Metal-organic frameworks are complex lattice structures composed of metal ion centers joined by organic linker groups. Transition metal dichalcogenides are of great interest for displaying novel quantum properties, especially in heterostructures. Typically, these are made with two layers of a TMD, but the MOF crystal allows for higher degrees of tunability in the architecture than previous TMD-on-TMD stacking schemes, as the structure of the MOF can be modified near endlessly to couple to specific phenomena in the TMD, to give rise to unique superlattice properties. This work explores new methods of synthesizing heterostructures combining the TMD with a 2D MOF that can act as single photon sources. We have developed a method for synthesis of the MOF directly on the TMD to simplify the production process, and investigate the effects of deposition strains on the superlattice.

ScolAI is a machine learning pipeline designed to automate the measurement of the Cobb angle, a key metric for diagnosing scoliosis. Manual Cobb angle measurements are time-intensive and prone to variability between clinicians, which can affect treatment decisions. Our approach uses AP X-rays from scoliosis patients and implements two main strategies: hip segmentation as a proxy task and direct angle regression. The segmentation model is built on a U-Net architecture, while the regression task leverages ConvNeXT, Swin Transformer, and ResNet-50 to predict Cobb angles from spinal X-rays. Our models demonstrate low error rates and strong generalization, setting the stage for future deployment on labeled spinal datasets. ScolAI holds promise for streamlining clinical workflows and improving consistency in scoliosis care.

The JJIM Materials Science and Engineering Design Team is characterizing plant-rock bonds for use in carbon-negative biocomposite construction materials in collaboration with renewable materials startup JJ Innovative Materials. The team is specifically designing carbon-negative, renewable drywall and mortar products.

Approximately 100,000 people are diagnosed with interstitial lung diseases (ILD) annually in the U.S., and lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Together, these burdens highlight the urgent need to innovate for improved pulmonary diagnostics. Lung cryobiopsy is a promising technique that offers the best of both forceps and surgical biopsies, low complication and high-quality samples, without the trade-offs. A challenge slowing widespread adoption of cryobiopsy is the frustrating process of removing extracted tissue from the cryoprobe tip. Current methods include aggressive shaking of the probe in formalin solution and scraping with a small hand-held tool, where both are inefficient and time-consuming according to pulmonologists. The ICOR is a novel device that easily integrates into the existing workflow, adding negligible cost while improving speed and convenience. By overcoming this hurdle, ICOR helps cryobiopsy advance toward becoming the gold standard in pulmonary disease diagnostics.