BME MONDAY ROUNDTABLE

January 24, 2022

 

HEAD MESSAGE

 

Dear Weldon School,

 

Highlights this week:  DEI Townhall Report attached to this email. Thank you Dr. Linnes and members of the DEI committee.

 

New Appointment- Dr. Young Kim to Associate Head for Research.  

                Umulis’ note: Over the past 6 months, I’ve had the privilege of diving deeper into the research goals and visions of our faculty, staff, and students and I also developed a keen awareness of the creativity and curiosity that makes our school special. To reinforce these activities in the school and support the research direction that we are heading in, I’m happy to announce that Dr. Young Kim will be the next Associate Head for Research, starting on Feb. 1.  Dr. Young Kim is excited to serve the school in this new role and he brings broad experience in clinical investigation, discovery-based, and translational research.  A few of Dr. Kim’s recent accomplishments included multiple clinical studies with the IU School of Medicine in skin cancer and GI bleeding, new global health projects in Rwanda focused on point of care technologies, multiple issued patents since 2020, the First prize in the NIH Technology Accelerator Challenge, and numerous new creative studies in the area of medical cyber-physical security and counterfeit prevention technology for drugs. The initial term is for two years and can be renewed.  He will join Associate Head for Academic Programs, Dr. Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, and I in helping support our education and research missions of the school.  Closer to the start date, I will send another message that outlines specific roles and responsibilities for the Associate Head for Research and how the position is designed to support the research enterprise and the staff and faculty of the school.        

 

Two Faculty candidates next week! Please continue to participate in the faculty candidate seminars!  We will have several candidates over the next 3-4 weeks.  Area chairs- please remind your area to review the website and take notes for updates that are needed. 

 

Facilities update: We are continuing to have major mice issues in MJIS. They are not simply a nuisance (creating messes, making nests, getting into food items), but they also pose a risk to our research by creating biosecurity and biocontainment breaches. PLEASE rid your office and lab areas of excess cardboard, and make sure all food items are packaged securely in hard plastic containers. We all have to work together to rid ourselves of these pesky freeloaders.

 

 

PROTECT PURDUE

 

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

 

Week of Jan. 24

Mon., Jan. 24 by NOON: Research area nominations and ranking for non-traditional and research excellence fellowships due to grad office (hotel rooms need to be released today so I have to have a name tied to a room by 5 pm)

Mon., Jan. 24 – Updated faculty CVs due to Jo (jo@purdue.edu). Formatting requirements include page numbers, and date on first page (e.g., January 2022)

Wed., Jan. 26 – BME Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Daniel L. Gonzales, HHMI Hanna Gray Postdoctoral Fellow, Weldon BME, “Flexible electrode technologies for mapping activity from the brain surface.” Seminar notice attached.

Wed., Jan. 26 – Grant Review Sounding Board, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Location MJIS 1083.

Fri., Jan. 28:  Grad student peer mentoring group grab and go lunch

 

Upcoming important deadlines and info.

Mon., Jan. 31 – Deadline to send internal nominations for College of Engineering Faculty Awards of Excellence. Submit by email to Chi Hwan Lee cc-ing Kinam Park and Jo Gelfand no later than 01/31. If we receive multiple nominations for each award, the BME Awards Committee will go through a review process to figure out the best fit.

Tues., Feb. 1 - Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication, a two-step verification system designed to protect email on @purdue.edu accounts, will be required of all West Lafayette faculty and staff as of Feb. 1. Microsoft MFA protects users by requiring a second form of authentication — along with career account password — when signing into Office 365 applications, including Outlook email. There are three options for how to authenticate. Those not signed up will receive an email Feb. 1 and have two weeks before losing access to their email account. Additional info at: https://itap.purdue.edu/newsroom/articles/211110-mfa-update.html

Tues., Feb. 1 –  Deadline to apply for the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research postdoctoral fellowship opportunity. The Fund takes a broad approach to the study of cell growth and development, emphasizing the study of the basic biology and chemistry of the underlying processes. The majority of past recipients come from departments of biology, chemistry, genetics, physiology, bioengineering, etc.  Details below.

Tues., Feb. 1 –  First of five workshops in “Raising A Resilient Scientist” Workshop Series. Five units, covering communication, resilience, inclusivity, conflict and feedback, and trainee wellbeing, will help PIs and staff support your biomedical trainees. Each unit will explore ways to manage common challenges in research groups by means of a webinar (to watch in real-time or via a recording) and facilitated small groups designed to build a community to improve training across the US.  You are encouraged to attend the entire series, but each unit may be attended as a stand-alone. No charge, but advance registration required. Details below.

Wed., Feb. 2 – BME Bytes Seminar, 2:00 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Jen Anderson. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Thurs., Feb. 3:  Coffee Chat with Faculty:  11:00 am-noon, Location TBD. Faculty host: Matthew Ward. Potential discussion topics: navigating uncertainty, value of thought experiments, finding pleasure in scientific discovery

Wed., Feb. 9 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Sarah Libring. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Wed., Feb. 23 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Angel Enriquez. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Wed., Feb. 23 – Thurs., Feb. 24:  Fourth Annual Conference for Associate Professors, sponsored by Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence, Purdue University (see below)

Thurs., Feb. 24 – Sat., Feb. 26: Admissions Open House visit—planning for hybrid (virtual and in-person) event

Mon., Feb. 28 – Deadline to submit a poster to the Graduate School’s Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (OIGP) for their annual Spring Reception honoring interdisciplinary graduate student research. Details below.

Fri., Mar. 4:  Coffee Chat with Faculty:  11:00 am-noon, Location TBD. Faculty host: Nan Kong. Potential discussion topics: academic job search, initiate multi-disciplinary research, make social impact with your research

Wed., March 9 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Antonia Susnjar. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Thurs., Mar. 10:  Coffee Chat with Faculty:  4:00 pm-5:00 pm, Location TBD. Faculty host: Elsje Pienaar. Potential discussion topics: time management, teaching and diversity statements, work/life balance; imposter syndrome

Wed., March 23 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Luke Brennan. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

Wed., March 30 – BME Bytes Seminar, 1:30 pm, Location TBD. Presenter: Mazin Hakim. Open to all undergraduate and graduate researchers. Lunch will be provided.

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.

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

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.

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)

 

Upcoming prospective faculty seminars.

Mon., Jan. 31 – Jesse Jokerst, “Basic Research and Translational Efforts for (Photo)acoustic Ultrasound in Medicine,” 9:30 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99457970566?pwd=ZHZRMTdCSG5IT1ZWQ053aEowWlFhdz09

Wed., Feb. 2 – Connie Wu, “Tackling disease-associated biomolecules: From RNA therapeutics to single-molecule detection,” 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95150439811?pwd=a3hOK0o0bmpkS3poTVBCbVhDNU9FZz09

Mon., Feb. 7 – Nancy Xu, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1083 and via Zoom

Wed., Feb. 9 – Mehdi Javanmard, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95150439811?pwd=a3hOK0o0bmpkS3poTVBCbVhDNU9FZz09

Mon., Feb. 14 – Umut Gurkan, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom

Mon., Feb. 21 – Craig Forest, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1083 and via Zoom

 

SPRING 2022 BME Faculty Meetings

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

Fri., February 11

Fri., March 25

Fri., April 22

 

SPRING 2022 BME Primary Committee Meetings

Fri., March 4, 11:30-1:00, MJIS 2001

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

 

 

Committee Updates

 

Graduate Admissions (****TIME SENSITIVE****):

 

Graduate Programs – update

 

Life Sciences The Purdue Lecture Hall Series

Dear all,

 

I would like to send out a broad invitation to graduate students conducting life science research to present their work for “The Purdue Lecture Hall Series”.  This is a program where graduate students present their experience and journey into the world of research to undergrads and high school science students who are interested in learning more about life sciences research and how they can get started.  We are looking for dynamic presenters and investigators that want to engage their audience and inspire a new generation on scientists. 

 

If you or someone you know is interested in participating, please have them reach out to Robin Benson benson75@purdue.edu.

 

Best regards,

Thomas G. Sors, PhD

Assistant Director

Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease

 

 

Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Update

In Spring 2022, the UCC will continue working on introducing BME pathways. The UCC will request each Research Area to present the corresponding Pathway to sophomore students in the next month. This will help the students to decide on their area of specialization. The presentation should clarify the knowledge and skills the students would gain as well as the future career opportunities for each BME Pathway. The UCC will also work on developing the Engineering Design courses for the re-structured undergraduate program, including the Junior and Senior Design and professional development courses. The committee will create a task force for collecting benchmark data on curriculum redesign for the future ABET accreditation.  Also, the UCC will work on increasing our offering of honors courses or honors sections within courses. 

 

Awards Committee Update

Nomination information for the 20th annual College of Engineering Faculty and Lecturer Excellence Awards is available now. This is an important opportunity to nominate our colleagues for recognition of their work and to express our appreciation of their contributions and achievements. The awards were revamped in 2018-19 to align more closely with University level awards as well as key elements of our goal of “pinnacle of excellence at scale”. Please send internal nomination by email to Chi Hwan Lee cc-ing Kinam Park and Jo Gelfand no later than 01/31. If we receive multiple nominations for each award, the BME Awards Committee will go through a review process to figure out the best fit.

 

DEI Committee Update

 

The DEI Steering Committee has completed its report from the October 29, 2021 All School Town Hall to discuss the outcomes of the 2021 Weldon School Diversity and Equity Climate Survey. All members of the Weldon School were invited to attend the town hall and could join in person or via zoom. This report is an overview of the outcomes of the town hall and those attendees who expressed their views on Diversity Equity and Inclusion within the Weldon School. These are complex problems and we hope that this Town Hall meeting will be only the start of brave discussions and resolutions of issues around belonging, inclusion, equity and diversity. A number of new, and expanded, efforts in the Weldon School in response to the priorities developed from the Climate Survey are listed at the end of this document under “Activities and DEI-focused efforts with regards to Priorities”. 

 

(Attachment: 2021 Weldon School Town Hall Report)

 

January is Mentoring Month

 

The Graduate Student Peer Mentoring groups are running again this semester and new first years have now been paired up with senior students. Grad students and postdocs please reach out to BMEGSA leaders Angel Enriquez (aenrique@purdue.edu) and Claudia Benito Alston (cbenitoa@purdue.edu) if you want to get involved as a mentor or a mentee.

BMES Undergraduate Peer mentoring is also getting underway and sophomores have the opportunity to participate in a mentoring group led by 1-2 upper classmen or in individual mentoring pair with a more senior student. Mentors and mentees participate in one large group and a small-group or meeting as a pair each month. 

Resources for Mentoring 

Webinars: NIH RAISING A RESILIENT SCIENTIST series for faculty and administrators who mentor students and postdoctoral fellows 

Mentoring at Purdue (M@P): network and resources for mentors and mentees  

Podcast: The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM from the National Academies 

National Research Mentoring Network open to all career stages 

 

Winter Warming Station Meal Sign up Lafayette Urban Ministry (LUM) – Meals are needed each day Nov 15 through Apr 15. 

 

Resources, attachments, further information

 

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series

Wednesday, January 26, 2022, 9:30-10:20am, MJIS 1001 or Via Zoom:

https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95150439811?pwd=a3hOK0o0bmpkS3poTVBCbVhDNU9FZz09

“Flexible electrode technologies for mapping activity from the brain surface,” Daniel L. Gonzales, Ph.D., HHMI Hanna Gray Postdoctoral Fellow, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering

Abstract: From nanoscale synapses up to centimeter-sized brain regions, complex computations occur at every spatial scale in the mammalian brain. In networks of thousands of neurons, cellular and subcellular computations govern emergent properties such as behavior, perception, and learning. Therefore, a mechanistic understanding of animal cognition requires combining multiple modalities for monitoring neural activity across spatial scales. Here, I will discuss our efforts to develop thin-film, flexible, and transparent neural interfaces with arrays of micro- and nano-scale electrodes tailored to map activity from the cortical surface. In mouse somatosensory cortex, we use surface grids to record both local field potentials and single-unit activity from awake animals during whisker touch. Simultaneously, we use silicon probe recordings or cellular-scale two-photon imaging to capture population-level activity across the cortical depth. This innovative three-dimensional mapping allows us to dissect circuit-level activity propagating across sensory cortex. Our initial results suggest that multiple brain regions work in concert to drive traveling waves of activity with a strong subcellular component near the cortical surface following sensory stimulation. By linking circuit activity across brain spatial scales, our technologies are poised to provide new insights into how network-level computations and sensory perception emerge from subcellular dynamics.

Bio: Dr. Daniel L. Gonzales, is a HHMI Hanna Gray postdoctoral fellow in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University. He currently works with Dr. Krishna Jayant in the Nano-Neurotechnology Laboratory in collaboration with Dr. Scott Pluta in the Department of Biological Sciences developing tools to probe neural activity in awake, behaving animals. He received his PhD in Applied Physics from Rice University, where he worked with Dr. Jacob Robinson to integrate bioelectronics and microfluidics to study millimeter-sized model organisms. He is also a first-generation college student and received his BS in Physics from Angelo State University.        

~BME Faculty Host: Dr. Krishna Jayant ~

 

 

Nomination information for the 20th annual College of Engineering Faculty and Lecturer Excellence Awards is available now. This is an important opportunity to nominate our colleagues for recognition of their work and to express our appreciation of their contributions and achievements. The awards were revamped in 2018-19 to align more closely with University level awards as well as key elements of our goal of “pinnacle of excellence at scale”.  

 

The CoE Faculty and Lecturer Awards of Excellence are:

Education

 

Research

 

Service and Engagement

 

Please review the nomination award categories and criteria.

 

The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research has a postdoctoral fellowship opportunity. The Fund takes a broad approach to the study of cell growth and development, emphasizing the study of the basic biology and chemistry of the underlying processes. The majority of past recipients come from departments of biology, chemistry, genetics, physiology, bioengineering, etc.

 

Summary:

·       Deadline: February 1, 2022

·       Amount: $177,000 total/3 years

·       Summary: The Fund supports research into the causes and treatment of cancer. Projects that support basic research, including basic biology and chemistry, are emphasized.

·       Website: https://www.jccfund.org/about-fund/

·       Notes:

o   25-30 fellowships are awarded each year; the Fund receives approx. 350 applications each year

o   Postdoctoral applicants should have no more than 18 months of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the deadline for submitting applications (February 1)

o   PhD. degree must not have been conferred more than 24 months prior to the deadline date (February 1)

 

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.

 

Fourth Annual Conference for Associate Professors set for Feb. 23-24

The Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence in collaboration with the Office of the Provost will hold the Fourth Annual Conference for Associate Professors on Feb. 23-24 in Purdue Memorial Union. The conference is titled "Charting Your Path to Promotion." The conference will include a keynote address and two panel sessions. Over the course of the conference, attendees will have opportunities to network, share information and learn from others in ways that will enable associate professors, particularly women associate, to accelerate their progression to full professor. The panel sessions comprise speakers from within and outside Purdue. Although this conference targets associate professors, the strategies and insights offered by the keynote speaker and the panelists will be useful for all faculty members.

Conference details include:

o   Keynote address: Elizabeth Field Hendry, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, Queens College, CUNY.

o   Panel session 1: "Managing Time: Service, Teaching, Mentoring, and Research."

o   Panel session 2: “Promotion to Full Professor.”

The conference is free for Purdue faculty, who must email butlercenter@purdue.edu for the code before registering. Faculty from outside Purdue will pay a registration fee. Registration will open in about two weeks. More information, including the conference schedule, keynote and panel sessions, is available on the conference webpage.

 

Please plan on joining The Graduate School’s Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (OIGP) for our annual Spring Reception in celebration of interdisciplinary graduate student research on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM in the Purdue Memorial Union North and South Ballrooms.  Please consider submitting a presentation and applying for the Most Outstanding Interdisciplinary Project Award (MOIPA—winner receives $1000). Poster and Award Submission Deadline: Monday, February 28, 2022. Details can be found at the links below:

 

Poster Submission Application and Details

Award Application and Details

 

 

 

Attachments

OIGP Spring Reception Flyer 2022

2021 Weldon School Town Hall Report