Research labs at University of Illinois Chicago .

Bing Liu Research Group

Continual learningNatural-language processingAutonomous AI

Bing Liu · Distinguished Professor

How can AI systems continue learning after deployment as the world and their conversations change? The group investigates lifelong and continual learning, autonomous AI and open-world learning. Research also spans natural-language processing, chatbots and data mining, with a longstanding focus on extracting opinions and sentiments from text. Documented work includes detecting deceptive opinions, learning from positive and unlabeled examples, and extracting information from the web. The current program examines self-evolving agents and continually learning dialogue systems, connecting language understanding with adaptation over time.

JRIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Janet Richmond Research Group

Synaptic transmissionNeurobiologyC. elegans

Janet Richmond · Professor

How do nerve cells organize the molecular machinery that releases chemical messages at precisely the right moment? The lab investigates synaptic transmission, including the proteins that prepare vesicles for neurotransmitter release. Research uses the small worm C. elegans as a model for understanding the nervous system. Work on the protein clarinet examined how its activity organizes other proteins at the presynaptic active zone. These studies connect genetic and molecular mechanisms with the assembly and function of the machinery responsible for communication between neurons.

NJIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Jiang Research Lab

Scanning-probe microscopyNanospectroscopySingle-molecule chemistry

Nan Jiang · Professor

How can researchers observe chemical behavior at the scale of individual molecules and atoms? The group develops scanning-probe approaches for designing and investigating nanomaterials. A hybrid analytical technique combines nanoscale imaging with spectroscopy to obtain both surface structure and chemical information. Research examines charge transfer, electron localization, light absorption and light emission at very small length scales. The work aims to follow chemical systems dynamically at the single-molecule level and visualize electronic and vibrational behavior within molecules, connecting instrumental development with fundamental surface science.

LHIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Luke Hanley Research Group

Mass spectrometryPhotoionizationSurface analysis

Luke Hanley · LAS Distinguished Professor

Can light-driven chemical measurements reveal what is happening on complex biological and material surfaces? The group develops analytical methods based on photoionization, laser ablation and mass spectrometry. Research uses approaches including ultrashort laser pulses and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, sometimes requiring new instruments built in the laboratory. Applications include mass-spectrometry imaging of bacterial biofilms and lithium-ion batteries. The program also develops data-analysis methods for these measurements, connecting surface chemistry with questions in microbiology, bioengineering and materials characterization.

SCIndependently curated · Unclaimed

Stephanie Cologna Research Group

Mass spectrometryNeurodegenerationProteomics

Stephanie Cologna · Professor

What molecular changes accompany rare genetic diseases that damage the nervous system? The lab uses mass spectrometry to investigate neurodegenerative disorders, including genetic lysosomal storage diseases. Its research brings analytical chemistry together with biochemistry, molecular biology and human health. The department describes related research in proteomics and neurobiology, including molecular processes involved in neuronal connections, synaptic transmission and neurodegeneration. These directions connect measurements of biological molecules with questions about how nervous-system function becomes disrupted in disease.