Research
The Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) has a vibrant research environment motivated by our dedicated faculty. Our research programs are funded by many government agencies. In addition to the government, working with academia and industry is part of our focus. We have established large-scale collaborations with government agencies and industry including Rogers Corporation and Dow Chemical, Army Research Laboratory, and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.
Research activities at the department can be classified by research areas and by research centers. The department is focused within twelve disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and trans-disciplinary research themes strengthened by the wide range of MIE faculty expertise. Department faculty are leveraging Northeastern’s global network and Institutes to build strong research partnerships, these include the Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security – Burlington, MA, Roux Institute – Portland, MA, Institute for Experiential Robotics, Network Science Institute, Institute for Experiential AI, and Global Resilience Institute. The department also leads two research centers, including the Center for High Rate Nanomanufacturing and the Healthcare Systems Engineering Institute, both federally funded.
View faculty profiles to learn about their research, including work being conducted in their laboratories. Also, view our Annual Reports.
Recent News
Developing Worldwide High-Speed Internet Access via Satellite
A group of COE faculty led by ECE Professor and Interim Chair Josep Jornet is partnering with student group Project Horizon and Morehead State University to develop what could be the world’s first sub-THz wireless satellite network testbed.
Interoperable AI Biomanufacturing Systems
MIE Assistant Professor Wei Xie, in collaboration with Ohio University and IMPSystems, is leading a $244,235 National Institute of Standards and Technology grant, “Biomanufacturing Modeling and Machine Learning Ontology Platform.” The research will address manufacturing systems integration, interoperability, and standardization development.
New Approach to Objective Pain Assessments
MIE Professor and Interim Chair Yingzi Lin’s research on pain assessment and management practices appeared in the September 2024 issue of Nature. She is studying a “Continuous Objective Multimodal Pain Assessment Sensing System” to advance the field of pain management research and patient safety, which could also reduce opioid dependency.
Rethinking Solar-Driven Evaporation
MIE Associate Professor Yi Zheng published his research on “Critical Assessment of Water Enthalpy Characterization Through Dark Environment Evaporation,” in Science Advances.