Rice Research Review

2020 was an exciting year for research at Rice. We continued work in several important areas, announced some exciting new projects and joined forces across campus and with our community partners to help tackle COVID-19.

Yousif Shamoo

Welcome to the first edition of Rice Research Review. This annual online publication highlights a sampling of Rice University’s research pursuits and accomplishments over the previous year. View more.

FOCUS

Pathbreaking Research: Rice’s Response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a bright light on the role research plays in understanding some of our modern world’s greatest challenges. As the virus swept across the globe last year, Rice University joined forces with researchers across campus and the Greater Houston community to help end the pandemic and prepare for similar outbreaks in the future.

AT LARGE

IN BRIEF

rapid malaria test

Quick read: Engineers develop idea for rapid malaria test

Testing for malaria could become as simple as putting on a bandage. That’s the idea behind a platform developed by Rice University engineers who introduced a microneedle patch for rapid diagnostic testing that does not require extracting blood. The device detailed in the November 2020 issue of the Nature journal Microsystems and Nanoengineering draws upon protein biomarkers contained in dermal interstitial fluid, what people generally recognize as the fluid inside blisters but surrounds all of the cells in skin. Learn More

Naomi Halas, Kyriacos Zygourakis and Pedro Alvarez

Superfund sites: Researchers study how toxic chemicals impact preterm births

A trio of Rice University professors and their labs are taking part in a five-year, $10 million Superfund Research Program grant awarded in May 2020 by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to study how toxic chemicals emanating from Superfund sites impact preterm births. Naomi Halas, Kyriacos Zygourakis and Pedro Alvarez are bringing their labs’ expertise to the Baylor College of Medicine-based Multiproject Research Center that also includes collaborators from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Alvarez is the Rice lead, co-principal investigator and co-director of the center. Learn More

Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center (NEWT)

NEWT: Work continues on next-generation water treatment systems

In October 2020, the Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment Center (NEWT), a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center with its headquarters at Rice University, earned a five-year renewal to continue its work on next-generation water treatment systems. The multi-institution, multidisciplinary center under the direction of Rice environmental engineer Pedro Alvarez is a partnership between academia, industry and government to produce transformational technology as well as engineers primed to lead the global economy. The NSF award is for $16.5 million. 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 $172 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
2020 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

Anthony Varilly-Alvarado, professor of mathematics
Anthony Varilly-Alvarado

American Mathematical Society Fellow

Anthony Varilly-Alvarado, professor of mathematics, was named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society, one of the nation’s most prestigious professional societies dedicated to advancing research and connecting the diverse global mathematical community through publications, meetings and conferences.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Rice Research Review