We study the fundamental properties of nuclear matter by investigating collisions of atomic nuclei at nearly the speed of light.  Our work is primarily based at the STAR experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), where we explore the behavior of quarks and gluons—the basic building blocks of matter—under extreme conditions.  Our group contributes to several leading-edge research topics, including the structure and dynamics of the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP), studies of heavy quarks, electromagnetic probes, and nuclear imaging techniques using ultra-peripheral collisions.  This research also addresses major questions in nuclear physics, such as whether quarks transport conserved quantities like baryon number in high-energy collisions, and how quantum entanglement may manifest in nuclear systems.  We are particularly focused on analyzing data from the Beam Energy Scan program at RHIC, which seeks to map the nuclear phase diagram and search for signs of a possible phase transition.  We participate in the ePIC Collaboration in the development of the next-generation detector for the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), which is a top priority in the 2023 Long Range Plan for Nuclear Science. Our efforts in detector development, simulation, and physics analyses at the EIC build directly on decades of experience at RHIC.  In addition, we contribute to broader experimental programs, including recent participation as associate member of the LHCb Collaboration at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Europe.  The proposed research will support scientific leadership roles, the training of graduate students, and ongoing data analyses that align closely with national priorities in understanding the strong nuclear force and the structure of nuclear matter.