Rice Research Review

2021

2021 was another record-setting year for research at Rice. We continued work in several important areas, announced some exciting new projects and forged ahead with our ambitious climate change research initiative, especially in the area of energy transition.

Reginald DesRoches

Welcome back to Rice Research Review, Rice University’s annual online research publication. I invite you to take a moment to learn more about the research that’s being done at Rice and the impact it is making far and wide. View more.

FOCUS

Downtown Houston skyline

Energy Transition: Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future

Rice University's role in positioning Houston as the leading hub of energy and clean tech innovation is key and researchers at the university have been hard at work tackling the many challenges a widespread energy transition presents.

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AT LARGE

IN BRIEF

New Periodic Table

New Periodic Table

One hundred fifty years ago, Dmitri Mendeleev created the periodic table, a system for classifying atoms based on the properties of their nuclei. In 2021, a team of biologists studying the tree of life has unveiled a new classification system for cell nuclei, and discovered a method for transmuting one type of cell nucleus into another. The study, which appeared in the journal Science, emerged from several once-separate efforts involving dozens of institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, the National Science Foundation-supported Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP) at Rice University, the University of Western Australia and SeaWorld. Learn More

Smart Shirt Grid

Smart Shirt

“Smart clothing” developed by a Rice University lab employs its conductive nanotube thread to weave functionality into regular apparel. The Brown School of Engineering lab of chemical and biomolecular engineer Matteo Pasquali reported in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters that it sewed nanotube fibers into athletic wear to monitor the heart rate and take a continual electrocardiogram (EKG) of the wearer. The fibers gathered accurate EKG and heart rates without the fuss of smartwatches or chest monitors. Learn More 

Sleeping Cap Grid

Sleeping Cap

The U.S. Army has backed research being done by Rice University, Houston Methodist and Baylor College of Medicine that involves the development of a “sleeping cap” to analyze the cleansing flow of fluid that drains the brain of common metabolic waste during sleep.  The primary goal is to noninvasively measure and modulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid as it circulates through the brain and clears waste. Ultimately, the team aims to develop a lightweight, portable skullcap that can analyze and stimulate proper flow to treat sleep disorders in real time. Learn More

BY THE NUMBERS

Rice University is one of the nation’s leading research universities. With just over 7,500 undergraduate and graduate students, Rice produces $181 million in sponsored projects annually. These projects span a broad spectrum of academic areas and work toward solving pressing problems across the globe.

By The Numbers
Awards
Awards
2021 Research Funding
Research Funding
Top Five Federal Awards
Awards
National Academy Memberships
National Academy Membership
Active National Science Foundation Career Awards
Active National Science Foundation Career Awards
National University Rankings
National Universities Ranking

ACCOLADES

Kevin McHugh
Kevin McHugh

Assistant Professor of Bioengineering

Kevin McHugh received a five-year, $1.9 million National Institutes of Health grant to fix that by refining the shapes of their microscopic particles. His lab’s initial goal is to provide a platform that offers better drug performance and the prospect of fewer injections for patients.Kevin McHugh received a five-year, $1.9 million National Institutes of Health grant to fix that by refining the shapes of their microscopic particles. His lab’s initial goal is to provide a platform that offers better drug performance and the prospect of fewer injections for patients.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Rice Research Review and click here to see the 2020 edition.