BME MONDAY ROUNDTABLE

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

 

HEADS NOTE

Hello Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering,

                Friday, November 11 was Veterans Day.  I want to send a personal thank you to all veterans in the school for your service and commitment to your country and for your work in BME.  Next week we will not have a roundtable email so for those of you traveling and celebrating thanksgiving- I wish you the best.  This week I want to point to the upcoming deadline of Nov. 18 for the joint Purdue Engineering/IUSM pilot project grants and upcoming talk- Elizabeth Proctor from Penn State University. 

 

 

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

 

Week of November 14

Mon., Nov. 14: RSVP Deadline for IUSOM Fall Otolaryngology Workshop. Workshop is entitled “AI Topics in Medicine and Otolaryngology, and will be held Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Fesler Hall, Indianapolis. RSVP to Ashley Claxton (aclaxto@iu.edu)

Mon., Nov. 14:  World Diabetes Day Virtual Seminar, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Daniel J. Drucker, MD, Senior Scientist LTRI and Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, will present “The evolving landscape of GLP-1R agonist therapies for cardiometabolic disease.”

Wed., Nov. 16: BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Alexis Hoerter (E. Pienaar, advisor), 11:00 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Research Title: Agent Based Models Characterizing In Vitro M. Tuberculosis Granuloma Dynamics: Host-Immune Status Determinants and HIV Coinfection Mechanisms

Wed., Nov. 16: BME Seminar Series, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Elizabeth Proctor, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Penn State University will present “Systems biology and the engineering of complex disease systems.”

Wed., Nov. 16:  Frontiers in Biophysics Seminar Series, 1:30 p.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Hong Li, Florida State University will present “Small changes, big impact: Roles of chemical medications in gene editing and protein synthesis enzymes.” Register in advance at https://purdue.edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/UUtd-2rrTlqEt28s1D20iZPi-9RRDGj76V5  Seminar series is co-sponsored by Structural and Computational Biology & Biophysics (SCBB) and the NIGMS-funded Molecular Biophysics Training Program (MBTP) in partnership with the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Biochemistry, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry, and Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology; and the following Institutes: PI4D, PCCR, and PIDD.

Thurs., Nov. 17: Seminars in Hearing Research, 10:30 a.m., LYLE 1150 and via Zoom. Eric Ryan Rodriguez, AUD/PhD Student, SLHS, will present "¿Manzanas o Naranjas? (Apples or Oranges?): Comparing the English and Spanish AzBio Sentences-in-Noise Test Corpora.

 

Upcoming important deadlines and info.

Thurs., Nov. 24 and Fri., Nov. 25: Thanksgiving Holiday. No classes, all university offices and buildings closed.

Tues., Nov. 29: BRAG Meeting for BME postdocs, visiting scientists and research staff, 2:00-3:00 p.m., MJIS 2001. Dr. Elsje Pienaar, Assistant Professor in BME will discuss “Strategies and challenges in learning about DEI”. The session will be in the format of a short presentation followed by Q&A, and the speaker has specifically asked us to send suggestions on topics, questions and thoughts ahead of time to best tailor the sessions to us. Please RSVP and email your suggestions to kejendal@purdue.edu. You are of course welcome with spontaneous questions as well! Welcome! Bring a postdoc friend!

Fri., Dec. 2: Please make note of the grading deadline for all research students (grad & undergrad) and your Fall classes:

Full Term (16 Weeks) and Second Eight-Week Session (meeting between October 19 and December 17) Grade entry begins at 8 a.m. December 2 and ends at 5 p.m. December 20. Faculty at West Lafayette not meeting the submission deadline for their reporting window will be required to submit via the Grade change workflow found in their myPurdue portal.

Sun., Dec. 4: Deadline for submission for The Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship provides support for outstanding PhD candidates in their final year or semester of doctoral degree completion. The goal of the fellowship is to allow exceptional candidates to focus exclusively on finishing their dissertation. The Graduate School Fellowship Manual has additional details https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/fellowship/fellowship-resources-for-staff/index.html

Note: Students in other schools outside of BME should follow those schools’ procedures.

Wed., Dec. 7: BME Distinguished Seminar Series, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Henry H.N. Lam, Associate Head and Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will present “Proteomics and its applications in antibiotic tolerance research.”

Thurs., Dec. 8: BME Faculty Coffee Chats for Grad Students, 2:00-3:00 p.m., MJIS 2041. Faculty host: Deva Chan. Potential discussion topics: AMA work-life, teaching & diversity statements, time management

Thurs., Dec. 15 The BME Senior Design Expo will be from 3:30 - 5:30pm in MJIS 1097, 1001, and Atrium. There will be 24 projects presented followed by awards ceremony. Stay tuned for additional details.

Fri., Dec. 23 through Mon., Jan. 2: Winter Recess. No classes, all university offices and buildings closed. Purdue will reopen Tuesday, January 3.

 

PURDUE ADVERSE WINTER WEATHER POLICY

If adverse weather conditions necessitate that a wind chill, snow or ice emergency be declared for the West Lafayette campus, special procedures pertaining to classes, operations, parking, pay and/or attendance will become effective. Jay Wasson, vice president for physical facilities and chief public safety officer, describes procedures for adverse winter weather in this memo.

 

Committee Updates

 

Academic Programs Update

 

For all course instructors:

As the semester winds down, it’s time to make plans now for how you will approach providing final exam testing accommodations for students who have disability accommodation. Many instructors will plan to provide these accommodations themselves. That is great and often the best approach. However, some may want the DRC’s Accommodated Testing staff to administer their final for these students. In these cases, it is important to be aware of three critical deadlines: 

 

 

If these deadlines are met, DRC Testing will make every effort to administer the instructor’s exam.

 

One last consideration: While DRC Testing does everything it can to work with instructors, they cannot promise to administer the instructor’s exams at the same time that their class is taking it in all cases. Instructors who are able to be flexible with the date and time for their final exam increase the likelihood that DRC Testing will be able to support them.

 

Please feel free to connect with the Director of the DRC, Randall Ward, ward176@purdue.edu, as needed.

 

Fri., Dec. 2: Please make note of the grading deadline for all research students (grad & undergrad) and your Fall classes: Full Term (16 Weeks) and Second Eight-Week Session (meeting between October 19 and December 17) Grade entry begins at 8 a.m. December 2 and ends at 5 p.m. December 20. Faculty at West Lafayette not meeting the submission deadline for their reporting window will be required to submit via the Grade change workflow found in their myPurdue portal.

 

 

Undergraduate Programs Update

 

The BME Senior Design Expo will be Thursday, December 15 from 3:30 - 5:30pm in MJIS 1097, 1001 and Atrium. There will be 24 projects presented followed by awards ceremony. Stay tuned for additional details.

 

Graduate Office Update

 

The Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship provides support for outstanding PhD candidates in their final year or semester of doctoral degree completion. The goal of the fellowship is to allow exceptional candidates to focus exclusively on finishing their dissertation. The Graduate School Fellowship Manual has additional details https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/fellowship/fellowship-resources-for-staff/index.html

Note: Students in other schools outside of BME should follow those schools procedures.

Due Date: Sunday, December 4th  (tsiemers@purdue.edu)

 

It is officially Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition season! To increase academic representation in our 3MT® competition, we are asking that West Lafayette graduate faculty members nominate talented graduate student(s) to represent their academic units. This is an exciting year to participate, as we have increased the cash prizes, which include $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place, and $2,000 for the People’s Choice Award winner. Nominees must be current Purdue graduate students studying at the West Lafayette campus. Each nominee will be contacted by Graduate School staff and encouraged to register for the competition. Nominations are not required for students to submit a draft video; they are simply intended to help the Graduate School identify and encouraged talented students to participate. The link to the nomination form below, as well as some additional information about the Graduate School’s 3MT® competition. Please email me, Allison Loy (Loy2@purdue.edu), with any questions!

Virtual 3MT® 2023 Nomination Form:

https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_204r4KOtt2fUIbI

What is 3MT®?

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition that helps graduate students develop academic, presentation, and research communication skills so that they can effectively explain their research to a non-specialist audience. During each competition, graduate students will have three minutes to present a compelling discussion on their research topic, including its significance and relevance, to the general public. This is a fast-paced competition where the top 10 finalists compete by summarizing their two to three-plus years of research in only three minutes with only one slide. The cash awards for this year’s competition have been increased substantially, including $5,000 for first place, $3,000 for second place, and $2,000 for the People’s Choice Award winner. The first-place winner will also be invited to compete in the Midwestern Association of Graduate School’s (MAGS) annual 3MT® competition.

3MT® Timeline

Learn more about the Purdue University Graduate School’s 3MT® competition here: https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/professional-development/competitions/3mt/index.php

 

BME Coffee Chats

We are once again hosting are faculty coffee chats for grad students.  Remember, we need attendance for this event to be successful so get these on your calendars today😊.

 

These coffee chats will attempt to accomplish some priorities that have been shared with us by you:  

  1. First year students—what a great opportunity to find out more about other labs and find potential mentors for your qual committee.
  2. Grad student professional development—to learn/ask/chat about topics of interest to the student either about research or other topics.
  3. Increase faculty involvement with graduate students outside of their own lab.
  4. Help build community between grad students.

 

Here are the dates and faculty for fall:

December:

Date:  December 8th

Time: 2:00 pm-3:00 pm

Location: MJIS 2041

Faculty host: Deva Chan

Potential discussion topics: AMA work-life, teaching & diversity statements, time management

 

Please plan to participate in as many as your schedule will allow.  There will be free snacks and drinks included.

 

Graduate Admissions Update

 

Fall 2022 (Fall 2023 Admit Term) BME Graduate Admissions

DateDATE

Activity

Now

Research Areas create a plan and potentially agree on dates to meet ranking deadlines.

December 19th—All Fellowship Nominations Due

Dec 1

Complete applications due for priority admission and funding consideration

Dec 2

Prescreening of eligibility of Purdue Doctoral and George Washington Carver sent to faculty

Dec 2

Spreadsheet and applications posted to Engineering Intranet for Research Area and faculty review

Dec 19

DUE: All Fellowship Nominations and Additional Invite Lists

Dec 20

Grad office to process admission for all fellowship-nominated applicants to the Purdue Graduate School and any additional applicants you would like to admit from the open house invitation list.

Dec 20

Tammy to send invitations to invited students to participate in our virtual open house.

Jan 3

Deadline for students to respond to Open House RSVP (hotels released today).

Jan 26

Agendas for all invited students due from faculty to Tammy and sent to student.

Feb 2-4

Weldon School Visitation Days (Hybrid)

Feb 8

Last chance for Research Areas / Faculty to remove students from fellowship consideration

Feb 10

Fellowship offers announced and complete rankings list made available to BME faculty; BME Graduate Office will notify students by email (offer letters distributed as soon as signed by BME Head and COE Dean)

Mar 10

DUE: All Master’s students to be decisioned as either admit, deny or hold

Mar 31

Due: All PhD students to be decisioned as either admit, deny or hold

April 15

Graduate applicant acceptance deadline

 

Research Area Update

 

 

Resources, attachments, further information

 

RSVP Deadline for IUSOM Fall Otolaryngology Workshop Mon., Nov. 14.  Workshop is entitled “AI Topics in Medicine and Otolaryngology, and will be held Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Fesler Hall, Suite 400, 1130 W. Michigan Street, Indianapolis. RSVP to Ashley Claxton (aclaxto@iu.edu). The Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery at IU School of Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University are hosting a joint workshop to understand current challenges and opportunities in the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to clinical medicine. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together experts in ML/AI engineering, biomedical research, and clinical applications, to understand to the current state of the field and identify specific plans to address existing needs, barriers, and goals for development and implementation in the otolaryngology field. As otolaryngology—head and neck surgery is a specialty with both medical and surgical aspects, with a high degree of technology familiarity and utilization, identified themes are expected to be broadly applicable to medicine and surgery in general. The format for the workshop will be short talks followed by ample time for discussion and networking. Our workshop planning committee has identified you as valued faculty member in this space and would like to invite you to participate. We sincerely hope you can attend. 

 

World Diabetes Day Virtual Seminar, Mon., Nov. 14, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Daniel J. Drucker, MD, Senior Scientist LTRI and Professor of Medicine, University of Toronto, will present “The evolving landscape of GLP-1R agonist therapies for cardiometabolic disease.” Presented via webinar at the link below:

https://iu.zoom.us/j/83951671092?pwd=WC9GNTJaVTRVcEIyako4cHMvN2FXZz09

This seminar is sponsored by the Indiana University Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases.

 

BME Seminar Series, Wed., Nov. 16, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Elizabeth Proctor, Assistant Professor, Penn State University will present “Systems biology and the engineering of complex disease systems.”

Abstract: Communications within and between cells are a complex network from which emerges a wide variety of biological functions. By extracting from these complex interactions the signals relevant to specific phenotypic, genetic, or behavioral changes, we can both understand the underlying mechanisms of these phenomena and identify useful markers for diagnosis, prognosis, and classification of disease states. In this seminar, I will give an overview of how we use these principles in our laboratory to answer critical questions in neurodegenerative disease and aging.

Bio: Elizabeth Proctor is an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, Pharmacology, Biomedical Engineering, and Engineering Science & Mechanics at Penn State University, where she integrates experimental and computational systems biology methods to uncover interactions between seemingly discrete pathological processes in neurological disease. The ultimate goal of her work is to design perturbations to these integrated multi-scale networks in order to maintain brain health and correct disease phenotypes. Prior to Penn State, Elizabeth was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT, where she used multiplexing and OMICS assays combined with multivariate modeling and machine learning to map cellular communication and signaling networks implicated in disease. Elizabeth completed her PhD in Computational Biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill, where she developed methodology for molecular modeling and protein engineering to control molecular structure, dynamics, and function in disease-relevant systems. Elizabeth holds Honors bachelor diplomas from Purdue University in Physics and Russian Language and Literature.

~BME Faculty Host: Dr. Douglas Brubaker ~

NOTE: Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in-person. Zoom link:

https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/7731446991?pwd=RHdkZTVnRkxTM3J3dnRvY1VLWTlYUT09

 

BME PhD Preliminary Exam Announcement for Alexis Hoerter (E. Pienaar, advisor), Wed., Nov. 16, 11:00 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Research Title: Agent Based Models Characterizing In Vitro M. Tuberculosis Granuloma Dynamics: Host-Immune Status Determinants and HIV Coinfection Mechanisms.

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95200759998?pwd=ZG1PMDh6eG9jWGFqWWptM0RuNkVhUT09 

Thesis Committee: Dr. Elsje Pienaar - Major Professor, Dr. Larry S. Schlesinger, Dr. Alexandria Volkening, Dr. Qing Deng 

Abstract:  Tuberculosis (TB) is the 2nd most deadly infectious disease behind Covid-19 with ~10 million new cases and ~1.5 million deaths worldwide in 2020. TB infection is associated with a wide spectrum of outcomes ranging from complete elimination of bacteria, to bacterial containment in asymptomatic clinical states [latent TB infection (LTBI)], to high bacterial replication in active disease with severe clinical symptoms. How individuals move throughout this spectrum is still being uncovered; however, the host immune status is a strong determinant of infection progression. The risk of active TB is ~10% in individuals with LTBI and 15-21 times higher in those coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV). The hallmark of TB infection is the formation of granulomas – unique microenvironments orchestrated by the immune response to contain Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and localize host-pathogen interactions. Granulomas are the main site of infection and driver of disease progression, but studying intra-granuloma dynamics of human Mtb infection in vivo is challenging. In vitro Mtb granulomas using human donor cells have shown how the host immune status (LTBI vs Mtb-naïve) as well as coinfection with HIV can have critical and distinct impacts on the formation of granulomas. However, identifying mechanisms behind these differences using experimental data alone is a formidable task. Here, we present a complementary approach using an agent-based model of these in vitro granulomas to help elucidate differences between LTBI and naïve host cell responses as well as mechanisms of coinfection with HIV. Coupling computational modeling with experimental efforts could accelerate new treatment discoveries.

 

Seminars in Hearing Research, Thurs., Nov. 17, 10:30 a.m., LYLE 1150 and via Zoom. Eric Ryan Rodriguez, AUD/PhD Student, SLHS, will present "¿Manzanas o Naranjas? (Apples or Oranges?): Comparing the English and Spanish AzBio Sentences-in-Noise Test Corpora.

Abstract: Although the population of the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, the demographics of speech, language, and hearing professionals do not reflect this racial and linguistic diversity. This discrepancy is also apparent in the available speech-test batteries used during audiology assessments, such as the AzBio Sentences-in-Noise Test corpora. While the English AzBio is regarded as the “gold standard” for assessing cochlear implant candidacy in English speakers, the recently developed Spanish AzBio equivalent does not account for the dialectical or language experiences of most of the Spanish-speakers in the United States. Are these test corpora comparable in difficulty level for Spanish-speaking adults with varying dialects? 

Zoom link for remote attendees: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/4326340458 Meeting ID: 432 634 0458

The working schedule is available here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule

The titles and abstracts of the talks will be added here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts

This seminar is part of the Seminars in Hearing Research series, sponsored by Speech Languages and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University.

 

The Bilsland Dissertation Fellowship provides support for outstanding PhD candidates in their final year or semester of doctoral degree completion. The goal of the fellowship is to allow exceptional candidates to focus exclusively on finishing their dissertation. The Graduate School Fellowship Manual has additional details https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/fellowship/fellowship-resources-for-staff/index.html

Note: Students in other schools outside of BME should follow those schools procedures.

Due Date: Sunday, December 4th  (tsiemers@purdue.edu)

Student Eligibility

Application Package Should Include the following in one PDF:

Salary & Usage:

The announcement will go out to the students as well.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Wed., Dec. 7: BME Distinguished Seminar Series, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Henry H.N. Lam, Associate Head and Professor, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology will present “Proteomics and its applications in antibiotic tolerance research” on Wednesday, December 7, at 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom.

Abstract: Proteomics has witnessed rapid technological advances in the past decade and a half. Despite its obvious promise, proteomics still poses a considerable barrier of entry for the average life scientist, and the adoption of this powerful technology across different areas has been uneven. In this talk, I will present two rather distinct stories that have the same underlying goal, namely, to suggest a roadmap for proteomics to become truly ubiquitous in all life science research. The first is in computational method development. Proteomics is a prototypical "Big Data" field, but it may be surprising to some that despite the rapid accumulation of LC-MS/MS data in public repositories, for the most part all these data have not been meaningfully reused. This unfortunate situation can be traced to how we are used to analyze data in proteomics in isolation without prior knowledge, and how we store and organize the data. I will discuss our ongoing efforts to change this by organizing proteomics data by spectral similarity, and our vision for a simpler and more user-friendly way to analyze proteomics data.  The second is in the application of proteomics to an important problem in microbiology -- the fascinating but annoying ability of bacterial pathogens to survive antibiotic treatment.  Antibiotic tolerance, defined as the ability of a bacterial population to outlive lethal doses of antibiotics in a non-proliferating and non-specific way, is distinct from, and less understood, than antibiotic resistance. I will discuss our recent work in applying proteomics and adaptive laboratory evolution to map the "tolerome" (the set of genes and proteins that affect tolerance) in two organisms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and some hard-learned lessons of how to reduce distraction when dealing with hundreds of differentially expressed proteins. In doing so, I hope to show an example of what proteomics can and cannot do, and how it enables one to make progress towards addressing open-ended biological questions. 

Bio: Prof. Henry Lam is currently Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He obtained his Ph. D. (Chemical Engineering) from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2005, and received postdoctoral training in the Aebersold group at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle, Washington. At ISB, he participated in developing data analysis workflows in the then-nascent field of proteomics, some of which have become standard practice today. He has a longstanding interest in making the powerful technology of proteomics more reliable and more accessible to life scientists. Current research in his group focuses on method development in proteomics and metabolomics, particularly in algorithm design and data organization, and applications of proteomics in biological research, particularly in microbiology. 

~BME Host: Young Kim~

NOTE:Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in-person. 

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/7731446991?pwd=RHdkZTVnRkxTM3J3dnRvY1VLWTlYUT09

 

 

Attachments

 

BDC Symposium Program