[Bmegradstudents-list] [Bmeroundtable-list] BME Weekly Roundtable - week of April 8, 2024

[cid:image001.jpg@01DA8995.77A73470] BME WEEKLY ROUNDTABLE April 8, 2024 INTERIM HEAD’S NOTE We are going to the National Championship game! Enjoy the game tonight. Enjoy the total solar eclipse. UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES Week of April 8 Tues., April 9: Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Enrichment Seminar Series, 9:00 a.m., R4 101 (Indianapolis) and via Zoom. C. Bruce Verchere, PhD, Professor, Departments of Surgery and Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia; Director, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics; Investigator, Childhood Diabetes Laboratories, BC Children’s Hospital; and Irving K Barber Chair in Diabetes Research will present “Seeking Totality: Shedding Light into Triggers and Biomarkers of Beta Cell Dysfunction in Diabetes.” The seminar is sponsored by the IUSchool of Medicine’s Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases. Zoom link: https://iu.zoom.us/j/87501979533#success Wed., April 10: BME Distinguished Research Seminar Series, 9:30 a.m., MRGN 121 or via Zoom. Victor Barocas, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul will present “Computer Modeling of Growth, Remodeling, and Failure of Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.” Wed., April 10: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Hui Ma (Jacqueline Linnes and Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, Co-Chairs). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 am in MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Dissertation title: Computational and Experimental Investigation of Microfluidics into Biophysical Interaction. Wed., April 10: Advancing Discovery in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Seminar Series, 12:00 p.m., DRUG Lobby Conference Room. Dr. Seema Mattoo, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue will present “Leveraging Fic proteins as anti-microbial therapeutics”. The seminar series is sponsored by the College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Basic Medical Sciences and the Institute for Drug Discovery. Wed., April 10: Purdue Engineering Distinguished Lecture Series. Jeff Dean, Chief Scientist, Google DeepMind and Google Research will present “Some Exciting Trends in Machine Learning” at 12:00 p.m. in the ARMS Atrium. The seminar will be followed at 1:00 by a panel “What could and should AI do for society in the next 25 years?” This seminar and panel discussion are hosted by the College of Engineering, and Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Register at bit.ly/pedls-dean Wed., April 10: ISCTR Artificial Intelligence Enabling Medical Devices Webinar, 1:00 p.m. via Zoom. Please join our own Aaron Lottes (panel member) in a 1-hour webinar via zoom hosted by the ISCTR titled, 'Artificial Intelligence Enabling Medical Devices.' Join this free, insightful 1-hour webinar on the advancements of artificial intelligence in medicine. Learn how AI is aiding in the treatment, diagnoses, and research in healthcare. We will feature speakers from the FDA, CMS, as well as pioneers of AI medicine. Through this webinar, you will gain insight into patent protection strategies, patient safety and regulatory compliance, and the evolution of AI in the medical field. Register now to get exclusive information regarding the innovation and future of artificial intelligence in medicine! Webinar Speakers: Spencer B. King, III, MD (Emeritus Professor @Emory University); Louis Jacques, MD (Former Director, CMS); James Min, MD (Founder & CEO, Cleerly, Inc.); Wenbo Li, PhD (Lead Reviewer of Medical Devices, FDA); Joseph Hutter, MD (Center for Standards & Quality, CMS); Nabil Dib, MD, MSc (President, ISCTR) *Click the link below to register in advance for this insightful webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jqQ_0O7oS3Cpbuxf6zOhsg<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fwebinar%2Fregister%2FWN_jqQ_0O7oS3Cpbuxf6zOhsg&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4%2BCiItfCK0GpZA%2BMZo6EGjK6WTiq8TeoVB8jTknrbhA%3D&reserved=0> After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Thurs., April 11: IBSC-BME Preliminary Exam Announcement for Eric J. Tan (Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, advisor), 10:30 a.m., MJIS 2001. This preliminary exam is open only to those who have signed the Lilly NDA. Title: Developing ultrasensitive point-of-care detection of hyper-phosphorylated tau in patients with preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Committee: Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem, Chair; Jacqueline Linnes; Jean-Christophe Rochet; Scott C. Bolton Thurs., April 11: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Homeira Kafi (H. Bharadwaj, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at noon EST via Zoom. Title: Multiple Pathways to Suprathreshold Speech in Noise Deficit in Human Listener. Thurs., April 11: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Han Nguyen (Chien-Chi Lin and Julie Liu, co-advisors). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:00 p.m. in IUPUI SL 220A and via Zoom. Title: Designing Tunable Viscoelastic Hydrogels for Studying Pancreatic Cancer Cell Fate. Thurs., April 11: Special CPB 697/BMS 692 Seminar, 12:30 p.m., LYNN 1136. Dr. Pamela Guerrerio will present “Role of TGFBETA in the Pathogenesis of Allergic Disease.” Dr. Guerrerio graduated with a B.S. degree in biology from the University of Iowa and entered the Medical Scientist Training Program at Johns Hopkins University, where she completed medical school and a Ph.D. in human genetics. She also did her residency in pediatrics and fellowship in allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins. She subsequently joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins and was the recipient of the 2011 ARTrust Faculty Development Award from the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology. In 2014, Dr. Guerrerio was appointed chief of the Food Allergy Research Unit. This seminar is sponsored by the College of Veterinary Medicine. Fri., April 12: BME-IBSC PhD Defense Announcement for Emeka Nwanochie (Jacqueline Linnes and Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, Co-Chairs). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 am in Purdue Graduate Student Center (PGSC) Room 105 A and B and via Zoom. Title: Towards Quantitative Molecular Isothermal Amplification for Point-of-Care HIV Viral Load Monitoring. Reminder to All Students – Final Exam Accommodations Please remind students with disability-related accommodations of the April 19 deadline to request to take final exams with Purdue Testing Services The deadline for Purdue students with disability-related accommodations to schedule Spring 2024 final exams with Purdue Testing Services is 11:55 p.m. Friday, April 19. Instructors are encouraged to remind their classes of this deadline in the weeks leading up to finals. As a reminder, students will not be able to schedule final exams until 1) the Registrar releases the final exam schedule and 2) instructors submit a Testing Information Form (TIF) for their final exam. Students will receive an email when the final exam scheduling window opens. Students who do not submit a final exam request before the deadline will not be able to take their accommodated exams with Purdue Testing Services and instructors will need to make other arrangements to facilitate testing accommodations. Start times for final exams are set by the university and are as follows: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET. Read more<https://www.purdue.edu/studentsuccess/testing-services/accommodated-testing/instructor.php> 2024 BME Research Symposium: Innovations in Biomedical Engineering BMEGSA is excited to announce the 2024 BME Research Symposium to be held on April 16th, 2024 in the Hall for Discovery Learning Research (DLR) in Room 131 from 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For all attendees, please complete the registration form for the BME Symposium, which can be found here<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2Fe%2F1FAIpQLSdllfpzKnZOEpL3LyIio8TwFl1XvSLBLWPyuaCUmKIe4fRuvg%2Fviewform%3Fusp%3Dsf_link&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=p8mwCKycluOjPz7pSTGz3H%2B8WIq%2FuW2F6yxk8jo1mO4%3D&reserved=0>. There is no cost to register for the symposium. The schedule of events for the day includes: 9:00-9:30 am Check-in and breakfast provided 9:30-9:45 am Opening Remarks (Prof. Nan Kong, Interim Head of BME 9:45-10:45 am Keynote Speaker (Helen H. Lu, PhD, Columbia University) 1:45-11:15 am Research Hub (Tyler Diorio, PhD) 11:15-12:30 pm Setup and Poster Session 12:30-1:15 pm Lunch Break (catered lunch provided 1:15-3:30 pm Oral Presentations (break halfway) 3:30-4:00 pm Networking Reception 4:00-4:30 pm Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks (Keynote Speaker) Helen H. Lu, Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Dental and Craniofacial Engineering (in Dental Medicine), Senior Vice Dean of Faculty Affairs and Advancement, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University Dr. Helen Lu's research focuses on Orthopaedic Interface Tissue Engineering and the formation of complex tissue systems, with the goal of achieving integrative and functional repair of soft tissue injuries. Additionally, her research group is active in the design of novel biomaterials for orthopedic and dental applications. Her group has published extensively in biomaterials and tissue engineering, cell-material interactions as well as smart material design. Lu is the inventor and co-inventor of more than a dozen patents and applications, and she has served on the editorial board of leading journals of the fields, including Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Engineering, Journal of Biomedical Material Research A, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, and is currently an associated editor for IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. Her research has been supported by the Whitaker Foundation, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, the New York State Stem Cell Initiative, the National Football League (NFL) Charities, the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health. Lu’s research has also been recognized with many awards, including the Early Faculty Career Awards in Translational Research (Phase I and Phase II) from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation and the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Biomaterials. She was honored with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) at the White House in 2010, and was elected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) in 2011. Lu received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently the Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Director of the Biomaterials and Interface Tissue Engineering Laboratory at Columbia University. She also received tenure at the Columbia College of Dental Medicine, and serves as a Provost Leadership Fellow at Columbia. If you have any questions, please reach out to Brendan (bbkazu@purdue.edu<mailto:bbkazu@purdue.edu>) or Lizzy (frazie34@purdue.edu<mailto:frazie34@purdue.edu>) via email. Upcoming important deadlines and information Mon., April 15: BME Master's Defense Announcement for Scott Malloy (V. Rayz, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:30PM EST in MRGN 121 and via Zoom. Title: Predictive Modeling of Mechanical Platelet Activation in Fibromuscular Dysplasia Mon., April 15: BME Master's Defense Announcement for Siting Zhang (L. Solorio, advisor). Everyone is welcome to attend the public presentation beginning at 11:30am in DLR 131 and via Zoom. Title: A Thermally Responsive Osmotic Pump Drug Delivery System for in-vivo Targeting for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Tues., April 16: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Karl Ferdinand Ziegler (Srividya Iyer-Biswas and Young Kim, co-advisors). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:30 AM in PHYS G72. Thesis Title: Precision technologies for long-term imaging of stochastic organismal dynamics Tues., April 16: BME-IBSC PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Brenna Vaughn (L. Solorio, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 3:30 PM in MJIS 2001. Title: Transglutaminase-2 Enables Cluster-Mediated Resistance in HER2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Cells. Tues., April 16: BME Master's Defense Announcement for June Hyung Kim (T. Kim, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 12:30 PM in MJIS 2001. Title: Probing the roles of actin dynamics in the cytoskeleton of animal and plant cells. Wed., April 17: BME Distinguished Research Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MRGN 121 and via Zoom. Kim “Avrama” Blackwell, VMD, PhD, Professor and DEO of Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, will present “Control of Synaptic Plasticity by Estradiol and Calcium.” Wed., April 17: National NIH K12 DiabDocs Career Development Session, 3:00 pm (ET), via Zoom. Sherita Golden, MD, MHS, Hugh P. McCormick Family Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins Medicine will speak on “Approaching Health Equity with a Research Lens.” Thurs., Apr. 18: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Jee Hyun Park (D. Brubaker, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 AM in MJIS 2001. Research Title: Characterizing the Roles of Sleep and Apolipoprotein E Epsilon 4 Allele in Alzheimer’s Disease Fri., Apr. 19: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Agnes Doszpoly (T. Kinzer-Ursem, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00am in ABE 1164 and via Zoom. Title: Comparative Analysis of Ca2+- dependent CaMKII/Tiam1 Interactions with Actin in Dendritic Spines and Mammalian Eggs Mon., April 29: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Thejas Vishnu Ramesh (J. Rispoli and V. Rayz, advisors). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:00 PM in MJIS 2001. Research title: Conductive fabric based wearable coil for cervical spine and carotid arteries MRI at 3T. Fri., June 7: Indiana Human-Centered Design for Health Seminar Series, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Lean about research and best practices in HCD and health, promote the diverse HCD expertise in Indiana, and build a community of HCD researchers and practitioners focused on health, in Indiana and beyond. The speaker will be Youngbok Hon, Professor, Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI. Register and learn about upcoming seminars at healthtechquitylab.org/hcd-seminar Resources and further information Wed., April 10: BME Distinguished Research Seminar Series, 9:30 a.m., MRGN 121 or via Zoom. Victor Barocas, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul will present “Computer Modeling of Growth, Remodeling, and Failure of Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.” Abstract: Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm (ATAA), an enlargement of the aorta near its exit from the heart, is largely harmless unless a vessel wall failure event occurs. Such an event, however, is life-threatening and would best be prevented by surgical intervention before the tissue fails. Surgical intervention, while effective, is also costly and dangerous, so the challenge to the biomedical engineer is to develop tools to help identify and quantify the risk to a specific patient based on available information. In collaboration with Jessica Wagenseil at Washington University, we are employing a combination of mouse models, computer models, and ex vivo experiments to understand how ATAAs grow and rupture, with the eventual goal of patient-specific predictive models. We are still a ways away, but the journey so far has been interesting and informative. Biography: Victor Barocas is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs in the College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. Over the past two decades, he has studied the biomechanics of deformation, failure, and remodeling of native and engineered tissues for a wide range of organs and systems, including ocular, cardiovascular, dental, musculoskeletal, and dermal tissues. His current work focuses primarily on the cardiovascular system and on the biomechanics of aneurysm disease. He served as the co-editor-in-chief of the ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering from 2012-2021, and he served many years as the Director of Graduate Studies for Biomedical Engineering at Minnesota. He received the 2023 ASME Robert M. Nerem Medal for Education and Mentorship. ~ BME Host: Deva Chan ~ ZOOM LINK: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95124789878?pwd=S0x0VW5Vd3VaMVc1LytlL0NJU1FYUT09<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F95124789878%3Fpwd%3DS0x0VW5Vd3VaMVc1LytlL0NJU1FYUT09&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=B95qnSXc7EgvMQOAczsYlEA1U20cytDcpiie0pWPzwU%3D&reserved=0> *Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in-person. Wed., April 10: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Hui Ma (Jacqueline Linnes and Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, Co-Chairs). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 am in MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Dissertation title: Computational and Experimental Investigation of Microfluidics into Biophysical Interaction. Committee: Dr. Jacqueline C. Linnes (Co-Chair), Dr. Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem (Co-Chair), Dr. Arezoo M. Ardekani, and Dr. Steven T. Wererley Abstract: Protein-protein interaction plays a key role in biological, biomedical and pharmaceutical research. The technical development of biosensors, new drugs and vaccines, and disease diagnostics heavily rely on the characterization of protein-protein interaction kinetics. The current gold standard assays for measuring protein-protein interaction are surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and bio-layer interferometry (BLI). These commercial devices are accurate but expensive, however. Microfluidic techniques have been widely adopted in biomedical research due to the precise control of fluids, small volume requirement, low cost and etc, and have boosted the development of biomolecular interaction analysis, point-of-care diagnostics, and biosensors. Here, I have developed new microfluidic techniques and models in protein-protein interaction kinetics measurement, rotational diffusion coefficient modeling, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy-based biosensors, and two-phase porous media flow models. Firstly, I applied particle diffusometry (PD) in the streptavidin-biotin binding kinetics measurement, utilizing a Y-junction microchannel. Secondly, to reduce solution volumes used in an analysis experiment, I designed a low-volume chip and coupled it with PD to measure the binding kinetics of human immunodeficiency virus p24 antibody-antigen interactions. Thirdly, considering the Brownian motion of the non-symmetric particles, I developed a new model to efficiently compute particles' rotational diffusion coefficients. Fourthly, to make economic biosensors to detect multiple biomarkers, I created a new chip, enabling hundreds of tests in a single droplet (~ 50 μL) on one chip. Finally, to understand the liquid flow in porous media, such as nitrocellulose in lateral flow assays, I built a new two-phase porous media flow model based on the Navier-Stokes equation and compared it with experiments. These techniques and models underwent rigorous experimental and computational validation, demonstrating their effectiveness and performance. Zoom link (no password): https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/3601666168?omn=93108263752<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F3601666168%3Fomn%3D93108263752&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=BeGBT8AYaeJ%2BjxzGFnU9ssORwZ%2BMDvegYjwBVTsGPmQ%3D&reserved=0> Thurs., April 11: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Homeira Kafi (H. Bharadwaj, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at noon EST via Zoom. Title: Multiple Pathways to Suprathreshold Speech in Noise Deficit in Human Listener. Thesis Committee: Hari M. Bharadwaj, Chair, Edward L. Bartlett, Michael G. Heinz, Joshua M. Alexander Abstract: Threshold audiometry, which measures the audibility of sounds in quiet, is currently the foundation of clinical hearing evaluation and patient management. Yet, despite using clinically prescribed state-of-the-art hearing aids that can restore audibility in quiet, patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) experience difficulty understanding speech in noisy backgrounds (e.g. cocktail party-like situations). This is likely because the amplification provided by modern hearing aids while restoring audibility in quiet, cannot compensate for the degradation in neural coding of speech in noise resulting from a range of non-linear changes in cochlear function that occur due to hearing damage. Furthermore, in addition to robust neural coding, the efficacy of cognitive processes such as selective attention also influences speech understanding outcomes. While much is known about how audibility affects speech understanding outcomes, little is known about suprathreshold deficits in SNHL. Unfortunately, direct measurements of the physiological changes in human inner ears are not possible due to ethical constraints. Here, I use noninvasive tools to characterize the effects of two less-familiar forms of SNHL: cochlear synaptopathy and distorted tonotopy. Results from our experiments showed that age-related CS degrades envelope coding even in the absence of audiometric hearing loss and that these effects can be quantified using non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG)-based envelope-following response (EFRs) metrics. To date, DT has been only studied in laboratory-controlled animal models. Here, I combined psychophysical tuning curves, EFRs, and speech-in-noise measurements to characterize the effects of DT. Our results suggest that low-frequency noise produces a strong masking effect on the coding of speech by the high-frequency portions of the cochlea in individuals with SNHL and that an index of DT (tip-to-tail ratio) obtained from psychophysical tuning curves can account for a significant portion of the large individual variability in listening outcomes among hearing-aid users, over and beyond audibility. Lastly, I propose a machine-learning framework to study the effect of attentional control on speech-in-noise outcomes. Specifically, I introduced a machine-learning model to assess how attentional control influences speech-in-noise understanding, using EEG to link prestimulus neural activity with listening performance. This design allows for examining the influence of top-down executive function on listening outcomes separately from the peripheral effects of SNHL. Zoom link: https://pitt.zoom.us/j/97232990469<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpitt.zoom.us%2Fj%2F97232990469&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2vSk%2Fpp1dv3dpyITBJKAV6h8mP0KViigv6pE1CE3o48%3D&reserved=0> Thurs., April 11: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Han Nguyen (Chien-Chi Lin and Julie Liu, co-advisors). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:00 p.m. in IUPUI SL 220A and via Zoom. Title: Designing Tunable Viscoelastic Hydrogels for Studying Pancreatic Cancer Cell Fate. Committee: Chien-Chi Lin, Co-Chair; Julie C. Liu, Co-Chair; Hiroki Yokota; Sungsoo Na Abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common and lethal pancreatic cancer subtype. The silent tumor progression and aggressive development of chemoresistance are the primary factors behind the dismal 13% 5-year survival rate. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has been the focus of many pancreatic cancer research since the TME actively interacts with cancer cells to promote tumor growth, drug resistance, and invasion. A thorough comprehension of PDAC cell and TME interaction is crucial to uncover the mechanism and key regulators behind PDAC’s rapid progression, high propensity for metastasis, and exceptional resistance to cancer therapeutics. Hydrogels have emerged as invaluable tools for investigating cell-matrix communication in three-dimensional (3D) environments, as their chemical and mechanical properties can be easily tuned to mimic the dynamic nature of native tissue. However, current biomimetic hydrogels used in PDAC models are elastic and often lack tissue-relevant viscoelastic properties, such as hysteresis and stress-relaxation. Stress-relaxation influences various cellular processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and cancer progression. This dissertation aims to address this gap by introducing viscoelasticity and fast stress relaxation into existing hydrogel platforms to more accurately replicate PDAC tissue mechanics. Specifically, we employ two chemistries—thiol-norbornene photopolymerization and boronic ester dynamic bonding—to fabricate gelatin-based hydrogels. Gels formed solely via irreversible thiol-norbornene chemistry exhibit elasticity and slow stress-relaxation, while gels formed with both thiol-norbornene and reversible boronic ester bonds display viscoelastic properties and stress-relaxation. Cell-laden hydrogels with varying mechanical properties (low vs high stiffness, slow vs fast relaxation) were used as tools to explore the effects of matrix stiffening and viscoelasticity in promoting cancer aggressiveness. Results from these studies describe our recent progress in understanding the mechanism by which viscoelastic substrates facilitate cancer development and how cellular functions can be controlled via modulating cell receptor-matrix binding. Zoom Link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/7085972423<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F7085972423&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=CvkYNy4rXymCNRoISLhto%2Fc7rCaPWyT0quSokgwP%2B%2Fs%3D&reserved=0> Fri., April 12: BME-IBSC PhD Defense Announcement for Emeka Nwanochie (Jacqueline Linnes and Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, Co-Chairs). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 am in Purdue Graduate Student Center (PGSC) Room 105 A and B and via Zoom. Title: Towards Quantitative Molecular Isothermal Amplification for Point-of-Care HIV Viral Load Monitoring. Committee: Dr. Jacqueline Linnes and Dr. Tamara Kinzer-Ursem (Co-Chairs), Dr. J. Paul Robinson, Dr. Aman Russom (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden) Abstract: The quantification of viral load in people with HIV (PLHIV) is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy and evaluating transmission risk. However, in 2022, 11.3 million PLHIV had still not achieved viral suppression and may become susceptible to both HIV transmission and a variety of opportunistic infections. Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have emerged as potent tools for monitoring viral load with reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) being recognized as the benchmark due to its sensitivity and ability for real-time quantification enabled by fluorescence signal emission. Nevertheless, RT-qPCR is burdened by drawbacks including extended processing times, high operational costs, and the requirement for specialized laboratory facilities. In this study, we propose a novel method for HIV-1 viral load monitoring by integrating reverse-transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) with real-time particle diffusometry (PD). By monitoring changes in diffusivity during RT-LAMP amplification of HIV-1, real-time PD allows for the generation of quantitative data embedded within PD plots. Additionally, to address challenges related to amplification inhibition in complex human specimens, we developed a power-free sample processing system specifically designed for extracting HIV-1 RNA from both whole blood and plasma. Ultimately, we incorporated the real-time quantitative PD-RT-LAMP assay onto a field-compatible handheld portable platform suitable for field use, featuring built-in quality control measures. These innovations aim to facilitate quick and comprehensive viral load determination, offering promise for enhanced HIV management and patient care. Zoom Link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/my/jlinnes<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fmy%2Fjlinnes&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667415606%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=SF4tw6Y7XKc0bKBR%2FKISC3SI3F4g1GR%2BaP%2B9uo%2Faa%2Fk%3D&reserved=0> (open to all) Mon., April 15: BME Master's Defense Announcement for Scott Malloy (V. Rayz, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:30PM EST in MRGN 121 and via Zoom. Title: Predictive Modeling of Mechanical Platelet Activation in Fibromuscular Dysplasia. Committee: Dr. Vitaliy Rayz (Chair), Dr. Scott Cameron, Dr. Craig Goergen Abstract: Fibromuscular Dysplasia (FMD) is a non-inflammatory, non-atherosclerotic blood vessel disorder characterized by a series of narrowed and dilated regions of vasculature. These patients are prescribed blood thinners or anti-platelet therapeutics as treatment to this systemic disease. Current image-based diagnostic methods cannot reliably predict a patient’s risk of stroke in order to properly manage medication. There are also challenges in distinguishing FMD from other diseases that can cause arterial obstructions, e.g., atherosclerosis or vasculitis. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop a methodology for evaluating the risk of mechanical platelet activation based on medical imaging. Our hypothesis is that subject-specific assessment of platelet activation due to hemodynamic stress can improve risk stratification of FMD patients. The aims of the projects were therefore to 1) Develop a CFD-based methodology for estimating platelet activation state, and 2) Test this methodology on a small cohort of subjects with FMD, carotid artery stenosis, and healthy controls. A modeling workflow was developed, combining Eulerian and Lagrangian approaches to compute flow fields and evaluate shear stress history of particles advected through the vascular geometries. From this stress history, predictive estimates of mechanical platelet activation can be calculated utilizing a platelet activation state (PAS) metric. We applied this modeling workflow to assess platelet activation in segments of carotid arteries of patients with Fibromuscular Dysplasia, Carotid Artery Stenosis, and healthy controls for comparison against experiments performed at the Cleveland Clinic assessing mechanical platelet activation in patients with each of these conditions. This work supports the development of a patient-specific determination of these same metrics, in order to more precisely assess patient risk of stroke. Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/93127263250?pwd=WFg3MzI1eEhMaG1hUk16aEkrYUN1QT09<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F93127263250%3Fpwd%3DWFg3MzI1eEhMaG1hUk16aEkrYUN1QT09&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6%2F8fhcgWXyVZMknWyDTOejlNW3bjknyj40UoEarnUAk%3D&reserved=0> Meeting ID: 931 2726 3250 Passcode: 492627 Mon., April 15: BME Master's Defense Announcement for Siting Zhang (L. Solorio, advisor). Everyone is welcome to attend the public presentation beginning at 11:30am in DLR 131 and via Zoom. Title: A Thermally Responsive Osmotic Pump Drug Delivery System for in-vivo Targeting for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Committee: Luis Solorio, PhD (Chair), Craig J. Goergen, PhD, David J. Cappelleri, PhD Abstract: Approximately 2.39 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Current treatment options for IBD, which are limited, include oral medications, surgery, and supportive care. These therapeutics often times are not effective and are associated with high toxicity. Thus, there is a pressing clinical need for a therapy that can be delivered both locally and precisely, while also having an improvement in efficacy and lower toxicity. This study introduces three novel microrobot designs fabricated using stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing, which aims to address the challenges seen in IBD treatment. The microrobots utilize a reservoir design to encapsulate the drug for an on-demand release, allowing for improved control and precision. The SLA microrobots were evaluated for cytotoxicity as well as drug release capabilities in a multitude of variabilities. While the microrobots exhibited acute toxicity at 24 hours, they demonstrated much higher cell viability in 48 hours. Initial, proof-of-concept drug release experiments using blue food dye and paraffin wax that melted at 70 °C demonstrated varying release profiles for the different microrobot designs, with no statistical difference between all three designs. Finally, a thermally sensitive wax cap was introduced where mineral oil was combined with the paraffin wax to control the drug release, demonstrating its potential for on-demand, localized delivery, where promising results show statistically significant results in two out of the three microrobot designs. The results in this study are a progression for future research in developing targeted and effective drug delivery systems for IBD treatment using microrobot-based systems. Future work includes the optimization of materials and methodology, along with in vivo studies, to further improve the progression of osmotic pump microrobots for drug delivery. The integration of microrobots in IBD therapy has the capability to significantly improve patient outcomes and quality of life, offering a more efficient and less toxic treatment approach. Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/92132903950<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F92132903950&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=4E7uGY%2F6vsXWYe3WjVI%2FHMVeUYUCTXYIpM6pzqnWXK0%3D&reserved=0> Tues., April 16: BME PhD Defense Announcement for Karl Ferdinand Ziegler (Srividya Iyer-Biswas and Young Kim, co-advisors). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:30 AM in PHYS G72. Thesis Title: Precision technologies for long-term imaging of stochastic organismal dynamics Committee: Srividya Iyer-Biswas (CO-CHAIR) [PHYS], Young Kim (CO-CHAIR) [BMEP], Arezoo M. Ardekani [MECH], Dana Weinstein [ECEN], Rudro R. Biswas [PHYS] Abstract: The goal of this dissertation is to develop precision technologies to facilitate establishing, in the context of stochastic organismal dynamics, organizational principles that govern basic regulatory processes in living systems. We focus on biological timekeeping, the interplay of biological lengths and timescales, and strategies governing the control of rapid vs. precise adaptation to changing conditions—all phenomena supporting complex phenotypes. In particular, individual cells of unicellular organisms respond with remarkable precision and plasticity in their growth and division to changes in their noisy environments. Cells rely on scalable timekeepers and quantitative tradeoffs to accomplish this precision. In this dissertation we will address longstanding open questions in cell biology, such as: How does an individual cell maintain size homeostasis across multigenerational dynamics, as it repeatedly grows and divides? How does an organism adapt its growth rate to reflect changing environmental conditions? The development of understanding of systems-level organizational principles in a controlled experimental system in turn advances our general ability to predict and control stochastic organismal dynamics, and thus develop functional synthetic adaptive systems. Tues., April 16: BME-IBSC PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Brenna Vaughn (L. Solorio, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 3:30 PM in MJIS 2001. Title: Transglutaminase-2 Enables Cluster-Mediated Resistance in HER2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Cells. Committee: Luis Solorio, Chair; Leopold N. Green; Sherry L. Harbin; Michael K. Wendt Abstract: Breast cancer has killed more than 18 in 100,000 women per year in the United Sates for the past 20 years. Approximately 20-25% of newly diagnosed tumors are human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-positive. HER2-positive tumors carry an increased risk of metastasis in which the disease spreads to other parts of the body. Early or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer can be treated with the antibody-drug conjugate ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). However, resistance to T-DM1 and disease progression is common. In some metastatic lesions, Transglutaminase 2 (TG2), an enzyme that catalyzes crosslinking reactions, is upregulated. We demonstrate the ability of HER2-transformed human mammary epithelial cells (HME2) overexpressing TG2 to gain resistance to T-DM1 in vitro. We additionally show that T-DM1 preserves an epithelial cell population with accelerated growth on fibronectin coated coverslips. Furthermore, we demonstrate a cluster size-based pattern of therapeutic resistance. We utilize mouse models of lung metastases and mammary tumors to generate models of resistance alongside in vitro applications. This work demonstrates the ability of HER2- transformed human mammary epithelial cell clusters to form T-DM1 surviving proliferative epithelial cell populations. Tues., April 16: BME Master's Defense Announcement for June Hyung Kim (T. Kim, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 12:30 PM in MJIS 2001. Title: Probing the roles of actin dynamics in the cytoskeleton of animal and plant cells. Committee: Taeyoon Kim, Chair; Chris J. Staiger; Daniel M. Suter Abstract: The actin cytoskeleton is a dynamic structure that regulates various important cellular processes, such as cell protrusion, migration, transport, and cell shape changes. Cells employ different actin architectures best suited for each of these functions. We have employed an agent-based model to illuminate how the actin cytoskeleton plays such functions in animal and plant cells, via dynamic interactions between molecular players. Lamellipodia found in animal cells are two-dimensional actin protrusion formed on the leading edge of cells, playing an important role in sensing surrounding mechanical environments via focal adhesions. Various molecular players, architecture, and dynamics of the lamellipodia have been investigated extensively during recent decades. Nevertheless, it still remains elusive how each component in the lamellipodia mechanically interacts with each other to attain a stable, dynamic steady state characterized by a retrograde flow emerging in the branched actin network. Using the agent-based model, we investigated how the balance between different subcellular processes is achieved for the dynamic steady state. We simulated a branched network found in the lamellipodia, consisting of actin filament (F-actin), myosin motor, Arp2/3 complex, and actin crosslinking protein. We found the importance of a balance between F-actin assembly at the leading edge of cells and F-actin disassembly at the rear end of the lamellipodia. We also found that F-actin severing is crucial to allow for the proper disassembly of an actin bundle formed via network contraction induced by motor activity. In addition, it was found that various dynamic steady states can exist. The actin cytoskeleton in plant cells plays a crucial role in cellular transport and cytoplasmic streaming, and its structure is very different from actin cytoskeleton in animal cells. The plant actin cytoskeleton is known to show distinct dynamic behaviors with homeostasis. We used the agent-based model to simulate the plant actin cytoskeleton with the consideration of the key governing mechanisms, including F-actin polymerization/depolymerization, different types of F-actin nucleation events, severing, and capping. We succeeded in reproducing experimental observations in terms of F-actin density, length, nucleation frequency, and rates of severing, polymerization, and depolymerization. We found that the removal of nucleators results in lower F-actin density in the network, which supports recent experimental findings. Wed., April 17: BME Distinguished Research Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MRGN 121 and via Zoom. Kim “Avrama” Blackwell, VMD, PhD, Professor and DEO of Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Iowa, will present “Control of Synaptic Plasticity by Estradiol and Calcium.” Abstract: The ability of neurons to respond differentially to specific temporal and spatial patterns of stimulation underlies the storage of memory and information in neural circuits. Synaptic plasticity is one mechanism that conveys this ability to neurons. Brain slice plasticity experiments are widely used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity; however, there are several limitations. First, most experiments use males and exclude females. To address this, we measured LTP experimentally in both males and cycling females and show that the sex hormone estradiol influences synaptic plasticity. Second, most experiments use regular, periodic stimulation patterns; however, neurons exhibit significant variability in vivo during repeated experiences and experience a diversity of inhibitory inputs. To investigate synaptic plasticity in vivo, we created a data-driven, multi-compartmental model of a striatal spiny projection neuron with sophisticated calcium dynamics. Our synaptic plasticity rule, based on amplitude and duration of calcium transients, can correctly predict the direction of synaptic plasticity for both spike-timing and frequency-based stimulation protocols. We demonstrate that a novel and important function of inhibition is to enhance the difference in calcium between stimulated and non‑stimulated spines, i.e., to enhance synaptic specificity. Using in vivo spike train recordings as inputs, we evaluate how the direction and magnitude of synaptic plasticity are controlled by spatial synaptic interactions and trial-to-trial variability. These results will enable derivation of spike based, spatial plasticity rules for large scale networks of simplified neurons. Biography: Dr. Blackwell received a VMD and PhD in bioengineering at University of Pennsylvania, as part of the prestigious Veterinary Medical Scientist Training Program (VSMTP). Her professional career began at the not-for-profit Environmental Research Institute of Michigan, where she began developing artificial neural networks for pattern recognition, before changing her research focus to investigate mechanisms of long term memory storage in real neurons. In 1996 Dr. Blackwell joined the faculty of George Mason University, then in August of 2023 became professor and chair of the Roy J Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa. Dr. Blackwell is a world leader in computational modeling of calcium dynamics and signaling pathways underlying plasticity. She has developed several software tools for large scale dynamical modeling of the signaling pathways underlying memory storage in neurons. She has used this software to create data-driven models of striatal and hippocampal signaling pathways. Dr. Blackwell also uses the experimental technique of brain slice electrophysiology to understand the effect of sex and sex hormones on synaptic plasticity. She has several collaborations with internationally recognized experimentalists to understand the mechanisms underlying learning in the hippocampus and pathological changes in the striatum due to drugs of abuse. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Human Frontiers Science Program, and the National Science Foundation. ~ BME Host: Tamara Kinzer-Ursem ~ ZOOM LINK: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/98557006856?pwd=Y1Y4cXRuSE1HNUNoZm84RlFKblQwQT09<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F98557006856%3Fpwd%3DY1Y4cXRuSE1HNUNoZm84RlFKblQwQT09&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=JbeHeSQ7speUW97ONWsvF4URTn2d8lv20eNzd0qEVsk%3D&reserved=0> *Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in-person. Wed., April 17: National NIH K12 DiabDocs Career Development Session, 3:00 pm (ET), via Zoom. Sherita Golden, MD, MHS, Hugh P. McCormick Family Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins Medicine will speak on “Approaching Health Equity with a Research Lens.” Please join us for monthly presentations from world-renowned experts via Zoom. (*Note: This session will not be recorded. If you are interested in attending, please join the live session.*) Brief Bio for Speaker: Dr. Sherita Hill Golden is the Hugh P. McCormick Family Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She holds joint appointments in the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and in the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality. An internationally recognized physician-scientist and elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Association of American Physicians, and American Society of Clinical Investigation, Dr. Golden’s research has used the tools of epidemiology and health services research to identify biological and systems contributors to disparities in type 2 diabetes and its outcomes. She served as Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) from 2019-2024, where she oversaw diversity, inclusion, and health equity strategy and operations for the School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins Health System. During her tenure she has executed implementation of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards; staff training for accurate collection of self-identified patient demographic data; system-wide policies prohibiting patient discrimination and discriminatory aggression toward employees and trainees and allowing the use of chosen names on ID badges; system-wide in-person and online unconscious bias and anti-oppression education programs; and a system-wide Disability and Accessibility Workgroup. In partnership with JHM Human Resources she helped launched the Levi Watkins, Jr. Mentorship Program, which is designed as part of the JHM’s talent management strategy focused on identifying and developing high potential leaders from underrepresented groups. During COVID-19 she facilitated mobile community testing and education for the marginalized in Baltimore City and equitable vaccine distribution to non-clinical, minoritized frontline staff across JHM. Dr. Golden is a leader in the national discussion advancing health equity, including supporting Maryland legislators in drafting and testifying in support of state-level health equity policy. Program funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health under award number K12DK133995. Additional support provided by Stanford University, Indiana University, and a grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust to Stanford University. Register here: https://stanford.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEuf-6tpz8rGtOJU03VpXQQ3ntamx9SXgy4#/registration<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstanford.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2FtJEuf-6tpz8rGtOJU03VpXQQ3ntamx9SXgy4%23%2Fregistration&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=M4rsTexOdbNTffMG59DckSGN9YKSV0KDUzV08FM%2FMYI%3D&reserved=0> Thurs., Apr. 18: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Jee Hyun Park (D. Brubaker, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00 AM in MJIS 2001. Research Title: Characterizing the Roles of Sleep and Apolipoprotein E Epsilon 4 Allele in Alzheimer’s Disease Thesis Committee Members: Douglas Brubaker, Ph.D. (Chair), Deva Chan, Ph.D., Yunjie Tong, Ph.D., Tzu-Wen Cross, Ph.D. Abstract: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that impedes cognitive function. The primary features of AD are amyloid beta and tau depositions. Another distinctive characteristic of AD is lipid droplets in glial cells. For late-onset AD, apolipoprotein (APOE) e4 prompts elevated risk. Similarly, sleep loss is another risk factor that impacts the progression of the disease. However, the potential relationship between APOE4 and sleep deprivation is not fully understood. Researchers have demonstrated that higher expression of orexin leads to elevated wakefulness. Parallel to increased orexin levels, amyloid beta levels have been shown to rise. Also, APOE4 promotes AD hallmark accumulation and lipid droplet formation in glial cells, leading to detrimental inflammation. Thus, we hypothesize that APOE4 and sleep loss further inflict damage to progress AD through metabolic dysfunction of glial cells. To explore our hypothesis, we will examine transcriptomic data of each glial cell type of AD APOE4 and APOE3 carrying humans and discover metabolic pathways disrupted and characteristic of disease shared with the orexin network. In addition, we will investigate metabolomics and transcriptomics of aged APOE4 and APOE3 mice brain samples for dysregulated metabolite and gene expression levels. We will pair transcriptomics data of mice with the different APOE isoforms with transcriptomics of sleep-deprived mice to observe aligned pathways that could be targets for an orexin inhibitor. Our study will determine metabolic impairment as a connection between sleep deprivation and APOE4 and explore orexin antagonists as a potential treatment for reducing AD progression. Fri., Apr. 19: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Agnes Doszpoly (T. Kinzer-Ursem, advisor). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 10:00am in ABE 1164 and via Zoom. Title: Comparative Analysis of Ca2+- dependent CaMKII/Tiam1 Interactions with Actin in Dendritic Spines and Mammalian Eggs Committee: Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem, PhD (Chair), Janice Evans, PhD, Deva Chan, PhD, Karin Ejendal, PhD Abstract: Calcium (Ca2+) signaling is a fundamental element of cellular life, being involved in key intracellular signaling pathways that are known for maintaining homeostasis. It plays crucial roles in numerous cellular processes, including muscle contraction, neurotransmitter release, cell growth and differentiation. Despite the vast diversity of life forms, many key components of these pathways are highly conserved throughout evolution, including actin cytoskeletal remodeling. Here, we investigate two systems in which Ca2+ signaling plays a critical role in developmental biology: (1) hippocampal dendritic spines, where spine morphology dynamics underlie the establishment of synaptic plasticity (SP) and (2) mammalian oocytes, where Ca2+- signaling plays a critical role in the egg-to-embryo transition, a developmental event known as “egg activation”. In both systems, a key Ca2+-binding protein is Ca2+/CaM-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), a protein directly involved with cytoskeletal actin dynamics. Through these properties, CaMKII indirectly regulates actin by phosphorylating T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1), a Rac1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). In neurons, this signaling pathway has been studied to a certain extent; however, in the context of Ca2+- dependent spatial and temporal dynamics, little is known about the CaMKII/Tiam1 complex in dendritic spines and how their relative locations affect actin remodeling. In mammalian eggs, CaMKII drives various egg activation events; however, the CaMKII/Tiam1 complex hasn’t been studied yet in this system, yet alone discovered whether or not this complex even exists or has actin remodeling capabilities. The work proposed here aims to perform a comparative analysis in both biological systems of the CaMKII/Tiam1 Ca2+- dependent actin remodeling pathway and test the hypothesis that Ca2+ -dependent CaMKII/Tiam1 signaling increases structural actin remodeling in dendritic spines and fertilized mammalian eggs, tested through two specific aims: (1) quantify changes in CaMKII/Tiam1 spatial and temporal dynamics and actin remodeling under varying Ca2+ and CaMKII/Tiam1 perturbations in hippocampal dendritic spines, and (2) quantify changes in CaMKII/Tiam1 spatial and temporal dynamics and actin remodeling under varying Ca2+ and CaMKII/Tiam1 perturbations in mammalian eggs. Through perturbations in intracellular [Ca2+] levels, CaMKII and Tiam1 protein expressions, the resulting actin remodeling will be quantified via immunofluorescence post hoc image analysis for dendritic spine morphology changes and establishment of membrane block to polyspermy in oocytes. Results from both aims will be compared and assessed for conserved Ca2+ actin remodeling mechanisms. Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/92672593549<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F92672593549&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5UcNO2MLDH4bkOLQOlTzxMy54XpitkE2Pd46e2vL4do%3D&reserved=0> Meeting ID: 926 7259 3549 Mon., April 29: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Thejas Vishnu Ramesh (J. Rispoli and V. Rayz, advisors). Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:00 PM in MJIS 2001. Research title: Conductive fabric based wearable coil for cervical spine and carotid arteries MRI at 3T. Thesis committee members: Dr. Joseph Rispoli (co-chair), Dr. Vitaliy Rayz (co-chair), Dr. Craig Goergen (committee member) and Dr. Uzay Emir (committee member). Abstract: MRI is a non-ionizing, non-invasive imaging modality that provides superior soft tissue contrast. Radiofrequency (RF) coils are the antennas through which images are obtained in MRI. Volume coils provide a homogeneous field around the region of interest (ROI) while surface coils help obtain the maximum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for high resolution images. Receive arrays are made of multiple surface coils for concomitant acquisition of spatial information from the anatomy, thus enabling parallel imaging. MR angiography (MRA) techniques such as time-of-flight (TOF) MRI and phase contrast (PC) angiography take advantage of parallel imaging to visualize the vasculature and understand the underlying hemodynamics that can lead to cardiovascular diseases, especially in the carotid arteries. A rigid whole neck array that contains coils that extend to the cervical spine are often used to image the carotid arteries. However, the rigid neck array lacks adaptability to varying neck sizes, thus limiting the SNR. Wearable coils that tightly conform around the anatomy of interest developed using techniques such as screen printing, conductive elastomer, and conductive thread reduce coil setup time while ensuring maximum SNR in the final image. However, current wearable coil fabrication methods require specialized manufacturing practices, which render coil development an expensive process. Therefore, a wearable array developed using commercially available conductive fabric is proposed for simultaneous bilateral carotid arteries and cervical spine imaging at 3T. The conductive fabric method eliminates specialized manufacturing needs for developing wearable coils, thus enhancing RF coil accessibility without compromising patient comfort and image quality. BME Distinguished Seminar Series, 9:30 a.m., MRGN 121 (NOTE LOCATION CHANGE) or via Zoom. Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/5593290378?pwd=eFBOZFlNTU50ZDA2S2gwcnpyOWIwUT09<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F5593290378%3Fpwd%3DeFBOZFlNTU50ZDA2S2gwcnpyOWIwUT09&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=k55g9CX13n8b8Stq9MVM4KbXD%2Btv4FlH7H2zopCPQtA%3D&reserved=0> Note: Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in-person. Week # Date Speaker Title Host Website 13 4/10/2024 Victor Barocas Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota Deva Chan https://cse.umn.edu/bme/victor-barocas<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcse.umn.edu%2Fbme%2Fvictor-barocas&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=tdOHUFuiNbcJXxg7%2BHXzpQmwa9ximxaPPFccjiqT5Eg%3D&reserved=0> 14 4/17/2024 Kim “Avrama” Blackwell Professor and DEO of Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering Kinzer-Ursem https://ibi.gmu.edu/faculty-directory/kim-avrama-blackwell/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fibi.gmu.edu%2Ffaculty-directory%2Fkim-avrama-blackwell%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=V6j9PtHs%2FUWfyJxCHHJftVR0fPlqQOKlcW8NohOIlx0%3D&reserved=0> 15 4/24/2024 Stacey Finley Nichole A. and Thuan Q. Pham Professor and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and Quantitative and Computational Biology, USC Kinzer-Ursem Pienaar https://viterbi.usc.edu/directory/faculty/Finley/Stacey<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fviterbi.usc.edu%2Fdirectory%2Ffaculty%2FFinley%2FStacey&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667571841%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=h%2BAw7sim0A4Fb01SrE0rOBk2%2FYEjwvdRsL0Q0USghqc%3D&reserved=0> Postdoctoral Fellow Opportunity – IUSM Emergency Medicine The laboratory of Dr. Nathan J. Alves, PhD, within the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM), is seeking a highly motivated and independent post-doctoral research fellow. Dr. Alves is a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineer, Associate Professor and the Director of Translational Research for the Department of Emergency Medicine in addition to having an affiliate faculty appointment at Purdue University in Biomedical Engineering. The Alves Lab explores highly interdisciplinary research interests applying engineering and biophysical principles and designs to create translational technologies and treatments in the area of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. The primary focus of research in the laboratory is to develop targeted clot digesting therapeutic agents to more safely digest clinically relevant blood clots to treat pulmonary embolism (PE, blood clots in the lungs), deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and ischemic stroke. This interdisciplinary research utilizes diverse enzyme assays, chemical synthesis, blood clot formation and digestion assays under shear, and other novel testing/delivery platforms that include multivalent branched molecules and nanoparticle drug delivery systems. Projects Include: (1) Leveraging multivalency to modulate enzyme activity and improve inhibitor selectivity (nanoparticle drug delivery and targeting). (2) Ex-vivo flowing models of clot digestion under shear using in-vivo like fluorescently labeled blood clots from human whole blood. (3) Development of novel fibrinolytic diagnostics tools to assess coagulation state. (4) Mouse models of clot formation/targeting/digestion utilizing intravital microscopy. (5) Study the effects of environmental microplastic exposure on coagulation/fibrinolysis. Projects are funded both externally and internally. For additional information and to apply, go to: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/19651<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Findiana.peopleadmin.com%2Fpostings%2F19651&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7C80204c44983b4752584508dc57ce24f1%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C0%7C0%7C638481790667728102%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MMdLmU9TSbqmIbZqCINnpVKZqbUI2Y58wL6%2Bz2VsoxE%3D&reserved=0> Attachments: ISCTR AI webinar agenda -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list@ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list