Six Projects Awarded Jones Interdisciplinary Seed Funding
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
From reprogramming bacteria to using artificial intelligence for controlling fusion reactors, Carnegie Mellon University research projects are pushing science at its boundaries through interdisciplinary collaborations.
The projects are part of the inaugural cohort of recipients of the Carl & Amy Jones Endowed Interdisciplinary Fund, which supports early-stage interdisciplinary research in foundational sciences, serving as a pathway to future, larger grants from other funding sources. The grants are designed to have a special focus on early career investigators.
“Some of the most important scientific breakthroughs happen at the boundaries between disciplines,” said Barbara Shinn Cunningham, Glen de Vries Dean of the Mellon College of Science. “The Carl & Amy Jones Endowed Interdisciplinary Fund gives our faculty the freedom to explore bold ideas where foundational science, data, and technology come together to address complex problems facing society.”
For the initial cohort nearly three dozen proposals were submitted, and the selection committee chose to fund six for $100,000 each over two years.
“We received an impressive number of strong proposals,” said Manfred Paulini, MCS associate dean for research. “The six projects selected stood out for their scientific depth, interdisciplinary collaboration and clear potential to scale into sustained research programs.”
The projects include:
Breaking the curse of dimensionality in scientific computing with reinforcement learning-based stochastic control
Nicholas Boffi, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, is leading a project that combines advanced mathematics with modern artificial intelligence to tackle a long-standing challenge in scientific computing. Working with Max Simchowitz, assistant professor in the Machine Learning Department, Boffi aims to adapt powerful reinforcement learning tools so they can better model complex phenomena such as climate events and molecular interactions while positioning CMU to lead the emerging field of scientific machine learning.
Beyond Antibiotics: Behavior-Modifying Drugs for Infection Control
Drew Bridges, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with Oana Carja, assistant professor in the Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department, is pursuing an alternative approach to fighting bacterial infections. Rather than killing bacteria outright, the team aims to develop drugs that alter bacterial behavior, potentially slowing the rise of antibiotic resistance and opening a new front in infection control.
Transfer Real-Time AI Technology from Particle Detectors to Fusion Reactors, and Back
Matteo Cremonesi, assistant professor in the Department of Physics, is partnering with Jeff Schneider, research professor in the Robotics Institute, to transfer real-time artificial intelligence tools between particle physics and fusion energy research. By adapting machine learning systems used in particle detectors for use in fusion reactors — and vice versa — the project could transform real-time control in both fields and accelerate discovery.
Exploring RNA-mediated mechanisms for disease-associated non-coding variants
Jonathan Henninger, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, working with Martin Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Computational Biology, is exploring how genetic variants outside of genes themselves contribute to disease. By uncovering how changes in RNA influence gene regulation, the project seeks to open new avenues for understanding disease risk and developing RNA-based therapies.
Sex-dependent regulation of stroke recovery by hypothalamic modulation of hormone circuits
Kate Hong, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, is collaborating with Pulkit Grover, Angel Jordan Associate Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Carnegie Mellon Neuroscience Institute, to investigate why recovery from stroke differs between sexes. Using innovative, noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, the research aims to uncover hormone-driven mechanisms of neural repair and lay the groundwork for personalized stroke therapies.
Towards a self-driving laboratory for efficient study of genetic variants associated with condensate dysregulation in disease
Huaying Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and Jose Lugo-Martinez, assistant professor in the Department of Computational Biology, are developing a “self-driving” laboratory that combines automated experiments with machine learning. The goal is to rapidly study how genetic variants disrupt cellular organization in disease, dramatically accelerating discovery and improving the interpretation of genetic data.
The fund was established through a generous gift from Carl Jones, a 1956 MCS alumnus, and his wife, Amy. Their endowment also supports a professorship and an annual lecture celebrating interdisciplinary science.
“Each of these projects promises to have real-world impact and make a difference,” Shinn-Cunningham said. “They demonstrate how collaboration turns diverse expertise into stronger, more innovative solutions.”
The Jones Fund aligns closely with CMU’s broader future of science initiative, which emphasizes cross-disciplinary research integrating foundational science with artificial intelligence, automation and data science — ensuring that discoveries at CMU continue to shape science and society for years to come.
