A new way to help children with speech impediments, a plan to use nanomedicine in a treatment for bacterial sepsis and a novel method of teaching students about artificial intelligence are just a few projects led by UMass Lowell faculty to receive support from the university through its Research and Innovation Seed Grant program.
Administered by UMass Lowell’s Office of Research Development, the program advances sustainable scholarship, fosters innovative ideas that attract funding from outside sources and helps generate creative work that leads to long-term success.
This year, the office awarded more than $147,000 for 11 projects led by faculty from each of the university’s five colleges. UMass Lowell students will gain hands-on experience assisting in these research initiatives.
“These projects demonstrate the breadth and depth of scholarship undertaken by UMass Lowell’s exceptional faculty,” said Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation Anne Maglia. “This research will advance critical areas of study while providing our students with opportunities to help solve real-world problems.”
Research projects and their leaders include:
• Goal: Create a new technology powered by artificial intelligence that offers a personalized approach to prescribing antibiotics for patients in critical care situations. Leading the research are computer science assistant professor Hadi Amiri in the Kennedy College of Sciences and Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences biomedical and nutritional sciences associate professor Guilin He. Award: $15,000.
• Goal: Develop a mathematical model that allocates voting machines and poll workers equitably across precincts to minimize the wait time for voters to cast their ballots. The project is led by Manning School of Business operations and information systems assistant professors Belleh Fontem and Michelin Summerfield. Award: $10,938.
• Goal: Innovate a therapeutic device to help children with concurrent speech and hearing disorders communicate. Mechanical engineering assistant professor Rozhin Hajian and biomedical engineering associate professor Jinxiang Xi in the Francis College of Engineering are leading the work. Award: $15,000.
• Goal: Develop a more nuanced understanding of the power dynamics among business supervisors and subordinates, along with corporate buyers and suppliers. The research is led by Manning School of Business marketing, entrepreneurship and innovation assistant professor Yuerong Liu and psychology assistant professor Jiabin Shen in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Award: $15,000.
• Goal: Identify and address disparities in teaching sex education to young people, particularly LGBTQ+ populations. Conducting the study are Solomont School of Nursing assistant professor Elizabeth McKay and professor Ainat Koren in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, and School of Criminology and Justice Studies associate professor Jason Rydberg in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Award: $8,040.
• Goal: Use nanotechnology to deliver less toxic, water-soluble medications to combat bacterial sepsis in patients. The research leaders are biomedical and nutritional sciences assistant professor Fanfei Meng and associate professor Soumita Das in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences. Award: $15,000.
• Goal: Create an inclusive curriculum to educate students about artificial intelligence. The project is led by Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences assistant professor Sashank Narain in the Kennedy College of Sciences and School of Criminology and Justice Studies associate professor Claire Lee in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Award: $14,976.
• Goal: Analyze and understand how expressions of racism have affected Southeast Asian young people in the community and across social media, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading the analysis are sociology assistant professor Stephanie Ortiz and psychology doctoral candidate Elvina Le of Lowell, in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Award: $8,500.
• Goal: Improve radiologists’ ability to detect cancer on medical imaging, particularly for patients of color. Psychology associate professors Megan Papesh and Ivy Ho in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Services, are leading the project. Award: $14,650.
• Goal: Use stickleback fish as a model to study how infections affect the microbiome health of the gut, brain and immune system. Heading the research are biological sciences assistant professor Natalie Steinel, associate professor Frederic Chain, and mathematics and statistics assistant professor Amanda Redlich in the Kennedy College of Sciences; and public health associate professor Natalia Palacios in the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences. Award: $15,000.
• Goal: Examine whether the “touch math” technique could develop and improve the computation skills of young students with, or at-risk for, math disabilities. The work is led by UMass Lowell School of Education assistant professor Robai Werunga, and psychology associate professor Rosales Rocio in the College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; and University of North Carolina Charlotte special education and child development professor Ya-yu Lo. Award: $15,000.
