Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Northeastern University College of Engineering
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 efforts.

Quick Facts

$52M

external research awards (FY2024)

91

tenured/tenure-track faculty

12+

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

More News
Faculty

Sturdier Motion Sensors Built to Survive Shock and Vibration

Research conducted by ECE Associate Professor Cristian Cassella, Assistant Professor Benyamin Davaji, Professor Matteo Rinaldi, and ECE/MIE Professor David Horsley titled “Toward Enhanced Inertial Sensing via Dynamically Soft Topological States in Piezoelectric Microacoustic Metamaterials” was published in Advanced Functional Materials.

Image for Innovative Magnonic Resonator Design Advances Compact and Energy-Efficient Microwave Signal Platforms
Faculty

Innovative Magnonic Resonator Design Advances Compact and Energy-Efficient Microwave Signal Platforms

ECE Assistant Professor Xufeng Zhang’s research on “Generation of ultra-broadband frequency comb in strongly bistable nonlinear magnonic resonator” was published in Nature Communications.

Image for Improving Quantum Computing Reliability and Scalability Through Modular Error Correction
Faculty

Improving Quantum Computing Reliability and Scalability Through Modular Error Correction

ECE Associate Professor Hessam Mahdavifar and COS/ECE Assistant Professor Ivana Dimitrova were awarded a DOE grant for “Hierarchically Coupled Quantum LDPC Codes for Modular Quantum Computing.”

Image for Understanding What Causes Autonomous AI Systems to Misbehave
Faculty

Understanding What Causes Autonomous AI Systems to Misbehave

ECE Assistant Professor Lili Su explains that recent incidents of autonomous AI systems acting out of bounds stem from training gaps and human configuration errors rather than malicious intent.