Physical & Life Sciences

Professor Kanatzidis, the Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor of Chemistry in Weinberg College, is a senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory known for his groundbreaking work in alternative energy technologies. He has made significant contributions to the field, including the discovery of a new mineral, a chalcogenide, called kanatzidisite in recognition of Kanatzidis’ significant contributions to chalcogenide chemistry.

Professor Fong researches the universe’s fastest explosions, known as transients, which include short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) and fast radio bursts (FRBs). Her research group seeks to understand what powers these events and what types of host galaxy environments give rise to them and uncover the nature and composition of material ejected from the explosions. When Fong entered the field, the origins of SGRBs were uncertain. Now, due in part to her research, astronomers suspect SGRBs might be generated by colliding neutron stars or black holes.

Professor Gabrielse is known for delivering the most precise measurement of a property of any elementary particle. At the part per trillion level, the measurement improves the previous result – a 15-year-old discovery also made by a Gabrielse-led team – by a factor of two. Physics, the publication tracking groundbreaking results in the field, called his group’s work “a triumph for fundamental physics.”

Professor LaBonne, an expert in the field of developmental biology, explains: “In evolutionary biology, if you want to understand where a feature came from, you can’t look forward to more complex vertebrates that have been evolving independently for 500 million years. You need to look backwards to whatever the most primitive version of the type of animal you’re studying is, which leads us back to hagfish and lampreys — the last living examples of jawless vertebrates.”

MProfessor Morimoto, the Bill and Gayle Cook Professor of Biology and director of the Rice Institute for Biomedical Research in Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is an expert on the cellular response to damaged proteins. His research in the growing field of geoscience seeks to understand the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms that make aging a major risk factor and driver of common chronic conditions and diseases of older people.

Professor Vinces studies the molecular biology of fungi and the evolution of gene expression. He also serves as a college adviser, promoting equity and inclusion for students across Weinberg College. He works with campus organizations to encourage participation and foster inclusion for underrepresented students in STEM, especially first-generation, lower-income, DACA, LGBTQ, and Latinx students.

Professor Kalow’s research aims to control the synthesis and properties of polymeric materials through physical organic chemistry, specifically using light. Using two distinct approaches – materials-inspired reaction discovery and reactivity-driven materials discovery – her research group develops new synthetic transformations and tunes the properties and functions of soft materials. The guiding principle of her research is employing a detailed understanding of reaction mechanism to drive optimization, discover new opportunities, and uncover general insights.

Professor Kelley is the Neena B. Schwartz Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern, and president of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub in Chicago. The goal of her research is to develop new tools for the diagnosis of disease and the development of new disease therapies. Her work integrates nanoscience, bioanalytical science, and engineering, utilizing cutting-edge techniques like CRISPR screening to focus on areas including nucleic acid detection, circulating cancer cell detection, and high throughput omics approaches for cell-based and molecular therapies.

Professor Sargent's groundbreaking research has revolutionized engineering applications. His work on energy harvesting, light sensing, and medical diagnosis has global impact. As an international collaborator, he focuses on solving challenges facing our planet. His research on perovskites, colloidal quantum dots, and luminescent solar concentrators has significantly increased their efficiencies, contributing to clean, renewable, and affordable energy solutions.