Researchers hope that pinpointing pH-sensitive structures in proteins would help them determine how proteins respond to pH changes in normal and diseased cells alike and, ultimately, to design drugs to treat these diseases.

Now, in a new study out today in , researchers at the University of Notre Dame present a computational process that can scan hundreds of proteins in a few days, screening for pH-sensitive protein structures.

“Before even picking up a pipette or running a single experiment, we can predict which proteins are sensitive to these pH changes, which proteins actually drive these critical processes like division, migration, cancer development and neurodegenerative disease development,” said , the Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor in the “No more searching for the needle in the haystack.”

Determining exactly how pH changes affect the behavior-driving proteins on a molecular level has been a challenge because researchers must laboriously test individual proteins in a signaling pathway for pH sensitivity one by one. Across biology, only 70 cytoplasmic proteins have been confirmed as pH-sensitive — though researchers hypothesize that there are many, many more — and of those, the molecular mechanisms of only 20 are known.

The new study, supported by funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, developed and validated a modular, computational pipeline that predicts the location of pH-sensitive structures based on existing structural and experimental data.

In the process of developing the pipeline, White’s research group predicted and validated the pH sensitivity of a distinctive binding module known as the Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, which appears in proteins crucial for cell signaling, immune response and development, as well as the pH-dependent function of c-Src, an intensively studied enzyme that is activated in many cancers.

“These proteins are central to cell regulation in addition to being mutated in certain cancers, and in addition to showing that they are pH-sensitive, we’ve also found exactly where on the protein the pH regulation is occurring,” explained Papa Kobina Van Dyck, the lead study author and a recent doctoral graduate in . “We’ve managed to condense 25 years of work into a few weeks.”

“In addition to cancer and neurodegeneration, pH dynamics are associated with diabetes, autoimmune disorders and traumatic brain injury,” White said. “Our pipeline is a powerful tool for understanding and, ultimately, designing treatments for these conditions, with the potential to transform the field.”

To read the complete news story, visit .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

The University of Notre Dame and Under Armour announced a new, long-term and unprecedented partnership to pursue innovation through joint research. Over the next decade, both organizations will co-invest in research initiatives that span multiple colleges and disciplines, and allow Notre Dame’s faculty, staff and student researchers to work alongside Under Armour personnel to identify research questions and design solutions for impact on campus and beyond.

“Notre Dame and Under Armour already have a long-standing partnership focused on driving excellence on the playing field and shaping elite student-athletes,” said , the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . “We are thrilled by this evolution in our relationship, which will similarly drive excellence in the research lab and shape the next generation of elite scientific, engineering and business innovators.”

A key focus of the research collaborations will build upon the University’s long-standing expertise in materials and environmental science. This will include testing recyclable, biodegradable or low-impact fabrics and polymers; exploring the environmental impact of garment degradation; and researching novel polymer materials. Other initiatives will leverage Notre Dame’s established student-athlete health and performance testing protocols to evaluate Under Armour prototypes in the real world. Such cooperative testing will also enable the tailoring of products to meet the precise needs of Notre Dame student-athletes as they adapt to the ongoing effects of intense training and the travel inherent in college athletics.

“While standing on this strong internal foundation, partnering with Under Armour will add a new dimension of industry expertise that elevates our efforts to bring innovations from the lab to the playing field.”

In addition, the partnership will explore opportunities to leverage the University’s advanced capabilities in computation and predictive modeling to enhance performance insights and product development to better serve student-athletes at Notre Dame and across the country.

“At Under Armour, innovation is hardwired into everything we do — that includes designing and manufacturing products that help athletes at the highest levels gain that extra competitive edge, and that fulfill our core commitment to thinking, acting and operating sustainably,” said Kyle Blakely, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Development and Testing at Under Armour. “This is a perfect partnership because it will combine Under Armour’s expertise in producing the best-performing gear and apparel on the market with Notre Dame’s world-class research in materials and environmental science. Providing athletes with performance solutions that simultaneously help protect the planet is the dream, and through this partnership we’ll be able to get even closer to making that dream a reality.”

By engaging Under Armour’s commercial expertise in human performance and athletic product development on campus, the partnership also enables educational and professional advancement for undergraduate and graduate students, including research experiences, internships and employment opportunities.

The new agreement will further strengthen internal ties between and Notre Dame Athletics. Earlier this year, the two units awarded three research teams the first-ever , which provide funding to support exceptional research projects that contribute meaningfully to fields related to human health, well-being and performance.

“We are incredibly pleased with the momentum Athletics and Research have already built together,” said , the Pat and Jana Eilers Senior Associate Athletics Director for Sports Performance. “While standing on this strong internal foundation, partnering with Under Armour will add a new dimension of industry expertise that elevates our efforts to bring innovations from the lab to the playing field.”

To learn more about the ways Notre Dame Research is partnering with Notre Dame Athletics on research facilities, infrastructure, opportunities and funding related to the science of elite performance, contact sportsperformance@nd.edu or athleticsresearch-list@nd.edu.

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Contact: Erin Fennessy, writing program manager, Notre Dame Research, efenness@nd.edu, 574-631-8183

Speaking about Deak’s hire, , the John and Catherine Martin Vice President for Research, said, “After an extensive national search, I am thrilled that we found our new leader right here at Notre Dame. Karen’s distinctive skills and collaborative mindset are exactly what the commercialization and innovation landscape at the University needs right now, especially as we look to build a partnership-centric unit that works hand-in-glove with our faculty, staff, and student researchers, our community, and our corporate partners.”

As interim director, Deak has led the refocusing of the team to better support the commercialization of University-created technology. Under this new framework, the team of researcher liaisons fully focuses on supporting faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate student researchers across all disciplines by helping them identify research that is potentially patentable or commercially promising.

The new structure also includes a separate Technology Protection and Licensing Team, which focuses on identifying and maintaining intellectual property (IP) protection for inventions and University-created work. This team also includes experts who focus on licensing research to corporate partners who are interested in developing it into products and services that advance the common good.

The final piece of the IDEA Center’s new Research Commercialization framework is the Ventures and Strategic External Relations Team, which is responsible for exploring and initiating new external relationships, while also nurturing existing partnerships. This team is currently responsible for administering the IDEA Center's Pit Road Fund and the University's relationship with the 1842 Fund and Alloy Partners, and aims to significantly grow the number of external partnerships focused on commercializing Notre Dame’s research.

“I’m thrilled by the invitation to become a permanent member of such a great team,” Deak said. “I’ve greatly enjoyed my time in the interim role, and I’m humbled to have been selected to continue leading the IDEA Center as we work in partnership with the University’s researchers.”

Deak brings a diverse portfolio of experiences to her position, with expertise in patent law, philanthropic fundraising, student engagement, and project management, including previous roles in the early operations of the IDEA Center. She holds a doctorate in genetics from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“With her extensive background in patent law and commercialization, Karen is well-positioned to lead the IDEA Center into a new chapter of supporting researchers and their ideas on the entire journey from early development to commercial launch."

Deak began her career at what is now the world's largest law firm, where she worked as a patent agent, representing clients as diverse as Washington University in St. Louis and large multinationals such as Monsanto, to help them prepare and prosecute patent applications at the U.S. Patent Office. Initially recruited to the University via the College of Science, Deak was tasked with planning, creating, and managing a master's-level program teaching patent law to prospective patent agents, which she directed for five years.

Before formally joining the IDEA Center’s staff in 2017, Deak was involved in its establishment and early growth. As commercialization specialist for Notre Dame Research, she served the faculty liaison to the developing IDEA Center. Deak expanded the impact of the center’s partnerships as director of network engagement, as she developed and leveraged a nationwide, multi-industry network of external alumni experts to help commercialize Notre Dame-generated innovations.

Deak then went on to lead the creation of strategic growth and fundraising plans for Notre Dame Research, , and the IDEA Center, as the academic advancement director within the . Prior to returning to the University to serve as interim director at the IDEA Center, Deak supported the work of two start-ups in a variety of roles.

“With her extensive background in patent law and commercialization, Karen is well-positioned to lead the IDEA Center into a new chapter of supporting researchers and their ideas on the entire journey from early development to commercial launch. We are excited to have her on the Notre Dame Research team,” said Rhoads.

Learn more about Deak and the IDEA Center on the .

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at on October 17, 2025.

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is one of the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research in the context of their organization’s mission.

, the John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the , said, “We congratulate these exceptional faculty members for the recognition that the CAREER award bestows upon their work, which is both inventive and ambitious. Notre Dame’s success with this program is a testament to both the groundbreaking research conducted here and the translation of this work into our classrooms and communities, investments in both current innovation and future talent for our nation.”

This year’s CAREER award recipients are:

, assistant professor in the

Kong will conduct a project titled “Security Foundations of Safe Learning Enabled Cyber-Physical Systems.” Kong will study new security vulnerabilities of learning-enabled cyber-physical systems and develop novel defense techniques to enhance real-world safety. Kong will evaluate the deployment of these techniques on multiple applications including autonomous vehicles and other robotic systems, with the goal of helping ensure the reliable operation of cyber-physical applications in the real world.

To promote student interest in cyber-physical systems, Kong and his team will integrate their research into educational programs at all levels, including summer learning opportunities with programmable robotic cars for K-12 students, as well as an annual robotics challenge and additional research programming for undergraduates at Notre Dame.

, assistant professor in the

Liu’s project, “Atomic-scale Josephson Spectroscopic Imaging of Unconventional and Non-reciprocal Superconductivity,” will examine the directionality of electron flow in superconductors at the atomic level, with the objective of gaining insight into the very nature of superconductivity and its underlying mechanisms.

At the same time, Liu will broaden the educational impact of superconductor research through a STEM Teachers residency program, during which middle school teachers will participate directly in research and co-develop curriculum materials. Liu’s group will also design and construct demonstration setups for use in classrooms, research facilities and museums.

, assistant professor in the

Osheron will conduct a project titled “Probing low mass final states with the CMS detector,” targeting complex particle interactions predicted by theories that go beyond the current foundational theory of particle physics, called the Standard Model. At the Compact Muon Solenoid detector (CMS), one of the four main detectors at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in Geneva, Switzerland, Osherson will develop advanced data analysis techniques, including re-imagining facial recognition tools to help interpret complex data produced by the CMS detector, with the goal of uncovering novel particles and interactions.

Simultaneously, Osherson will integrate his research into outreach programming tailored for high school students and teachers, including promoting greater participation in virtual particle physics workshops.

, assistant professor in the

Ramsey will conduct a project titled “Model theory, independence, and approximation.” Ramsey is specifically interested in smoothly approximable structures, which are infinite geometries that can be seen as “limits” of finite geometric structures. Drawing inspiration from smoothly approximable structures, Ramsey will develop the necessary tools to understand and explore even more complex analogues of these geometries, which will enable meaningful applications to algebra, representation theory and combinatorics.

Alongside his research, Ramsey will expand educational access to model theory by organizing a summer school for graduate students at Notre Dame, as well as collaborating with students in world regions where learning exposure to high-level mathematical logic is limited.

Since the program’s inception in 1995, NSF CAREER awards have been given to 147 researchers at the University of Notre Dame. To learn more, visit the .

Joule Bergerson, professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Calgary (Canada), has been selected to serve as the faculty director of at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana, USA), effective August 1. Bergerson has also been appointed the inaugural Richard and Ellen Stanley Professor of Energy Systems Engineering in the . As a leading expert in energy technology assessment, her research informs infrastructure and investment decisions as well as energy innovations in the global effort to more aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“ND Energy was formed to meet the global need for answers to complex energy and sustainability challenges,” said , John and Catherine Martin Family Vice President for Research and professor in the . “With her profound knowledge of the economic and environmental impact of emerging energy technologies, Joule is the ideal leader for the next phase of energy research at Notre Dame.”

At the intersection of policy and technical innovation, Bergerson’s work involves scientists, engineers and members of the business community who are developing new energy technologies. Her goal is to equip stakeholders with tools to assess the financial and environmental costs of energy — from generation to use to waste management — facilitating a clearer understanding of the complex benefits and trade-offs of energy production and expenditure.

An international collaborator, Bergerson has published numerous open-source tools for modeling energy systems. Her , a tool for estimating the impact of crude oil quality and oil refinery layout on greenhouse gas emissions, informs the (OCI), and . In recognition of her leadership, Bergerson presented the life cycle model at the  in Paris.

, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of Notre Dame’s and professor of civil engineering, said, “We are thrilled that Joule will be joining our College of Engineering faculty and very grateful to Richard and Ellen Stanley for endowing the named chair that attracted her to Notre Dame. Joule’s talents and expertise ideally complement those of our current faculty engaged in energy and sustainability focused research, and will enable us to advance new solutions for clean energy transitions that are equitable and just.”

Bergerson’s interdisciplinary and diplomatic approach to energy development resonates with the mission of ND Energy. By bringing together experts in engineering, sustainability and international relations, the center was created to address the most pressing global energy issues of our time. The University’s reaffirmed its commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable energy future, and, under Bergerson’s leadership, ND Energy will play a key role in supporting this effort.

“My work to date has gone beyond the engineering of energy to include the economic and operational aspects of energy production, which are so important in today’s world,” Bergerson said. “In order to plan for a more sustainable and equitable future, we must have the data to be well-informed, and I am thrilled to join my experience with the mission of the University and work alongside world-class colleagues toward this end.”

Bergerson earned an undergraduate degree in chemistry and environmental science from the University of Western Ontario and a master’s degree in chemical and environmental engineering from the University of Toronto. She completed her doctoral studies in the joint programs of civil and environmental engineering and engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University before joining the University of Calgary as a postdoctoral fellow in 2005.

Bergerson has received numerous institutional awards for excellence throughout two decades of teaching and research. In 2017, she was named a for her leadership in technology assessments in the energy sector. In 2024, she was recognized by the Assessment with their Leadership in Academia Award.

Learn more about Bergerson and .