Northwestern Research

Big impact happens when disciplines come together.

From a dissolvable pacemaker smaller than a grain of rice to breakthroughs in aging and disease, Northwestern’s cross-campus research collaboration is turning bold ideas into real-world solutions. That spirit was on full display at the inaugural Research Impact Day—showcasing the power of team science across schools.
https://tinyurl.com/5f4efh72

Northwestern continued to produce high-impact research despite 2025 presenting challenges across higher education. You can learn about a few of the many highlights in this year's Impact Report. https://researchanalytics.northwestern.edu/docs/2025_vpr_impactreport26_pages.pdf

“We cannot secure the world from malign actors if we cannot foresee the threats they pose,” said Northwestern computer science expert V.S. Subrahmanian during a recent daylong conference hosted by the Northwestern Security and AI Lab (NSAIL). “That is exactly what NSAIL does: identify threats posed by adversaries before they come to fruition and proactively mitigate them.”

Leading Research at the Intersection of AI and Global Security On Dec. 11, leading experts in AI, cybersecurity, and national security discussed AI-enabled terrorism and warfare, emerging defense applications, and governance frameworks that ensure transparency and accountability.

Jeremy Gilbert, the Knight Professor in Digital Media Strategy at Medill - Northwestern University, speaks with PBS about how to strengthen science communication--including with younger audiences. Gilbert's segment begins at timestamp 3:00:00, but the entire program is valuable and includes other Northwestern experts, including Patti Wolter, the Helen Gurley Brown Magazine Professor at Medill.

WATCH LIVE: Ask us anything about science communication | A PBS News Tipping Point Special Leave your questions here in the chat, (live during the event) or in the Reddit AMA here:https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1php5zh/were_pbs_news_and_wer...

Northwestern's Vice President for Research Eric Perreault in conversation about what makes the University's breakthroughs possible--and why communicating about that work is so important: "We're in a time when science is often questioned, yet people really understand the value when we think about outcomes such as some of the great medicines that are helping cure diseases or improve quality of life."

Inside Northwestern’s Collaborative Research Ecosystem with Eric Perreault, PhD In this episode, Eric J. Perreault, PhD, Vice President for Research at Northwestern University discusses the power of collaboration and how Northwestern's deeply interdisciplinary culture.

Northwestern’s Chad A. Mirkin Wins Prestigious Harvey Prize in Science and Technology

Congratulations to Professor Chad A. Mirkin, a global leader in nanoscience and nanotechnology, on receiving the 2023–2024 Harvey Prize from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

Mirkin’s groundbreaking work—including the invention of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs)—has transformed nanomedicine, drug development, and diagnostics. His innovations have led to seven SNA-based therapeutics in clinical trials and more than 1,800 commercial products worldwide.

The Harvey Prize is Technion’s highest scientific honor and has a history of recognizing future Nobel laureates. Mirkin joins an elite group of past recipients, including pioneers behind CRISPR and mRNA vaccines.

Learn more about his extraordinary contributions and why this award is a career-defining milestone. https://tinyurl.com/2p9r6xm7

Chad A. Mirkin awarded prestigious international Harvey Prize Technion’s most prestigious scientific honor, the prize is known both for honoring discoveries that have shaped modern science and for identifying future Nobel Prize recipients. More than 30% of award recipients have gone on to win a Nobel Prize.

Quantum Leap Ahead
Northwestern researchers are helping redefine the future of computing as part of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS)—a multi-institutional effort led by Fermilab and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

After proving the viability of a groundbreaking quantum platform in SQMS 1.0, the newly announced SQMS 2.0 grant will scale this technology to unprecedented levels. Over the next five years, the team aims to:

Build a 100+ qudit quantum processor—equivalent to ~500 qubits

Achieve 10× error reduction through advanced materials and chip innovations

Prototype a quantum data-center unit for future quantum networks

Northwestern’s James Rondinelli (pictured), site PI and Materials Research Society Fellow, is coordinating efforts across 10 research groups to push the boundaries of quantum materials and architectures. Together with 550+ experts from 36 institutions, the team is creating hybrid cavity-qudit systems that could surpass today’s state-of-the-art quantum capabilities.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/yc54666y

Milestone in quantum science

The U.S. Department of Energy has renewed the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center with a $125 million, five-year investment, an endorsement of the progress the initiative has made since its launch in 2020 with significant Northwestern University faculty engagement.

Led by Fermilab, SQMS brings together national labs, universities, and industry to develop scalable, resilient quantum technologies — from ultra-high coherence qubits to future quantum data centers.

Northwestern is proud to continue as a key partner in this national effort. Faculty member James Rondinelli (pictured, second from right), a computational materials physicist, serves on the SQMS leadership team. He co-leads research into qubit loss mechanisms, modeling atomic and electronic structures to help overcome decoherence in superconducting quantum systems.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/mtcb5n4f

Congratulations to Dr. Joseph Bass!
Joseph Bass, MD, PhD — the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine at Northwestern — has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in science and medicine.

Bass is recognized for his groundbreaking discoveries linking circadian rhythms to metabolic health, revealing how disruptions in the body’s internal clock contribute to obesity, diabetes, and other metabolic diseases.

“None of this work could have happened without Northwestern’s enduring support for basic science,” said Bass, who directs the Center for Diabetes and Metabolism and serves as chief of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine.

His pioneering studies continue to shape understanding of how sleep, diet, and the biological clock intersect to influence human health.

Northwestern faculty member Joel Mokyr wins for showing how technological progress has led to sustained economic growth. https://tinyurl.com/ym3jheft

Northwestern connection to 2025 Physics Nobel

This year’s Nobel Prize for physics recognized macroscopic quantum tunneling in superconducting circuits. A key enabler behind today’s progress is the transmon qubit, co-designed by Northwestern University physicist Jens Koch. The transmon (pictured) is built to shrug off stray electric charges while still acting like a clean, controllable two-level system—turning it into the workhorse of modern superconducting quantum processors and enabling the precise experiments celebrated by this prize.

Proud of the Northwestern community for advancing quantum science. Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/2yz4ruf4

Northwestern among Inc. Magazine's top-ranked universities for and . "These schools are hotbeds of big ideas, buzzy startups, and groundbreaking innovations. And through their diverse and robust offerings, these 50 schools are propelling future business leaders on their entrepreneurial journeys."

Ignition Schools 2025: The Top 50 Institutions Producing Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs and Innovators The second annual list from Inc. and Fast Company honors the standout schools offering accelerators, venture centers, research opportunities, and more.