Ophelia Venturelli: Manipulating the Microbial Interactions in our Guts
New faculty member Ophelia Venturelli explores how the microbial world in our gastrointestinal tract can be engineered to keep us healthy
Meet Our New Faculty
Duke Engineering is an ambitious community where the best and brightest minds are invited to devise creative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. With an outstanding group of new faculty joining us in 2024-2025, we continue to add depth and breadth to our research focus areas, while enhancing teaching and mentorship for our students.
Learn more about the exciting work of our newest faculty members in these profiles.
Biomedical Engineering
Pengfei Song: Improving Ultrasound’s Abilities to Detect and Study Disease
New faculty member Pengfei Song will work with faculty across basic science, engineering and medicine to improve the scientific and clinical impact of ultrasound technologies
Philip Romero: Using AI to Map and Design New Proteins
By combining biochemistry, molecular biology, physics and computer science, new faculty member Philip Romero aims to decode and engineer novel proteins
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Xiang Cheng: Using Geometry to Push AI’s Boundaries
New faculty member Xiang Cheng exploits geometric patterns in data and algorithms to find better ways to train advanced AI programs
Huanqian Loh: Exploring Quantum Systems with Neutral Atoms
New faculty member Huanqian Loh brings a new quantum computing approach to the expanding expertise of the Duke Quantum Center
Javier Pastorino: Developing Expertise in Data Management
New faculty member Javier Pastorino brings a wealth of industry and academia experience in data management to Duke Engineering’s classrooms
Afsaneh Rahbar: Optimizing Computation Theory and Data Centers
New faculty member Afsaneh Rahbar is using her love of mathematics and logic to teach the next generation of great computational thinkers
Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
Christopher Douglas: Shaping the Flow of Fluid Dynamics
New faculty member Christopher Douglas plans to expand on his research of thermo-fluid dynamics, motivated by applications in renewable power generation
Joanna Deaton: Transforming Robotics in Medicine
New faculty member Joanna Deaton brings expertise in the field of medical robotics and advances in surgical tools
Xianyi Cheng: Going Beyond Human Dexterity
Cheng’s work focuses on dexterous manipulation in robotics, emphasizing the need for robotic systems that can handle diverse complicated manual tasks