July 2025 - Bmegradstudents-list

No Announcements This Week
by Tammy R Siemers 15 Jul '25

15 Jul '25

Good Afternoon, There isn't really anything new to include in the announcements this week so I will not be sending them out tomorrow. Have a great rest of your week. Tammy Tammy Siemers She/Her Associate Director, Graduate Education BME Students (ONLY): Schedule appointments with me via BoilerConnect here<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering 206 S. Martin Jischke Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2032 o: 765-496-0294 Achiever, Relator, Includer, Restorative, Developer [cid:image001.png@01DBF5A0.96D07D20]<https://www.purdue.edu/?utm_source=signature&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=…>

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[Bmeroundtable-list] BME Master's Defense Announcement for Kaushik Subramanian (Y. Kim, advisor)
by Sandra M May 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

BME Master's Defense Announcement for Kaushik Subramanian (Y. Kim, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 3:00 PM. Title: Interplay between Radiomic Features and Image Characteristics in Smartphone Conjunctiva Photographs for Machine Learning Applications Date: 7/16/2025 Time: 3:00 PM Location: MJIS 1083 and Zoom* * https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/5593290378?omn=93417438631<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Thesis Committee: Young Kim, Chair; Yunjie Tong; Steven Steinhubl Abstract: Imaging is a core component of medical diagnostics, and smartphone-based photography has gained traction with recent advances in mobile camera technology and its suitability for point-of-care (POC) use, especially in resource-constrained settings. The conjunctiva-a thin, transparent membrane covering the inner eyelids and the white of the eye-offers a non-invasive window into systemic health. We aim to inform predictive algorithms using such images with spatial and textural patterns obtained through radiomics, a high-throughput computational approach in biomedical imaging . However, the robustness of radiomic features under variable image quality remains uncertain, particularly in uncontrolled POC settings, motivating the need for a systematic evaluation. While prior studies have assessed image quality's impact on radiomics, they have focused on traditional imaging modalities. We investigate the sensitivity of radiomic features to spatial resolution and image noise in smartphone photos of the bulbar and palpebral conjunctiva. Using an image dataset captured across different phones and subjects, we applied controlled distortions to simulate resolution loss (via Bicubic interpolation and Gaussian blur) and noise addition (via synthetic Gaussian and Poisson noise). Features were extracted before and after distortion, and statistical tests identified those that did not significantly change-classified as robust. To support practical applications, we included distortion levels reflecting the lowest resolution and highest noise observed in real-world samples. A subset of features demonstrated robustness to these variations, specifically in resolution and noise. These features provide a promising foundation for guiding feature selection in predictive models leveraging radiomics in smartphone-based clinical photography for POC applications in at-home or resource-limited settings. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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[Bmeroundtable-list] High School Summer Research poster presentation July 24
by Rhonda Wolf Jones 14 Jul '25

14 Jul '25

[cid:image001.jpg@01DBF4A1.EF228310] -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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[Bmeroundtable-list] BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Joseph Bustamante (J. Wallace, advisor)
by Sandra M May 10 Jul '25

10 Jul '25

BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Joseph Bustamante (J. Wallace, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 AM. Research Title: Evaluating Bone-Targeted Therapies in a Novel Aged Diabetic Kidney Disease Mouse Model Date: July 24, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM Location: SL220A at Purdue in Indianapolis Committee: Dr. Joseph M. Wallace III - Major Professor Dr. Rachel Surowiec Dr. Matthew Allen Dr. Corinne Metzger Abstract: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) affect ~1/10 and ~1/7 Americans respectively, but among the aged population (65+), a staggering 30% suffer from DM and 34% have CKD. Additionally, having CKD or DM greatly increases the risk of having the other, referred to as diabetic kidney disease (DKD). While each individually has detrimental bone outcomes, aging, CKD, and DM compound to devastate bone mass and strength. Neither of the diseases are treated primarily for bone effects, and bone targeting treatments and appropriate animal models of this combined disease state are lacking. To better understand the complex interactions of aging, bone, and DKD, a model of DKD established in young mice was adapted for aged C57Bl/6J mice. Aged mice have been studied in CKD and Diabetes before, but high attrition in the individual disease states increases the difficulty of a combined model. At termination, 95% of the DKD animals had survived and been successfully induced with detrimental bone effects. This study demonstrated that an advanced stage of DKD in aged animals is reliably achievable without high attrition. Additionally, Raloxifene (RAL), a selective estrogen receptor modulator, PTH, a naturally occurring anabolic, and Romosozumab, a sclerostin antibody anabolic, have shown to be effective treatments for increasing bone mass in aged animals individually and as pairs of RAL and either of the anabolics. Together, it is hypothesized that RAL + ROMO/ PTH will significantly improve the devastated bone of the aged DKD mice. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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Weldon Graduate Program Announcements July 9th, 2025
by Tammy R Siemers 09 Jul '25

09 Jul '25

[4,354 Breaking News Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images] Weldon Graduate Program Announcements July 9th, 2025 * Career and Internship Opportunities * Apple Scholars * BMES Conference Student Volunteer Application * Workshops and Deadlines * News from You Career and Internship Opportunities Playing catch up from vacation left this section a bit slim this week☹. Internship Positions * Research Intern, Neuroscience/Biomedical Engineering, HCLTech<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linke…> Postdoctoral Positions * NPA Website: https://careers.nationalpostdoc.org/jobs/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareers.n…> Full Time Positions * Purdue Start-up Job Board<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurduefou…>—Foundry Start Up Companies Looking to Hire * ACTS Career Center<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareers.a…>—Association for Clinical and Translational Science * Academic Careers<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Facademicc…> * Doc Jobs<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.docjo…>—Jobs beyond traditional clinical and academic roles Apple Scholars If you plan on applying to this, please make our office aware and let us know who you have selected as a reviewer as each applicant must have a different reviewer. See Attached The application for nominations for the Apple Scholars in AI/ML Fellowship is now open with the call for applications attached! Purdue can submit applications for up to three outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in AI and machine learning. PhD students must apply to be selected as one of the three potential nominees. Additional information and application instructions are listed in the attached flyer. **Deadline to apply for nomination is Friday, July 25 at NOON ET** Please forward this message to all PhD students conducting research in the following fields identified by Apple: * Privacy Preserving Machine Learning * Human Centered AI * AI for Ethics and Fairness * AI for Accessibility * AI for Health and Wellness * ML Theory * ML Algorithms and Architectures * Interactive ML and Agents * Speech and Natural Language * Computer Vision * Information Retrieval, Ranking and Knowledge * Data-Centric AI Please direct any questions to trainee-funding(a)purdue.edu<mailto:trainee-funding@purdue.edu>. BMES Student Volunteer Application Open—Deadline July 25th https://www.bmes.org/2025/annualmeeting/student-volunteers?utm_campaign=BME…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bmes.…> Workshops and Deadlines Here are some upcoming workshops and deadlines more detailed information about the workshops will be sent out separately closer to the event. July 10th Citation Management with Zotero (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 10th Research with Scite.ai (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 10th The Academic Cover Letter (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 11th Preparing for Academic Interviews (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 11th Deadline to apply for Johnson & Johnson Respiratory Innovation QuickFire Challenge (Johnson & Johnson<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjnjinnova…>) July 14th Debt Management (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 14th Introduction to Student-Centered Teaching (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 15th Diet, Stress, & Emotional Eating (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosig…>) July 15th How to Buy a House (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 16th How to Find and Prepare for Fellowship Applications (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 16th Power & Control (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 17th Interviewing for Industry Positions (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 17th AI Tools for Lit Reviews (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 18th RCR: Discipline-Specific Training (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 21st Managing Uncertainty During Graduate School (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 21st NSF Fellowship Help Session (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 22nd NSF GRFP Workshop Series: Part 3 - Research Statement (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 22nd Success Over Stress (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 23rd NDSEG (Defense Research) Fellowship Info Session (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 24th Conducting a Literature Review (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 24th Time Management (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 25th Get to Know Your Postdoc Office! (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 28th Comparing Job Offers (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 28th Staying Happy and Productive in Grad School (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 29th Healthy Financial Habits (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 29th Healthy Relationships (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 30th Conference Paper Writing and Presenting: Strategies for Success (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 30th Microteaching (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 30th NSF Fellowship Help Session (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) July 31st NIH Fellowship Opportunities for Graduate Students (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) August 1st Entrepreneurship as a Career Path (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) August 1st Application Deadline for Johnson & Johnson Neuroscience QuickFire Challenge (Johnson & Johnson<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjnjinnova…>) August 1st Deadline to Apply for IGNITE Future Faculty Development Program (Apply Here<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wm.ed…>) August 5th NSF Fellowship Help Session (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) August 8th RCR: Discipline-Specific Training (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) August 11th NSF Fellowship Help Session (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) August 14th NIH Fellowship Opportunities for PhD Candidates and Postdoctoral Scholars (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) August 20th Mirzayan Fellowship Application Deadline (Apply<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmirzayanf…>) August 22nd Get to Know your Postdoc Office (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) Sept. 5th Deadline to submit for Vibrant Community Art Exhibition in Neil Armstrong Hall (Submit<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>) Sept. 12th Postdoc Power Session (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) Sept. 19th Copyrights: An Overview for Scholars (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) Sept. 19th RCR: Discipline-Specific Training (GSPD<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgspd.gosi…>) Sept. 30th-Oct. 1st Boston MEDevice 2025 Event (Register<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xpres…>) News from You Please inform Tammy of honors, awards, or other accolades (to include having a paper published) you receive so that the Weldon School may recognize your accomplishments. Send the complete information – specific title and nature of the award, name of conference or event at which award was given, date of said event, photograph if available, etc. – to tsiemers(a)purdue.edu<mailto:tsiemers@purdue.edu>. Tammy Siemers She/Her Associate Director, Graduate Education BME Students (ONLY): Schedule appointments with me via BoilerConnect here<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.ca…>. Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering 206 S. Martin Jischke Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2032 o: 765-496-0294 Achiever, Relator, Includer, Restorative, Developer [cid:image002.png@01DBF0F5.77A61B30]<https://www.purdue.edu/?utm_source=signature&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=…>

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[Bmeroundtable-list] BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Favour O. Afolabi (C. Lin, advisor)
by Sandra M May 09 Jul '25

09 Jul '25

BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Favour O. Afolabi (C. Lin, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 1:30 pm. Title: Dynamic gelatin hydrogels crosslinked by dithiolane-norbornene click chemistry to model pancreatic ductal morphogenesis Date: July 17, 2025 Time: 1:30 p.m. Location: SL220A in Indianapolis and Zoom - Meeting ID: 974 8070 1184 https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/7039878692?omn=97480701184<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Committee Members: Dr. Chien Chi Lin (Chair), Dr. Julie Liu, Dr. Sunghee Park, Dr. Tayler Hebner Abstract: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are increasingly utilized to study human development, including the organogenesis of derivatives from all three germ layers, and to model diseases. Stem cell fate, such as proliferation and differentiation, is regulated by a dynamic niche composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. However, the role of ECM-mediated cues, including matrix mechanics and biochemical composition, remains underexplored in iPSC and iPSC-derived cultures. These systems are often established using conventional 2D cultures or poorly defined 3D matrices like Matrigel, which lack physiological relevance. In this research proposal, dynamic gelatin-based dithiolane-norbornene hydrogels would be used as a platform for generating pancreatic ductal organoids. Specifically, we are leveraging existing biorthogonal chemistries (i.e., dithiolane ring opening and thiol-norbornene photopolymerizations) to fabricate hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties (i.e., on-demand matrix stiffening). Following mechanical characterization of these hydrogels, we explored the capacity of this platform to support viability and pluripotency on iPSCs upon on-demand stiffening. Next, we will adapt this hydrogel system to establish microporous annealed particle (MAP) scaffolds for the differentiation of pancreatic progenitors from hiPSCs. We expect that intrinsic microporosity of the MAP gels provides a unique “2D in 3D” architecture to support high efficiency of pancreatic progenitors comparable to 2D differentiation. Finally, iPSC-derived PP cells within MAP scaffolds will be terminally differentiated into pancreatic ductal cells with the expression of mutant-KRAS, a prevalent oncogene in pancreatic ductal cells, to evaluate their response to mechanical during morphogenesis. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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[Bmeroundtable-list] New Process for Reserving Conference Rooms at MJIS
by Rhonda Wolf Jones 08 Jul '25

08 Jul '25

Dear Weldon Faculty, Staff and Students, If you need to reserve a conference room in MJIS, please note that we've updated our reservation process to better support scheduling and room usage. To book a room, please complete the reservation form here: https://forms.office.com/r/c3YZakRNd0<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.off…> When submitting your request, you'll need to include: * Name * Email * Name of group/lab * Room number * Date * Start/End time * Number of attendees You'll receive a confirmation email once your reservation is approved. ________________________________ Room Options and Capacities * MJIS 2041 - 14 people * MJIS 3041 - 14 people * MJIS 2001 - 60 people ________________________________ Important Notes for MJIS 2001 (Large Conference Room) * This is the largest meeting space in MJIS and access is restricted. * The room includes 30 tables, 60 chairs and a full suite of AV and tech equipment, including: projector, sound system, computer, wireless keyboard/mouse, cordless presenter, microphone, Polycom, VCR/DVD player, document camera, internet, phone and whiteboards. * Access to the kitchen is available upon request and includes a refrigerator (availability may vary), microwave, sink and buffet area. Room Use Guidelines * Do not attach anything to the walls or windows. Poster presentations must use poster stands. * Please return tables and chairs to their original configuration after your event. * Users are responsible for cleaning up: * Bag and remove trash * Wipe tables * Replace trash can liners * Turn off lights and AV equipment * Raise window blinds Cleaning supplies, trash bags, and towels are available in the kitchen cabinets. Please note: Failure to follow clean-up procedures may result in the loss of reservation privileges. A BME faculty or staff member must be present for the duration of any event using a reserved room. Conference rooms are locked after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. If you have questions, please contact Susan Hardy<mailto:hardy13@purdue.edu> or Rhonda Jones<mailto:rwjones@purdue.edu>. Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep our shared spaces clean and accessible! -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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[Bmeroundtable-list] BME Master's Defense Announcement for Shaiv Mehra (B. Duerstock, advisor)
by Sandra M May 07 Jul '25

07 Jul '25

BME Master's Defense Announcement for Shaiv Mehra (B. Duerstock, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 1:30 PM EST. Title: Design and Evaluation of Compliant Grippers for Upper Limb Assistive Robotics Date: July 17th, 2025 Time: 1:30 pm Location: MJIS 2001 and Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/91670534643?pwd=l0DqxYa7LtbztVmI4qBlIhR7bqUk3i…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Committee Members: Dr. Bradley Duerstock, Dr. Juan Wachs, Dr. Yu She Abstract: Upper limb disabilities, particularly hand paralysis, significantly impair a person's ability to grasp objects, limiting their performance of activities of daily living such as eating, grooming, and handling household items. This loss of function often leads to reduced independence and diminished quality of life. Neurological conditions such as stroke, tetraplegia, and progressive multiple sclerosis often result in such impairments. Leading commercial assistive robotic grippers are typically rigid and rely solely on human visual judgment for grasping. Especially for users with reduced cognitive or sensory function, this hinders manipulating delicate or irregularly shaped objects, often leading to drops or breakage. To address this, compliant grippers are being explored for their adaptability to grip these objects, reducing failures during manipulation. Although the Fin Ray structure is widely considered optimal for compliant grippers, flexible 3D-printing filaments allow typically stronger infill structures to be compliant and easily manufacturable. In the first study, a new assessment was developed that scores compliant grippers based on force output and contact surface area. Their balance is important as the gripper must distribute pressure along the object's surface while still applying the force necessary to lift it. In a comparison of eighteen grippers varied by mass and infill geometry, another structure outperformed the Fin Ray while requiring less material to manufacture. In a subsequent human study, the developed compliant gripper outperformed a rigid gripper in visually judged grasping of everyday test objects of variable shapes and fragilities. Qualitative testing also supported the adoption of compliant grippers in assistive robotics. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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[Bmeroundtable-list] BME Master's Defense Announcement for Christopher Chang (J. Rispoli and C. Goergen, Co-Advisors)
by Sandra M May 07 Jul '25

07 Jul '25

BME Master's Defense Announcement for Christopher Chang (J. Rispoli and C. Goergen, Co-Advisors) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 AM. Title: Polymer-based MR invisible, and stretchable dielectric pad for clinical MRI at 3 T Exam Day: 7/11/2025 Location: MJIS 2001 or Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/5201834261?pwd=kE2uBpNoVbt3aajn1TSAFanjp5SCia.…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Committee Members: Dr. Joseph V. Rispoli (Co-Chair), Dr. Craig J. Goergen (Co-Chair), Dr. Rachel K. Surowiec Abstract: This work presents the development of a novel stretchable, MR-invisible dielectric pad designed to improve clinical MRI performance at 3 T. The pad combines paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials embedded within a silicone rubber substrate, enabling it to shape the local RF field more effectively while remaining undetectable in MR images. Traditional dielectric pads are typically made from aqueous high-permittivity slurries sealed within flexible plastic housings, which can limit durability and hinder adaptability to complex patient anatomy. Recent research has demonstrated that silicone rubber can serve as a robust substrate for RF hardware, including coil elements and dielectric structures, due to its stretchability and resilience. However, commercial silicone rubbers are inherently visible under MRI, and this unique challenge can be addressed by adding paramagnetic and diamagnetic materials to the base silicone, which suppress their MR signal. Unlike flexible materials that can bend but not elongate, a stretchable dielectric pad can both bend and stretch to conform to intricate anatomical contours, an advantage especially critical for regions such as the knee, elbow, or shoulder, where conventional flexible pads often fail to maintain stable contact, resulting in suboptimal RF shimming and localized signal dropout. Additional factors, including the pad’s impact on the B₁⁺ field, B₀ field effects, and its influence on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), have been evaluated through detailed in silico and in vivo testing. Finally, I will discuss how this stretchable, MR-invisible dielectric compound can be further developed and integrated into MRI hardware. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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[Bmeroundtable-list] BME PhD Defense Announcement for Anna Alford (R. Shi, advisor)
by Sandra M May 02 Jul '25

02 Jul '25

BME PhD Defense Announcement for Anna Alford (R. Shi, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 1:00pm. Title: “The Role of Acrolein and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 in EAE Mice.” Date: July 21st Time: 1:00pm Location: MJIS 2001 and Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/94799662334?pwd=IO37ZZToNLH72iS81SCm2wG7o9lLpa…<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-ed…> Committee Members: Dr. Riyi Shi, Dr. Elsje Pienaar, Dr. Adam Kimbrough, Dr. Jessica Fortin Abstract: Despite the widespread incidence and debilitating nature of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an understanding of its pathology and current treatment options remains limited. Previous efforts in our lab have identified acrolein, a toxic reactive aldehyde, as a promoter of oxidative stress and a direct instigator of axonal damage and demyelination, contributing to the primary hallmarks of MS pathology. Recent experiments in an animal model of MS, Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE), have demonstrated acrolein scavenging as a viable and promising treatment option for MS. In Chapter 2, we investigate and further establish the clinical relevance of utilizing acrolein scavengers, specifically Hydralazine (HZ), Phenelzine (PZ), and Alda-1, an enhancer of our innate acrolein-scavenging enzyme ALDH2, to mitigate motor deficits and inflammation in EAE mice. Furthermore, we utilize a clinically relevant genotype of ALDH2 deficiency, ALDH2*2, to investigate the pathological consequences of acrolein accumulation in EAE, which is studied in-depth in Chapter 3. Finally, Chapter 4 seeks to address whether a synergistic combination can be achieved between the exogenous and endogenous mechanisms of HZ and Alda-1 treatment, in addition to investigating their efficacy in the ALDH2*2 genotype. Our findings serve to consolidate the critical role of acrolein in EAE pathology, demonstrating the potent ability of acrolein scavengers to alleviate symptoms, while ALDH2*2 contributes to a significant exacerbation of EAE pathology. Our results highlight a need for future studies and data availability regarding the connection between ALDH2*2 individuals and MS, as this may prove to be a significant factor in tailoring treatments for these individuals. Furthermore, treatment with acrolein scavengers alone is incapable of fully restoring symptoms in EAE mice, indicating a need for future investigations into additional treatment options that can restore axonal damage and induce remyelination. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list(a)ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list

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