Shahriar Mostufa has been named a recipient of the 2025-26 Horn Distinguished Professors Graduate Achievement Award.
Shahriar Mostufa, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been named a recipient of the 2025-26 Horn Distinguished Professors Graduate Achievement Award.
The award recognizes graduate students who have demonstrated significant research contributions and represent the highest caliber of scholarship at Texas Tech University. Mostufa is one of only two students selected for the honor this year.
A third-year Ph.D. candidate in Kai Wu’s laboratory, Mostufa’s research focuses on magnetic nanomaterials and their applications in medical imaging and therapy. His work includes the development of magnetic particle imaging (MPI) and magnetic hyperthermia treatment, technologies that offer radiation-free, real-time visualization and the ability to target and destroy tumor cells with heat.
"Receiving this prestigious award at such an early stage of my PhD journey is both an honor and a powerful motivation to keep pushing boundaries," Mostufa said.
Mostufa is also developing wearable sensing platforms using granular magnetoresistance (MR). These compact sensors are designed for continuous biomedical monitoring, such as detecting biomagnetic cardiac signals, with the goal of replacing complex laboratory assays with noninvasive, point-of-care diagnostics.
His research is supported by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, both branches of the National Institutes of Health.
"I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Kai Wu, for his continuous support and encouragement throughout my PhD and for playing a key role in shaping my academic career," Mostufa said.
Mostufa was nominated by Wu and external collaborator Jian-Ping Wang of the University of Minnesota.
To date, Mostufa has authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and several book chapters. He has presented his findings at major international forums, including the 2025 Joint Magnetism and Magnetic Materials and INTERMAG Conference in New Orleans and the 70th Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials in Palm Beach, Florida.