research

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are developing ways to convert waste into fuels and other products, using processes that are energy efficient and powered by renewable sources. 

Diagnosing cancer today involves using chemical “contrast agents” to improve the accuracy of medical imaging processes such as X-rays as well as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. But those agents can be expensive, take more time to use and pose potential health concerns. With a new four-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), researchers at Case Western Reserve University hope to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) alternative that generates virtual contrast-enhanced images without chemical agents.

Chirag Kharangate isn’t a stranger to improvement. In fact, with the help of the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) 2024 Young Investigator Award, he’s tackling what could be a serious improvement for naval aircraft systems—developing new ways to make them more powerful. 

Robert Savinell will join a prestigious group of researchers and innovators from Case Western Reserve University as one of the newest elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The honor highlights the overall career and impact individual inventors have had in society and their respective fields. Savinell, a Distinguished University Professor and the George S. Dively Professor of Engineering, is an internationally recognized scholar in the field of electrochemistry and a foundational leader for CWRU’s electrochemical community. His 40-year career includes groundbreaking work in energy conversion and storage.

Receiving the highest honor among the global biomaterials community, Anirban Sen Gupta is now one of less than 500 individuals to become a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE).

With a $3.99 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, biomedical engineers from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Chicago will begin testing an implantable device that restores the sense of touch to breast cancer patients after reconstructive surgery.

When the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) opens in 2026, the Case Western Reserve community will discover a bright and vibrant space designed to create an atmosphere of new ideas, possibilities and partnerships—both planned and serendipitous.

Xiong "Bill" Yu, PhD, is applying artificial intelligence (AI) and mixed-reality visualization tools to better understand—and someday possibly fix—the legacy problems of leaky municipal water systems and crumbling highway bridges.

Satish Viswanath, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Case School of Engineering, traveled to Malaysia in August as part of the Fulbright Specialist Program. During his two-week placement at Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, Viswanath’s work centered on artificial intelligence (AI) and digital pathology—two topics that closely align with his work at Case Western Reserve.

A team of researchers at Case Western Reserve University is part of a national effort to “reimagine” steel production, developing an innovative and low-cost process that could replace blast furnaces for ironmaking. If successful, officials at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) believe the effort could reduce greenhouse gas emissions in steelmaking by as much 85%.