BME MONDAY ROUNDTABLE

April 4, 2022

 

HEAD MESSAGE

 

Dear Weldon School,

 

Grad students- be sure to take advantage of the graduate student appreciation week activities that Tammy Siemers and academic programs area have put together for you.  I also want to add- thank you very much for your outstanding contributions to our school in teaching, service, and research!  Also this week, but sure to check out the coffee chat on Friday in 2001 with Mike Heinz and Hari Bharadwaj.

 

PROTECT PURDUE

 

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

 

Week of April 4

Mon., April 4 – Friday, April 8 – Grad Student Appreciation Week. See flyer for details!

Wed., April 6 – BME Distinguished Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 or via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95150439811?pwd=a3hOK0o0bmpkS3poTVBCbVhDNU9FZz09 Cynthia A. Reinhart-King, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Title: “Mechanomedicine in Cancer: Targeting mechanics to treat metastasis.”

Wed., April 6 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Tommy Jenkins. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Thurs., April 7 – BME PhD Defense Announcement for Xiaoyu Xu (R. Main, Advisor), 9:00 a.m. via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3440069641?pwd=cER6cVBnalp0cXdaUnpLWkZXc0xzZz09  Title: “Investigating the in vivo role of osteocyte estrogen receptor β (Ot-ERβ) in skeletal biology and structure and validation of a novel three-dimensional (3D) in vitro system for studying osteocyte biology”

Fri., Apr. 8:  Coffee Chat with Faculty:  11:00 am -12:00 pm, Location MJIS 2001. Faculty hosts: Mike Heinz and Hari Bharadwaj. Potential discussion topics: writing grants (fellowships), talking to a lay audience, open science, academic job interviews/negotiating

Fri., Apr. 8 – Applications due for 2022 Graduate School Mentoring Award for Postdoctoral Scholars. See below for details.

Fri., Apr. 8 – Grant requests due: NIH Grant Supplements to Recognize Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentorship are available for up to $250,000

 

Upcoming important deadlines and info.

Mon., April 11 – BMEGSA’s Big10 Midwest Speaker Exchange, Sara Harper, PhD Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 11:00 a.m. in MJIS 2001, “Fusion of Wearable Muscle and Motion Measurements to Estimate Stride-by-Stride Triceps Surae Work During Outdoor Locomotion on Slopes.” The Big10 Midwest Speaker Exchange is a coordinated effort between Big10 Universities in which PhD candidates are invited to give a 1-hour seminar at a participating University. This year Purdue is collaborating with University of Wisconsin-Madison. Purdue’s student, Joseph Muskat (BME) presented his research at UW-Madison on 3/21.  Coffee and tea will be available. 

Mon., April 11 – BME PhD Defense Announcement for Ziqian Zeng (N. Alves and S. Harbin, co-advisors), 9:00 a.m. via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95875501047?pwd=VkVZMXlMSkJWOHpWWWFZUDFYbG9jdz09  Title: of presentation: Developing in-vitro Synthetic Blood Clot Models for Testing Thrombolytic Drugs.

Wed., April 13 – BME Master’s Defense, Charlie Martin (M. Dadarlat Makin, advisor), 8:00 a.m. via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99937870411 Title of presentation: Electrophysiological and behavioral testing reveal aberrant visual processing in Syngap1+/- mice.

Wed., April 13 – BME PhD Defense, Kelsey Hopkins (L. Solorio, advisor), 3:30 p.m. via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99684673539?pwd=aXgwR0g5cFJXWEJXVTZka0JUWFJUdz09 Title of presentation: Noninvasive Characterization and Development of In Situ Forming Implants for Use as a Local Pancreatic Cancer Therapy.

Thurs., April 14 - The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (IBSC) Program, sponsored by BME and the PVM, is holding a symposium on April 14, 2022 in Martin Jischke Hall. The symposium is entitled "From Bench to Bedside: Translational and pre-clinical models for human and animal health." Details below.

Fri., April 15 – Deadline to register for “2022 Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Biomolecular Galaxy” to be held May 11-12. See attachment for details.

Wed., April 20 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Apekshya Chhetri. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Wed., April 27 – Engineering Solutions in Pediatric Healthcare, 1:00-4:30 p.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Interested in developing solutions to help infants and children?  Join BME faculty, IUSM/Riley physicians, and Cook Medical at BME’s half-day symposium. Watch for an invitation soon!

Thurs., April 28-Fri., Apr. 29:   Vanderbilt University will be hosting the annual Vanderbilt Integrative Training Alliance (VITA) Symposium, a conference focused on biomedical sciences graduate students. Attendees have a unique opportunity to connect with the Vanderbilt community, obtain a long-term mentoring relationship with a Vanderbilt faculty member, and gain training in scientific communication. The event will also feature a keynote address from Vanderbilt postdoc alumna, Dr. Shaneda Anderson. This year the conference will be virtual. Details below.

Thurs., May 5:  Coffee Chat with Faculty:  11:00 am -12:00 pm, Location LYLE (Room TBM). Faculty host: Alexandria Volkening. Potential discussion topics: website development, public science and outreach, social media, academic job materials (with an interdisciplinary perspective)

Fri., June 3:  Application deadline for Trailblazers in Engineering program. See below for details.

 

 

SPRING 2022 BME Faculty Meetings

All faculty meetings will begin at 11:30 a.m. in MJIS 2001

Fri., April 22

 

SPRING 2022 BME Primary Committee Meetings

Fri., April 15, 10:00-5:00, MJIS 2001 (LONG meeting!)

 

Committee Updates

 

Academic Programs Update

Dear BME teaching faculty: The school would like to recognize the role that our undergraduate TAs have played this past academic year (Fall 21/Spring 22).  Therefore, we’re inviting you to nominate those that you have worked with and feel are deserving of recognition. If you feel like yours were in that category, would you please take a few minutes to recommend one, or more, of them using the brief Qualtrics survey below?  We’d like to receive all submissions in the next two weeks; or by Monday, 4/18.

Link for award survey:  https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8hUo9AJDSOm1boi

 

Also, the Classroom Master Planning Committee seeks input. The Office of the Provost continues to collect ideas and input regarding the ongoing West Lafayette campus classroom master plan. Faculty and staff are encouraged to share their preferences for classroom size, set-up, etc. and this is our chance to give input.   https://www.purdue.edu/provost/about/newsletter/mar2022/story-three.php

 

DEI Committee Update

The Spring 2022 Undergraduate Open Forum tiwas a success this last Weds March 30th. Over pizzas, BMES organizers brought together students to share their concerns and suggestions with 10 of our BME faculty, instructors and advising staff and who attended the Forum. Instructors and staff were able to answer questions and discuss courses, resources, and Dr. Umulis provided his vision for where the department is headed. A report out of the meeting will follow soon.

 

Events around campus:

 

Networking Reception for 2022 College of Engineering First Generation Graduates

Thursday April 7, from 5-7pm in Stewart Center Rm 306 (snacks and drinks for all, and free gifts for 1st gen students!)

 

Butler Center’s Workshop - Gender bias and intersectionality (Basic Module)

Friday April 8, 10:00am-12:00pm, Virtual and Live (Location TBA)

This and other Butler Center events: https://www.purdue.edu/butler/events-programs/spring-2022/index.php 

(Registration does not open until 10 days before the event)

 

Weldon School Diversity Equity and Inclusion Journal Club co-hosted with BMEGSA

April 15, 11am-12pm in MJIS 2001 discussing PLoS ONE article "Differential retention contributes to racial/ethnic disparity in U.S. academia: (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0259710).

 

Remaining BME Graduate Peer Mentoring meeting days are: 11-1pm on April 8th, May 13th

 

Virtual panel on Disability Justice

April 13 at 7pm there will be a virtual panel on disability justice, which Critical Disability Studies is cosponsoring along with several other campus organizations. The speakers will be disability scholars and activists Alice Wong, Mia Mingus, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. An accessible poster is attached. Register at this link: https://tinyurl.com/DisabilityJustice22 

 

Trailblazers in Engineering (TBE) are workshops to prepare future trailblazing faculty in engineering with a focus on preparing outstanding scholars who are also committed to increasing the success of underrepresented communities of engineers. Fellows will network with leading faculty in engineering, thought leaders, program managers at key federal funding agencies, Purdue Engineering heads, and of course, each other. Participants will also meet current Trailblazers and benefit from their inspiring keynote talks. TBE 2022 will be held in person on Purdue's beautiful West Lafayette, IN campus July 26 - 28, 2022. 

More information and application details for the Black Trailblazers in Engineering (BTE) and Latinx Trailblazers in Engineering (LATinE) program is available at: https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/Trailblazers

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  June 3, 2022

 

Resources, attachments, further information

 

BME Distinguished Seminar, Wed., April 6, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 or via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95150439811?pwd=a3hOK0o0bmpkS3poTVBCbVhDNU9FZz09 Cynthia A. Reinhart-King, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Title: “Mechanomedicine in Cancer: Targeting mechanics to treat metastasis.”

Abstract: Mechanomedicine is an emerging area of mechanobiology that seeks to develop and apply therapeutics that target mechanical changes within cells and tissues.  During cancer progression, there are numerous mechanical changes that are specific to the tumor microenvironment and tumor cells. In this talk, I will describe my lab’s efforts to understand the forces driving cell movements in the tumor microenvironment.  Combining tissue engineering approaches, mouse models, and patient samples, we create and validate in vitro systems to understand how cells navigate the tumor stroma environment with the goal of identifying novel targets of cancer metastasis. Microfabrication and native biomaterials are used to build mimics of the paths created and taken by cells during metastasis. Using these platforms, we have described a role for a balance between cellular energetics, cell and matrix stiffness, and confinement in determining migration behavior. Moreover, we have extended this work into investigating the role of the mechanical microenvironment in tumor angiogenesis to show that mechanics guides vessel growth and integrity. I will discuss the mechanical influences at play during tumor progression and the underlying biological mechanisms driving angiogenesis and metastatic cell migration with an eye towards potential therapeutic avenues.

Bio: Cynthia Reinhart-King is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University.  Prior to joining the Vanderbilt faculty in 2017, she was on the faculty of Cornell University where she received tenure in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She obtained undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology at MIT and her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Bioengineering. Her lab’s research interests are in the areas of cell mechanics and cell migration specifically in the context of cancer and atherosclerosis. She was awarded the Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award in 2010 and the Mid-Career Award in 2018 from the Biomedical Engineering Society, an NSF CAREER Award, the 2010 Sonny Yau ‘72 Excellence in Teaching Award, a Cook Award for “contributions towards improving the climate for women at Cornell,” the Zellman Warhaft Commitment to Diversity Award from the Cornell College of Engineering, and the Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Award for Research. She is a fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and she was an inaugural New Voices Fellow of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. She is currently a standing member of the NIH CMT study section panel, an elected Board Member of AIMBE, and President-elect of the Biomedical Engineering Society.

~BME Faculty Host: Dr. Luis Solorio ~

 

BME PhD Defense Announcement for Xiaoyu Xu (R. Main, Advisor), Thurs., April 7, 9:00 a.m. via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3440069641?pwd=cER6cVBnalp0cXdaUnpLWkZXc0xzZz09  Title: “Investigating the in vivo role of osteocyte estrogen receptor β (Ot-ERβ) in skeletal biology and structure and validation of a novel three-dimensional (3D) in vitro system for studying osteocyte biology”

Committee:

Dr. Russell Main (Chair and host)

Dr. Dianne Little

Dr. Eric A. Nauman

Dr. Haisheng Yang

Dr. Sherry L. Harbin

Abstract: Osteoporosis causes over two million skeletal fractures in the United States every year in people over 50 years of age. Age-related bone loss results from imbalanced bone turnover mainly caused by decreases in sex hormones and skeletal mechanobiology. Estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in osteocytes (Ot) has been proposed to mediate skeletal structural adaptations in response to estrogen and mechanical stimuli. However, direct in vivo studies on Ot-ERβ are lacking, and relevant in vitro studies are mostly made in two-dimensional (2D) culture models, whose cellular environment restricts Ot morphology and biology. To better understand the mechanisms of estrogen-ERs in age-related bone loss, it is important to investigate the role of Ot-ERβ in skeletal turnover in response to sex hormonal and mechanical cues and develop a novel 3D culture model that can reproduce Ot morphology for future in vitro ER studies. The role of Ot-ERβ in bone turnover and skeletal adaptive response to mechanical load were examined in male and female mice at 12wk and 30wk old. Ot-ERβ shows age- and sex-dependent effects on bone morphology. Young male mice with Ot-ERβ deletion (ERβ-dOT) showed increased vertebral cancellous bone, whereas decreased cortical and cancellous vertebral bone mass appeared in adult male ERβ-dOT mice. No difference in bone mass occurred in female mice between genotypes. Ot-ERβ mediates tibial mechanoadaptation in cortical but not cancellous in young and adult male mice but plays an inhibitory role in young female mice during cortical mechanoadaptation. Gonadectomy studies on young adult mice revealed that deletion of Ot-ERβ inhibits the sex hormone withdrawal-induced decreases in bone mass and skeletal strength for male mice but did not play a major role for female mice. Lastly, a novel 3D in vitro culture system was developed using collagen-mineral composites for investigating culture mineralization, osteocyte biology, and osteocyte-osteoblast interaction. Cell viability and cellular differentiation were validated after 3 days and 56 days of culture. Optimal PSC-HA culture conditions were determined based on osteocyte differentiation, gene expression analyses, and tissue mineralization. Overall, this work takes novel steps to demonstrate the in vivo role osteocyte-ERβ plays in skeletal morphology and mechanobiology and develops a novel in vitro 3D culture using PSC-HA composites. These advances will contribute to future mechanistic studies of sex hormone receptors in osteoblasts and osteocytes in age-related bone loss using controlled in vitro environments.

 

2022 Graduate School Mentoring Award for Postdoctoral Scholars (applications due Friday, April 8)

The Graduate School wants to acknowledge the essential role postdoctoral trainees play in our research, teaching, and engagement missions here at Purdue University. If you work with a postdoc that has made a difference in your academic career and models the attributes of what we think great mentors should be, please consider nominating them for this inaugural award. Postdocs dedicate a great deal of time and energy in mentoring other postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduates whether this is in the lab, field, or classroom. Anyone can nominate a postdoc for this award (i.e., graduate students, undergraduates, staff, faculty, or other postdocs). Please notice that the process for the postdoc award is different from the graduate student award. Please follow all directions given below.

 

If you would like to nominate someone, write a nomination letter that gives an example (or many) of how this postdoc has impacted you or others as a mentor. Mentoring can be related to research design and analysis, career and professional advice, or personal guidance. Please include the department(s) along with the program, lab group, or center in which they work. Submissions should be in a letter of 250-500 words and can be submitted by students, postdocs, faculty or staff. Collaboration on letters is welcome.

 

The nominated postdoc will be required to submit a mentorship statement that that describes their roles and commitment to serving as a mentor in 500 words or less, which can be sent to Lisa at lnielse@purdue or submitted along with the nomination letter before the nomination deadline. Nominations are not complete without the mentorship statement from the nominee. Please visit the following link to submit the nomination letter and mentorship statement: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_emoVzNlZyXM7Qou.

 

The Council of Graduate Schools defines mentoring as: “… a more senior individual who provides career and psychosocial support to a junior member of a given organization. Recently, mentors have been found to exist laterally, virtually, among peers, and with individuals outside of the professional context. Mentorships center on an emotional commitment, which focuses on the protégé’s personal and professional growth. “

 

Nominations are due by 5 pm on Friday, April 8, 2022. The winner will be announced on April 15 and they will be recognized at the Graduate School Awards Banquet on May 11th. The winner will receive an award of $1,500. Winners will be notified by email and posted to the Graduate School Website.

 

Questions? Ask the Postdoc Office Director, Dr. Lisa Nielsen (lnielse@purdue.edu).

 

BME PhD Defense Announcement for Ziqian Zeng (N. Alves and S. Harbin, co-advisors), Mon., April 11, 9:00 a.m. via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95875501047?pwd=VkVZMXlMSkJWOHpWWWFZUDFYbG9jdz09  (Meeting ID: 958 7550 1047, Passcode: 636182). Title: of presentation: Developing in-vitro Synthetic Blood Clot Models for Testing Thrombolytic Drugs.

Committee:

Dr. Nathan J Alves (Advisor, Co-Chair)

Dr. Sherry L. Harbin (Co-Chair)

Dr. Julie C. Liu (Member)

Dr. Vitaliy L. Rayz (Member)

Abstract: Thrombosis is the pathological blood clot formation that blocks blood circulation, leading to high morbidity and mortality rates. Thrombolytic drugs that offer rapid clot dissolution are promising treatments, yet current drugs are associated with limited efficacy and high bleeding risks. While numerous animal thrombosis models have been developed for drug screening, the translation of therapeutic agents into and through clinical trials remains limited. This is primarily due to animal models’ poor reproducibility and distinctive physiology to that of humans. In vitro flow models that utilize both human blood components and physiologically relevant flow conditions can provide for a more representative testing environment to screen drugs. Developing better in vitro models may not eliminate the need for preclinical animal testing but can help exclude inefficient agents earlier in the drug development pipeline to expedite the drug evaluation process. Existing in vitro thrombolysis flow models are not ideal as they either adopt over-simplified clot substrates or utilize small-length-scale geometries that insufficiently mimic native hemodynamics. Thus, we propose to develop a highly reproducible, physiological scale, flowing clot lysis model to screen thrombolytic drugs. This model combines an in vivo-like fluorescence incorporated synthetic clot (FISC) and a human-relevant flow system. This system is a tubing-based structure comprising a peristaltic pump, a dampener, and a fluorometer to offer real-time monitoring of thrombolysis under steady or pulsatile flow. The synthetic clot model can mimic various thrombosis conditions and offer representative drug testing and dosing results across numerous thrombolytic agents.

 

BMEGSA’s Big10 Midwest Speaker Exchange, Sara Harper, PhD Candidate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mon., April 11, 11:00 a.m. in MJIS 2001, “Fusion of Wearable Muscle and Motion Measurements to Estimate Stride-by-Stride Triceps Surae Work During Outdoor Locomotion on Slopes”

Wearable tendon tensiometry has been recently introduced to characterize muscle-tendon loading during outdoor locomotion. Coupling it with wearable motion capture could enable mobile analysis of muscle-tendon kinematics and kinetics. This study aimed to establish a such a system and investigate stride-by-stride work production in triceps surae muscles during outdoor locomotion on slopes. Eleven healthy adults were outfitted with Achilles tendon tensiometers and lower-body inertial measurement units. Participants walked at self-selected speeds along an outdoor 800 m course including slopes from -10° to +10°.Muscle force and length change data were obtained from calibrated tensiometry and joint angle data, respectively. Net muscle-tendon work per stride was calculated by integrating the product of force and length change. Separately for inclines and declines, linear regression was performed to fit net work vs. slope of each stride for both muscles. At all slopes, net work for both muscles was positive. Soleus net work increased with increasing slope. Gastrocnemius net work changed less, increasing slightly across declines and decreasing slightly across inclines. This work demonstrates the feasibility of combining wearable tensiometry and motion capture to assess muscle-tendon dynamics during outdoor locomotion. Such technology could enable quantitative field-based assessments in sports, ergonomics, and rehabilitation.

Sponsored by: Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student Association. The Big10 Midwest Speaker Exchange is a coordinated effort between Big10 Universities in which PhD candidates are invited to give a 1-hour seminar at a participating University. This year Purdue is collaborating with University of Wisconsin-Madison. Purdue’s student, Joseph Muskat (BME) presented his research at UW-Madison on 3/21. Coffee and tea will be available.

 

BME Master’s Defense, Charlie Martin (M. Dadarlat Makin, advisor), Wed., April 13, 8:00 a.m. via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99937870411 Title of presentation: Electrophysiological and behavioral testing reveal aberrant visual processing in Syngap1+/- mice.

Advisory Committee: Maria Dadarlat Makin, Chair; Estuardo Robles; Tamara L. Kinzer-Ursem

Abstract: Syngap1+/- mice, a mouse model for intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, develop early maturation of synapses due to a reduction in SynGAP1.  This early maturation falls before the critical period of binocular matching at P14-P16 when orientation selectivity in the visual cortex (V1) begins developing.  To understand the effects of reduced SynGAP1 expression in V1 development, acute monocular and binocular shank recordings were performed in V1 with corresponding analyses to determine if any alterations had occurred in retinotopy, orientation selectivity, and binocularity.  A behavioral protocol was developed to link neural responses behavioral responses testing the visual discrimination threshold of angled stimuli.  A widening of the receptive fields in Syngap1+/- mice was identified along with reduced firing rates for orientation tuned neurons in V1.  The behavioral task identified an increase in the visual discrimination angle of Syngap1+/- mice.  These results indicate a reduction in SynGAP1 expression has a perceivable effect on V1 development and function.

 

BME PhD Defense, Kelsey Hopkins (L. Solorio, advisor), Wed., April 13, 3:30 p.m. via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99684673539?pwd=aXgwR0g5cFJXWEJXVTZka0JUWFJUdz09 Title of presentation: Noninvasive Characterization and Development of In Situ Forming Implants for Use as a Local Pancreatic Cancer Therapy.

Committee Members: Dr. Luis Solorio (chair), Dr. Joseph Rispoli, Dr. Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, and Dr. Brittany Allen-Petersen

Location: Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99684673539?pwd=aXgwR0g5cFJXWEJXVTZka0JUWFJUdz09

Meeting ID: 996 8467 3539
Passcode: BME

Abstract: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an especially deadly disease having the lowest 5-year survival rate of any major cancer at just 11%. As in many cancers, systemically-delivered chemotherapy forms the backbone of clinical treatment. However, limitations of systemic delivery exacerbated by the unique desmoplastic and avascular microenvironment surrounding the pancreatic tumor cells result in the failed efficacy of current treatments. The high stromal content in the microenvironment, which is especially overabundant in hyaluronic acid, is thought to physically impede drug perfusion into the tissue. Thus, there is clearly a critical need to develop novel treatments for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that can overcome these drug delivery barriers. Long-acting injectable implants offer an attractive drug delivery method that can provide sustained drug release directly at the local targeted site, rather than transient, systemic release. Here we use in situ forming implants (ISFIs), which are a low-viscosity solution outside of the body but transition into a solid drug-eluting depot after injection into an aqueous environment. Our objective is to develop and characterize an ISFI that can provide sustained release of bioactive hyaluronidase for use as an intratumoral injection to degrade hyaluronic acid in pancreatic tumors. This work was accomplished in four aims. First, a method was developed using diffusion-weighted MRI for noninvasive characterization of the implants. Second, because hyaluronidase is a protein drug, we studied factors affecting protein release from ISFIs, focusing on external factors of the injection site. Third, we showed that basic salt additives can be used to neutralize the acidic environment created by the implants which may improve protein stability. Finally, we formulated an implant to provide sustained release of hyaluronidase and demonstrated retention of its bioactivity both in vitro and ex vivo.

 

The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (IBSC) Symposium, "From Bench to Bedside: Translational and pre-clinical models for human and animal health." Sponsored by the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and the Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine. 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Martin Jischke Hall.

 

This symposium will highlight research conducted by IBSC PhD students through talks and posters. Keynote Speaker, Distinguished Professor in Cytometry, Dr. J. Paul Robinson, will discuss his research and its applications to both food safety and human health. The schedule for the day is below. We really hope you are able to join us to help in celebrating this PhD student-based collaboration between PVM and BME.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the IBSC program, please e-mail Russell Main (rmain@purdue.edu).

 

 

The Keynote and IBSC student seminars will also be available via Zoom. Zoom address to follow next week.

 

Raising A Resilient Scientist Workshop Series

(Message from Sharon Milgram, Director, NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education): Over the last year I have interacted with many trainees across the U.S. as part of the NIH Becoming a Resilient Scientist series. After carefully considering input from students, postdocs, faculty and program administrators who participated in the program, I have decided to offer a series, RAISING A RESILIENT SCIENTIST, for faculty and administrators who mentor students and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. The goal of the Raising a Resilient Scientist series is to promote the mental health and well-being of the academic research community by supporting faculty and administrators to develop self-management, relationship-management, and mentoring skills. A variety of topics will be covered with a specific focus on communication and shared problem-solving to help trainees deal with the inevitable setbacks experienced in high knowledge environments.  There will be five units in the series; each unit will consist of a 75-minute lecture, which can be watched in real-time or asynchronously, followed by a 1-hour facilitated discussion with peers. There will be two opportunities for participation in the small groups following each webinar. There is no charge for participation, but advanced registration is required. For more information, and to register, please visit our webpage.  I do not anticipate offering this series again in the future; participation in the entire series is recommended but is not required. Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions. Current scheduled workshop dates are April 26 and May 24.

 

Vanderbilt Integrative Training Alliance (VITA) Symposium, April 28-29:  On April 28-29th, Vanderbilt University will be hosting the annual Vanderbilt Integrative Training Alliance (VITA) Symposium, a conference focused on biomedical sciences graduate students. Attendees have a unique opportunity to connect with the Vanderbilt community, obtain a long-term mentoring relationship with a Vanderbilt faculty member, and gain training in scientific communication. The event will also feature a keynote address from Vanderbilt postdoc alumna, Dr. Shaneda Anderson. This year the conference will be virtual. The complete two day schedule can be found here. While the symposium is open to all, we particularly encourage individuals from backgrounds underrepresented in academia to apply, including but not limited to those who identify as Black, African-American, Latino, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander, those who have a disability, first generation college-goers, those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, and those underrepresented on the basis of gender identity or expression or sexual orientation. I am hoping that we will have representation from every Big 10 school (University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison). Do you know of any students who would be interested in applying? If so, please respond to antentor.o.hinton.jr@Vanderbilt.Edu with their name and email and a member of our team will reach out.

Thank you for your consideration,

Antentor Othrell Hinton, Jr., Ph.D.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Twitter: @phdgprotein86

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biogeek26/

Lab Twitter: @AtHinton 

EE Just Faculty Scholar (UNCF award)

Assistant Professor 

Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences

The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center

Poster Submission Application and Details

Award Application and Details

 

Trailblazers in Engineering (TBE) are workshops to prepare future trailblazing faculty in engineering with a focus on preparing outstanding scholars who are also committed to increasing the success of underrepresented communities of engineers. Trailblazers in Engineering Fellows are selected not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements but also for their potential impact in expanding representation and diversity in engineering.

The workshop will provide Fellows the ability to network with leading faculty in engineering, thought leaders, program managers at key federal funding agencies, Purdue Engineering heads, and of course, each other. Participants will also meet current Trailblazers and benefit from their inspiring keynote talks.

TBE 2022 will be held in person on Purdue's beautiful West Lafayette, IN campus July 26 - 28, 2022. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  June 3, 2022

 

Reasons to Attend 

  1. Network with leading trailblazing faculty in engineering, thought leaders, program managers at key federal funding agencies, Purdue Engineering heads, and scientists who will present keynote speeches and talks throughout the program.
  2. Gain insight into what academic success will look like post-pandemic.
  3. Participate in panel discussions.
  4. Meet program managers from the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, National Institutes of Health and others; receive advice on your proposals; and participate in a poster session to pitch your research and teaching plans and get feedback from would-be employers.
  5. Attend the "Success Strategies for New Faculty Members" workshop presented by internationally recognized experts in faculty development, Drs. Richard Felder and Rebecca Brent.
  6. For non-Purdue Fellows, we are reimbursing up to $800.00 per Economy flight and transportation (cab fare, shuttle, mileage, and/or parking to/from Purdue). In addition, we will provide two days of per diem for travel days of July 25 & 28.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:  June 3, 2022

Applicants are invited to apply through two programs, Black Trailblazers in Engineering (BTE) and Latinx Trailblazers in Engineering (LATinE). Please visit these pages for details.

 

Attachments

Big 10 Midwest Speaker

BME Grad Student Appreciation Week

Hitchhiker

IBSC