student and faculty in biology lab

Research

Research at LMU tackles important questions, large and small. Across the arts, sciences and humanities, faculty and students explore challenges that stand to make the world a better place. Student research provides an opportunity for high-impact, active learning through one-on-one interaction with faculty mentors, and grows students as critical thinkers, problem solvers, and intellectual independents.

Research Centers & Institutes

LMU is home to 19 interdisciplinary research centers and institutes, where students and faculty wrestle with some of the most pressing social, economic, and spiritual issues of our time.

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CURes

The Center for Urban Resilience is committed to improving the quality of life in our urban communities, especially those that have been historically underserved.

three students at the beach doing research

Coastal Research Institute

The Coastal Research Institute brings together expertise from LMU's Seaver College of Science and Engineering and The Bay Foundation to restore and enhance Santa Monica Bay and local coastal waters.

Hollywood street with buildings

StudyLA

StudyLA advocates for a better, more equitable Los Angeles through research, student mentorship, and engagement with its residents and leaders.

chapel tower with sunset in background

Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination

The Academy of Catholic Thought and Imagination is a community of scholars who work in dialogue with the Catholic intellectual tradition by developing, critically examining, communicating, or engaging the rich resources of Catholic thought and imagination, especially as it is informed by Jesuit and Ignatian vision.

faculty and students presenting

Psychology Applied Research Center

The Psychology Applied Research Center is a grant-funded center that collaborates with a variety of community-based organizations and groups to inform social change and community empowerment through applied, action-oriented research.

close-up of international flags

Center for International Business Education

The Center for International Business Education, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, supports programs, instruction and research on issues of importance to U.S. trade and competitiveness.

students working on rocket launch outdoors

Faculty and Student Research

LMU is a National University/High Research Activity (R2), which reflects our commitment to high-level research. Our faculty value the opportunity to conduct research and scholarship with undergraduate and graduate students to provide mentorship and guidance while furthering their expertise. Students have ample opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research and take part in unique academic experiences in Los Angeles and throughout the world.

  • Over $1 million spent annually on undergraduate student research
  • $14.5 million received in grant funding in 2022
Faculty Directory

Research News

Assistant Profesor Robert Musci posing outside of the Life Sciences building

LMU Faculty Awarded Research Grant to Study Aging

Health and Human Sciences Assistant Professor Robert Musci is set to commence a six-month collaborative research project titled “Investigating the Turnover Dynamics of mtDNA with Stable Isotop Deuterium Oxide” thanks to a $10,000 pilot grant awarded by the Oklahoma Nathan Shock Center on Aging, which is funded by the National Institute on Aging.

 

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Professor Sarah Mitchell with student researcher in lab

NIH Awards Grant to Study mRNA Regulation

The National Institutes of Health National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded Sarah Mitchell, assistant professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, a grant for her project titled “The Role of Inosine Monophosphate Dehydrogenase in mRNA Regulation: Identification of mRNAs Bound and Functional Consequences.” The grant is for approximately $300,000 over three years for Mitchell and a team of undergraduate researchers to study why an enzyme with an unrelated function binds to messenger RNA.

 

Mehrdad Aghagholizadeh showing equipment to students

Structural Engineer Studies Seismic Resilience, Earthquake Engineering

Growing up in Iran, which is located in a high seismic activity region, Mehrdad Aghagholizadeh, assistant professor of structural engineering, developed an interest in earthquakes at a young age and knows firsthand the destruction and casualties’ seismic activity can cause, especially for developing countries. Today, his research interests include structural dynamics, performance-based design, structural health monitoring, earthquake engineering, seismic resilience, and historical structures.

 

Kate Eisen with student looking at plants in Manhattan Beach

Studying the Evolution of Floral Traits at Southern California Restoration Sites

Kate Eisen, assistant professor of Biology, is a plant evolutionary ecologist. She joined LMU in the fall of 2023. Her field lab coursework has a research component, which exposes her students in various disciplines to what biology is like outside of a traditional lab. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue field lab work with my students researching a California native plant system located so close to campus.”

 

Research and Creative Work

students sharing their research posters

Students conduct research projects that are supported by our world-class faculty experts and other university resources. These opportunities translate discoveries into knowledge, technologies and programs that make the world a better place.

The Office of Research and Creative Arts is committed to inclusive excellence and strives to increase engagement from the entire student body, including first generation college students and students from underrepresented groups.

Learn how students are supported in faculty-mentored research and creative works.