Developments in science and engineering increasingly require the collaboration of experts from various fields. Such a shift is driven by the need to address complex problems that cut across traditional disciplines, and the capacity of new technologies to both transform existing disciplines and generate new ones. For example, cancer transcends biology and global energy needs to go beyond the scope of engineering or physics alone. In this age of hyper specialisation, it has become all the more difficult to tackle a problem using just a single discipline. For example, soccer teams today are hiring data specialists for performance analysis and predictions to optimise the use of their resources.
Eno Ebong, an assistant professor of Chemical Engineering at the Northeastern University, has taken interdisciplinary research to the next level. In her two years at Northeastern University, she has undertaken research work with experts in the fields of engineering, physics, pathology, molecular biology, and biological imaging. She has also won the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) Mentored Career Development Award for her endeavours. Besides, she has also collaborated with Jeffrey Ruberti, a Bioengineering professor at the Northeastern University, to define the previously misunderstood cellular and molecular sources of atherosclerosis: the buildup of fatty deposits, otherwise known as plaques, in artery walls. Her research work proves to be a perfect example of the importance, engineering as a discipline can play in further research of complex biological systems and thereby improving human health.
There are several advantages that interdisciplinary research bears. One of which is that it is appealing to a wider base of audience. Another is that it helps in the better analysis of a research study and helps with predictions for the future. However, corporations have their limitations and interdisciplinary research today faces the challenges posed by hiring, promotion, tenure, proposal review, and resource allocation that tend to favour traditional disciplines.
Harman Singh