Research at Wayne State University

The Division of Research & Innovation hosted their inaugural Excellence in Research & Innovation celebration on May 14, 2026 at St. Andrew's Hall on Wayne State's main campus. The event recognized Wayne State faculty who have had great achievements in calendar year 2025 including major honorifics, research awards over $1 million, U.S. patents issued, patent milestones, license agreements, disclosures, books published, and significant fine, performing and communication arts honorifics. Nearly 150 faculty were honored for their impressive accomplishments. For more information and to view the honorees, visit:

Celebrating Excellence in Research & Innovation Wayne State's Division of Research & Innovation hosted their inaugural Excellence in Research & Innovation celebration on May 14, 2026 at St. Andrew's Hall.

Congratulations to Dr. Rhongho Jang, assistant professor of computer science, on receiving a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award for the project, In-network GPU Integration for Vision-inspired Generative Inference. Dr. Jang's project aims to transform the capabilities of modern internet infrastructure by exploring how to embed Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) directly into routers, allowing the network to analyze information in real time as data passes through, ultimately helping to overcome traditional computing limitations.

NSF CAREER award to Wayne State University to create next generation network infrastructure Dr. Rhongho Jang, assistant professor of computer science, to do research to transform the capabilities of modern internet infrastructure.

Congratulations to the Wayne State University/Karmanos Cancer Institute research team of Dr. Lauren Hamel, Dr. Theresa Hastert, Dr. Hayley Thompson, and Dr. Eliza Beal, on their recent award from the American Cancer Society. They are the key initial investigators of the new Digital Engagement and Cancer Outcomes Center, established to better understand the impact of the digital environment and inclusion on outcomes and disparities among Black cancer patients, survivors and caregivers, and advance interventions that integrate and impact hospital and community resources to improve outcomes.

Wayne State University and Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute researchers establish new Digital Engagement and Cancer Outcomes Center with ACS grant Wayne State University and the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute researchers establish the Digital Engagement and Cancer Outcomes (DECO) Center

A collaborative team of researchers from Wayne State University and Washington State University recently published an article in the journal, Theranostics, that describes a major breakthrough in treating eye diseases that cause blindness, such as retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Dr. Nikhlesh K. Singh, corresponding author of the paper and associate professor of ophthalmology, visual and anatomical sciences at the Wayne State School of Medicine, is a part of this team that is creating this less painful treatment option for those suffering with these eye diseases.

Collaborative research team develop nanocarrier that may offer new, less invasive treatment option for retinopathies of the eye Major breakthrough in treating eye diseases that cause blindness using a smart delivery system to administer medicine through a simple injection into the body.

Wayne State University was recently named among the top 100 universities patenting technologies by the National Academy of Inventors. Congratulations to all of our faculty and research staff who are the important innovators supporting this success!

Wayne State named among the top 100 universities patenting technologies by the National Academy of Inventors Wayne State University named among the top 100 universities patenting technologies by the National Academy of Inventors

Wayne State University's Institute of Gerontology and Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute invite you to their annual Lifespan Alliance Research Day on April 3, 2026 at the Skillman Building and Freer House. For more information, visit https://events.wayne.edu/research-events/2026/04/03/lifespan-alliance-research-day-106350

Congratulations to Drs. Shawn McElmurry and Timothy Dittrich from Wayne State's Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering on their recent grant from the Great Lakes Water Authority! The $473,566, three-year grant is a major collaborative initiative focused on enhanced phosphorus removal at the nation’s largest single-site wastewater treatment facility, and aims to improve local water systems and will provide critical training for Wayne State students to become experts in wastewater treatment and environmental protection.

Wayne State University and Great Lakes Water Authority launch major collaboration to protect Lake Erie and Rouge River Wayne State University and GLWA launch major collaboration focused on enhanced phosphorus removal at nation's largest single-site wastewater treatment facility.

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Rybak on receiving a nearly $3.4 million NIH R01 award to advance innovative strategies for treating drug-resistant infections! Read more at

Dr. Rybak receives nearly $3.4 million NIH R01 award to advance innovative strategies for treating drug-resistant infections Dr. Michael Rybak receives nearly $3.4 million NIH R01 award to advance innovative strategies for treating drug-resistant infections

A collaborative team of researchers and students from Wayne State University’s Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Institute of Gerontology are studying the impact of a backward walking program on individuals with multiple sclerosis. The study, “Structural and Functional Changes With 8 Weeks of Backward Walking Training in Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Series,” was published in the January issue of the Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy.

The team is led by Dr. Nora Fritz, director of research and professor in the Department of Health Care Sciences in the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the Department of Neurology, School of Medicine.

Backward walking study offers potential new treatment to improve mobility and decrease falls in multiple sclerosis patients Backward walking study at Wayne State University offers potential new treatment to improve mobility and decrease falls in multiple sclerosis patients

Join Wayne State's Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases this Thursday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 for their next webinar focused on HPV vaccines, questions and hesitancy. The seminar is free; registration is required. Register at https://events.wayne.edu/main/2025/12/11/ceid-webinar-series-hpv-vaccines-questions-and-hesitancy-104066

We hope you can join us for this important topic!