MSI PIs Dan Gallaher (professor, Food Science and Nutrition) and Xiaojia Wang (assistant professor, Mechanical Engineering) have received grants from the Office of the Vice President for Research's (OVPR) Minnesota Futures Grant Program. The program promotes cross-disciplinary research.
Professor Gallaher’s project seeks to test a new treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a serious condition that is the most common liver disease in young people. The study will test the efficacy of the dietary fiber polylactose as a treatment for the disease. Professor Gallaher uses MSI for research that seeks to increase our understanding of how diet can reduce the risk of colon cancer, and the mechanisms by which this occurs.
Professor Wang’s project will investigate the capabilities of a specific type of wide-bandgap semiconductor; such semiconductors can operate at higher voltages, frequencies, and temperatures than conventional semiconductors. The project will also seek to discover how these materials may be incorporated into Minnesota-based industries. Professor Wang uses MSI for research into the thermal and plasmonic properties of nanoparticles.
An article about these awards can be found on the OVPR’s Inquiry blog: 2019 Minnesota Futures Awards Announced.