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
Strategy for Inventors Placing Talent in Complex Innovation Networks
MIE Associate Professor Babak Heydari’s research on “Core or periphery: Examining where to allocate heterogeneous inventors and the impact on firms’ innovation” was published in the Strategic Management Journal.
Making Exoskeletons Safe Through Uncertainty
Research conducted by Fatima Mumtaza Tourk, PhD’27, mechanical engineering; Bishoy Galoaa, PhD’29, computer engineering; Sanat Shajan, COS’25; ECE/Khoury Assistant Professor Michael Everett; and Bouvé/MIE Assistant Professor Max Shepherd on “Uncertainty-Aware Ankle Exoskeleton Control” was published in Robotics.
Creating a Single Nanodevice That Displays a Record-High Number of Independent Images
Research conducted by MIE/ECE Professor Yongmin Liu on “Polarization-Encoded Lenticular Nano-Printing with Single-Layer Metasurfaces” was published in Advanced Functional Materials.
Advanced Science Frontispiece Features Research on Materials with Embodied Intelligence
Research conducted by MIE Postdoctoral Research Associate Richard Nash, Yunzheng Yang, PhD’27, and Associate Professor Yaning Li on “Adaptive Mechanical Metamaterials with On-Demand Binary Local Modulus for Embodied Intelligence” was featured on the frontspiece of Advanced Science.