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 Initiatives.
Quick Facts
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
$1.5M NSF Grant to Develop New Photonic Materials
MIE/ECE Associate Professor Yongmin Liu and ECE Assistant Professor Sunil Mittal, in collaboration with Professor Wenshan Cai from Georgia Institute of Technology and Professor Alexandra Boltasseva from Purdue University, are leading a $1,500,000 NSF DMREF grant for “Accelerating the Design and Development of Engineered Photonic Materials based on a Data-Driven Deep Learning Approach.”
Ramezani’s Research Featured on Cover of National Geographic
ECE Associate Professor Alireza Ramezani’s research on “Bats have disease-defying superpowers. What if we could copy them?” was featured on the cover of the August 2024 edition of National Geographic.
Innovating Through Artificial Intelligence
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, state economic development and technology leaders, and other officials visited Northeastern to learn from faculty how AI can solve some of the most pressing issues in the state and the world. CEE Distinguished Professor Auroop Ganguly, ECE/Khoury Distinguished Professor Jennifer Dy, and ECE Professor Taskin Padir were in attendance.
Patent for Protecting Sensitive Data
ECE Associate Professor Aatmesh Shrivastava and Nikita Mirchandani, PhD’22, electrical engineering, were awarded a patent for “High efficiency power obfuscation switched capacitor DC-DC converter architecture.”