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.

MORE INFORMATION

AT LARGE

IN BRIEF

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 

Exotic Material Grid

Exotic Material

Scientists at Rice and Northwestern universities worked together to produce the exotic material bilayer borophene, a high-strength material with excellent conductivity, which makes it a good candidate for use in quantum electronics, energy storage and sensors. The first-of-its-kind experiment is detailed in Nature Materials. Learn More 

AI Grid

AI-Powered Microscope

Researchers from Rice University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center created a new microscope that can quickly and inexpensively image large tissue sections, potentially during surgery, to determine whether an entire tumor has been removed. The microscope can rapidly image relatively thick pieces of tissue with cellular resolution, and could allow surgeons to inspect the margins of tumors within minutes of their removal. 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.