WPI Experts

As countries and states implement or consider restrictions on social media use by children and in-school cell phone access for students, the public discussion raises important questions. Among them, what are the impacts of digital technology on children and what is the best way to prepare kids for a future in which they will be expected to understand and use modern technology?

Professor Richard Lopez is a social neuroscientist who teaches and conducts research on emotions, digital media use, and mental health and wellbeing. He is available for interviews on his research and topics including parenting in the age of artificial intelligence, digital technology, and social media.

Kristen Billiar, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is joining a national initiative funded by the American Heart Association that seeks early detection and prevention of heart valve disorders. He will lead a research project to determine the connection between cholesterol-carrying particles in the blood, biomechanical forces in the aortic valve, and the development of the most common heart valve disease.