Leveraging molecular techniques to track fecal coliform source and clearance rates

In 2019, the Massachusetts soft-shell clam fishery was valued at US$6.5M. However, in Plum Island Sound, MA, which supports one of the largest soft-shell clam fisheries in the United States, harvest decreased from 1.2 million pounds of clams in 2019 to only 521K pounds of clams in 2023. This is partly because 2023 was an anomalously wet year and thus the fishing beds were conditionally closed for more days.

Over the course of several months, researchers associated with the Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) Long-Term Ecological Research program, initiated engagement with the shellfishers in Plum Island Sound, to identify areas of intersecting interests between the researchers and the fishers. A key outcome of that work was a desire on the part of the fishers for new information to inform the conditional shellfish bed closures and to better understand the source of the microbial contamination that causes the bed closures. The rationale for this proposal is motivated by the need to addresses these two specific concerns. Specifically, we will use a combination of public databases, community science collected source pools, and environmental samples collected in partnership with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), to assess sources and turnover times of microbial fecal contamination in Plum Island Sound, MA.

Epidemiology & Analytics for Response – Agreement for Performance of Work

A dangerous new variant of monkeypox virus emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2023 and quickly spread across borders, creating challenges for health officials trying to track and contain outbreaks in regions with limited surveillance capabilities. Researchers are developing sophisticated statistical models that combine case reports from countries with strong monitoring systems alongside commercial travel data to estimate the true size of outbreaks in affected areas where testing and reporting may be incomplete. This approach will help fill critical gaps in our understanding of how fast the virus is spreading and where resources are most urgently needed. By providing more accurate outbreak size estimates, this research aims to support better decision-making by public health authorities working to control the spread of this emerging infectious disease threat.

“Linking infant gut microbial resilience and redundancy with neurodevelopment” –

The microbiome plays a critical role in brain development, particularly during sensitive windows before and after birth. Early-life factors such as maternal diet, stress, delivery mode, and infant nutrition can disrupt both gut microbial communities and brain development, potentially contributing to conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). By studying how gut microbes produce key signaling molecules like GABA and glutamate, this research will uncover new connections between environmental exposures, microbial communities, and neurodevelopmental outcomes, opening doors to potential interventions that could support healthy brain development from the start.

Initiating new monitoring activities to accelerate implementation of the regional OCA monitoring plan 

The goal of this project is to identify thermal microhabitats within which shell-forming organisms like mussels and oysters that are vulnerable to ocean and coastal acidification might take refuge from low pH conditions, and to assess the potential buffering capacity of different habitat types to extreme heat and extreme cold events. We will deploy 10 microsensors within each of three sites within each of five National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) sites, characterizing the average and extreme temperatures within rocky and muddy substrates (marsh) sites. Because data can be downloaded from any cell phone, we will also work with each NERR education coordinator to establish citizen science protocols that complement ongoing work. 

Simons Fellow in Mathematics 

This fellowship provides support for a year-long sabbatical during which the PI will research Invariant Theory. The PI’s plans include a month at the Simons Institute in Berkeley and a month in Auckland, New Zealand, collaborating with international researchers.

Simons Collaboration on the Physics of Learning and Neural Computation

The new collaboration will serve as a concerted effort to discover the fundamental principles that make AI work by treating AI as a complex physical system. Collaboration researchers will draw on physics, computer science, neuroscience, mathematics and statistics to understand how the structure of data, learning dynamics and neural architectures interact to yield striking emergent computations, including reasoning and creativity.

Improving Accessibility of Vision Research and Therapy using an Open-Source, Extended-Reality Platform

This project develops an open XR platform for vision science assessments and interventions for people with visual impairments. The R61 phase builds research-grade tools for macular degeneration and stroke-induced cortical blindness. The R33 phase conducts feasibility trials and expands to pediatric cortical visual impairment and amblyopia. Transdisciplinary teams ensure accessible solutions meeting stakeholder needs.

Mediators and Moderators of Executive Function Training in Older Adults

This proposal improves executive function training research for 1,275 older adults at risk for dementia. Four aims examine: training ingredients that promote adherence and engagement, how these ingredients impact cognitive outcomes and quality of life, individual characteristics affecting training success, and open science data sharing. Goals include advancing scientific understanding and providing evidence-based tools to enhance cognitive resilience in older adults.

THE NIH Precision Brain Health Network: Open and Inclusive Measurement of Neuropsychological Change for AD/ADRD Primary Prevention Trials

This grant develops rigorous cognitive assessment tools to measure brain health changes over time rather than just detecting impairment. Through a coordinated research network leveraging existing NIH investments, the project creates open-access digital tools for real-world settings, enabling earlier cognitive decline detection and more effective intervention strategies for Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias while accelerating scientific discoveries.