Faculty

Research/Areas of Interest: Artificial Intelligence, Developmental Robotics, Computational Perception, Robotic Manipulation, Machine Learning, Human-Robot and Human-Computer Interaction

Research/Areas of Interest: Urban Anthropology and Ethnography; Global Poverty and Development; Housing and Infrastructure; Gender and Kinship; Latin American Studies; Political and Legal Anthropology

Research/Areas of Interest: computing education, AI education, sound & music computing

Research/Areas of Interest: Physics of elementary particles The Standard Model, gauge theories; also topology, differential geometry and other branches of modern mathematics to better understand quantum gauge theories, the origin of mass and the structure of space-time, matter and all interactions, including gravity. Tufts Group joined the ATLAS collaboration at the LHC in 1994. Tufts Atlas Group was a founding member of the Boston Muon Consortium. Together with other university groups in the Boston area, we worked on the ATLAS end-cap muon system. On the physics side, we focused on studies of the Higgs boson and top quarks. The main objective was to find out whether the new particle discovered in 2012 is a minimal Standard Model Higgs, or some other kind. Studies of top quarks are very interesting on their own. Because of very large mass of the top quark, its lifetime is very short, ~ 5x10^{-25} seconds, much shorter that the characteristic time of the strong interactions. As a consequence, top quark decays before any strong interaction effects may take place. This allows a direct access to the information about the quark spin, which is very difficult, if not impossible, for any other quark. Studies of top quarks are very important for other searches, as top quarks will constitute the most important background for almost any final states due to "new physics" and have to be understood very well. We have been using a very advanced multidimensional analysis technique, developed by Ben Whitehouse (my former Ph.D. student) and me. I've decided not to take part in Run 3 with the ATLAS Collaboration. Topology and geometry of the Universe In the Standard Cosmological Model (SCM), the starting point is an interpretation of the observed redshift of spectral lines from distant galaxies as a Doppler shift in the frequency of light waves as they travel through an expanding Universe. Acceptance of this hypothesis led to the ideas of the Big Bang and the LambdaCDM, the Standard Model of cosmology. Remarkably, there exist another explanation of the cosmological redshift. As shown by Irving Ezra Segal, a mathematician and a mathematical physicist, the same axioms of global isotropy and homogeneity of space and time, and its causality properties, are satisfied not only by the Minkowski spacetime R x R^3, but also by a Universe whose geometry is R X S^3. In Segal's model, the geometry of the spatial part of the Universe is that of a three-dimensional hypersurface of a four-dimensional sphere. Locally, it is indistinguishable from the flat Minkowski spacetime. It is the geometry of the Einstein static Universe, which he abandoned when the interpretation of the increase of redshift with distance was universally accepted as evidence for expanding Universe. If the universe is R1 x S3 but observations are made in flat Minkowski frame, then such an observer measures the "projections" from R1 x S3 into flat R1 x R3. The redshift in Segal's model arises in a geometric way analogously to distortions which appear when making maps using stereographic projection from S^2, a two-dimensional curved surface of a sphere in three dimensions, onto a flat surface of a map, R^2. Segal's theory makes a verifiable prediction for the redshift as a function of distance. The comparison, although in principle very simple, is non-trivial. For more distant objects, one can only estimate the distance using various proxies, for example the magnitude, if one assumes that the chosen sources have the same absolute luminosity. Surprisingly, Segal's model cannot be falsified with the currently available data. The magnitude-redshift data for supernovae agree very well with SCM, but it also agrees with Segal's model. There exist another independent observable, the number of observed galaxies as a function of redshift z, N(< z). Assuming that galaxies are uniformly distributed in the Universe, their number is proportional to the volume enclosed in a given fixed angular field of view, and the dependence of this volume on the manifold distance is sensitive to the geometry of the Universe. Two Tufts undergraduate students, Maxwell Kaye and Nathan Burwig, joined me in this analysis. We examined the data from several Hubble Deep Fields, and found that the number of observed galaxies as a function of redshift is also in very good agreement with Segal's model. We are continuing with a study of these fundamental questions about the topology and geometry of our Universe. Interestingly, I have also shown recently that the observed value of the CMB temperature can be naturally explained by following Segal's original idea that the CMB appears as light traveling many times around a closed spatial part of the R X S^3 Universe. Magnetic monopoles I am also a member of MoEDAL, a small collaboration searching for magnetic monopoles, or other massive, highly charged, particles at the LHC.

Research/Areas of Interest: data science, algorithms for analysis of biological networks, gene and pathway regulation in human development, algorithms for precision medicine, computational approaches to pharmacogenomics and drug discovery or repositioning

Research/Areas of Interest: Astronomy; galaxy formation and evolution; nearby galaxies; galaxy archaeology; resolved stellar populations In the current cosmological paradigm, galaxies interact with each other throughout their lives, growing hierarchically – small objects merging to become larger objects. While all galaxies are expected to experience such mergers, these are dynamic and varied events, impacting galaxies' evolution in complex ways. Galaxy populations in the present-day universe are highly diverse and exhibit universal trends in their interstellar content, star formation, and structure. How does the chaotic, merger-driven evolution of galaxies result in these complex, coherent systems? My research addresses this question largely by studying the nearest galaxies. Using instruments such as the James Webb, Hubble, and Roman space telescopes, we can resolve both the main bodies of galaxies and their stellar halos - the graveyard of material accreted during past mergers - into individual stars. Even though they are millions of light years away! Using these populations of stars, we can reconstruct the histories of galaxies, much like an archaeological record, to determine how their structure, content, and star formation have changed over time, and how their past mergers have impacted this evolution. Overall, my aim is to study the nearest galaxies in their full global context at high resolution, to reveal the fundamental physical processes that underpin their diverse evolutionary pathways.

Research/Areas of Interest: Algebraic Geometry

Research/Areas of Interest: Present: Engineering for Health -> Physics of cancer and aging -> Mechanics of biomaterials at the nanoscale, Synthesis and study of functional nanomaterials for biomedical imaging and drug delivery, Advanced imaging for medical diagnostics, Novel processes and materials for dentistry: nano-polishing and self-healing materials. Favorite experimental techniques: atomic force microscopy/scanning probe microscopy, confocal microscopy and spectroscopy, nanoindenters. Favorite theoretical methods: contact models, machine learning methods. Past: quantum field theory, theory of gravity, cosmology, Casimir effect.

Research/Areas of Interest: Bioelectronics, Biomedical microdevices, Wearables, Ingestibles, Biomedical circuits and systems, micro and nano fabrication, lab-on-chip microsystems, global health and precision medicine, CMOS image sensors for scientific imaging, analog to information converters, analog computing, brain inspired machine learning, active metamaterial devices, circuits, and systems, terahertz devices and circuits

Research/Areas of Interest: computational geometry, design and analysis of algorithms, computational complexity

Research/Areas of Interest: 1) Infrastructure management during uncertain contexts 2) Understanding public perceptions towards the built environment 3) Sustainable water technology adoption

Research/Areas of Interest: Brain Injury, Neurological Disorders, Substance-Use Community Programming, Occupational Therapy in Post-Secondary Education, Evaluation and Treatment of Physical & Cognitive Dysfunction, Rehabilitation in Inpatient Settings, Rehabilitation Management, Fieldwork

Research/Areas of Interest: Political Economy, International Economics, Economic Growth and Development

Research/Areas of Interest: Latino/e History and Literature; Latin American History and Literature; Print Culture and News Media (especially in the Americas); Freedom and Authoritarianism (especially in the Americas); Comparative Constitutional History and Citizenship; Spanish in the United States

Research/Areas of Interest: Transportation; Health; Spatial models; Geographic Information Systems

Research/Areas of Interest: Biological Physics, Condensed Matter Physics, Quantum Mechanics Research Overview. My research interests cover a broad array of topics in biological physics, condensed matter physics and quantum mechanics. In biological physics our group is performing both experimental and theoretical work to uncover fundamental physical principles that underlie the formation of functional neuronal networks among neurons in the brain. One of the primary challenges in science today is to figure out how as many as 100 billion neurons are produced, grow, and organize themselves into the truly wonderful information-processing machine which is the brain. We combine high-resolution imaging techniques such as atomic force, traction force and fluorescence microscopy to measure mechanical properties of neurons and to correlate these properties with internal components of the cell. Our group is also using mathematical modeling based on stochastic differential equations and the theory of dynamical systems to predict axonal growth and the formation of neuronal networks. The aim of this work is twofold. On the one hand we are using tools and concepts from experimental and theoretical physics to understand biological processes. On the other hand, active biological processes in neuronal cells exhibit a wealth of fascinating phenomena such as feedback control, pattern formation, collective behavior, and non equilibrium dynamics, and thus the insights learned from studying these biological systems broaden the intellectual range of physics. I am also interested in the foundations of quantum mechanics, particularly in decoherence phenomena and in applying the theory of stochastic processes to open quantum systems. My interests in condensed matter physics include quantum transport in nanoscale systems (carbon nanotubes, graphene, polymer composites, hybrid nanostructures), as well as scanning probe microscopy investigations of novel biomaterials. Research website: https://sites.tufts.edu/staiilab/

Research/Areas of Interest: Food systems, farm history/heritage, myth and ritual, tourism, industrial heritage, culture-led redevelopment

Research/Areas of Interest: Animal Behavior and Evolutionary Biology: Behavioral decision-making, recognition systems, and the evolution of sociality, with a focus on how simple rules generate coordinated responses in social groups under environmental stress (especially in social insects such as honey bees) Darwinian Medicine and Human Behavioral Biology: Evolutionary approaches to human health and behavior, including fever, placebo effects, and behavioral responses to infection and stress Public Scholarship and Science Communication: Translating evolutionary biology to broad audiences, particularly in the context of human health, behavior, and their broader societal implications

Research/Areas of Interest: German language and culture teaching as a vehicle to intercultural citizenship, second language acquisition, and teacher language education.

Research/Areas of Interest: Dr. Thomas Stopka, PhD, MHS, is an Epidemiologist and Professor with the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Stopka's current mixed methods research focuses on the intersection of substance use disorder, opioid overdose, and infectious diseases (HCV, HIV, STIs). He employs geographic information systems (GIS), spatial epidemiological, qualitative, and biostatistical approaches in multi-site, interdisciplinary studies, and public health interventions to better understand and curb opioid-related morbidity and mortality. He is currently MPI on four clinical trials and observational studies funded by the NIH, CDC, and SAMHSA to test new mobile telemedicine-based HCV treatment and harm reduction models; employ Bayesian spatiotemporal models to predict opioid overdose spikes to inform pre-emptive public health responses; and evaluate the overdose prevention impacts of administration of extended-relief buprenorphine in corrections facilities, and examine xylazine exposure and the risk of skin and soft tissue infections among people who inject drugs. Dr. Stopka is also Co-Chair of the Tufts Research Cluster focused on Equity in Health, Wealth, and Civic Engagement, and Co-Chair of the Public Health and Community Medicine Departmental Research Committee at Tufts. He teaches courses in GIS and spatial epidemiology, research methods for public health, and epidemiology. He enjoys mentoring research assistants, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty.

Research/Areas of Interest: Development and Growth, Urban Economics

Research/Areas of Interest: cellular agriculture and cultivated meat

Research/Areas of Interest: Creative Nonfiction, Journalism, Nuclear Weapons History, Climate Change, Anthropocene, Environment, Mental Illness, Secrecy

Research/Areas of Interest: Medieval Latin Philosophy; Classical Arabic Philosophy; History and Philosophy of Logic; Aristotle; Avicenna

Research/Areas of Interest: Environmental health, environmental epidemiology, air pollution, extreme weather, exposure science, data analytics

Research/Areas of Interest: Medieval art, architecture, and visual culture in Europe and the Byzantine-Slavic cultural spheres; image theory; historiography; patronage; monasticism; cross-cultural interactions; light in sacred spaces; Dracula

Research/Areas of Interest: Music and identity, music and spiritual experience, music and advocacy, and the impact of technology on the transmission of tradition.

Research/Areas of Interest: Parallel Algorithms, Computational Sciences, High Performance Computing

Research/Areas of Interest: Science focused on energy, development and environmental management. Computational modeling of electrical grid integration of renewable energy and storage. Interaction of science and policy in academia, industry and government

Research/Areas of Interest: Moral philosophy, practical rationality, moral psychology, action theory

Research/Areas of Interest: Research focuses on sustainable development and innovative engineering education, at times combining the two. Specific research projects include: 1) service-based education and how it can be best assessed and utilized in engineering and 2) waste minimization and reuse of traditional waste materials.

Research/Areas of Interest: Physical Chemistry, Surface Science, and Nanoscience. The Sykes group utilizes state of the art scanning probes and surface science instrumentation to study technologically important systems. For example, scanning tunneling microscopy enables visualization of geometric and electronic properties of catalytically relevant metal alloy surfaces at the nanoscale. Using temperature programmed reaction studies of well defined model catalyst surfaces structure-property-activity relationships are drawn. Of particular interest is the addition of individual atoms of a reactive metal to a relatively inert host. In this way reactivity can be tuned, and provided the energetic landscapes are understood, novel bifunctional catalytic systems can be designed with unique properties that include low temperature activation and highly selective chemistry. Newly developed curved single crystal surface are also being used to open up previously inaccessible areas of structure sensitive surface chemistry and chiral surface geometries. In a different thrust, the group has developed various molecular motor systems that are enabling us to study many important fundamental aspects of molecular rotation and translation with unprecedented resolution.

Research/Areas of Interest: French Language; Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition; Integration of Technology into Second Language Acquisition; Hybrid Courses (face-to-face and online learning)

Research/Areas of Interest: Poetry, Imagination, Creativity, Finance and Art

Research/Areas of Interest: High-Dimensional data analysis: Matrix completion, compressive sensing, and structured sparse recovery. Mathematical foundations of AI: Interpretable machine learning, dictionary learning, and geometry-aware representations. Applied optimization: Distance geometry, large-scale kernel methods, and algorithm unrolling for signal processing

Research/Areas of Interest: Spatial Cognition, Applied Cognition.

Research/Areas of Interest: To each point on a curve, one can often associate in a natural way a line or plane (or higher dimensional linear variety) that moves with the point in the curve. This set of linear spaces is called a vector bundle. Vector bundles appear in a variety of questions in Physics (like the computation of Gromov-Witten invariants) . Moreover, they provide new insights into old mathematical problems and have been used to give beautiful proofs to long standing conjectures as well as striking counterexamples to some others.

Research/Areas of Interest: Memory and Aging

Research/Areas of Interest: Organic Materials Chemistry Our group applies the philosophy of physical organic chemistry to organic materials, in the forms of polymers, crystals and surfaces. Specifically, we investigate new materials that show macroscopic changes in properties upon exposure to external stimuli. Our main focus has been new materials that respond to light, which has a unique combination of characteristics: i) easy control over where light goes and when it goes there (spatiotemporal control), ii) easy control over intensity and energy, and iii) the ability to pass through many solid materials that traditional chemical reagents cannot. Our research has focused in three separate areas. 1. Photochemical control of charge. As interactions between charges dictate much of molecular behavior, controlling charge can yield control over matter. We have developed a series of materials in which light switches the charge-based interactions between polymer chains from attractive. By combining this top-down fabrication approach of with the bottom-up fabrication method of layer-by-layer assembly, we have developed thin films in which photochemical lability is confined to individual nanoscale compartments, yielding photo-delaminated free-standing films and multi-height photolithography. 2. Using functional side chains to control conjugated materials. Conjugated materials hold great promise for applications including solar cells and displays. We have focused on expanding the role of the side-chains of these materials, which occupy up to half of their mass but are typically reserved only for solubility. Early work in our group focused on integrating photolabile side chains for negative conjugated photoresists. This has evolved to using the non-covalent interactions of aromatic side-chains for controlling interactions between molecules, and therefore their material properties, including the use of mechanical force to control luminescence—mechanofluorochromism. 3. Singlet-oxygen responsive materials. Singlet oxygen (1O2) is a critical reactive oxygen species in photodynamic therapy for cancer as well as in damage to plants upon overexposure to light. Its photochemical production is also chemically amplified through a photochemical reaction, which is the lynchpin of several commercial bioanalytical technologies. Through a combination of fundamental physical organic chemistry and materials chemistry, we have luminescent conjugated polymer nanoparticles as probes for 1O2 in water that shows improved limit of detection over the commercially available luminescent probe for 1O2.