News: Polina Anikeeva

Artificial muscles made from contracting fibers

August 16, 2019

MIT researchers, including professors Polina Anikeeva, Yoel Fink, and Cem Tasan, have developed a new fiber-based system that could be used as artificial muscles for robots, prosthetic limbs, or other mechanical and biomedical applications.  

Anikeeva menitoned as a "hero of science" for unlocking the brain

October 3, 2018

Five foot three and compact as a gazelle, Anikeeva is a marathon runner, a rock climber, and one heck of a scientist. She was born to a pair of mechanical engineers in the former Soviet Union, where she so excelled at academics that she was moved to an elite high school, then majored in physics…  

Seeking materials that match the brain

February 22, 2018

Polina Anikeeva was born in Leningrad, USSR, but grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia; the city’s name reverted to its original form after the fall of the Soviet Union. While in school there, she encountered two inspiring scientists who helped propel her toward a career at MIT, where she now…  

Polina Anikeeva awarded 2018 Vilcek Prize

February 1, 2018

Polina Anikeeva has been awarded a 2018 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science. Awarded annually by the Vilcek Foundation, the $50,000 prizes recognize younger immigrants who have demonstrated exceptional promise early in their careers. …  

2018 Forbes 30 Under 30

November 15, 2017

DMSE adds a few familiar faces to Forbes 30 Under 30. Brent Keller, who is part of Jeff Grossman's group, was listed as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for Manufacturing and Industry for co-founding Via Separations. …  

MIT.nano Update

June 1, 2017

In anticipation of the official opening of the new MIT.nano building — which will house some of the world’s leading facilities supporting research in nanoscience and nanotechnology — MIT last week officially launched a new “center of excellence” called SENSE.nano, which is dedicated to pushing…  

2017 Faculty Promotions

May 15, 2017

Several DMSE faculty promotions will be taking effect starting July 1, 2017.  Congratulations to: Polina Anikeeva, Antoine Allanore, Niels Holten-Andersen, and Silvija Gradecak for their promotions this year! …  

MIT.nano has its first public showing

April 10, 2017

The brand new, state-of-the-art MIT.nano building had its first public showing recently. The new building promises to be an enormously influential toolbox for many MIT departments, especially DMSE. Faculty and other researchers are excited for its completion slated for 2018. Krystyn Van…  

Stretching the boundaries of neural implants

March 31, 2017

New flexible fibers developed by Professor Polina Anikeeva and her research team are able to stimulate and monitor neurons in the spine without being invasive.  "Now, researchers have developed a rubber-like fiber that can flex and stretch while simultaneously delivering both optical…  

Prof. Anikeeva joing panel on CrowdScience

March 24, 2017

Our own Professor Polina Anikeeva was recently on a panel for CrowdScience on the BBC World Service. This episode was about Science at the Movies. "Can we really live on Mars? Or exist in a virtual world? And why does movie science sometimes have us shouting at the screen? Our panel of…  

Tiny fibers open new windows into the brain

February 24, 2017

"For the first time ever, a single flexible fiber no bigger than a human hair has successfully delivered a combination of optical, electrical, and chemical signals back and forth into the brain, putting into practice an idea first proposed two years ago. With some tweaking to further improve its…