best situated, requires that we first understand what species reside in the metro Atlanta area as well as how they are expected to disperse.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a fellow, Slenker plans to build a biodiversity data network by comparing wildlife monitoring at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Stone Mountain Park and increasing the coalition of metro Atlanta researchers. This data can be used in the development of ecological corridors to reduce clashing between humans and wildlife, notably animals struck by vehicles, and improve ecosystem health at these parks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Miriam Simma: Making structural biology research more accessible\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study of crystallography is vital in academia, industry, and medicine because it enables researchers to decipher the atomic structures of proteins, but it is scarcely taught outside of graduate school. Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMiriam Simma\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ewants to change that.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer proposed project is to introduce protein crystallography to K-12 students and teachers through hands-on activities in local high school classrooms and to the public during the Atlanta Science Festival at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMy vision is to make structural biology research accessible, so everyone can engage with cutting-edge scientific research \u2014 fostering curiosity and interest in STEM careers,\u201d says Simma. \u201cLong term, I will synthesize these activities into a chemical education article that introduces K-12 students to protein structure and function.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFellow Nikolai Simonov: Mentoring middle school scientists\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELast year, Ph.D. student\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENikolai Simonov\u003C\/strong\u003E became involved in the GoSTEM Club at Lilburn Middle School \u2014 leading student activities and recruiting other graduate student volunteers. In partnership with Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing\u003C\/a\u003E, the club is a weekly afterschool program for students, many of whom come from underserved backgrounds, to grow their scientific curiosity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI assembled a team of 10 Tech graduate students who could explain complex scientific concepts in approachable ways for middle school students. Through this fellowship, we are excited to enrich the GoSTEM Club with an ongoing mentorship program and materials for more ambitious science fair projects,\u201d shares Simonov.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs part of the program, club members can meet one-on-one with Georgia Tech mentors to discuss their educational and career goals. \u201cBy sharing their stories and connecting scientific ideas to real-world applications, our mentors aim to show students that STEM is not only accessible but a path toward a fulfilling life,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFour graduate students from the College of Sciences were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google, to develop projects that positively impact the metro Atlanta area and\u0026nbsp;highlight how science can align with public good.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Four graduate students from the College of Sciences were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google, to develop projects that positively impact the metro Atlanta area. "}],"uid":"27465","created_gmt":"2026-01-15 19:17:05","changed_gmt":"2026-01-15 20:30:07","author":"Annette Filliat","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679014":{"id":"679014","type":"image","title":"Community Engagement Graduate Fellows","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFour graduate students from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E were selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768507734","gmt_created":"2026-01-15 20:08:54","changed":"1768508071","gmt_changed":"2026-01-15 20:14:31","alt":"Community Engagement Graduate Fellows ","file":{"fid":"263125","name":"C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4108784,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows.jpg?itok=EDpa4s4k"}},"679016":{"id":"679016","type":"image","title":"C-PIES and Community Engagement Graduate Fellows","body":"\u003Cp\u003EC-PIES Director Lewis A. Wheaton (far left) and Director of Programs Lea Marzo (far right) stand with the inaugural Community Engagement Graduate Fellows (left to right): Nikolai Simonov, Miriam Simma, Aniruddh Bakshi, and Katherine Slenker.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768508133","gmt_created":"2026-01-15 20:15:33","changed":"1768508664","gmt_changed":"2026-01-15 20:24:24","alt":"C-PIES and Community Engagement Graduate Fellows","file":{"fid":"263126","name":"C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4321309,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/15\/C-PIES-Community-Engagement-Graduate-Fellows-2.jpg?itok=rj-DkhiR"}}},"media_ids":["679014","679016"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/step-eases-transfer-transition","title":"STEP Eases Transfer Transition"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1182","name":"General"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"185591","name":"campus and community"},{"id":"188933","name":"Atlanta community."},{"id":"191866","name":"C-PIES"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"192552","name":"College of Sciences Advisory Board"},{"id":"3165","name":"google"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: Annette Filliat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["afilliat@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"687192":{"#nid":"687192","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Coastal Resilience Project Secures Nearly $1 Million to Restore Wetlands","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has awarded an interdisciplinary team nearly $1 million in funding through the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nfwf.org\/programs\/national-coastal-resilience-fund\u0022\u003ENational Coastal Resilience Fund\u003C\/a\u003E to restore coastal wetlands in Georgia. It was the only project in Georgia to be selected for funding from the program\u0027s 2025 call for proposals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe award will support the design of nature-based solutions including\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/insight\/understanding-living-shorelines\u0022\u003Eliving shorelines\u003C\/a\u003E and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia, adjacent to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Cumberland Island National Seashore, and the city of St. Marys.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cRestoring wetlands in Camden County is not just an environmental priority \u2014 it\u2019s a resilience strategy for the entire region,\u201d says principal investigator (PI)\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/joel-kostka\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoel Kostka\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Tom and Marie Patton Distinguished Professor, associate chair for Research in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, and faculty director of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/joel-kostka-named-director-georgia-tech-georgias-tomorrow\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech for Georgia\u2019s Tomorrow\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cEach acre of restored marshland protects coastal communities from natural hazards like storms and flooding, provides essential marine habitat, and has the potential to aid the Navy and the Army Corps of Engineers in developing management alternatives for dredged materials. When our wetlands flourish, our whole coastline does.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIn addition to Kostka, co-PI\u2019s include University of Georgia (UGA) Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Director\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClark Alexander\u003C\/strong\u003E, UGA Associate Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.uga.edu\/team_member\/matthew-v-bilskie\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatt Bilskie\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/engineering.uga.edu\/team_member\/brian-bledsoe-2\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian Bledsoe\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.org\/georgia\u0022\u003EThe Nature Conservancy\u003C\/a\u003E Coastal Climate Adaptation Director\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAshby Worley\u003C\/strong\u003E, and Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENolan Williams\u003C\/strong\u003E of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.rde.us\/\u0022\u003ERobinson Design Engineers\u003C\/a\u003E, a firm dedicated to the engineering of natural infrastructure in the Southeast that is owned and operated by Georgia Tech alumnus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJoshua Robinson\u003C\/strong\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA coastal collaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new project, known as a \u201cpipeline project\u201d by NFWF,\u0026nbsp; builds on multiple resilience plans and years of previous research conducted by the established team. \u201cThis is a testament to the value of the long-term collaborations and partnerships that enable coastal resilience work,\u201d Kostka says. \u201cWe\u2019re working closely with local communities and a range of city, state, and federal stakeholders to ensure these solutions align with local priorities and protect what matters most.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s not the first time that the team has brought this type of collaboration to the coastline. Since 2019, Kostka has worked alongside the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Aquarium, and Robinson Design Engineers in a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/maryville-marsh-restoration\u0022\u003E$2.6 million effort to restore degraded salt marshes in historic Charleston\u003C\/a\u003E, also funded by NFWF. Now in the implementation phase, much of the marsh restoration in Charleston involves planting salt-tolerant grasses, restoring oyster reefs, and excavating new tidal creeks \u2014 work that is being spearheaded by local volunteers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cCoastal resilience isn\u2019t something one group can tackle alone,\u201d Kostka adds. \u201cThat shared, community-driven vision is what makes these projects possible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support the design of nature-based solutions including\u0026nbsp;living shorelines and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The award will support the design of nature-based solutions including\u00a0living shorelines and marsh restoration in flood-prone areas of Camden County, Georgia."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2026-01-12 13:20:04","changed_gmt":"2026-01-12 13:31:16","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678950":{"id":"678950","type":"image","title":"Degraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDegraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Degraded marsh on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263053","name":"Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5430100,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Degraded-marsh-on-Cumberland.png?itok=rblZWU1k"}},"678953":{"id":"678953","type":"image","title":"Kostka sampling transects of marshland on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKostka sampling transects of marshland on Cumberland Island, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Kostka sampling transects of marshland on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263056","name":"Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png","mime":"image\/png","size":5222904,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Transect-sampling-on-Cumberland-Island.png?itok=xBr-zea0"}},"678951":{"id":"678951","type":"image","title":"Erosion around the historic property \u201cDungeness\u201d on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EErosion around the historic property \u201cDungeness\u201d on Cumberland Island, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Erosion around the historic property \u201cDungeness\u201d on Cumberland Island, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263054","name":"Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6900758,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Erosion-in-front-of-Dungeness-on-Cumberland.png?itok=uvmJsn8X"}},"678952":{"id":"678952","type":"image","title":"Flooding in the town of St. Marys, a town in Camden County, Georgia.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFlooding in the town of St. Marys, a town in Camden County, Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1768224154","gmt_created":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","changed":"1768224154","gmt_changed":"2026-01-12 13:22:34","alt":"Flooding in the town of St. Marys, a town in Camden County, Georgia.","file":{"fid":"263055","name":"Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/12\/Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4918395,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/12\/Flooding-in-St.-Marys.png?itok=Ug-RLMae"}}},"media_ids":["678950","678953","678951","678952"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/maryville-marsh-restoration","title":"Researchers and Alumni Aid in $2.6 Million Effort to Restore Salt Marshes in Historic Charleston"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686843":{"#nid":"686843","#data":{"type":"news","title":"NSF Grant Funds Protein Research for Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProteins, including antibodies, hemoglobin, and insulin, power nearly every vital aspect of life. Breakthroughs in protein research are producing vaccines, resilient crops, bioenergy sources, and other innovative technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite their importance, most of what scientists know about proteins only comes from a small sample size. This stands in the way of fully understanding how most proteins work and unlocking their full potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~yunan\/\u0022\u003EYunan Luo\u003C\/a\u003E believes artificial intelligence (AI) could fill this knowledge gap. The National Science Foundation agrees. Luo is the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003ECAREER\u003C\/a\u003E) award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSo much of biology depends on knowing what proteins do, but decades of research have concentrated on a relatively small set of well-studied proteins. This imbalance in scientific attention leads to a distorted view of the biological landscape that\u0026nbsp;quietly shapes our data and our algorithms,\u201d Luo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy group\u2019s goal is to build machine learning (ML) models that actively close this gap by generating trustworthy\u0026nbsp;function predictions for the many proteins that remain understudied.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E[Related: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/faculty-use-ai-protein-design-and-discovery-support-18-million-nih-grant\u0022\u003EYunan Luo to use AI for Protein Design and Discovery with Support of $1.8 Million NIH Grant\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/awardsearch\/show-award\/?AWD_ID=2442063\u0026amp;HistoricalAwards=false\u0022\u003Eproposal to NSF\u003C\/a\u003E, Luo coined this rich-get-richer effect \u201cannotation inequality.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne problem of annotation inequality is that it slows progress in disease prognosis, drug discovery, and other critical biomedical areas. It is challenging to innovate the few proteins that scientists already know so much about.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA cascading effect of annotation inequality is that it diminishes the effectiveness of studying proteins with\u0026nbsp;AI. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAI methods learn from existing experimental data. Datasets skewed toward well-known proteins propagate and become entrenched in models. Over time, this makes it harder for computers to research understudied proteins.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cProtein annotation inequality creates an effect analogous to a vast library where 95% of patrons only read the top 5% popular books, leaving the rest of the collection to gather dust,\u201d Luo said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis has resulted in knowledge disparities across proteins in current literature and databases, biasing our understanding of protein functions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe NSF CAREER award will fund Luo with over $770,000 for the next five years to tackle head-on the problem of protein annotation inequality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo will use the grant to build an accurate, unbiased protein function prediction framework at scale. His project aims to:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EReveal how annotation inequality affects protein function prediction systems\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreate ML techniques suited for biological data, which is often noisy, incomplete, and imbalanced \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EIntegrate data and ML models into a scalable framework to accelerate discoveries involving understudied proteins\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore enduring than the ML framework, Luo will leverage the NSF award to support educational and outreach programs. His goal is to groom the next generation of researchers to study other challenges in computational biology, not just the annotation inequality problem.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo teaches graduate and undergraduate courses focused on computational biology and ML. Problems and methods developed through the CAREER project can be used as course material in his classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo also championed collaboration with Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E) in his proposal.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough this partnership, local high school teachers and students would gain access to his data and models. This promotes deeper learning of biology and data science through hands-on experience with real-world tools. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo sees reaching students and the community as a way of paying forward the support he received from Georgia Tech colleagues.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am incredibly grateful for this recognition from the NSF,\u201d said Luo, an assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Computational Science and Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (CSE).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis would not have been possible without my students and collaborators, whose hard work laid the groundwork for this proposal.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo praised CSE faculty members \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~badityap\/\u0022\u003EB. Aditya Prakash\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/xiuweizhang.wordpress.com\/\u0022\u003EXiuwei Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chaozhang.org\/\u0022\u003EChao Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E for their guidance. All three study \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning\u0022\u003Emachine learning\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/computational-bioscience-and-biomedicine\u0022\u003Ecomputational bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, two of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cse.gatech.edu\/research\u0022\u003ECSE\u2019s five core research areas\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELuo also thanked \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~hpark\/\u0022\u003EHaesun Park\u003C\/a\u003E for her support and recommendation for the CAREER award. Park is a Regents\u2019 Professor and the chair of the School of CSE.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProteins, including antibodies, hemoglobin, and insulin, power nearly every vital aspect of life. Breakthroughs in protein research are producing vaccines, resilient crops, bioenergy sources, and other innovative technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDespite their importance, most of what scientists know about proteins only comes from a small sample size. This stands in the way of fully understanding how most proteins work and unlocking their full potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/faculty.cc.gatech.edu\/~yunan\/\u0022\u003EYunan Luo\u003C\/a\u003E believes artificial intelligence (AI) could fill this knowledge gap. The National Science Foundation agrees. Luo is the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/funding\/opportunities\/career-faculty-early-career-development-program\u0022\u003ECAREER\u003C\/a\u003E) award.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Yunan Luo is the recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to use artificial intelligence to solve the protein annotation inequality problem."}],"uid":"36319","created_gmt":"2025-12-10 16:57:22","changed_gmt":"2026-01-09 13:37:31","author":"Bryant Wine","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678817":{"id":"678817","type":"image","title":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","body":null,"created":"1765385865","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:57:45","changed":"1765385865","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:57:45","alt":"Yunan Luo NSF CAREER Award","file":{"fid":"262902","name":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":108350,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_1.jpg?itok=j83dW4Sn"}},"678818":{"id":"678818","type":"image","title":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","body":null,"created":"1765385967","gmt_created":"2025-12-10 16:59:27","changed":"1765385967","gmt_changed":"2025-12-10 16:59:27","alt":"Yunan Luo NSF CAREER Award","file":{"fid":"262903","name":"Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":100260,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/10\/Yunan-Luo-NSF-CAREER_2.jpg?itok=CShGR6nJ"}}},"media_ids":["678817","678818"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/news\/nsf-grant-funds-protein-research-drug-discovery-and-personalized-medicine","title":"NSF Grant Funds Protein Research for Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine"}],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"50877","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"654","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"166983","name":"School of Computational Science and Engineering"},{"id":"9153","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"10199","name":"Daily Digest"},{"id":"181991","name":"Georgia Tech News Center"},{"id":"9167","name":"machine learning"},{"id":"187812","name":"artificial intelligence (AI)"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"191934","name":"National Science Foundation (NSF)"},{"id":"170447","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"176858","name":"machine learning center"},{"id":"173894","name":"ML@GT"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBryant Wine, Communications Officer\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:bryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebryant.wine@cc.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686999":{"#nid":"686999","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Joints in Motion: Armita Manafzadeh Receives Carl Gans Young Investigator Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/qbios.gatech.edu\/user\/275\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArmita Manafzadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ehas been awarded the prestigious\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sicb.org\/awards\/the-carl-gans-award\/\u0022\u003ECarl Gans Young Investigator Award\u003C\/a\u003E in recognition of her innovative research into joints and skeletons. She will join Georgia Tech as an assistant professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E in August 2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe award\u0026nbsp;\u2014 named in recognition of Carl Gans\u2019 contributions to animal morphology, biomechanics, and functional biology\u0026nbsp;\u2014 is one of the highest honors from the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), and recognizes Manafzadeh\u2019s \u201cexceptional creativity and originality in comparative biomechanics research as well as her strong mentoring contributions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m very fortunate to have done science with incredible mentors, collaborators, and students who\u2019ve helped me develop this body of research,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to be recognized with the Carl Gans Award, and look forward to continuing to explore new ways to study biomechanics when I start my lab at Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe new\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.manafzadeh.com\/\u0022\u003EManafzadeh Lab\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech will investigate how joints work and where they come from \u2014 both evolutionarily and developmentally. With powerful new technology, called X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM), Manafzadeh can look inside bodies with 4D \u201cX-ray vision\u201d \u2014 and can create animations of moving skeletons with sub-millimeter precision.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThis research has the potential to transform our understanding of animal motion,\u201d she says, \u201cand that can ultimately open doors to everything from personalized surgical treatments for people to new designs for bio-inspired robots.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs part of the award, Manafzadeh will deliver a plenary speech on \u201cJoints: Form, Function, and the Future of Comparative Biomechanics\u201d this January at the annual SICB meeting in Portland, Oregon.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EManafzadeh will join Georgia Tech as an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences in August 2026. The new\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.manafzadeh.com\/\u0022\u003EManafzadeh Lab\u003C\/a\u003E at Georgia Tech will investigate how joints work and where they come from \u2014 both evolutionarily and developmentally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Manafzadeh will join Georgia Tech as an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences in August 2026. The new\u00a0Manafzadeh Lab at Georgia Tech will investigate how joints work and where they come from \u2014 both evolutionarily and developmentally.\u00a0"}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-12-19 16:29:30","changed_gmt":"2026-01-06 19:40:29","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678897":{"id":"678897","type":"image","title":"Armita Manafzadeh","body":"\u003Cp\u003EArmita Manafzadeh\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766161920","gmt_created":"2025-12-19 16:32:00","changed":"1766161920","gmt_changed":"2025-12-19 16:32:00","alt":"Armita Manafzadeh","file":{"fid":"262987","name":"armita.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/19\/armita.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/19\/armita.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":77736,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/19\/armita.jpg?itok=Zi8kNfrn"}}},"media_ids":["678897"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686924":{"#nid":"686924","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Outside the Box: The Adaptation of Georgia Tech\u2019s Beekeeper in Residence From Advertising to Apiaries ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EDuring her years working in the advertising and marketing industry,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EDeb DeWitt\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ebecame increasingly intrigued by beekeeping. The timing, however, was never quite right.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBusy with her career and family, DeWitt tucked the idea away \u2014 until she stepped back from the professional world and knew it was time to pursue keeping bees. She enrolled in a one-day beekeeping class that was offered by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/metroatlantabeekeepers.org\/\u0022\u003EMetro Atlanta Beekeepers Association\u003C\/a\u003E. From there, DeWitt learned the fundamentals, purchased her first honey bees, and began the fascinating \u2014 and sometimes mystifying \u2014 work of caring for them in her backyard.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELike many new beekeepers, she faced steep challenges: sick bees, failing colonies, secondary pests, and ensuring her hives had enough resources to survive winter. But DeWitt says that she also discovered how remarkably generous and supportive the beekeeping community is. She connected with mentors and attended local bee club meetings and state conferences where researchers shared their latest findings. Beekeeping became meaningful in ways she had never anticipated.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI fell in love with honey bees and all things related. There is an innate spirituality in keeping bees,\u201d she says. \u201cOnce I put the veil on, life slows to a standstill and becomes a walking meditation into a delicately complex and endlessly fascinating world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer marketing background came full circle too. \u201cLike any creative endeavor, beekeepers must be keenly observant,\u201d DeWitt explains. \u201cWe have to think outside the box, pivot quickly, anticipate problems, and plan ahead.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs her colony numbers grew, so did her reach. DeWitt established apiaries at several metro Atlanta schools and at sites in Chattahoochee Hills, Grant Park, Brookhaven, Arabia Mountain, and Brevard, North Carolina. Along the way, she earned her Master Beekeeper certification from Cornell University, served as the central regional director for the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gabeekeeping.com\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Beekeepers Association\u003C\/a\u003E, taught beekeeping to incarcerated individuals through the Georgia Department of Corrections, and partnered with tree companies to rescue wild honey bee colonies living in trees slated for removal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EServing as the Beekeeper in Residence\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis breadth of experience prepared her for a unique opportunity: becoming Georgia Tech\u2019s 2025 Beekeeper in Residence with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/bees\/\u0022\u003EUrban Honey Bee Project\u003C\/a\u003E. The one-year residency, DeWitt says, offered \u201ca rare opportunity to be part of the Georgia Tech community,\u201d allowing her to explore new ideas in beekeeping while tending to and expanding the rooftop hives at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livingbuilding.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EThe Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Urban Honey Bee Project, an interdisciplinary initiative of Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E, established the Beekeeper in Residence program to maintain colonies at The Kendeda Building and in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/facilities.gatech.edu\/ecocommons\u0022\u003EEcoCommons\u003C\/a\u003E, mentor student beekeepers, and enrich the program with diverse expertise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cDeb did so much this year \u2014 working closely with the Beekeeping Club, keeping our hives healthy, and even rehoming a wild hive from a dead tree on campus,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/expert\/jennifer-leavey\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Leavey\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant dean for faculty mentoring in the College of Sciences and director of the Urban Honey Bee Project. \u201cMost importantly, Deb showed our students how an expert beekeeper approaches hive care. She took every opportunity to include them, and it made a real impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech undergraduate\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EAlyssa Zhang\u003C\/strong\u003E agrees. \u201cThe Beekeeping Club loved working with Deb. She was always happy to teach us \u2014 whether it was managing Varroa mites last summer, when she helped reduce counts from 17% to below 1%, or preparing the hives for winter.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProtecting intelligent pollinators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Varroa mite is one of many pressures beekeepers face. \u201cThe biggest challenges affecting honey bees \u2014 as well as native bees and other pollinators \u2014 are climate change, habitat loss, pesticide use, pests, and pathogens,\u201d DeWitt explains. \u201cThese factors contributed to U.S. commercial beekeepers losing a devastating average of 62% of their colonies last year.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHoney bees play a critical role in pollinating food crops and producing honey and beeswax. These threats fuel DeWitt\u2019s passion for education, mentorship, and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels. Yet, the most meaningful rewards are personal.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHoney bee colonies are superorganisms \u2014 tens of thousands of individuals working together for the good of the hive,\u201d she adds. \u201cBees are intelligent, endlessly fascinating creatures, and I never stop learning from them. Beekeeping has made me a better gardener, horticulturist, ecologist, conservationist, carpenter, biologist, scientist, student, teacher, problem solver\u2026 you name it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERecognized across Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHer passion for the craft is unmistakable. In 2025, DeWitt received one of the state\u2019s highest honors: Georgia Beekeepers Association\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gabeekeeping.com\/Beekeeper-of-the-Year\u0022\u003EBeekeeper of the Year Award\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI am profoundly grateful to the state\u2019s beekeeping community for recognizing my efforts over the past eight years,\u201d says DeWitt. \u201cThis award reflects the mentorship I\u2019ve received from some truly exceptional beekeepers.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMarketer-turned-beekeeper Deb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u0027s Beekeeper in Residence and receives the Georgia Beekeepers Association\u2019s Beekeeper of the Year Award.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Marketer-turned-beekeeper Deb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u0027s Beekeeper in Residence and receives the Georgia Beekeepers Association\u2019s Beekeeper of the Year Award."}],"uid":"27465","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 22:19:18","changed_gmt":"2025-12-17 20:36:58","author":"Annette Filliat","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678876":{"id":"678876","type":"image","title":"Deb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s 2025 Beekeeper in Residence with the Urban Honey Bee Project. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDeb DeWitt serves as Georgia Tech\u2019s 2025 Beekeeper in Residence with the Urban Honey Bee Project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766001431","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 19:57:11","changed":"1766002974","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:22:54","alt":"Woman standing with a honeycomb.","file":{"fid":"262966","name":"Deb-DeWitt.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Deb-DeWitt.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Deb-DeWitt.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6215201,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/Deb-DeWitt.jpg?itok=L_TiZuFL"}},"678878":{"id":"678878","type":"image","title":"Left to right: Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt, alumna Tosin Adedipe (BME 2025), and Jennifer Leavey, assistant dean for faculty mentoring in the College of Sciences and director of the Urban Honey Bee Project","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELeft to right: Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt, alumna Tosin Adedipe (BME 2025), and Jennifer Leavey, assistant dean for faculty mentoring in the College of Sciences and director of the Urban Honey Bee Project\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766001666","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 20:01:06","changed":"1766003099","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:24:59","alt":"Three women with one of them holding beekeeping equipment.","file":{"fid":"262968","name":"DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":762068,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/DDewitt-JLeavey-Tosin.jpeg?itok=3PPC0_Gs"}},"678882":{"id":"678882","type":"image","title":"Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt (center) educates undergraduate students Omar Malik (left) and Alyssa Zhang (right). ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBeekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt\u0026nbsp;(center) educates undergraduate students Omar Malik (left) and Alyssa Zhang (right).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766003609","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 20:33:29","changed":"1766003609","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:33:29","alt":"Three people, including a woman in a bee-keeping hat.","file":{"fid":"262972","name":"Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":676158,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/Dewitt-AlyssaZhang-OmarMalik--1-_0.jpg?itok=EFEO_Mfn"}},"678883":{"id":"678883","type":"image","title":"Beekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt discusses important pollinators at Georgia Tech\u0027s Honeypalooza. ","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBeekeeper in Residence Deb DeWitt discusses important pollinators at Georgia Tech\u0027s Honeypalooza.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1766003727","gmt_created":"2025-12-17 20:35:27","changed":"1766003727","gmt_changed":"2025-12-17 20:35:27","alt":"Woman teaching a class and holding a honeycomb.","file":{"fid":"262973","name":"Honeypalooza_Kendeda.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Honeypalooza_Kendeda_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/17\/Honeypalooza_Kendeda_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3074892,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/17\/Honeypalooza_Kendeda_0.jpg?itok=IVXudvBm"}}},"media_ids":["678876","678878","678882","678883"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/happy-world-bee-day-inside-urban-honey-bee-project","title":"Happy World Bee Day: Inside the Urban Honey Bee Project\u00a0"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/janelle-dunlap-turns-beekeeping-art","title":"Janelle Dunlap Turns Beekeeping Into Art "}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"177142","name":"beekeeping"},{"id":"180897","name":"honey bees"},{"id":"70141","name":"Georgia Tech Urban Honey Bee Project"},{"id":"187127","name":"Georgia Tech College of Sciences"},{"id":"192081","name":"office of sustainability"},{"id":"177739","name":"Kendeda Building"},{"id":"79481","name":"ecocommons"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jess@cos.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJess Hunt-Ralston\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003ECollege of Sciences at Georgia Tech\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: Annette Filliat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEditor: Selena Langner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["afilliat@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686905":{"#nid":"686905","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Make Waves at the World\u2019s Largest Neuroscience Conference","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EImagine stepping into a space the size of multiple football fields \u2014 only instead of turf and goalposts, it\u2019s filled with science. Every inch is alive with posters, equipment demos, and researchers sharing the latest breakthroughs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Conference, one of the largest scientific gatherings in the world, drawing more than 30,000 attendees to San Diego in November. According to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/user\/1105\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAnnabelle Singer\u003C\/a\u003E, it is \u003Cem\u003Ethe\u003C\/em\u003E place to be for neuroscientists. \u201cIf you want to know what is going on now in neuroscience, it is being talked about at SfN.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESinger is a McCamish Foundation Early Career Professor in the Wallace H. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECoulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (BME) at Georgia Tech and Emory University. A frequent SfN attendee, she describes the meeting as \u201cDragon Con for neuroscience, with thousands of talks and posters going on simultaneously.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year, Georgia Tech didn\u2019t just show up \u2014 it made a statement with more than \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/public.tableau.com\/views\/Neuroscience2025\/main?:showVizHome=no\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E60 presentations\u003C\/a\u003E, a major outreach award, and a spotlight press conference.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSeeing Georgia Tech and INNS represented so strongly at SfN is exciting,\u201d says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/christopher-john-rozell\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChris Rozell\u003C\/a\u003E, executive director of Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society\u003C\/a\u003E (INNS). \u201cIt reflects the incredible breadth of neuroscience and neurotechnology research happening across our campus and how our work is shaping conversations at the highest level.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInside \u2018Neuroscience Dragon Con\u2019\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany conferences center around structured lectures, but at SfN, posters are the heart. You might find a senior researcher presenting groundbreaking findings right next to a first-time attendee sharing early results. This diversity is what makes the experience so valuable, says Singer. \u201cTrainees get to talk directly with the scientist doing the work to get their questions answered, from wondering about future implications to clarifying technical details.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scale of SfN can feel overwhelming, but for many, that\u2019s part of the excitement. \u201cThere are so many different posters from so many different fields. It\u2019s a lot to absorb, but it\u2019s all very interesting,\u201d said Benjamin Magondu, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student presenting for the first time. \u201cI\u2019ve definitely learned at least 47 things by just walking 10 feet.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor students like Magondu, the experience is critical, says \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/people\/farzaneh-najafi\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EFarzaneh Najafi\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cSfN has such a big scope, all the way from molecular to cognitive and computational systems. Especially for those deciding which direction of neuroscience they want to go into, it\u2019s invaluable.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat breadth also fosters connections across disciplines. \u201cConferences are usually pretty niche,\u201d noted Tina Franklin, a research scientist in BME. \u201cYou have your own field that you\u2019re really good at, but it\u2019s difficult to venture out and find new people who can help you figure out what comes next. This conference brings people from all different fields together with the common interest of neuroscience and brain research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELeading the Charge\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s impact went beyond the conference floor. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/ming-fai-fong\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMing-fai Fong\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in BME, received the prestigious Next Generation Award, one of SfN\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sfn.org\/publications\/latest-news\/2025\/11\/03\/society-for-neuroscience-2025-education-and-outreach-awards\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eeducation and outreach awards\u003C\/a\u003E. The honor recognizes members who make outstanding contributions to public communication and education about neuroscience.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m certainly very grateful to the Society for Neuroscience for recognizing these types of contributions,\u201d says Fong, who was recognized for her work supporting blind and visually impaired youth in Atlanta. \u201cRewarding outreach efforts reinforces my core belief that scientists and engineers can make an immediate impact on communities we care about through outreach. It\u2019s a great parallel avenue to making a positive impact through research.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on this recognition, Georgia Tech was in the spotlight during one of SfN\u2019s selective press conferences \u2014 a session on \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.the-scientist.com\/ai-tools-unravel-thoughts-actions-and-neuronal-makeup-73779\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eartificial intelligence in neuroscience\u003C\/a\u003E moderated by Rozell, who is also the Julian T. Hightower Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring the SfN press event, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/med.emory.edu\/directory\/profile\/?u=TKESAR\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETrisha Kesar,\u003C\/a\u003E an associate professor in BME and adjunct faculty in the School of Biological Sciences, presented her research using AI to improve gait rehabilitation. Her work was among just 40 abstracts selected from more than 10,000 submissions for this honor, and one of five abstracts selected for the AI in neuroscience press conference. The project is a collaboration with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/hyeokhyen-kwon\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHyeok Kwon\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech computer science alumnus and an assistant professor in BME.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to see Georgia Tech and Atlanta emerging as hubs for neuroscience innovation,\u201d said Kesar. \u201cBeing part of a press conference on AI in neuroscience shows how much our community is contributing to the future of brain research, and how collaboration across institutions can accelerate progress.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith more than 60 presentations and recognition for neuroscience outreach and AI research, Georgia Tech demonstrated its growing impact at the 2025 Society for Neuroscience\u2019s annual meeting.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"With more than 60 presentations and recognition for neuroscience outreach and AI research, Georgia Tech demonstrated its growing impact at the 2025 Society for Neuroscience\u2019s annual meeting."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2025-12-16 16:25:18","changed_gmt":"2025-12-16 20:34:06","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678854":{"id":"678854","type":"image","title":"1763342998142_viaSfN.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAffectionally called \u0022DragonCon for neuroscience,\u0022 the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting is one of the largest academic conferences in the world.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765903757","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 16:49:17","changed":"1765903757","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 16:49:17","alt":"Affectionally called \u0022DragonCon for neuroscience,\u0022 the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting is one of the largest academic conferences in the world.","file":{"fid":"262944","name":"1763342998142_viaSfN.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/1763342998142_viaSfN.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/1763342998142_viaSfN.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":161836,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/1763342998142_viaSfN.jpeg?itok=0fC9aJqn"}},"678856":{"id":"678856","type":"image","title":"IMG_6535-2.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBenjamin Magondu, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, presented at SfN for the first time this year.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765903975","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 16:52:55","changed":"1765903975","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 16:52:55","alt":"Benjamin Magondu, a graduate student in biomedical engineering, presented at SfN for the first time this year.","file":{"fid":"262946","name":"IMG_6535-2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6535-2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6535-2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":16053615,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6535-2.png?itok=RqMzz6kC"}},"678855":{"id":"678855","type":"image","title":"IMG_6838.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWith hundreds of presentations happening simultaneously, the poster floor can be overwhelming at SfN \u2014 but for many, that\u0027s part of the draw.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765903880","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 16:51:20","changed":"1765903880","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 16:51:20","alt":"With hundreds of presentations happening simultaneously, the poster floor can be overwhelming at SfN \u2014 but for many, that\u0027s part of the draw.","file":{"fid":"262945","name":"IMG_6838.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6838.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6838.png","mime":"image\/png","size":10484632,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6838.png?itok=5jvPd7_3"}},"678857":{"id":"678857","type":"image","title":"IMG_6748-2.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETrisha Kesar answers a question during the SfN press conference on AI in neuroscience, moderated by Chris Rozell.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1765904071","gmt_created":"2025-12-16 16:54:31","changed":"1765904071","gmt_changed":"2025-12-16 16:54:31","alt":"Trisha Kesar answers a question during the SfN press conference on AI in neuroscience, moderated by Chris Rozell.","file":{"fid":"262947","name":"IMG_6748-2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6748-2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6748-2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":10935175,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/16\/IMG_6748-2.png?itok=dFEAz4Je"}}},"media_ids":["678854","678856","678855","678857"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-uses-computing-and-engineering-methods-shift-neuroscience-paradigms","title":"Georgia Tech Uses Computing and Engineering Methods to Shift Neuroscience Paradigms"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.the-scientist.com\/ai-tools-unravel-thoughts-actions-and-neuronal-makeup-73779","title":"Inside the SfN Press Conference: AI Tools Unravel Thoughts, Actions, and Neuronal Makeup"},{"url":"https:\/\/neuro.gatech.edu\/head-toe-georgia-tech-researchers-treat-entire-human-body-through-neuroscience-research","title":"Head to Toe: Georgia Tech Researchers Treat the Entire Human Body Through Neuroscience Research"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/202927865@N06\/albums\/72177720330951882\/","title":"Georgia Tech at SfN in Photos"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"443951","name":"School of Psychology"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter and media contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Manager\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPresenter Dashboard:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECreated by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jpreston7@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJoshua Preston\u003C\/a\u003E, Communications Manager, College of Computing\u003Cbr\u003EData collection by Audra Davidson, Hunter Ashcraft\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686604":{"#nid":"686604","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clean, Old-Fashioned Collaboration: Engineering the Future of Healthcare at Georgia Tech and UGA","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019ve lived in Georgia long enough, you\u2019ve almost certainly heard the friendly jabs tossed across divided Thanksgiving tables. On one side, a smirk and a mention of the \u201cNorth Avenue Trade School.\u201d On the other, a pointed retort: \u201cTo hell with Georgia.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFew rivalries run deeper than the one known as \u201cClean, Old-Fashioned Hate,\u201d the annual showdown between Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia (UGA). On Friday afternoon, November 28, the two will face off in one of the most anticipated matchups in years. These teams don\u2019t like each other, and for a few hours every year, neither do friends, families, and even significant others.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOff the field, however, the schools are proving that collaboration, not competition, is the schools\u2019 true strength.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor more than a century, Georgia\u2019s flagship universities have united around complementary strengths, tackling the state\u2019s biggest challenges together. That starts with making Georgians healthier.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWhen Georgia Tech and UGA combine their strengths, together we create solutions that neither institution could achieve alone,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cThese collaborations accelerate innovation in healthcare, improve lives across our state, and demonstrate that partnership \u2014 not rivalry \u2014 is Georgia\u2019s most powerful tradition.\u0022\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThe common denominator between these two great institutions is the populations they serve,\u201d said Chris King, interim vice president for Research at UGA. \u201cWe have a duty to find solutions that help improve the quality of life for all Georgians, and that\u2019s what these partnerships are all about.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFrom programs like the Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (Georgia CTSA) to the National Science Foundation\u2019s Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), researchers at UGA and Georgia Tech are setting rivalries aside to build lasting partnerships that fuel innovation and expand the workforce to meet the state\u2019s needs.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPushing Cell Therapy Across the Goal Line\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECMaT is an NSF-funded consortium of more than seven universities and 40 member companies. At Georgia Tech and UGA, teams are conducting many early stage translational projects to improve manufacturing of cell-based therapeutics.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOne joint project between Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, executive director of Georgia Tech\u2019s Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering \u0026amp; Bioscience, and John Peroni, the Dr. Steeve Giguere Memorial Professor in Large Animal Medicine in UGA\u2019s College of Veterinary Medicine, addresses treatment of bacterial infections that can follow bone repair surgeries.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBone fractures and non-union defects often require surgical implants, but 1-5% are compromised by bacterial infection, costing hospitals more than $1.9 billion annually. Current treatments are limited to sustained, high doses of antibiotics, which are less effective and can generate antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Garc\u00eda and Peroni are engineering synthetic biomaterials that locally deliver antimicrobial agents to eliminate infections and promote bone repair.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESteven Stice, D.W. Brooks Distinguished Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at UGA\u2019s Regenerative Bioscience Center, is also working with Georgia Tech\u2019s Andrei Fedorov, professor and Rae S. and Frank H. Neely Chair in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, to improve the quality and control of producing natural, cell-derived healing materials for regenerative medicine.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdult cells secrete tiny, bubble-like vesicles that help other cells heal and regenerate tissue. Stice developed methods to boost vesicle production, while Fedorov created a probe that accelerates the process.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cCells simply don\u2019t secrete these healing vesicles in the quantities needed for scalable, clinical-grade treatments,\u201d said Stice, UGA lead and co-principal investigator for CMaT. \u201cOur collaborative work changes that, accelerating production in a way that finally makes large-scale regenerative therapies feasible.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech and UGA\u0027s collective commitment to advancing science and technology exceeds the intensity of our athletic rivalry,\u201d Fedorov said. \u201cTogether, we\u2019re advancing cell and therapy biomanufacturing to develop lifesaving treatments for the most devastating diseases.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Francisco Robles and UGA\u2019s Lohitash Karumbaiah are using manufactured T cells to target cancer. Robles, who leads the Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Lab in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, developed quantitative Oblique Back-illumination Microscopy (qOBM) to monitor tumor growth in real time. The method allows scientists to visualize patient-derived glioblastoma cell clusters generated in the Karumbaiah Lab, tracking tumor structure and behavior at various stages.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cAssessing therapeutic potency is often complex, costly, and ineffective for solid tumors,\u201d Karumbaiah said. \u201cqOBM simplifies the process by providing real-time, label-free monitoring of therapeutic efficacy against 3D solid tumors.\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe work could help doctors personalize cancer treatments by providing early, detailed signs of whether a therapy is working.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cThis technique is more compact and affordable and lets us watch T cells attack cell cultures in real time,\u201d Robles said. \u201cThis breakthrough could transform how we study disease and screen new treatments.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Playbook for Local Healthcare\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ECreated in 2007 by the National Institutes of Health, Georgia CTSA is one of several NIH-funded national partnerships advancing new health therapeutics and practices. Since 2017, it has comprised UGA, Georgia Tech, Emory, and the Morehouse School of Medicine. The alliance\u2019s reach extends far beyond campus borders, bringing together researchers, clinicians, professional societies, and community and industry partners to identify local health challenges and translate research into practical solutions.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAnd out of this alliance have come many collaborative studies among CTSA\u2019s members.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOne, the Georgia Health Landscape Dashboard, is a tool to identify local health gaps and connect regional health professionals or policymakers with the researchers who can best address their community\u2019s challenges. UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences Associate Professors Alison Berg and Dee Warmath, along with community health engagement coordinator Courtney Still Brown, are working with Georgia Tech\u2019s Jon Duke, director of the Center for Health Analytics and Informatics at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and a principal research scientist in the School of Interactive Computing.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe dashboard has already helped match researchers with communities by combining epidemiological data with \u201ccommunity voice\u201d insights through surveys of residents and local leaders.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor example, when examining diabetes data, the dashboard indicates Randolph County has the state\u2019s highest prevalence, despite declining by about 8% between 2021-24. Meanwhile, Treutlen County\u2019s rate increased 29.2% during the same period. Perhaps Treutlen\u2019s need for diabetic care is a growing concern, while Randolph\u2019s is being addressed. And perhaps Hancock County, which ranks diabetes its top priority in the community voice category, is in search of immediate solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Landscape Dashboard is a fantastic example of how the unique expertise found at Georgia Tech and UGA can be brought together to create something truly valuable for all Georgia,\u201d Duke said. \u201cBy bringing together a range of data sources and health analytics approaches, this collaboration has created a tool that delivers novel insights into health, community, and policy across the state.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESupported by UGA Cooperative Extension and the Biomedical and Translational Sciences Institute, the project leverages a network of agents in every county across the state. Warmath said the project\u2019s strength lies in its ability to connect research with real-world needs.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cTo build a community-responsive ecosystem for biomedical research, scientists must recognize local needs, share progress with communities to foster trust and acceptance, recruit clinicians and industry partners, and strengthen the relationships between patient and caregiver,\u201d Warmath said.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeaming Up for Maternal Health\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWarmath and a team of researchers at UGA, Georgia Tech, and Emory are also collaborating on an NIH-funded project uniting experts in maternal health, biostatistics, and consumer science to explore how wearable technologies could improve delivery-room care.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDuring childbirth, clinicians monitor countless maternal and fetal vitals \u2014 contractions, heart rates, oxygen levels, kidney function, and more. What new insights, the researchers asked, could advanced wearable technologies offer in the delivery room, and what barriers might prevent their use?\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EUsing nationwide surveys and focus groups, the team gathered information from a representative sample of pregnant, postpartum, and reproductive-age women, as well as healthcare professionals, to examine acceptance of wearable health technologies during labor and delivery. In their analysis of this rich data source, the team is identifying key variables that reveal gaps in technology acceptance and the unique needs of diverse maternal populations.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EEach partner institution brings unique expertise. At Emory, principal investigator Suchitra Chandrasekaran contributes clinical insights from direct patient care. At UGA, Warmath applies her knowledge in consumer science to analyze end-user motivation, attitudes, and behaviors. At Georgia Tech, experts like Sarah Farmer in the Center for Advanced Communications Policy\u2019s Home Lab facilitate large-scale data collection.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWith data collection now complete, the team is analyzing results to inform future design and deployment of wearable technologies.\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cEach school has a different perspective,\u201d Farmer said. \u201cIt\u2019s not as simple as one school does this but doesn\u2019t do that. Each has their expertise, but they offer different perspectives and different resources that, when pooled, can make our research that much more effective.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhether advancing maternal health, mapping Georgia\u2019s health needs, or engineering next-generation therapies, UGA and Georgia Tech continue to prove that collaboration is Georgia\u2019s strongest tradition. Further, the undergraduate and graduate students who work in these labs and others represent the state\u2019s highly skilled workforce of tomorrow.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cWhen our institutions work together, Georgia wins,\u201d Warmath said.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u2014 \u003Cem\u003EBy David Mitchell\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech and UGA are teaming up to tackle big health challenges, from cancer and bone repair to maternal care and community health. By combining their strengths, these schools are turning research into real-world solutions that make life better for Georgians.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By uniting expertise and resources, Georgia\u2019s leading institutions are creating practical solutions to improve health outcomes across the state."}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2025-11-24 15:25:22","changed_gmt":"2025-11-24 19:33:14","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678711":{"id":"678711","type":"image","title":"Tim Lieuwen and Chris King","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETim Lieuwen and Chris King\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1763994958","gmt_created":"2025-11-24 14:35:58","changed":"1763999939","gmt_changed":"2025-11-24 15:58:59","alt":"A tall white man wearing a blue GT-branded polo standing next to a slightly shorter man wearing a UGA-branded red polo. 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