ResearchEnvironment|WPI-Forum

ResearchEnvironment

Visualizing Molecular Recognition at the Nano–Life Interface: Sk Asif Ikbal at WPI-NanoLSI

From India to Kanazawa, assistant professor Sk Asif Ikbal has grown alongside WPI-NanoLSI since its founding, bridging supramolecular chemistry with biomedical applications. Leveraging world-class nanometrology and a truly interdisciplinary environment, his research connects fundamental chemistry to efforts addressing diseases such as cancer at the nanoscale.

Engineering Sustainable Futures through Computational Materials Design in a Research Environment that Fosters Growth: Kulbir Kaur Ghuman at WPI-I²CNER

Now a Canada Research Chair holder, Kulbir Kaur Ghuman credits her transformative years at WPI-I²CNER for shaping her into an independent researcher tackling climate change at the atomic level. From fuel cells to carbon capture, her computational approach to designing sustainable materials was forged in WPI-I²CNER’s interdisciplinary environment bridging physics, chemistry, and computational science.

From Mongolia to Japan, Tackling the Unknowns of Nanoplastics with
Cutting-Edge Research Infrastructure: Batdulam Battulga at WPI-AIMEC

At WPI-AIMEC, postdoctoral researcher Batdulam Battulga from Mongolia pioneers methods to detect and characterize nanoplastics—particles so tiny they evade conventional analysis. With access to the state-of-the-art NanoTerasu synchrotron facility and a center integrating ocean physics, ecology, and data science, she tackles one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

Cutting-Edge Science on Historical Premises: Tengyi Liu at WPI-AIMR

At WPI-AIMR, assistant professor Tengyi Liu converts CO₂ into useful compounds through electrocatalytic reduction—research that could help decarbonize our world. Drawn to Tohoku University by its rich scientific legacy, he found in WPI-AIMR a supportive environment where shared instrumentation, interdisciplinary tea-time discussions, and comprehensive mentorship give early-career researchers everything they need to lead.

Tracing the Mechanisms of the Biological Clock through Interdisciplinary Science:
Senthilvadivel Vajravijayan at WPI-ITbM

At WPI-ITbM, postdoctoral researcher Senthilvadivel Vajravijayan decodes the atomic architecture of circadian clock proteins—work that could lead to drugs restoring disrupted biological rhythms. In a boundary-breaking institute where chemists, biologists, and physicists share open labs, he turns interdisciplinary collaboration into discoveries published in Nature Communications.

Exploring Virus-Derived Genes in Developmental Research:
Fiona Quirion at Keio University WPI-Bio2Q

German scientist Fiona Quirion studies the surprising roles of ancient viral genes embedded in our DNA at WPI-Bio2Q, where quantum computing and AI meet human biology. Joining the center in its early years, she has grown alongside an institution pushing the boundaries of what we know about embryonic development, the microbiome, and intractable diseases.

Supernova Tea Time: Robert Quimby and Kavli IPMU, WPI

“I study stars that explode.” From contributing to Nobel Prize-winning research on the accelerating universe to discovering supernovae ten times brighter than any seen before, Robert Quimby found at Kavli IPMU, WPI the perfect launchpad—an ambitious institution “doing big work” to unlock the mysteries of the universe, where personal and professional aspirations aligned.

Breaking Boundaries in Kyoto: Global Minds Driving Scientific Horizons: MATSUI Risa at WPI-iCeMS

From curious undergraduate to pioneering Ph.D. candidate, MATSUI Risa has spent seven years at WPI-iCeMS unraveling how membrane proteins govern cell behavior. In Kyoto University’s world-renowned center for integrated cell-material sciences, she pursues basic research at the frontier of biology—driven by the thrill of being the first to uncover truths unknown to anyone. Immersed in WPI-iCeMS’s international environment, interactions with researchers from diverse backgrounds have inspired her to embrace new challenges and take bold next steps in her career.

Fusing Neuroscience and Mathematics toward Future Clinical Applications in Spinal Cord Injury: YAMAGUCHI Reona at WPI-ASHBi

At WPI-ASHBi, assistant professor YAMAGUCHI Reona is uncovering how the brain recovers motor function after spinal cord injury by integrating neuroscience with mathematical modeling. His discovery that reduced neural inhibition—not increased excitation—drives recovery opens promising new pathways for clinical rehabilitation in an institute built for truly integrated interdisciplinary research, supported by WPI-ASHBi’s unique framework bridging life sciences and advanced mathematics.

Collaborating with Global Colleagues (and Local Babies) on Language Acquisition Research:
Irena Lovčević at WPI-IRCN

At WPI-IRCN’s Babylab, postdoctoral researcher Irena Lovčević studied how environmental factors shape language acquisition in infants—using innovative “Babyloggers” to capture real-world speech data. From Serbia to Sydney to Tokyo, her journey through WPI-IRCN expanded her research network and deepened her mission to bring developmental science to the parents who need it most.