Research Breakthroughs

UH Engineer Part of Team Awarded $7.5 Million MURI Grant to Analyze Social Behavior and Predict Outcomes April 12, 2018It’s no secret that data is everywhere today – endless streams of information are constantly being collected through our smartphones and mobile...	It’s no secret that data is everywhere today – endless streams of information are constantly being collected through our smartphones and mobile devices, by sensors placed on bridges and in buildings and even through our smart thermostats and refrigerators.
Nature Magazine Features UH Professor’s Work to Address Paralysis March 23, 2018About 3.5 million people in America are living with some degree of paralysis related to stroke, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy. Nature magazine...	About 3.5 million people in America are living with some degree of paralysis related to stroke, multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy. Nature magazine this month published an article about scientists developing technological solutions, such as neural prostheses or devices that read brain signals and help restore movement in paralyzed patients.
New Makerspace Now Open at UH Library February 2, 2018A new Makerspace at the University of Houston Libraries is now open.	A new Makerspace at the University of Houston Libraries is now open.
Tomorrow’s Batteries Today: Yan Yao Charges Up Battery Research With DOE Award December 13, 2017Batteries capable of powering the electric vehicles of tomorrow may be available sooner than we think, thanks to more than $5.7 million in seed...	Batteries capable of powering the electric vehicles of tomorrow may be available sooner than we think, thanks to more than $5.7 million in seed funding provided through the Department of Energy’s Battery500 consortium.
Researchers Map Brain Activity to Improve Prosthetic Design November 30, 2017 UH Engineers Report New Insights into the Brain’s Role in Walking	UH Engineers Report New Insights into the Brain’s Role in Walking
DIY: Scientists Release a How-To for Building a Smartphone Microscope November 28, 2017People with a Smartphone and 3-D Printer Could Perform Sophisticated Lab Work Add one more thing to the list of tasks your smartphone can perform....	People with a Smartphone and 3-D Printer Could Perform Sophisticated Lab Work Add one more thing to the list of tasks your smartphone can perform. University of Houston researchers have released an open-source dataset offering instructions to people interested in building their own smartphone microscope.
UH Engineer Changes How We Interpret Geospatial Images October 2, 2017Saurabh Prasad, Cullen College assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is reporting a breakthrough in image interpretation that...	Saurabh Prasad, Cullen College assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is reporting a breakthrough in image interpretation that could overcome hurdles that prohibit accurate interpretation of imagery data.
Unexpected Discovery Leads to New Theory of Liquid Streaming September 27, 2017 UH Researchers Generate a Liquid Stream with a Pulsed Laser Researchers at the University of Houston were studying the nonlinear transmission of...	UH Researchers Generate a Liquid Stream with a Pulsed Laser Researchers at the University of Houston were studying the nonlinear transmission of light through an aqueous suspension of gold nanoparticles when they noticed something unexpected. A pulse laser appeared to have forced the movement of a stream of liquid in a glass laboratory cuvette.
Engineering Professors Discover Fundamental Effect in Monolayer Catalysts September 26, 2017Two professors at the UH Cullen College of Engineering have discovered that size is critical to the performance of the monolayers of catalysts, the...	Two professors at the UH Cullen College of Engineering have discovered that size is critical to the performance of the monolayers of catalysts, the fundamental substance that speeds up reactions in all industries from petrochemical to manufacturing.
Researchers Report Breakthrough in Magnesium Batteries August 24, 2017Nanostructured Cathode, Understanding of New Electrolyte Lead to Greater Efficiency Magnesium batteries offer promise for safely powering modern life...	Nanostructured Cathode, Understanding of New Electrolyte Lead to Greater Efficiency Magnesium batteries offer promise for safely powering modern life – unlike traditional lithium ion batteries, they are not flammable or subject to exploding – but their ability to store energy has been limited.
Use of Brain-Computer Interface & Virtual Avatar Offers New Hope to Patients with Gait Disabilities August 23, 2017Researchers Demonstrate Non-Invasive Method Can Help People Re-Learn to Walk Researchers from the University of Houston have shown for the first time...	Researchers Demonstrate Non-Invasive Method Can Help People Re-Learn to Walk Researchers from the University of Houston have shown for the first time that the use of a brain-computer interface augmented with a virtual walking avatar can control gait, suggesting the protocol may help patients recover the ability to walk after stroke, some spinal cord injuries and certain other gait disabilities.
Stanko Brankovic Wins Top Award in Field of Chemical Engineering June 28, 2017If there were Academy Awards in the field of electrochemical material science, Stanko Brankovic, associate professor of electrical and computer...	If there were Academy Awards in the field of electrochemical material science, Stanko Brankovic, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Cullen College and past chair of the materials science division of the International Society of Electrochemistry, would be taking home an Oscar.
Inexpensive Organic Material Gives Safe Batteries a Longer Life June 19, 2017Modern batteries power everything from cars to cell phones, but they are far from perfect – they catch fire, they perform poorly in cold weather and...	Modern batteries power everything from cars to cell phones, but they are far from perfect – they catch fire, they perform poorly in cold weather and they have relatively short lifecycles, among other issues. Now researchers from the University of Houston have described a new class of material that addresses many of those concerns in Nature Materials.
Yan Yao Amps Up His Game: Becomes a Scialog Fellow April 26, 2017If there’s one thing Yan Yao gets a charge out of, it’s the idea of creating a better battery. The Cullen College assistant professor of electrical...	If there’s one thing Yan Yao gets a charge out of, it’s the idea of creating a better battery. The Cullen College assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering is known for being the most current in the battery industry. A Google search yields more than 16,000 citations of papers by Yao.
For Stanko Brankovic, Life is Speeding Up January 31, 2017That exciting feeling you get when you've made a breakthrough discovery and you know that something that seemed impossible yesterday is now...	That exciting feeling you get when you've made a breakthrough discovery and you know that something that seemed impossible yesterday is now completely clear – that's the feeling that Stanko Brankovic, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has about his recent discovery of the speed in which catalysts are formed. “I’m in the same position as Sir Isaac Newton was when the apple hit him in the head! It’s that same excitement, a ‘Wow!' moment,” said Brankovic.
Rotating and Aligning Graphene Flakes – A UH Engineer's Discovery Opens Doors to Progress December 1, 2016In 2010 graphene took center stage when the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists in the UK "for groundbreaking experiments regarding...	In 2010 graphene took center stage when the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to two scientists in the UK "for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene." At the UH Cullen College of Engineering, that same passion over pencil lead is shared by Jiming Bao, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, but he’s taken it to a whole new dimension,
UH Engineers Invent Glucose-Sensing Contact Lens September 27, 2016Blood testing is the standard option for checking glucose levels, but a new technology could allow non-invasive testing via a contact lens that...	Blood testing is the standard option for checking glucose levels, but a new technology could allow non-invasive testing via a contact lens that samples glucose levels in tears.
New Superconducting Coil Improves MRI Performance July 25, 2016A multidisciplinary research team led by University of Houston scientist Jarek Wosik has developed a high-temperature superconducting coil that...	A multidisciplinary research team led by University of Houston scientist Jarek Wosik has developed a high-temperature superconducting coil that allows magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to produce higher resolution images or acquire images in a shorter time than when using conventional coils.
UH Researchers Discover Key Mechanism for Producing Solar Cells July 19, 2016Researchers from the University of Houston have reported the first explanation for how a class of materials changes during production to more...	Researchers from the University of Houston have reported the first explanation for how a class of materials changes during production to more efficiently absorb light, a critical step toward the large-scale manufacture of better and less-expensive solar panels.
UH Researcher Pursues New Applications for “Hot” Electrons July 1, 2016Three years after his discovery of porous gold nanoparticles – gold nanoparticles that offer a larger surface area because of their porous nature – a...	Three years after his discovery of porous gold nanoparticles – gold nanoparticles that offer a larger surface area because of their porous nature – a UH Cullen College of Engineering researcher is continuing to explore the science and potential applications.

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