Research
Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Research
The Electrical and Computer Engineering department nourishes a vibrant research environment motivated by our dedicated faculty and graduate students. Our research programs are funded by many government agencies, including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Department of Homeland Security, and numerous local and national industries.
Research activities at the ECE Department can be classified by research areas and by research centers and institutes. The department offers eight research areas of focus and is either the lead or partner of nine research centers and institutes.
Faculty also conduct research in their labs. View faculty profiles to learn about their research, including work being conducted in their laboratories. Also, view our Annual Reports and college-wide research efforts.
Quick Facts
external research awards (FY2024)
tenured/tenure-track faculty
research centers and institutes (leading or affiliated with)
Research Strengths
Our research strengths encompass the full gamut of cutting-edge ECE technologies: embedded systems and internet-of-things, robotics and cyber-human systems, networking (mobile/wireless as well as the Internet of the future), big data analytics and machine learning. Northeastern’s historic strengths in ECE include communications and digital signal processing, power and control systems, power electronics, RF/microwave magnetic materials, device technologies, and computer engineering.
Biomedical Research and Collaborations
Northeastern ECE faculty are engaged in a range of biomedical projects in collaboration with fellow world-class researchers in the Boston-area medical community. These projects span all disciplinary areas and include MEMS/NEMS sensors for biological detection; applications of wireless technology in biomedical implants; biomedical imaging hardware and signal processing; brain-computer interface technologies; disease detection and tracking; and many more.
Recent News
Adaptive Splint Designed for Individuals with Autism
ECE Associate Professor Kris Dorsey is the principal researcher on a project working to develop an adaptive splint for autistic individuals to prevent them from self-injurious behaviors.
Fei and Kirda Elevated to IEEE Fellows
ECE Professor Yunsi Fei and Khoury/ECE Professor Engin Kirda were elevated to IEEE Fellows. Fei was recognized for contributions in side-channel analysis, protection of computing accelerators, and robust security evaluation, and Kirda was recognized for contributions to improving the security of computer software, systems, and networks.
Patent for Adapter Enables Use of Open RAN Technologies on Legacy RAN Systems
ECE Associate Research Professor Salvatore D’Oro, Associate Research Scientist Leonardo Bonati, Assistant Research Professor Michele Polese, and William Lincoln Smith Professor Tommaso Melodia were awarded a patent for “Open RAN adapter for use of open RAN technologies on legacy RAN systems.”
Addressing Backdoor Attacks on Open Radio Access Networks (O-RAN)
Research developed by the Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things on “How to Poison an xApp: Dissecting Backdoor Attacks to Deep Reinforcement Learning in Open Radio Access Networks” was published in Computer Networks.