Northeastern College of Science

Experiential learning at its peak.

In the course "Cosmetic Chemistry: Design and Innovation" led by Associate Professor Leila Deravi, students are designing and testing products like waterproof blush and peel-off face masks—bringing together chemistry, biology, creativity, and real-world product design.

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Try mess-free face masks at this cosmetics showcase Northeastern’s cosmetic chemistry course challenges students to make their own personal care products.

From Northeastern to Oxford.

College of Science alum Laurel Walsh has been selected for the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, where she’ll pursue an accelerated PhD while working in both the US and the UK. Her research will focus on genomics and infectious disease—turning scientific curiosity into real-world impact.

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A scientist and artist wins Ph.D scholarship at NIH and Oxford Laurel Walsh will divide her time between the UK and US in NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program for accelerated doctorate.

Advancing the future of quantum computing.

Yizhi You, assistant professor of physics, has been named a 2026 Cottrell Scholar—an award recognizing outstanding early-career researchers for both scientific innovation and excellence in teaching.

Her work explores quantum systems and the fundamental behaviors that could shape next-generation technologies, highlighting the growing impact of quantum science on the future of computing and education.

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Quantum computing research earns professor Cottrell Scholar Award The Cottrell Scholar Awards give research funding to early-career academics studying certain scientific fields.

What if getting involved in research was easier and more accessible?

The 2026 COS Pitch Competition third place winner Soumya Raguraman, a behavioral neuroscience major, created LabMatch—a platform designed to make undergraduate research more accessible, structured, and fair.

Inspired by her own experience navigating research without a clear roadmap, Soumya saw how many students struggle to find opportunities while labs are overwhelmed with unstructured outreach. LabMatch aims to change that by matching students and labs based on skills, interests, and fit—not connections. Now, she’s working toward launching a pilot at Northeastern, turning her idea into a real system that could reshape how students access research.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3RaQPAa

Soumya Raguraman ’27, Behavioral Neuroscience - Northeastern University College of Science Soumya Raguraman, a behavioral neuroscience major with minors in business administration and public health, placed third in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition for LabMatch: The Undergraduate Research Matching Platform. Learn more about how this idea came about.

What if treating chronic illness could be less painful—and more effective?

Emiko Tonachel, a biology major who placed second in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition, developed a mucoadhesive hydrogel system designed to deliver drugs directly to sites of inflammation in IBD patients. Acting like a “gut band-aid,” the system targets treatment where it’s needed while reducing harmful side effects across the body.

Her idea was inspired by a close friend living with IBD—and the challenges that come with both the disease and its treatments. Now, Emiko is taking the next step by connecting with researchers and exploring how this idea could one day move from concept to real-world testing.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4uLe8ih

Emiko Tonachel ’29, Biology - Northeastern University College of Science Emiko Tonachel, a biology major with philosophy minor, placed second in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition for Mucoadhesive hydrogel system for localized drug delivery in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Learn more about the inspiration behind the research.

What if a tiny worm could help us understand the future of regenerative medicine?

Andre Bancu, a cell and molecular biology major, won first place at the COS Pitch Competion this spring for his research on how disrupting bioelectric signals in planaria can cause them to grow two heads—and pass that change across generations.

What started as curiosity about a “weird-looking worm” turned into a full research hypothesis exploring how bioelectric signaling may influence the epigenome and the Wnt signaling pathway.

This summer, Andre plans to bring his idea to life in the Wet Lab Makerspace, continuing his work in regenerative biology and sharing what he discovers along the way.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4ddT6TO

Andre Bancu ’29, Cell and Molecular Biology - Northeastern University College of Science Andre Bancu won first place in the 2026 COS Pitch Competition for The Role of Transient Bioelectric Disruption in Heritable Chromatin State Changes in Dugesia japonica. Learn more about his research idea and the impact he hopes to make.

“The dreams that belong to you do not exist on accident.” 🎓

As a 2026 Commencement speaker, Evan Kenny shared a powerful message with his classmates, one rooted in purpose, resilience, and the courage to pursue what feels uncertain.

A Navy veteran who summited Mount Everest before returning to campus, Evan’s path to behavioral neuroscience wasn’t linear. But it’s exactly that journey that shaped his perspective: your path doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to be yours.

Read more: https://bit.ly/495XUIm

Undergraduate student speakers encourage bravery, open-mindedness Four undergraduate student speakers took the stage at Fenway at Northeastern’s undergraduate commencement.