News: Faculty

University of Chicago researcher Chuan He has been recognized for the potential real-world impact of his work – including a method to dramatically increase crop yields and an innovative liquid biopsy test that can detect early-stage cancer.

UChicago researchers launch civic chatbot to educate and challenge voters.
 

Argonne scientists discover how extreme conditions shape carbon into advanced materials for medicine, energy and defense.

Still in its original galaxy, a rare holdout from the second generation of stars sheds new light on the origins of the elements—and how massive supernovae reshaped the cosmos.

Congratulations to the PSD faculty members who have received NSF CAREER Awards. According to the NSF, the prestigious CAREER award supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
 

Prof. Ka Yee C. Lee has been appointed dean of the Physical Sciences Division, following two years of dedicated service as interim dean. Her term began March 1.

Bonnie Fleming has joined UChicago as professor of physics, effective March 10. Previously, Fleming served as Fermilab’s Deputy Director for Science and Technology and Chief Research Officer and a part-time University of Chicago faculty member with appointments in the Physics Department and the Enrico Fermi Institute. Read a Q&A with our newest full-time physics professor.

University of Chicago Prof. Emeritus Karl Frederick Freed, whose mathematical rigor provided the scaffolding for modern molecular theory, died Jan. 11. He was 83.

University of Chicago’s PUEO mission floated above Antarctica for 23 days, collecting data on ultra-high energy neutrinos from 120,000 feet, with results expected in one year.

Scientists have dived deeper into the "eye of the storm" swirling around supermassive black holes than ever before. This unprecedented investigation of the turbulent and violent conditions around these cosmic titans, including the first black hole ever imaged by humanity, was possible thanks to the joint Japanese Aerospace Agency (JAXA)/ NASA X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM).
 

This March, the University of Chicago will become a crossroads for researchers, designers, artists, and technologists from around the world as it hosts the 20th ACM Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction, TEI’26, from March 8–11, 2026. For UChicago students, faculty, and staff, it’s a chance to engage with leaders at the forefront of human-computer interaction and help celebrate two decades of innovation in tangible, embedded, and embodied technologies.

New infrared light sources mark 100-fold efficiency boost, could improve broad range of sensors, technology.

Greg Engel and Julian Solway are leading the new UChicago Berggren Center to bring quantum tools into the clinic. In a Q&A, they explain what that means for patients.

Analyzing NOAA's billion-dollar weather disaster database, a UChicago-led study projects sharply rising costs driven by climate change and expanding development.

The workshop convened researchers to discuss progress on AI models, tools and data commons for applying AI to biology, medicine, and healthcare.