Where Research Gets to Work

Across disciplines and domains, Carnegie Mellon University research is tackling the world’s most urgent challenges where humanity and technology meet. It powers startups, reshapes policy and fuels progress across America and around the world.

“CMU’s research supports thriving, innovative business ecosystems in many ways,” said Theresa Mayer(opens in new window), vice president for research. “Our faculty, graduate students and researchers offer their expertise and knowledge to the business community. They license technology to the private sector. They go on to start their own ventures. CMU’s discoveries, technologies and partnerships place Pittsburgh at the forefront of many emerging industries.”

The work that happens on campus makes a difference where it matters most: in clinics and classrooms, on factory floors and in communities. That includes predictive health tools deployed in Pittsburgh hospitals, national AI safety standards, autonomous robotics labs and reimagined learning environments.

That mission inspires Mary Anna Ebbert, a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering(opens in new window) researching clean hydrogen technologies to make sustainable energy easier to adopt and integrate into daily life.

"It's empowering to know that my research could help reduce carbon emissions across sectors like heavy-duty transportation, steelmaking and fertilizer production — while quietly improving the quality of life for people who may never even know it's there," she said.

Healthier neighbors, more resilient communities

Faculty and students are solving challenges that safeguard lives and support a stronger, more secure society, like resilient infrastructure, cancer surveillance(opens in new window) and cybersecurity(opens in new window),

Just blocks apart, researchers at CMU, the University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center combine strengths in data science, artificial intelligence and clinical medicine to improve how care is delivered and how lives are saved. For instance, Abridge(opens in new window), a startup founded by CMU alumnus Shiv Rao, is redefining the future of health care by empowering patients to securely capture, review and share their medical conversations, transforming the way people engage with, understand, and own their health stories. 

That same spirit powers broader health initiatives, too. Through CMU’s AI Institute for Societal Decision Making(opens in new window), funded by the National Science Foundation, researchers are building AI tools to support fast, high-stakes decision-making during emergencies. These systems — like one that uses AI to analyze drone footage to more quickly assess damage caused by natural disasters — are already being tested with frontline agencies. 

Scientists are examining how stress and social connection affect physical and mental health(opens in new window) and how to deploy digital technologies to improve health. 

“Research at CMU has documented the critical role of psychological and social factors in addiction, heart disease and cancer,” said Richard Scheines(opens in new window), the Bess Family Dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. “Combining these insights will help make health interventions vastly more effective and efficient.   

“Additionally, research funded by the National Science Foundation has developed machine learning methods that have been used to diagnose autism, discover genes that drive cancer, increase understanding of the mechanisms underlying lung disease, and discover the mechanisms by which learning occurs and can be improved,” he said.

Elsewhere on campus, CMU engineers are designing next-generation artificial organs(opens in new window), which could one day support or replace failing organs like lungs or kidneys, giving critically ill patients more time and more options. Other teams, in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, are developing new biomaterials that could help organ transplants work better(opens in new window) and lower the risk of rejection. 

Others are developing AI-powered tools that allow health care teams to make faster, smarter decisions about patient care, including intensive care unit planning and risk detection, so that the right care reaches the right person at the right time. Their insights are shaping strategies that work not just on paper, but for people.

Work is changing — CMU is helping people thrive

At CMU, researchers are also building the future of work(opens in new window): designing intelligent tools that support workers, informing policy around AI in the workplace and developing training programs that prepare people for fast-changing industries.

The university plays a national role in shaping policy around workforce readiness and economic transition. Faculty at the Block Center for Technology and Society regularly brief (opens in new window)federal leaders on how emerging technologies are reshaping employment, while their research has influenced national reports and regional strategies alike.

CMU researchers are working with employers, educators and policymakers to understand how AI and automation are changing jobs — and how to best serve the people who work alongside those technologies to make workplaces smarter, safer and more responsive to human needs.

Sarah Fox(opens in new window), assistant professor at the Human-Computer Interaction Institute, studies the impact of autonomous technology on transportation workers’ jobs(opens in new window). “Sometimes people assume that transit operators would not be interested in automation or technology generally, but actually, drivers express a strong interest in well-designed advanced driver-assistance systems,” Fox said. “They might enjoy parking assist or lane centering in their own vehicle, and they recognize the value of it in terms of enhancing safety and relieving some physical aspects of the job. Critically though, it needs to be designed with transit workers at the table.”

Meanwhile, the university’s Simon Initiative(opens in new window) is advancing the science of learning through AI-powered tutoring systems, real-time learning analytics and rigorous study of how people learn best. And the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation’s Generative AI Teaching as Research(opens in new window) initiative is measuring the impacts of AI tools on student learning.

“Before we can productively govern AI tools in education, we need to understand their impacts,” said Marsha Lovett(opens in new window), CMU’s vice provost for teaching and learning innovation. “That’s the work we’re doing now — to benefit students, educators and communities.”

In a world defined by algorithms, meaning matters

As AI, automation and digital media transform modern life, CMU researchers ask: What do these changes mean for how people live, connect and make decisions? And how can research ensure technology serves society and not the other way around? Through cross-cutting research in social science, humanities, public policy and the arts(opens in new window), CMU is helping people and institutions navigate a fast-moving world.

Last year, Pennsylvania turned to CMU as a partner in launching a new, first-of-its-kind generative AI pilot program. With policy input from Block Center experts and campus-wide faculty, the partnership is building frameworks to guide the safe and responsible use of AI in public services.

CMU artists, designers and technologists are experimenting(opens in new window) with new forms of expression(opens in new window) that challenge assumptions and invite reflection. Through immersive storytelling, digital installation and creative computation, they’re not just interpreting a tech-driven world, they’re shaping how people feel and think about it.

“We have new tools, new approaches and new ways to tell stories, but the fundamental skills of narrative and audience engagement remain tied to a craft and that is reflected in different cultures, histories and traditions that approach storytelling in unique ways,” said Stephan Caspar(opens in new window), teaching associate professor in media creation and multicultural studies. “Creativity can be messy, so I want students to embrace uncertainty, develop their own creative voice, and in the context of immersive media, to think critically about how technology shapes storytelling.”

In parallel, social scientists and humanists(opens in new window) at CMU are investigating how people respond to emerging technologies, how trust is formed online and how communities can adapt to change. Their insights ensure that innovation stays grounded in human needs and values.

Big ideas are only the beginning

Carnegie Mellon is the birthplace of AI, and the university’s groundbreaking discoveries have been shaping the future of autonomy and robotics(opens in new window) for decades. Today, its research is powering industries, guiding national policy and helping cities like Pittsburgh become magnets for innovation and talent.

As one of the nation’s most influential AI ecosystems, CMU hosts major federally funded efforts like AISIRT(opens in new window), a U.S. Department of Defense initiative to test and evaluate the trustworthiness of AI systems in high-stakes environments. Through the Software Engineering Institute(opens in new window), one of just 10 federally funded research centers of its kind, CMU also advises government agencies on AI safety, cybersecurity and software resilience.

Faculty across disciplines are principal investigators in NSF-funded AI Institutes, applying artificial intelligence to urgent societal needs like caregiving and crisis response. These center-scale efforts bring together engineers, cognitive scientists and policy experts to ensure that innovation remains both ambitious and accountable.

CMU has been a driving force behind the growth of Pittsburgh’s modern economy. It helped catalyze(opens in new window) “Robotics Row” — a stretch of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville and Strip District neighborhoods that is now home to more than 80 robotics and autonomy companies including Astrobotic, a company that sent CMU’s student-led space project into orbit.

At Hazelwood Green, a former steel mill site, CMU is building its Robotics Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art hub for developing and testing real-world robotics applications. And in Bakery Square’s “AI Avenue(opens in new window),” CMU has launched an autonomous lab(opens in new window) for accelerating experimentation in chemistry, biology and materials science.

“The projects — and the people behind them — aren’t just advancing science,” according to Mayer. “They’re building new industries, creating jobs and helping ensure that the U.S. remains a leader in responsible innovation.”

Learn more about how Carnegie Mellon University’s research enterprise delivers progress where people live, work and learn at work-that-matters.cmu.edu(opens in new window).