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Assistant Professor Yuanwei Li  has received a DARPA grant to develop a nanophotonic chip-based sensor array capable of detecting and tracking neurochemical biomarkers in real time with unprecedented sensitivity and throughput. If successful, the technology could pave the way for portable, wearable devices that continuously monitor brain chemistry, enabling earlier detection of neurological conditions and more personalized diagnostics.

Engineers led by Assistant Professor Yingjie Zhang have developed a groundbreaking three-state model that reveals how water molecules behave at solid surfaces, resolving decades of scientific debate about the nature of these critical interfaces. By combining advanced microscopy techniques, the research provides a molecular blueprint that enables precise control of solid-water boundaries, with transformative implications for water desalination, carbon dioxide reduction and electrochemical energy storage technologies.

Associate Professor Hua Wang has been awarded a 2026 Early Career Investigator Award from METAvivor for his pioneering research into next-generation exosome vaccines targeting metastatic breast cancer. Wang's innovative approach uses chemically modified tumor-secreted extracellular vesicles combined with click chemistry to trigger specific immune responses against cancer cells, offering new hope for patients living with the disease. 

Illinois researchers led by Assistant Professor Jean-Charles Stinville have discovered a breakthrough strategy for designing fatigue-resistant metal alloys by controlling how plastic deformation spreads at the atomic scale, potentially transforming materials used in transportation, aerospace and energy applications. By engineering alloys where deformation remains uniformly distributed rather than localized — a mechanism confirmed through advanced imaging and computational modeling — the team has opened new pathways to create metals that resist fatigue failure while maintaining strength under repeated loading cycles.

Assistant Professor Yuecheng "Peter" Zhou has been named a Scialog Fellow for Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems and received a Biophysical Society early career travel award. The Scialog Fellowship will support his research on how neural systems adapt to environmental changes, while the travel award will enable him to present his group's work on novel biophysical tools at an annual BPS meeting.

Assistant Professor Marie Charpagne earned a DOE Early Career Research Program award for pioneering work that harnesses radiation itself to strengthen nuclear reactor materials, rather than fighting its damaging effects. Her approach uses radiation to create protective nanostructures in specially designed alloys that continuously repair damage during operation, potentially enabling self-healing materials for next-generation nuclear systems.