Five NYU Tandon Faculty Members Earn CAREER Awards in 2026
From left to right: Daniel Vignon, Robert Krueger, Nathalie Pinkerton, David Truong, and Qi Sun.
The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program offers the NSF’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Each award provides a minimum of $400,000 over five years, enabling early-career academic scientists and engineers to build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research.
In 2026, five NYU Tandon faculty members earned CAREER awards for their research:
Robert Krueger will work to improve the clinical use of massive datasets by placing human expertise back at the center of the analytical loop to decode next-generation tissue biopsies.
Natalie Pinkerton will develop light responsive nanoparticles to study the way pain signals are transmitted in sensory neurons.
Qi Sun aims to make generative artificial intelligence dramatically more efficient by aligning computing demands with the limits of human visual perception.
David Truong is uncovering how the physical organization of DNA, specifically structures known as super-enhancers, controls coordinated gene expression across the genome.
Daniel Vignon is examining how connected vehicle data could transform auto insurance, improve road safety, and create new opportunities to fund transportation infrastructure.
