Hospital stays can be long and arduous; they can also cause serious complications. When a person lies in one position too long and begins to sweat, painful sores called pressure injuries (PIs) can form on the body, leading to infection or even death. A patient can develop a PI in a few days — or even a few hours. And once present, a PI is hard to treat. To address this issue, researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a new, flexible, sensor-filled fabric to monitor areas at risk of PIs and alert hospital staff when a patient needs to be turned.

Read more about Georgia Tech’s research on preventing pressure injuries »

Georgia Tech researcher Nick Housley is developing a drug‑delivery system designed to send cancer treatments directly to tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissue. His team’s approach uses self‑assembling nanohydrogels (SANGs) that circulate through the body, remain inactive in healthy environments, and release their drug payload only when they encounter the unique chemical conditions created by tumors. This “cancer‑agnostic” strategy avoids the pitfalls of traditional targeted therapies, which can lose effectiveness as tumors evolve, and aims to reduce the harsh side effects patients often endure. Early preclinical results show that the nanohydrogels successfully concentrated drugs at tumor sites, and Housley’s team is now preparing for broader testing to move the technology toward clinical trials.

Read more »

Two research teams within the College of Lifetime Learning are piloting new approaches to online education that integrate artificial intelligence and immersive virtual reality with thoughtful instructional design. More than technology experiments, these projects show how the College refines learning innovations before scaling them across programs.

Research Scientists Eunhye Grace Flavin, Abeera Rehmat, and Jeonghyun (Jonna) Lee are developing an AI-assisted course titled Design of Learning Environments. The course is being piloted within the College to gather feedback and data before broader implementation.

“We want to study how AI can meaningfully support learning,” Flavin said, “and how it can deepen engagement and enhance instructional design rather than distract from it.”

Faculty and staff are contributing in two ways: some are enrolling in the course and participating in AI-supported activities and surveys, while others are reviewing instructional models and providing feedback. Insights from both groups will guide refinements before future rollout.

Meanwhile, Research Scientists Meryem Yılmaz Soylu and Jeonghyun (Jonna) Lee, along with Research Associate Eric Sembrat, are piloting an immersive VR module within the Online Master of Science in Analytics (OMSA) program. The module features case-based scenarios with a virtual agent, enabling students to practice leadership and workplace decision-making in realistic environments.

“Technical expertise alone is no longer enough. Our students need opportunities to practice leadership, navigate conflict, and communicate across stakeholders in realistic settings. Virtual reality allows us to create emotionally resonant, high-stakes scenarios in a safe environment where students can experiment, reflect, and grow,” Yılmaz Soylu said.

The VR experience uses branching 360° scenarios in which students’ communication choices and strategic decisions influence virtual stakeholders’ responses in real time. Insights from the pilot will inform refinements to strengthen usability, instructional alignment, and scalability before broader implementation.

“In many ways, we are building the future of online learning. We’re asking what works and what supports learning. It’s incredibly exciting to be part of a college that embraces this sort of thoughtful experimentation. Innovation like this can help us responsibly design courses for the individuals we serve,” Flavin said.

The VR module is being developed in collaboration with Lifetime Learning colleagues in instructional design, media production, and technology, as well as partners across Georgia Tech, including OMSA leadership and faculty collaborators.

Together, these initiatives reflect the College’s approach to innovation: integrating research, technology, and delivery to improve learning systems. By piloting and refining new models before scaling, the College strengthens its capacity to expand access while preserving quality and meaningful outcomes for learners across career stages.

Every year, hundreds of Georgia Tech students take a leap that changes their careers forever: They decide to spend their summer building a startup.

That opportunity is here again. Applications for the 2026 Summer Startup Launch cohort are now open.

If you’ve identified a meaningful problem, have begun talking to real users, or feel a pull to build something bigger than a class project, this is your moment. Startup Launch gives you the structure, support, and ecosystem to take your idea further than you ever thought possible.

A Launchpad With a Proven Track Record

In the past year alone, CREATE‑X founders have:

• Led their startup to successful acquisitions.
• Raised six-figure funding rounds.
• Gained acceptance into highly selective Y Combinator.
• Built products used by customers, communities, and companies across industries.

The ability to identify a problem, validate real user needs, build something that works, and communicate that value — that combination makes students stand out in a competitive job market. Employers notice it. Graduate programs notice it. And investors notice it.

This is why Startup Launch isn’t just a summer project.
It becomes a defining career asset.

What You Get in Startup Launch

Startup Launch is intentionally built to give students every advantage while they build their venture. This year, we’ve expanded support even further.

Participants receive:

• $200,000 in-kind services like accounting and cloud credits.
• Dedicated coaching and mentorship from experienced founders and startup experts.
• Exclusive workshops and founder-focused programming.
• Access to the CREATE-X network, a community of builders, investors, and potential customers.

You’ll spend the summer fully immersed in your startup, surrounded by peers also tackling ambitious problems.

And you’ll leave with something real to show for it.

Applications for the Summer 2026 cohort close March 17. Apply to Startup Launch today.

Can flickering light and sound help fight Alzheimer’s disease? 

On this episode of Holy Shift!, host Angela Gill Nelms chats with Dr. Annabelle Singer from Georgia Tech and Emory University, whose groundbreaking research explores how carefully timed lights and sounds may help “tune” the brain, boost memory, and change the course of Alzheimer’s disease.  From building theater lights as a kid to decoding how brain waves shape memory, Dr. Singer is proving that sometimes the brightest ideas come from unexpected places.

Tune in to hear how groundbreaking science is lighting the way toward healthier brains and brighter futures.

Four graduate students from the College of Sciences were recently selected for the new Community Engagement Graduate Fellowship, made possible through a gift from Google. This one-year research opportunity awards up to $5,000 for each fellow to develop a project with local partners that aims to build stronger communities. 

“It has been a pleasure for the Center for Programs to Increase Engagement in the Sciences (C-PIES) to collaborate with Google and the College of Sciences Advisory Board to bring this fellowship, which will positively impact our community and highlight how science can align with public good,” says Lewis A. Wheaton, professor in the School of Biological Sciences and director of C-PIES. 

In the year ahead, the fellows will work with C-PIES and community partners on campus and in the metro Atlanta area to develop projects in one of three priority areas: civic and policy engagement, community-engaged research, and K-12 research outreach. 

The fellowship was open to all graduate students in the College of Sciences, and four inaugural fellows — Aniruddh Bakshi, Katherine Slenker, Miriam Simma, and Nikolai Simonov — were named based on their exciting, yet feasible applications.

Fellow Aniruddh Bakshi: Strengthening trust in science 

Ph.D. student Aniruddh Bakshi studies the problem of drug delivery at the intersections of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and immunology. As mRNA vaccines are closely related to his area of research, he sees the need for a grassroots outreach movement from young academics to help bolster public confidence in rigorous scientific methodology. 

In collaboration with local hospitals and nonprofits, his proposed project is to start a social media content series, titled “A Day in the Life of a Ph.D. Student,” to show the realities of graduate school for those interested in this career path while connecting his research to broader public issues. 

“Science has the power to solve urgent problems, but only if people understand and trust it,” says Bakshi. “Through this fellowship, I will use my research and outreach efforts to help strengthen that trust — showing how discoveries in drug delivery and vaccine design can make a real difference in people’s lives.” 

Fellow Katherine Slenker: Creating a biodiversity data network 

Atlanta is often referred to as “the city in a forest,” but according to Ph.D. student Katherine Slenker, wildlife has a difficult time navigating across roads and housing developments, often resulting in human-wildlife conflict. 

“Conservation ecologists have long recommended that the movement of wildlife could be eased through the creation of ‘ecological corridors,’ which connect greenspaces and wildlife populations,” she explains. “Determining the movement patterns of wildlife, and where such corridors may be best situated, requires that we first understand what species reside in the metro Atlanta area as well as how they are expected to disperse.”

As a fellow, Slenker plans to build a biodiversity data network by comparing wildlife monitoring at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Stone Mountain Park and increasing the coalition of metro Atlanta researchers. This data can be used in the development of ecological corridors to reduce clashing between humans and wildlife, notably animals struck by vehicles, and improve ecosystem health at these parks. 

Fellow Miriam Simma: Making structural biology research more accessible 

The study of crystallography is vital in academia, industry, and medicine because it enables researchers to decipher the atomic structures of proteins, but it is scarcely taught outside of graduate school. Ph.D. student Miriam Simma wants to change that. 

Her proposed project is to introduce protein crystallography to K-12 students and teachers through hands-on activities in local high school classrooms and to the public during the Atlanta Science Festival at Georgia Tech.

“My vision is to make structural biology research accessible, so everyone can engage with cutting-edge scientific research — fostering curiosity and interest in STEM careers,” says Simma. “Long term, I will synthesize these activities into a chemical education article that introduces K-12 students to protein structure and function.” 

Fellow Nikolai Simonov: Mentoring middle school scientists 

Last year, Ph.D. student Nikolai Simonov became involved in the GoSTEM Club at Lilburn Middle School — leading student activities and recruiting other graduate student volunteers. In partnership with Georgia Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing, the club is a weekly afterschool program for students, many of whom come from underserved backgrounds, to grow their scientific curiosity. 

“I assembled a team of 10 Tech graduate students who could explain complex scientific concepts in approachable ways for middle school students. Through this fellowship, we are excited to enrich the GoSTEM Club with an ongoing mentorship program and materials for more ambitious science fair projects,” shares Simonov. 

As part of the program, club members can meet one-on-one with Georgia Tech mentors to discuss their educational and career goals. “By sharing their stories and connecting scientific ideas to real-world applications, our mentors aim to show students that STEM is not only accessible but a path toward a fulfilling life,” he adds.

People with autism seeking employment may soon have access to a new AI-based job-coaching tool thanks to a six-figure grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Jennifer Kim and Mark Riedl recently received a $500,000 NSF grant to develop large language models (LLMs) that provide strength-based job coaching for autistic job seekers. 

The two Georgia Tech researchers work with Heather Dicks, a career development advisor in Georgia Tech’s EXCEL program, and other nonprofit organizations to provide job-seeking resources to autistic people.

Dicks said the average job search for people with autism can take three to six months in a good economy. It can take up to 18 months in a bad one. However, the new LLMs from Georgia Tech could help to reduce stress and fast-track these job seekers into employment.

Kim is an assistant professor who specializes in human-computer interaction technology that benefits neurodivergent people. Riedl is a professor and an expert in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies.

The team’s goal is to identify job-search pain points and understand how job coaches create better employment prospects for their autistic clients.

“Large-language models have an opportunity to support this kind of work if we can have more data about each different individual strength,” Kim said.

“We want to know what worked for them in specific settings at work, what didn’t work, and what kind of accommodations can better help them. That includes how they should prepare for interviews, how they can better represent their skills, how they can address accommodations they need, and how to write a cover letter. It’s a broad range.”

Dicks has advocated for neurodivergent people and helped them find employment for 20 years. She worked at the Center for the Visually Impaired in Atlanta before coming to Georgia Tech in 2017.

She said most nonprofits that support neurodivergent people offer career development programs and many contract job coaches, but limited coach availability often leads to long waitlists. However, LLMs could fill this availability gap to address the immediate needs of job seekers who may not have access to a job coach.

“These organizations often run at a slow pace, and there’s high turnover,” Dicks said. “An AI tool could get the job seeker quicker support. Maybe they don’t even need to wait on the government system.

“If they’re on a waitlist, it can help the user put together a resume and practice general interview questions. When the job coach is ready to work with them, they’re able to hit the ground running.”

Nailing the Interview

Dicks said the job interview is one of the biggest challenges for people with autism.

“They have trouble picking up on visual and nonverbal cues — the tone of the interview, figuring out the nuances that a question is hinting at,” she said. “They’re not giving the warm and fuzzy vibes that allow them to connect on a personal level.”

That’s why Kim wants the models to reflect a strength-based coaching approach. Strength-based coaching is particularly effective for individuals with autism. Many possess traits that employers value. These include:

• Close attention to detail
• Strong technical proficiency
• Unique problem-solving perspectives

“The issue is that they don’t know how these strengths can be applied in the workplace,” Kim said. “Once they understand this, they can communicate with employers about their strengths and the accommodations employers should provide to the job seeker so they can successfully apply their skills at work.”

Handling Rejection

Still, Kim understands that candidates will need to handle rejection to make it through the search process. She envisions LLMs that help them refocus their energy and regain their confidence after being turned down.

“When you get a lot of rejection emails, it’s easy to feel you’re not good enough,” she said. “Being constantly reminded about your strengths and their prior successes can get them through the stressful job-seeking process.”

Dicks said the models should also be able to provide feedback so that candidates don’t repeat mistakes.

“It can tell them what would’ve been a better answer or a better way to say it,” Dicks said. “It can also encourage them with reminders that you get 100 noes before you get a yes.”

You’re Hired, Now What?

Dicks said the role of a job coach doesn’t end the moment a client is hired. Government-contracted job coaches may work with their clients for up to 90 days after they start a new job to support their transition.

However, she said, sometimes that isn’t enough. Many companies have probationary periods exceeding three months. Autistic individuals may struggle with on-the-job training or communicating what accommodations they need from their new employer. 

These are just a few gaps an AI tool can fill for these individuals after they’re hired.

“I could see these models evolving to being supportive at those critical junctures of the probationary period being over or the one-year job review or the annual evaluation that everyone dreads,” she said.

Dicks has an average caseload of 15 students, whom she assists in landing jobs and internships through the EXCEL program.

EXCEL provides a mentorship program for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities from the time they set foot on campus through graduation and beyond.

For more information and to apply, visit EXCEL’s website.

The Institute for People and Technology (IPaT) and the College of Design (CoD) awarded a seed grant to Christian Coles, lecturer in the School of Architecture; Moinak Choudhury, Ph.D., lecturer in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC); and Janelle Wright, environmental justice programs manager, at the West Atlanta Watershed Alliance (WAWA). Coles will serve as the principal investigator with Choudhury and Wright serving as the co-principal investigators.

Their project, “Designing Futures: Afrofuturist Co-Creation with AI for Community-Led Facade Design” will be realized during a 16-week design studio (ARCH 4016) class that will take place during fall 2026 and serve senior undergraduate architecture students. Participants from diverse majors will join through the Building for Equity and Sustainability Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team, in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Communities Research and Education (SCoRE). Pre-planning tasks will occur spring semester in preparation for the fall studio class.

The studio class will collaborate with Moinak Choudhury and students in LMC 3403, who bring expertise in technical communication, responsible AI use, and community-based learning to co-create engagement materials and public-facing documentation that strengthen the project’s interdisciplinary links between design, sustainability, and communication. 

The final result of the project encompasses students who will design and install a modular, solar-powered façade panel system for the outdoor classroom on WAWA’s campus. This project extends work done by a previous Georgia Tech VIP team.

The panels will serve multiple functions: participatory community engagement, artistic expression, and climate regulation. This project will advance the classroom toward its intended vision as an Afrofuturist learning space with technological nods to the Keneda Building on Georgia Tech’s campus. With the help of this seed grant, interdisciplinary team members will delve into design, engineering, computing, communication, and community partnership.

Armita Manafzadeh has been awarded the prestigious Carl Gans Young Investigator Award in recognition of her innovative research into joints and skeletons. She will join Georgia Tech as an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences in August 2026.

The award — named in recognition of Carl Gans’ contributions to animal morphology, biomechanics, and functional biology — is one of the highest honors from the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), and recognizes Manafzadeh’s “exceptional creativity and originality in comparative biomechanics research as well as her strong mentoring contributions.”

“I’m very fortunate to have done science with incredible mentors, collaborators, and students who’ve helped me develop this body of research,” she says. “I’m grateful to be recognized with the Carl Gans Award, and look forward to continuing to explore new ways to study biomechanics when I start my lab at Georgia Tech.”

The new Manafzadeh Lab at Georgia Tech will investigate how joints work and where they come from — both evolutionarily and developmentally. With powerful new technology, called X-Ray Reconstruction of Moving Morphology (XROMM), Manafzadeh can look inside bodies with 4D “X-ray vision” — and can create animations of moving skeletons with sub-millimeter precision. 

“This research has the potential to transform our understanding of animal motion,” she says, “and that can ultimately open doors to everything from personalized surgical treatments for people to new designs for bio-inspired robots.”

As part of the award, Manafzadeh will deliver a plenary speech on “Joints: Form, Function, and the Future of Comparative Biomechanics” this January at the annual SICB meeting in Portland, Oregon.