Physical Sciences

Daniel E. Ibarra, Ph.D.
Manning Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and Environment and Society, Assistant Professor of Engineering

Daniel Ibarra is a geochemist and Earth system scientist. His research is distinguished by his ability to develop novel geochemical techniques that provide new insight into climatic, geological, and environmental changes. His work in drought-prone areas of the western US yields significant findings about the causes behind changes in hydroclimate and water availability. He is also making critical contributions to our understanding of continental weathering and its role in the Earth’s carbon cycle. In new collaborations, he is pushing the frontiers of low-carbon energy research with his work on lithium deposits in sedimentary basins. His contributions to geochemistry, paleoclimate studies, natural resources, and the training of aspiring scientists have solidified his reputation as one of the leading young geoscientists of his generation.

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Hospital-Based Research Faculty

Adam K. Lewkowitz, M.D., MPHS
Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Specializing in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Adam Lewkowitz focuses on leveraging technology to enhance health outcomes and equity for women during and after pregnancy. For example, he developed a smartphone application to prevent postpartum depression among high-risk women and is establishing a statewide remote blood pressure program for postpartum patients with hypertension. To ensure that every postpartum patient who delivers an infant in Rhode Island can participate in the Women & Infants-based year-long program, he created a clinical and academic collaboration among all birthing hospitals in the state. His expertise in qualitative research methods, digital health interventions, and perinatal trials, along with his ability to collaborate across institutions, has facilitated this statewide network for remote monitoring. Beyond his research achievements, he has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and consistently receives teaching awards from OBGYN residents each year. 

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Humanities and Social Sciences

Elena Shih
Manning Assistant Professor of American Studies

Elena Shih is a globally recognized expert in human trafficking, labor, and sex workers' rights in China, Thailand, Myanmar, and the US. Her recently published book, Manufacturing Freedom, examines the transnational social movement to combat human trafficking and has won seven national best book awards. Her scholarship exemplifies community-engaged ethnographic research conducted with sex worker and migrant worker organizations and has profoundly influenced the policies that govern the lives of marginalized workers. Her advocacy work at the state level earned her the appointment as Chair of the Rhode Island State Advisory Committee for the US Commission on Civil Rights. In conjunction with her research and publications, she has also developed a human trafficking research cluster as a faculty fellow through Brown’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice.

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Life Sciences and Public Health

Shufang Sun
Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior

Shufang Sun’s research addresses urgent public health challenges at the intersection of stigma, mental health, and HIV, focusing on sexual and gender minorities and youth affected by adversity, conflict, and displacement in both domestic and global settings. She develops and tests mindfulness-based, technology-assisted interventions to promote health, and pioneered the first mindfulness intervention to enhance mental and sexual health for minority youth. Her global health research focuses on partnering with local communities to create mindfulness-based digital interventions that address urgent public health issues, such as youth suicide in China and the mental health effects of war and displacement in Ukraine. Additionally, her research program advances the field of mindfulness and integrative health through rigorous evidence synthesis. Her work has been supported by multiple NIH awards and other foundation grants.

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Life Sciences and Public Health

John Philip Donoghue, Ph.D.
Henry Merritt Wriston Professor of Neuroscience, Professor of Engineering

John Donoghue is a trailblazer exploring how the brain converts thoughts into actions. In 1991, he became the founding chair of the Department of Neuroscience and later established the Brown Institute for Brain Science, now the Carney Institute for Brain Science. He is recognized for pivotal discoveries that underpin Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) research today. This innovative research enables individuals with paralysis to control computers, robotic limbs, or their own bodies using their thoughts, fostering independence. Ahead of his time, John recognized the importance of interdisciplinary science. He built a collaborative scientific team that combined Brown experts and students in neuroscience, applied mathematics, computer science, neurosurgery, and engineering. This team, along with Brown’s BCI system, BrainGate, has evolved into a nationwide consortium of cutting-edge laboratories collaborating to advance BCIs to restore movement and speech for people with paralysis.

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William H. Warren, Ph.D.
Chancellor's Professor of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences

Bill Warren is a leading expert in the ecological approach to perception and action. His groundbreaking research on the visual control of human behavior encompasses a wide range of topics, from navigating complex environments to achieving precise perceptual-motor coordination. He developed novel virtual reality (VR) methods to investigate the visual control of locomotion, collision avoidance, pedestrian interactions, and the collective behavior of human crowds. His research provides foundational knowledge for addressing visual-motor disorders, with applications to assistive technologies for visually impaired individuals, the control of social robots, environmental design, and evacuation planning. Since joining Brown in 1982, his conceptual, computational, and experimental contributions have profoundly influenced theories and models of visually guided behavior. In 2023, he was awarded the Ken Nakayama Medal for Excellence in Vision Science for his lasting contributions to vision science.

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Humanities and Social Sciences

Stephen Houston, Ph.D.
Dupee Family Professor of Social Science, Professor of Anthropology, Professor of History of Art and Architecture

Stephen Houston is an anthropologist, archaeologist, and epigrapher with nearly 45 years of experience studying the Maya civilization. He has led some of the most important archaeological excavations in Guatemala in recent years. His discoveries of buried cities and his work on deciphering ancient languages have greatly enhanced our understanding of Maya texts, imagery, and culture. Recognized globally as a leading expert on the nature and origins of human writing systems, he was awarded the MacArthur Genius Fellowship for his insights into Maya culture and invited to give the 72nd A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts at the National Gallery of Art. In recognition of his dedication and contributions to Maya culture, the president of Guatemala awarded him the Order of the Quetzal at the Grand Cross rank, the country’s highest honor.

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Physical Sciences

George Em Karniadakis, Ph.D.
Charles Pitts Robinson and John Palmer Barstow Professor of Applied Mathematics

George Karniadakis is a world leader in scientific computing. Throughout his 30-year tenure at Brown, he has conducted research in applied mathematics and fluid mechanics, pioneering new scientific domains ahead of their time, including fractional calculus-based modeling, physics-informed neural networks, mesoscopic methods for soft matter, physics-informed machine intelligence, and uncertainty quantification, which has since become a significant area of research internationally. He has led three Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURIs) and is the lead principal investigator for three Mathematical Multifaceted Integrated Capability Centers (MMICCs). The combined funding for these initiatives and centers exceeds $50 million. His breakthroughs in physics-informed neural networks have significantly transformed scientific computing, leading to their wide adoption across all scientific and engineering fields and positioning Brown at the forefront of the modern AI4Science era.

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Hospital-Based Research Faculty

Betty R. Vohr, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics

Dr. Betty Vohr has dedicated over 50 years to the Brown-affiliated Women and Infants’ Hospital as a physician-scientist and educator. She is recognized worldwide for her expertise in the neurodevelopmental outcomes of high-risk infants. Her research and clinical advocacy have demonstrated the importance of interventions that positively impact high-risk infant long-term outcomes, especially infants born preterm, who often face long-lasting challenges into adulthood. Throughout her career, she has obtained funding from the NIH and various foundations to investigate the lasting effects of prematurity and other perinatal disorders on crucial outcomes, particularly hearing and neurocognitive impairments. Vohr remains a leading advocate for universal newborn hearing screening, which has been adopted across all states and many countries. With 406 peer-reviewed papers reporting predictors of improved outcomes, she has greatly impacted guidelines that have revolutionized the care of high-risk newborns.

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