Student looking through microscope

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

$45M

external research awards (2023)

85

tenured/tenure-track faculty

10+

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

Designing Zero-Power Sensors for Crop Water Management

ECE Professor Matteo Rinaldi and Associate Research Professor Zhenyun Qian were awarded a patent for “Zero-power wireless system for crop water content monitoring.”

Alireza Ramezani

Ramezani Receives NSF CAREER Award to Design Robots to Navigate Tight and Complex Spaces

ECE Assistant Professor Alireza Ramezani was awarded a $681,000 NSF CAREER Award for “Dynamic Locomotion with Plasticity for Remote Sensing in Crawlspaces.” The research seeks to harness the exceptional agility, efficiency, and speed of legged and rotary-wing robots and adapt them specifically for use in crawlspaces, which can contain significant data for scientific and other discoveries.

COE Research Expo Displays Promising Work of PhD Students

The College of Engineering held a research expo to highlight the work of PhD students. Participants presented their research to a panel of judges and gained critical presentation and communication skills. They also displayed their research during the poster showcase and students were recognized with awards.

Change Healthcare Cyberattack Caused by Flawed Cybersecurity Systems

ECE/Khoury Professor Kevin Fu explains how the poor design of Change Healthcare’s cybersecurity systems led to a nearly weeklong cyberattack.