Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon

New research from Carnegie Mellon University is reshaping how scientists understand Parkinson’s disease. Instead of a single condition, the study shows that key symptoms — tremor and slowed movement — arise from disruptions in different brain circuits.

Led by neuroscientist Aryn Gittis, the research identifies distinct patterns of neural activity in the motor thalamus, a central hub for movement control. These findings help explain why current treatments, which primarily target dopamine, work well for some symptoms but not others.

By mapping the specific circuits behind different symptoms, this work opens the door to more precise, personalized therapies and could improve approaches like deep brain stimulation. It also provides a new model for studying tremor, a long-standing challenge in Parkinson’s research.

Parkinson’s Symptoms Trace to Distinct Brain Circuits Carnegie Mellon University’s Aryn Gittis and colleagues suggest the most recognizable symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from disruptions in different motor circuits of the brain, an insight that could help explain why current treatments don’t work equally for all patients.

A Carnegie Mellon University startup is rethinking how cancer drugs are discovered. Pierogi Therapeutics combines artificial intelligence with physics-based chemistry models to rapidly screen billions of potential compounds, dramatically reducing the time and cost of early-stage drug development.

Focused on radiopharmaceuticals, an emerging class of targeted cancer therapies, the company is addressing a critical gap in computational tools. By speeding up predictions of how molecules interact with disease-related proteins, their platform helps researchers identify the most promising drug candidates before entering the lab.

Built on years of CMU research and powered by high-performance computing, Pierogi Therapeutics is advancing a more efficient, data-driven approach to developing life-saving treatments.

CMU Startup Accelerates Cancer Drug Discovery A Carnegie Mellon University startup is using advanced chemistry and artificial intelligence to help speed up the search for new cancer drugs. Pierogi Therapeutics’ AI accelerated computational models can virtually screen vast numbers of potential drug candidates before moving into costly and time...

Carnegie Mellon alumnus Calvin Hoffman is turning scientific training into real-world impact in Major League Baseball. As an amateur draft analyst for the Kansas City Royals, he uses data science, programming and analytical thinking to evaluate players and support high-stakes draft decisions.

Hoffman’s experience conducting astrophysics research at CMU — including modeling black hole systems — helped build the problem-solving and communication skills he now applies to complex datasets in baseball analytics. His work reflects how a foundation in physics and computation can extend far beyond the lab.

Physics Alumnus is Part of the KC Royals Analytical Lineup Calvin Hoffman, who graduated in 2024 with a major in physics and a minor in computer science, is the Kansas City Royals amateur draft analyst, a role at the intersection of scientific problem solving, programming and a sport he loves.

PFAS — also known as forever chemicals — negatively affect the environment and human health. Carrie McDonough, associate professor of chemistry, shared the dangers in The Conversation US.

PFAS leave fingerprints in your blood – researchers are figuring out how forever chemicals transform in your body to read these clues Your body likely contains an accumulation of various PFAS types, making it difficult to trace them to their sources.

Recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Jingjing Xu is advancing a more human-centered approach to medicine. Through her research, she studies how communication between patients and providers shapes trust, decision-making and health outcomes — particularly in areas like endometriosis care.

Her work highlights how patient voices and lived experiences can influence diagnosis and treatment. By combining science with the health humanities, Xu is helping shift the focus of medicine toward empathy, equity and effective communication.

Learning to Listen: Jingjing Xu Brings Humanity to Medicine Recent Carnegie Mellon University graduate Jingjing Xu earned the Mellon College of Science Gilman Award.

Recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Ashley Hackney is helping tackle one of the world’s most urgent health challenges: antibiotic resistance.

In a CMU biophysics lab, Hackney studied antimicrobial peptides — molecules that can kill harmful bacteria without damaging human cells. Her research, which includes collecting X‑ray data at national facilities and contributing to a forthcoming scientific publication, is part of a broader effort to develop new treatments as traditional antibiotics become less effective.

Beyond the lab, Hackney is committed to expanding access to science through mentorship, teaching and community engagement. Her work reflects how research at CMU not only advances discovery but also prepares students to make meaningful contributions to global health.

Hackney Builds Community Through Science and Service Recent Carnegie Mellon University graduate Ashley Hackney earned a Gilman Award for her commitment and growth over her time in the Mellon College of Science.

Recent Carnegie Mellon graduate Mahitha Chaturvedula is advancing research that could shape the future of biomedical science. In the Ettensohn Lab, she studied a key gene involved in biomineralization — the process that forms bones and teeth — with implications for tissue engineering and cancer research.

Her work extended beyond CMU through an Amgen Scholars project, where she developed new cell line tools to improve genetic studies of s*x chromosome variation. Together, her research addresses fundamental biological questions while creating resources that can accelerate future discoveries.

Chaturvedula’s commitment to science, mentorship and community reflects the kind of research impact that begins in the lab and extends far beyond it.

Mahitha Chaturvedula Earns Fugassi and Monteverde Award Mahitha Chaturvedula earned the Mellon College of Science Fugassi and Monteverde Award for her work in genetic research.

Carnegie Mellon University’s new PPG Scholar Teams program is strengthening research impact by pairing graduate student mentors with undergraduate researchers on high‑priority scientific projects.

Supported by the PPG Foundation, the program embeds mentorship into hands‑on research while advancing work in areas like cancer treatment, environmental cleanup, advanced materials and computational chemistry. Students gain valuable experience, from conducting experiments to presenting findings at conferences, while graduate mentors build leadership skills that prepare them for future careers.

By fostering collaboration across all levels of research, CMU is creating a model that accelerates discovery while training the next generation of scientists.

PPG Scholar Teams Program Supports Mentored Research in Chemistry Graduate students play a key role in mentoring undergraduates in CMU’s Department of Chemistry through the new PPG Scholar Teams program.

How can generative AI support student learning in the lab? Carnegie Mellon’s Annie Arnold is exploring that question through a GAITAR Fellowship focused on improving how students interpret and present scientific data.

In her Advanced Organic Chemistry Laboratory course, Arnold is studying whether structured dialogue with AI can help students think more critically about how they visualize data — not just what they show, but why and for whom. The goal is to strengthen reasoning and communication skills, not replace them.

Supported by CMU’s Eberly Center, the project is part of a broader effort to build evidence-based approaches for using AI in education. If successful, the approach could be adapted across disciplines, helping students develop stronger analytical and decision-making skills in data-driven fields.

Arnold Named GAITAR Fellow To Study How AI Can Strengthen Student Learning in Labs Annie Arnold, special faculty in chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University, has received a fellowship through CMU’s Generative Artificial Intelligence Teaching as Research (GAITAR) Initiative to study how — and whether — generative AI can meaningfully support student learning in laboratory cours...

Carnegie Mellon Ph.D. student Kyungmin Park is helping push the frontiers of particle physics at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. Her work on the CMS experiment is improving how scientists detect and analyze rare particle collisions in real time, expanding the experiment’s discovery potential.

Park has developed machine learning tools for next‑generation trigger systems and helped lead innovative approaches to searching for dark matter, including new methods focused on difficult‑to-detect signals. Her research advancing our understanding of the universe while shaping the tools and techniques that make future discoveries possible.

Park Wins Guy C. Berry Graduate Research Award Graduate student Kyungmin Park earned the Mellon College of Science's Guy C. Berry Graduate Research Award for her work in experimental particle physics.