Princeton Engineering

Sin-I Cheng, an emeritus professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Princeton University who, in a career spanning five decades, made critical early advances in rocketry and helped develop modern computational approaches to aerodynamics, died Dec. 6 at his home in Princeton. He was 89.

Princeton researchers are applying Darwinian evolution principles and computational optimization methods to create novel antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals.

Princeton engineers are working closely with neuroscientists to understand how visual information and words are encoded in the brain.

Biologists have long been fascinated by the first moments when cells divide to become complex tissues and organisms. Now engineers — with an eye toward treating cancer and regenerating tissue — are increasingly joining the hunt for the quantitative principles and underlying mathematics that determine how these processes succeed or fail.

What if a person with diabetes could measure blood sugar without a pinprick? What if a quick scan of a person’s breath could reveal how their kidneys are doing or whether they have asthma?

Two Princeton engineering groups hope to use technologies based on inexpensive, easily available materials to give villagers in developing countries access to safe drinking water and help create local jobs.

EQuad News magazine recently spoke with four alumni who are visionaries in the field of health care: Patrick Beattie, Laura Forese, Cato Laurencin and Christopher Loose.

Princeton researchers are developing a system that uses an off-the-shelf digital camera and freely available software clinic workers who have modest training identify women who should receive further tests for cervical cancer.

Avoiding hospital re-admissions Mark Braverman, an assistant professor of computer science, is helping solve a pressing problem in health care: how to prevent patients from relapsing soon after being discharged from a hospital. During a previous stint at Microsoft Research, Braverman helped develop software that allows computers to “learn” based on actual patient data those patients that are most at risk so that hospitals can tailor their post-discharge care and avoid re-admissions.

Small packages: Nanoparticles improve drug delivery A technique for encapsulating drug molecules in tiny plastic-like coatings shows promise for improving treatment of cancer and tuberculosis, while aiding the laboratory testing of new drugs. Robert Prud’homme, professor of chemical and biological engineering, developed the fundamental method, called “flash nanoprecipitation,” and has numerous collaborations with companies, medical researchers and engineering colleagues to de

Fundamentals of fluids Researchers in the lab of Howard Stone, the Donald R. Dixon ’69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, are applying a deep understanding of fluid flows to reveal the mechanics behind critical biological functions. In one project, Stone’s group found the unexpected formation of bacterial ribbons in the middle of flowing fluids, which has implications for understanding serious infections and has led to a collaboration with Bon

Contrary to the ideal of a completely engaged electorate, individuals who have the least interest in a specific outcome can actually be vital to achieving a democratic consensus. These individuals dilute the influence of powerful minority factions who would otherwise dominate everyone else, according to new research published in the journal Science.

Dear Friends, It has been a terrific year here at Princeton Engineering, thanks to the amazing community of people who support us at every turn – the faculty, students, staff and generations of alumni who strive for excellence in all they do and all the colleagues and business partners on whom we rely every day. Together we're advancing our goal of putting science to use in the service of society and preparing new generations of leaders. I invite you to watch the brief slide s

Entrepreneurs and business leaders discussed opportunities and challenges posed by the underrepresentation of women in startup companies and venture capital during a panel discussion hosted by the Keller Center.

Margaret Fels, a long-time researcher and teacher at Princeton University and an early leader in defining effective ways to evaluate energy efficiency in buildings and manufacturing, died Nov. 12. She was 70.

Princeton Engineering and Dean H. Vincent Poor are proud to recognize the following professors and graduate students for their outstanding teaching during the spring 2011 semester.