Cossairt Receives Multitude of Prestigious Funding Grants

Prof. Oliver (Ollie) S. Cossairt been awarded a litany of prestigious grants for various exciting research projects.

Prof. Oliver (Ollie) S. Cossairt, Lisa Wissner-Slivka and Benjamin Slivka Junior Professor of Computer Science has been awarded a litany of prestigious grants for various exciting research projects. Please view the full list, below.

1. Subcontract on the DOE Small Worlds project. This is a two year project with possible extension up to 5 years, $75k/year. 

The goal of the Small Worlds project is to develop a new multi-modal imaging capability for studying complex multi-agent processes in cells and systems of cells across physical and temporal scales. For example, understanding the detailed interactions amongst the synergistically functioning organisms, particularly bacteria and roots, will enable the development of models that will allow enhancing the growth and health of a wide range of plants. To create this new experimental capability, we will develop two major technological axes: multi-modal imaging in 3D, and multi-agent molecular sensor systems able to target several elements of a process at once. The combination of these, with supporting software for image reconstruction, volumetric data fusion, and quantitative analysis, will allow scientists to target complex processes in a wide range of biological systems. This contingent of capabilities will enable construction of dynamic experiments that are able to track and correlate interrelated molecular actors in complex processes, while providing detailed corroboration and supplementary data across physical scales with qualitatively different imaging modalities.

2. Comp Photo Lab receives Chicago Biomedical Consortium Catalyst Grant in partnership with Scherer Lab at UofC on "Development of Snapshot 3D Holographic Microscope for Live Cell Imaging." This is a two year $100k/year/university.
Abstract: We propose to develop a 3D Snapshot Holographic Microscope (3D-SHM) capable of imaging whole live cells in all 3 dimensions in a single “snapshot.” The instrument combines independent developments in the Cossairt and Scherer/Jureller labs. This will enable imaging motion (dynamics) of cellular processes by brightfield, darkfield, and fluorescence microscopy modalities. A specific goal is developing greater understanding of intracellular transport and secretion of insulin granules in living cells. However, other biological and non-biological processes and systems can be studied with the 3D-SHM.

3. Comp Photo Lab receives NU-ACCESS Exploratory Grant on "Surface Shape Studies of Gauguin's Monotypes: Accuracy and Suitability of Reflectance Transformation Imaging." This is a 1 year grant, $85k total.

The goals of the collaborative program are to enrich the breadth, scope, and reach of scientific studies in the arts and in the wider field of conservation in the United States and abroad, by leveraging resources at the Art Institute and materials-related departments at Northwestern University. The exploratory grant program is intended to launch longer-term collaborative research projects focused on broader, fundamental issues in the analysis and conservation of artifacts, a field of research widely known as conservation science.

4. Prof. Cossairt receives McCormick Catalyst Research Award, with Marc Walton of NU-ACCESS on "Coherent Reflectance Imaging (CRI): A new techniques for quantitative ultra wide-field surface shape metrology." This is a 1 year grant for $45k.

5. Prof. Cossairt receives grant from the Office of Naval Research, with Shree Nayar from Columbia University on "Towards Flexible Sheet Cameras." This is a three year research grant $300k total.

6. Prof. Cossairt receives Google Research Award on "Motion Contrast 3D Scanning." This is a 1 year award for $45k.

The Google Research Awards program aims to identify and support world-class, full-time faculty pursuing research in areas of mutual interest. The awards are one-year awards structured as unrestricted gifts to universities to support the work of world-class full-time faculty members at top universities around the world.

7. Prof. Cossairt receives Corporate Sponsorship Grant from Rambus Inc. on "Theoretical simulation and study of performance tradeoffs and bounds in computational diffractive sensors and imagers." This is a 1 year award for $100k

McCormick News Article