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
Northeastern Engineering Professors on the Lack of Representation in Medical Research
MIE/BioE Professor Sandra Shefelbine and BioE Associate Professor Chiara Bellini discuss the lack of representation of women in medicine and medical research, specifically in their research areas of bone biomechanics and cardiovascular health–respectively.
Amini & Oakes Named ASME Associate Editors of the Year
MIE Associate Professor Rouzbeh Amini was named the 2025 Associate Editor of the Year by the ASME Open Journal of Engineering and BioE Associate Professor Jessica Oakes was named the 2025 Associate Editor of the Year by the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering.
NSF CAREER Award To Develop Next-Generation Energy Diagnostics
MIE Assistant Professor Juner Zhu received a $630K NSF CAREER award for “Interpretable Electro-Chemo-Mechanical Analytics, Diagnostics, and Artificial Intelligence for Porous Electrodes.”
Zheng Named Fellow of the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers
MIE Associate Professor Yi Zheng was elevated to the grade of Fellow of the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE) for his “advances in micro/nanoscale radiative heat transfer via functional energy materials and metamaterials, energy storage, and solar desalination for efficient, sustainable energy systems.”