Research
Chemical engineering encompasses a broad range of cutting-edge research. The diverse education that chemical engineers receive allows them to work at the intersection of a variety of different fields, including biology, chemistry, energy, physics, materials science, and other engineering disciplines.
Chemical engineering research at Northeastern is supported by multiple areas: Biomolecular & Biomedical Systems, Complex & Computational Systems, Energy & Sustainability, Engineering Education & Pedagogy, and Materials & Nanotechnology.
The College of Engineering is home to numerous research centers and institutes that push the boundaries of research.
With a premier location in downtown Boston, the department is perfectly located to take advantage of a wealth of collaborations with other universities, as well as local hospitals, medical centers, and industry.
Quick Facts 2024
professional society fellowships
tenured/TT and affiliated faculty
young investigator awards
external research awards (FY2022-24)
Recent News
New Research Develops Method to Repair Nerves from Nasal Stem Cells
Two ChE Associate Professors, Abigail Koppes and Ryan Koppes, recently patented a technique that can turn nasal stem cells into Schwann cells, which are used to repair damaged nerves. While doctors often damaging existing nerves to create Schwann cells, this method only involves an outpatient procedure from the patient’s own nose, also reducing the risk of rejection.
Auguste Elected AAAS Fellow
ChE Professor Debra Auguste was elected as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2025 Fellow in the Engineering section for seminal contributions to the field of biomaterials, particularly in the study of chemical and mechanical methods to enhance targeted delivery.
Cutting Costs for Biofuel by Combining Opposing Microbes to Optimize Manufacturing
New research from the Woolston Lab at Northeastern, led by Chemical Engineering Assistant Professor Ben Woolston, is optimizing the biofuel manufacturing process by combining different types of microbes. To do this, they are putting them in the same bioreactor with little oxygen, hoping to reduce cost and resource use in the biofuel industry.
Patent for Using Nasal Stem Cells to Help Repair Damaged Nerves
ChE Associate Professors Ryan Koppes and Abigail Koppes were awarded a patent for “Differentiation of olfactory mucosa derived mesenchymal stem cells to schwann cells for peripheral nerve repair.”