Research

We are a hub for technology-driven interdisciplinary creative research and practice, collaborating across disciplines to make transformative change in the world.

IMPACT + INNOVATION

Interdisciplinary research projects that integrate theater, music, art, and dance with cognitive science, psychology, health sciences, and robotics to explore how the arts (music, theater, dance, painting, etc.) facilitate participatory exploration and therapeutic applications of the arts for cognitive and brain health across the lifespan, including healthy aging, addiction recovery, physical rehabilitation, and mental health support.

Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) - are dramatically changing the way we understand and interact with each other and our world. XR makes it possible not only to replicate reality in a purpose-built environment, but to create new realities and simulations for many domains including health, wellbeing, education, decision analysis, teaming, and more.

Creating new ways of engaging broad constituencies with data through visual communication, interactive media, alternate reality, material, geometric, and sonic representations in the physical world. Projects transform how we experience data, including how data can be deployed to facilitate understanding about health, wellbeing, (mis/dis)information, and democracy.

Addressing a knowledge gap between climate science and the planning and design disciplines. As the global climate crisis exacerbates long-standing racial and socio-economic inequities, there is a pressing need to build bridges between climate science research, urban and environmental design, and how it is utilized in the practices of city planning and design of the built environment.

Information - creating it, sharing it, and accessing it - has always been crucial to individual well-being and to well-functioning societies, while control of information has always been intertwined with social and political power. CAMD faculty design, deploy, and evaluate systems that integrate information and automation, including data visualization, social media, machine learning, AI and robotics, in ways that promote human flourishing and democracy.

Centers

Hubs for Research and Collaboration

Center for the Arts

The Center for the Arts is a generative hub for interdisciplinary research, exhibitions, and programming in and through the arts. It promotes the academic mission, research, cultural leadership and artistic and intellectual enrichment of the College and University.

More About CfA

Center for Design

The Center for Design is a platform for interdisciplinary design research; it’s a space for collaborative research activities and a hub for connecting the actors of the design ecosystem. It aims to share knowledge and practices, shape common tools and methods and strengthen a unified disciplinary ground.

More About CfD

A glass-walled classroom or study space at Northeastern University. The wall features text reading 'Northeastern University College of Arts, Media and Design Center for Transformative Media'. Inside the room, students can be seen working at tables under fluorescent lighting. The space has a modern, institutional design with dark flooring and white walls.

Center for Transformative Media

The Center for Transformative Media is a hub for research that explores the potential of emerging technologies to transform society, our potential to develop new media technologies, and how people and communities use existing and emerging media in innovative and creative ways.

More About CTM

RESEARCH

Parrots develop friendships through Zoom calls

Music

CAMD Music professor Rébecca Kleinberger introduced video calls to parrots. The results show that captive birds can form relationships with other birds through a screen.

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Interactive Visualizations – Studio with Noah Paessel

Art + Design

In this studio, students of Prof. Noah Paessel transformed social data into visual experiences about people, places, and ideas.

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Visualizing conflict of interest

Art + Design

This research project scores each U.S. state based on relevant disclosure policies and practices.

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Rebuilding schools in rural Ethiopian conflict zones

Architecture

In collaboration with the Ethiopian Association of Architects (AEA), architecture professor Alpha Arsano proposed designs for pre-K through high schools in areas of Ethiopia affected by conflict.

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Visualizing conflict of interest

Art + Design

This research project scores each U.S. state based on relevant disclosure policies and practices.

Learn More

Rebuilding schools in rural Ethiopian conflict zones

Architecture

In collaboration with the Ethiopian Association of Architects (AEA), architecture professor Alpha Arsano proposed designs for pre-K through high schools in areas of Ethiopia affected by conflict.

Learn More

Parrots develop friendships through Zoom calls

Music

CAMD Music professor Rébecca Kleinberger introduced video calls to parrots. The results show that captive birds can form relationships with other birds through a screen.

Learn More

Interactive Visualizations – Studio with Noah Paessel

Art + Design

In this studio, students of Prof. Noah Paessel transformed social data into visual experiences about people, places, and ideas.

Learn More

Rebuilding schools in rural Ethiopian conflict zones

Architecture

In collaboration with the Ethiopian Association of Architects (AEA), architecture professor Alpha Arsano proposed designs for pre-K through high schools in areas of Ethiopia affected by conflict.

Learn More

Parrots develop friendships through Zoom calls

Music

CAMD Music professor Rébecca Kleinberger introduced video calls to parrots. The results show that captive birds can form relationships with other birds through a screen.

Learn More

Interactive Visualizations – Studio with Noah Paessel

Art + Design

In this studio, students of Prof. Noah Paessel transformed social data into visual experiences about people, places, and ideas.

Learn More

Visualizing conflict of interest

Art + Design

This research project scores each U.S. state based on relevant disclosure policies and practices.

Learn More

CAMD is home to a central lab, studio, making, and creative practice ecosystem that supports experiential learning, cutting-edge research, and diverse creative practices among students and faculty.

More About Media Studios

Get in Touch

Brooke Foucault Welles
Senior Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships, Professor
[email protected]
Katherine Calzada
Assistant Dean of Faculty Development
[email protected]
Tammi Westgate
Associate Director College Research Administration
[email protected]
Liz Allen
Associate Director of Research Development
[email protected]

Research

How we're reimagining the future

Creativity and Health

AR/VR/XR

Data Visualization, Physicalization, Sonification

Spatial Justice (Resilience and Sustainability)

Information & Democracy

Security and Materials Innovation

Hubs for Research and Collaboration

Center for the Arts

Center for Design

Center for Transformative Media

Featured Projects

Parrots develop friendships through Zoom calls

Interactive Visualizations – Studio with Noah Paessel

Visualizing conflict of interest

Rebuilding schools in rural Ethiopian conflict zones

Visualizing conflict of interest

Rebuilding schools in rural Ethiopian conflict zones

Parrots develop friendships through Zoom calls

Interactive Visualizations – Studio with Noah Paessel

Rebuilding schools in rural Ethiopian conflict zones

Parrots develop friendships through Zoom calls

Interactive Visualizations – Studio with Noah Paessel

Visualizing conflict of interest

Research Facilities

Get in Touch