Recent Northeastern PhD and Postdoc News Round-Up

Our PhD students and postdocs are consistently making remarkable contributions across diverse fields. From collaborative studies on medication safety during pregnancy to groundbreaking bone development research, our researchers are tackling complex questions with real-world implications. This round-up highlights recent achievements and ongoing research that showcases the breadth and impact of PhD student and postdoctoral research fellow work at Northeastern. 

• Postdoc Megan Woodbury’s Research Impact in Pregnancy and Acetaminophen Safety: Postdoctoral research associate Megan Woodbury at Northeastern’s PROTECT Research Center contributed to important research on acetaminophen use during pregnancy, working with colleagues at the University of Illinois. Using data from 532 pregnant women, the team found no association between first-trimester acetaminophen use and delayed language development, though increased second-trimester use showed small correlations with lower language scores. Their research adds to the data demonstrating no link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism. Her collaborative work contributes important nuance to ongoing debates about medication safety during pregnancy. Read more 

• PhD Student Matthew Fleming’s Korea Fellowship: Political science PhD student Matthew Fleming has been named a non-resident James A. Kelly Korea Fellow at the Pacific Forum. During his 12-month fellowship, Fleming will conduct research on U.S. foreign policy on the Korean Peninsula, building on his unique expertise gained from earning dual master’s degrees in Seoul and Tokyo. His work focuses on U.S.-South Korea-Japan trilateral relationships and security dynamics in Northeast Asia. Read more 

• NU PhDs Appointed to Northeastern and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Joint Faculty: Through Northeastern’s groundbreaking partnership with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, several PhD-trained researchers and nurses have joined the university faculty. Marilyn Hammer, director of Dana-Farber’s Cantor Center, has become a professor at Northeastern, while Rachel Pozzar, associate director of the center’s Bioinformatics and Technology Core, has joined as an associate professor. This innovative joint faculty model is the first of its kind in Dana-Farber’s history. Read more 

• PhD Student Lindsey Young’s Research in Mice Bone Development: Lindsey Young, a Bioengineering PhD student, is conducting her dissertation research on bone adaptation under Professor Sandra Shefelbine’s supervision. Young’s three-year NSF-funded project examines how much bone development is evolutionary versus activity-driven by studying wild burrowing mice and lab mice in swapped environments. The research has implications for understanding bone health across the lifespan, from adolescent development to osteoporosis treatment. Read more 

• Postdoc Kimberly Garrett’s Contribution to Mapping PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Contamination: Postdoctoral research fellow Kimberly Garrett is contributing to groundbreaking research with Northeastern’s PFAS Project Lab that reveals toxic “forever chemicals” contamination is far more widespread than previously known. Working with the lab’s co-director Phil Brown and other researchers, the team developed a model showing that while about 2,200 sites of PFAS contamination are currently documented in the U.S., there are likely close to another 80,000 contaminated sites. The research identifies airports, military facilities, and municipal fire activities as having the highest contamination levels, providing legislators and communities with a crucial roadmap for targeting testing and remediation efforts. Read more 

Photos by: Alyssa Stone (top row, bottom left) and Matthew Modoono (bottom right)