Three promising researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have garnered prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER awards this year, marking significant advances in pharmaceutical development, cybersecurity, and quantum material studies. These awards recognize early-career faculty demonstrating exceptional potential to serve as academic role models while contributing innovative research with practical implications both statewide and nationally. Their respective projects address urgent scientific challenges, ranging from the critical shortages in drug radiolabeling materials to the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats and the frontier of quantum computing.
Joseph Clark, an assistant professor in chemistry, is pioneering a novel approach to drug molecule tracking using tritium, a radioactive hydrogen isotope. Typically, pharmaceutical metabolism studies rely heavily on carbon-14, a radioactive isotope crucial for tracing how drugs are processed in living organisms. This methodology is essential to understanding drug efficacy and safety. However, the limited global supply of carbon-14, predominantly produced in a single facility in Russia, is now jeopardized by geopolitical instability following Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. This supply disruption threatens the pipeline of new therapeutics awaiting regulatory approval in the United States and Europe.
Clark’s research explores the potential of tritium to serve as a viable alternative radiolabel. Unlike carbon-14, tritium has a unique placement on the outer edges of molecules, which historically has complicated its use due to metabolic instability and susceptibility to oxidative degradation. Clark’s work will delve deeply into strategic tritium incorporation sites less vulnerable to these metabolic pathways. Moreover, his team will develop sophisticated analytical techniques to verify the molecular purity and structural integrity of these tritiated drug candidates. By establishing tritium as a reliable radiolabel, they aim to alleviate dependency on carbon-14, thereby safeguarding drug discovery processes from geopolitical supply chain disruptions and accelerating the production of new medications.
Concurrent with these advances in drug tracing, Doowon Kim, an assistant professor of computer science, is addressing an enduring menace in digital security: phishing attacks. Despite decades of research and mitigative efforts, phishing remains a persistent, evolving threat characterized by the creation of counterfeit websites designed to steal sensitive user information such as login credentials and financial data. Traditionally, defense mechanisms rely on comparing suspicious websites against verified legitimate ones—a resource-intensive and reactionary process that introduces critical delays in countermeasure deployment.
Kim’s groundbreaking project takes a fundamentally different approach, shifting focus towards detecting phishing websites through their underlying JavaScript code rather than their surface appearance. By analyzing these back-end scripts, Kim aims to fingerprint inherent structural features unique to phishing sites, enabling earlier identification and containment. Additionally, his team plans to integrate large language models to autonomously adapt to novel phishing strategies, significantly reducing reliance on human intervention. This proactive methodology promises to revolutionize phishing defenses, making detection faster, more accurate, and less resource-intensive, thus enhancing cybersecurity resilience across diverse platforms.
Meanwhile, at the intersection of physics and quantum technology, Joon Sue Lee, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, is leveraging the exotic properties of elemental tin to explore quantum phase behaviors with profound implications for quantum computing. Tin exists in two distinct phases: alpha and beta. Alpha-tin is known for its intriguing topological characteristics, a property that endows materials with robust, symmetry-protected conducting states, while beta-tin exhibits conventional superconductivity, capable of zero-resistance current flow under specific conditions. Understanding and harnessing the interplay between these two phases is pivotal to unlocking new quantum functionalities.
Lee’s research aims to fabricate ultra-pure films of both alpha and beta tin on the same chip, cultivating atomically sharp interfaces between the phases. This precise control over phase boundaries is critical, as mixed-phase or poorly defined interfaces have thus far hindered comprehensive studies of the coupled quantum phenomena. By achieving this level of material refinement, Lee hopes to generate novel heterostructures that deepen insights into how topological effects coexist with superconductivity. This knowledge could pave the way for innovative quantum devices that transcend current technological limitations, providing practical breakthroughs in quantum information processing and quantum computing architectures.
Together, these three projects address pressing challenges from fundamental scientific, technological, and societal perspectives, reflecting the multifaceted impact of modern research. The CAREER awards, which include substantial funding allocations—$650,000 for Clark, $597,000 for Kim, and $749,000 for Lee—empower these early-career scholars to accelerate their work over the coming years. The University of Tennessee’s commitment to fostering such talent is expressed through dual support: promoting cutting-edge discovery while nurturing educational opportunities that inspire students at every academic level to engage with the sciences.
Clark emphasized the need to transition tritium into the mainstream radiotracer for metabolic studies, noting the United States produces tritium for research and government use, complemented by suppliers in North America and Europe. His optimism lies in creating a sustainable, independent framework for radiolabeling that can withstand geopolitical uncertainties and supply chain vulnerabilities. Such a shift may enable the pharmaceutical industry to streamline metabolite tracking, reduce costs, and facilitate faster drug approval timelines, ultimately benefiting patients worldwide.
Kim’s approach is equally transformative in the cybersecurity domain, where the agility of attackers often outpaces traditional defenses. By focusing on the intrinsic properties of malicious code rather than superficial traits, his method promises automated, scalable phishing identification. The incorporation of advanced machine learning models to anticipate emergent attack vectors further elevates this defensive strategy, potentially defining a new standard in cyber defense systems that combine efficiency with adaptability.
Lee’s vision extends beyond academic inquiry; creating phase-pure films with atomically controlled interfaces might offer tangible pathways toward constructing quantum materials with bespoke properties. These materials could lead to quantum computing components less prone to decoherence and operational errors, two major hurdles in realizing practical quantum processors. His research not only contributes foundational quantum physics knowledge but also aligns with national interests in maintaining leadership in emerging quantum technologies.
Collectively, these achievements underscore the vital interplay between basic scientific research and its applications. From addressing a critical materials shortage affecting drug safety testing, to pioneering cybersecurity tools that safeguard digital infrastructure, to exploring materials at the quantum frontier, these Tennessee scholars exemplify the promise of early-career researchers in shaping a safer, healthier, and more technologically advanced future. As the University of Tennessee continues to cultivate such talent, their work stands as a beacon, encouraging the next generation of scientists to delve deeply into complex problems with creativity and tenacity.
Deb Crawford, vice chancellor for research, innovation, and economic development at the University of Tennessee, expressed profound pride in this year’s NSF CAREER award recipients. She highlighted the transformative potential of their research and its capacity to inspire both current students and future scientific leaders. Their interdisciplinary endeavors resonate beyond academia, embodying tangible solutions that address global challenges. This recognition not only validates their past achievements but also empowers their ongoing commitment to impactful scientific exploration.
In sum, these NSF CAREER awards awarded to Joseph Clark, Doowon Kim, and Joon Sue Lee signify more than individual accomplishments; they represent a strategic investment in innovative research fields critical to public health, cybersecurity, and quantum science. Each recipient embodies the ethos of early-career scientists who push boundaries and envision new paradigms. Their breakthrough work promises to deliver enhanced drug development methodologies, fortified digital defenses, and quantum materials innovations that collectively propel science and society forward.
Subject of Research: Pharmaceutical radiolabeling using tritium, phishing website detection via JavaScript and machine learning, and phase-pure quantum materials fabrication for quantum computing applications.
Article Title: University of Tennessee Researchers Awarded NSF CAREER Grants to Advance Drug Design, Cybersecurity, and Quantum Technologies
News Publication Date: Not specified
Image Credits: University of Tennessee
Keywords: Research impact, drug design, cybersecurity, quantum computing
