The microbial communities that colonize the human body are involved in many human diseases. Since the same diseases are also affected by human genes, characterizing the interplay between the microbiome and human genetics is central to understanding human biology and disease. Ran Blekhman utilizes high-throughput genomic technologies and advanced analytical approaches to integrate human and microbiome genomic big data, with the goal of understanding how the microbiome affects disease and developing microbiome-based therapies.

Respiratory disease is the second leading cause of death worldwide, and is often initiated by the exposure to airborne pollutants. Understanding how microscopic particles travel in air and inside our airways is therefore of paramount importance. Filippo Coletti uses high-speed laser imaging to track suspended particles, and medical imaging to follow their path in 3D printed replicas of human lungs. This is shedding new light on how air quality impacts our health.

Religious freedom is one of the founding principles of American democracy. But modern ideas about religion and freedom emerged within a colonial slave society. As my research shows, under the institution of slavery, some religious practices were deemed legitimate while others were criminalized. Recognizing the complex dynamic between race, belief, and danger shows that we must examine the history of slavery in order to understand the meaning of religion and the concept of religious freedom.

Increasing computer power makes it possible to solve the century old equations of quantum mechanics to develop new insight about real chemical compounds. However, discovering novel materials with superior performance requires a systematic approach that goes beyond reproducing the observed materials properties. Birol's research utilizes ideas from solid state physics, chemistry, and materials science to develop design strategies for computationally discovering new materials.

Cells in the brain connect and communicate with each other in complex and fascinating patterns. Sarah Heilbronner’s research aims to uncover these patterns, especially for parts of the brain that are demonstrably different in psychiatric disorders. Her research bridges nonhuman animal models and humans, allowing us to make inferences about neural mechanisms in humans and more effectively model brain disorders in animals.

Groundwater systems store about 99% of global unfrozen freshwater, thus playing a critical role in sustaining our daily lives and global ecosystems. Most groundwater systems are composed of fractured rocks, and fractures provide major pathways for groundwater flows. Peter Kang visualizes fracture flows using novel imaging techniques and develops computer models that predict fracture flows and contaminant transport. Kang’s research addresses both fundamental and practical problems, such as severe water problems in the world, including Minnesota.

The cortex, the outer surface of the brain, is critically important for performing learned and adaptive behaviors. Very little is known about how multiple cortical regions work together to mediate such behaviors. We are engineering transparent skulls with embedded miniaturized optical imaging systems to map the activity of one million or more neurons in the cortex of the mouse to better understand the neural computations underlying complex behaviors.

In order to understand the global climate crisis today we need to look at history as well as science. Historical research examining state responses to environmental change shows consequences for human populations. This comparative project explores the global interaction between climate change, destruction of herds, and forced settlement of Indigenous populations during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The goal is to analyze the politics of environmental change in the past and the present.

Ableism is the belief that able bodies and minds are more worthy than disabled ones. How was this belief formed? Jennifer Row draws upon interdisciplinary archives (dance manuals to fairy tales to floor plans) to examine the formation of ableism and racism in the early modern French court and French Atlantic slavery. How and why were a variety of embodiments and mental traits sorted into a hierarchy of disposable, expendable lives and lives that matter?

Contemporary society benefits from the faster and cheaper movements of people and goods. This expanded mobility, however, comes with increasingly dire environmental, social, and economic costs. Ying Song’s research integrates theories in geography and behavior science with emerging geospatial technologies. Her research leverages new geospatial data and computational methods to gain novel insights into the diversity and dynamics of mobility behaviors via various travel modes and offer solutions to promote green and healthy mobility.