BME WEEKLY ROUNDTABLE

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

INTERIM HEAD’S NOTE

• I want to highlight a few upcoming deadlines for big proposals. This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. It just contains some items I am thinking of and/or I have been asked for opinion. I see these internal opportunities can help in many ways. Let me know how the department can help you.
• The Supporting Partnering for Advanced Research Teamwork (SPARK) program, due yesterday afternoon, at 5 pm, https://www.purdue.edu/research/oevprp/funding-and-grant-writing/funding/spark.php
• Purdue University Federal Appropriation Request, due Friday, September 16, by 5 pm, https://www.purdue.edu/research/oevprp/funding-and-grant-writing/funding/federal-appropriation-request-process.php.
• Purdue’s Life and Health Science summit. Please refer to an email sent to you on September 12. Proposals are due on September 29^th.

I like the two questions included in the email about the Purdue’s Life and Health Science summit.  

1. How would this topic produce significant impact and benefit for the world?

2. Why is Purdue uniquely positioned relative to other research universities to be the leading institution in this area?

Following no. 1, I would suggest you think about how this topic would produce significant impact and benefit for our region, our state. Following no. 2, I would suggest you think about why is Purdue BME uniquely positioned…

• A few of us would like to revive the support of junior faculty on their grant applications. Your suggestions are welcome. I personally think the sounding board we had previously, was a good starting mechanism.
• Our BME Advisory Board meeting will take place on Friday, September 22^nd. I have asked many of you to come to give presentations and participate in panel discussions. All faculty are welcome to the lunch. We will do a reception at the end of the meeting featuring an exposition of art in research again, which can be in some sense viewed our tailgate. 😊 So please come out to celebrate the accomplishments in the unusual mechanism of artistic manifestation by our students/postdocs and their faculty mentors. As a final note, here is a friendly reminder. The deadline for grad students and post docs to submit your art work is September 13^th, 11:59 pm.

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

Week of September 11

Mon., Sept. 11:  BME PhD Defense Announcement for Sang Mok Park (Y. Kim, advisor), 3:00 p.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Title:  Tissue Optics-Informed Hyperspectral Learning for Mobile Health.

Mon., Sept. 11:  Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Research Seminar Series, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom. Amber Mosley, Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Professor of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Director of the Center for Proteome Analysis will present “The Stress of Cellular Origami: Defining the Unfolded Protein Response with Thermal Proteome Profiling.” Zoom link: https://iu.zoom.us/s/87501979533

Wed., Sept. 13:  BME Research Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 2001 or via Zoom. Bomyi Lim, PhD, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, will present “Imaging Genetics: Dynamic Gene Control in Space and Time.”

Thurs., Sept. 14:  Seminars in Hearing Research, 12:00 noon, Nelson Hall, Room 1215. Professor Edward Bartlett (BioSci and BME) will present “Spatially-specific, closed-loop, infrared thalamocortical deep brain stimulation.”

Fri., Sept. 15:  Deadline to submit Reportable Outside Activities. Please find the attached memo from Provost Wolfe and VP Rollock of Ethics and Compliance on Reportable Outside Activities (ROA). Few key points:

1. All Reportable Outside Activities must be disclosed for the current fiscal year, which began July 1 and ends June 30, 2024. This can be done through logging in to the online reporting system or on the Employee Portal
2. An campus wide email will be sent to all faculty and exempt staff on August 28 requiring them to indicate their status of ROA.
3. All faculty and exempt staff within your unit must complete ROA report by September 15 with one of the following two options:

• Certify no Reportable Outside Activities, or
• Fill out the Reportable Outside Activities Form.

4. Those who fail to report or gain approval for Reportable Outside Activities are subject to discipline and/or penalties, including the possible impact on funding and more.
5. Pls convey the important of complying the ROA to your faculty and exempt staff.

Fri., Sept. 15:  Deadline to register as an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Reviewer. Serving as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) reviewer is a real opportunity to help shape the future of science.  The deadline to register interest in serving as a reviewer is September 15, 2023. We know that reviewing for GRFP is a significant commitment and are extremely grateful to all of our STEM colleagues who are able to serve as reviewers! If you are available, please complete your registration at https://nsfgrfpreviewers.org.

Please Note: All potential reviewers must register for the FY24 competition, regardless of previous review service.

If this is your first time registering as a potential reviewer for GRFP, please login or create an account at https://nsfgrfpreviewers.org.  

If you have registered in a previous year, you may login using your existing password. Should you need to reset your password, please visit https://nsfgrfpreviewers.org/login.jsp.  

Thank you in advance for your willingness to serve! We look forward to receiving your completed registration for the FY24 competition! If you have questions or need additional assistance, please email us at reviewers@nsfgrfp.org.

Please feel free to share this opportunity with your colleagues. GRFP is still recruiting reviewers in all STEM fields of study.  

Sincerely,

GRF Operations Center
reviewers@nsfgrfp.org
www.nsfgrfp.org

Sun., Sept. 17:  BME Professional Master’s Program Community Service Event, 1:00 p.m., Riehle Plaza, downtown Lafayette. BME PMP will be raising funds for the Hunger Hike this year. Proceeds will go to help fight hunger both in Greater Lafayette and in Haiti. If you would like to help support this cause, please use the link below.

Donation Link (choose Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Grad Programs)

You are also more than welcome to join our team and walk with us. If you are interested in joining our team, please use the directions below to sign-up.

To join the team/walk, text HHIKE37 to 71777. 

1. Create your own personal page

2. Join our team “Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Grad Programs”

Thanks for your consideration in supporting hunger and our PMP grad students.

MJIS Updates

Our semi-annual air handling shutdown is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, October 10^th. As a reminder: the entire building air handling system in MJIS will be turned off. ALL chemical hood activity, biosafety cabinet activity, autoclave work and activities in wet labs will need to STOP by 5 PM on Monday, October 9th. Any chemicals stored in the hoods will have to be sealed at that time. Signs will be posted on all hoods to remind users not to use the hoods Monday evening, and removed when the maintenance work is completed and normal operations can resume. Please plan ahead - DO NOT use chemicals in the lab areas that you would normally use in the hoods.

Graduate Committee and Grad Programs Update:

• As the semester gets underway, remember that graduate students enrolled in research will need to meet with their primary faculty mentors to set research expectations (see attached) for the semester and then the faculty member will need to alert the graduate school when these requirements are set for each RA you are mentoring.  These meetings are also a good time to review Student-Advisor Expectation Scales (see attached) as well as IDPs (individualized Development Plans - see links below) with each student you mentor to help them set goals for the semester and year ahead.
• BME IDP-Year 1
• BME IDP-Year 2
• BME IDP-Years 3+ 

https://engineering.purdue.edu/BME/Academics/Graduate/PhDMilestones/PhD_Milestone_Timeline_Fall_2022 Here is the milestone timeline if that is helpful.

• Second-year PhD students will need to begin preparations for completing their Preliminary Exam due at the end of the year two.  Guidelines and rubrics for the new processes for these exams are being refined by the Grad Committee and will be distributed later this fall to faculty and these students.
• The Grad Committee collected feedback from faculty and students last spring on the new processes for Qualifying Exams. The Committee is reviewing the feedback and making revisions to the processes and related documents based on the recommendations.
• The new Graduate Student Handbook for BME was completed, published on line and distributed to incoming grad students this summer thanks to the huge efforts of the Grad Programs Staff and Committee Chair, Mike Heinz.  This handbook is primarily for the newest students and their faculty mentors, but has information helpful to all graduate students.   Feedback on this version will be collected in the Spring from faculty and students and the Graduate School and an updated version will be created each summer.

Graduate Admissions Update

· Changes to admissions

o Guidance document to be distributed; see the attachment.

o Holistic evaluation, no consideration for race in any admission decision

· New “Academic” Statement of Purpose

o Professional and career goals

o Research interests

o Experiences

o Fit with school

· Includes Personal History Statement now

o How background and life experiences prepared candidate

o If academic records do not reflect your true capabilities explain circumstances

· Opportunities for students and faculty to attend and advertise at the following conferences

o October 26 – 28^th – Society of Women Engineers (SWE) National Conference – Los Angeles, CA

o November 1 - 5^th –Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Convention – Salt Lake City, UT

o March 20 – 24^th 2024 – National Society of Black Engineering (NSBE50) – Atlanta, GA

o Looking for faculty interested in serving in person or online on a faculty panel/workshop at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Conference

Antimicrobial Resistance Seminar Series - Purdue

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Institute for Drug Discovery want to invite you to join fellow scientists at Purdue for the launch of the inaugural Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Seminar series. According to the U.S> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur annually in the US, resulting in 35,000 deaths. Combating AMR requires multifaceted efforts both the healthcare and veterinary sectors. In response to this critical public health threat, scientists at Purdue are working together to increase awareness and discover solutions for advanced diagnostics, treatment, and prevention. Starting on September 13,the AMR Seminar Series will be held in person at the Lobby Conference Room at the Institute for Drug Discovery (from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.). Please let us know if you are interested in giving a talk for the series. Faculty, graduate students and postdocs who want to participate are welcome to present; please send names and email addresses to amr-purdue@purdue.edu A schedule will be coming soon.

Upcoming important deadlines and information

Thurs., Sept. 28: Campuswide PurdueALERT test, 10:00 a.m.  Purdue will test its PurdueALERT emergency notification system at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 28. The test will include the activation of the outdoor all-hazards sirens. The test will help the campus community know what the sirens sound like and what to do during a potential emergency. While the Sept. 28 test requires no action, it should serve as a reminder to review building emergency plans and the emergency procedures guide. More information is available on the Emergency Preparedness and Planning website.

Fri., Dec. 1:  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 Jackie Linnes, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue. Register and learn about upcoming seminars at healthtechquitylab.org/hcd-seminar

Fri., March 1:  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 Andrew Miller, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Hunan-Centered Computing, IUPUI. Register and learn about upcoming seminars at healthtechquitylab.org/hcd-seminar

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

BME PhD Defense Announcement for Sang Mok Park (Y. Kim, advisor), Mon., Sept. 11,  3:00 p.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Title:  Tissue Optics-Informed Hyperspectral Learning for Mobile Health.

Examining committee members: Dr. Young L. Kim, Chair, Dr. Craig J. Goergen, Dr. Jacqueline Linnes, Dr. George T. Chiu (ME)

Abstract:  Blood hemoglobin (Hgb) testing is a widely used clinical laboratory test for various patient care needs. However, conventional blood Hgb measurements involve invasive blood sampling, causing iatrogenic blood loss. Although noninvasive blood Hgb prediction methods are under development, their performance often does not align with clinical laboratory blood Hgb tests. Optical spectroscopy can provide reliable blood Hgb tests, but its diagnostic applications are limited by bulky optical components, high costs, and slow data acquisition. Mobile health (mHealth) colorimetric diagnostics have a potential for point-of-care blood Hgb testing. However, achieving diagnostic color accuracy is a complex matter, affected by device models, light conditions, and image file formats. To address these limitations, we propose biophysics-based algorithms that combine hyperspectral learning and spectroscopic gamut-informed learning for reliable mHealth blood Hgb quantification. The palpebral conjunctiva serves as an ideal peripheral tissue site, owing to its easy accessibility, relatively uniform microvasculature, and absence of skin pigmentation. First, hyperspectral learning reconstructs a high-resolution spectrum of the palpebral conjunctiva from red-green-blue values of a digital camera, eliminating the need for complex and costly optical instrumentation. Second, spectroscopic analyses of peripheral tissue establish a unique color gamut and design diagnostic reference colors highly sensitive to blood Hgb. Informed by tissue optics and machine vision, the Hgb gamut-based learning algorithm offers device/light/format-agnostic color recovery of the palpebral conjunctiva. This mHealth blood Hgb assessment exhibits comparable accuracy to capillary blood sampling tests over a wide range of blood Hgb values. Importantly, a single-shot photograph allows noninvasive, continuous, and real-time Hgb readings in resource-limited and at-home settings. Furthermore, our biophysics-based digital health approaches can lay the foundation for personalized medicine and facilitate the tempo of clinical translation.

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/4572570338

Wed., Sept. 13:  BME Research Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 2001 or via Zoom. Bomyi Lim, PhD, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, will present “Imaging Genetics: Dynamic Gene Control in Space and Time.”

Abstract: Proper gene control across space and time is crucial for the seamless execution of various cellular functions, as too much or too little gene expression in the wrong place or time leads to developmental defects and disease phenotypes. While the importance of gene regulation is well acknowledged, systematic characterization of dynamic gene control is lacking. What is the “normal” range of gene expression, and how does transcriptional kinetics play a role? We employ quantitative live imaging to examine the structure-function relationships of genome topology and gene activity and ultimately relate it to phenotypes. We first systematically varied the distance and orientation between an enhancer and the target promoter and analyzed the changes in transcriptional dynamics. To gain further insights into the kinetics of E-P interactions, we employed the trans-activation (transvection) assay and utilized the DNA and RNA labeling to measure the long-range E-P interaction kinetics and its relationship with transcription. Our study provides a comprehensive characterization of the E-P interaction dynamics required for transcription and normal development

Biography: Bomyi Lim obtained B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from University of Pennsylvania in 2010. Bomyi received her Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University in 2015. She worked as an NIH F32 postdoctoral fellow at the Lewis-Sigler Institute of Genomics at Princeton University between 2016-2017. In 2018, she joined University of Pennsylvania as an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The Lim lab focuses on characterizing the normal range of gene expression kinetics that ensures normal development, using a combination of genome editing, quantitative live imaging, and mathematical modeling. Bomyi received R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) for early-stage investigators in 2020 and the NSF CAREER award in 2021.

~ BME Host: David Umulis ~

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/96056162200

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

Thurs., Sept. 14:  Seminars in Hearing Research, 12:00 noon, Nelson Hall, Room 1215. Professor Edward Bartlett (BioSci and BME) will present “Spatially-specific, closed-loop, infrared thalamocortical deep brain stimulation.”

Abstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a powerful clinical tool for the treatment of circuit-based neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Electrical DBS is, however, limited by the spread of stimulus currents into tissue unrelated to treatment, potentially causing abhorrent patient side effects. In this work, we utilize infrared neural stimulation (INS), an optical neuromodulation technique which uses near to mid infrared light, to drive graded excitatory and inhibitory responses in nerves and neurons, to facilitate an optical and spatially constrained DBS paradigm. INS has been shown to provide spatially constrained responses in the cochlea and in cortical neurons. Unlike other optical techniques, INS does not require genetic modification of neural targets. In this study, we show that INS produces graded, biophysically relevant single-unit responses with robust information transfer in thalamocortical circuits. Importantly, we show that cortical spread of activation from thalamic INS produces more spatially constrained response profiles than conventional electrical stimulation. Owing to observed spatial precision, we used deep reinforcement learning to close the loop on thalamocortical INS, creating real time representations of stimulus-response dynamics while driving cortical neurons to precise firing patterns. Our data suggest that INS can serve as a spatially precise and for both open and closed-loop DBS. 

This year’s SHRP schedule is available here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule

Titles and abstracts of all SHRP talks are here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts

BME Weekly Research Seminars

Week #	Date	Speaker	Title	Host	Website
4	9/13/2023	Bomyi Lim	Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania	David Umulis	https://limlab.seas.upenn.edu
5	9/20/2023	Rainer Fischer	Research Professor Department of Comparative Pathobiology Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine	Young Kim	https://vet.purdue.edu/directory/person.php?id=1860
6	9/27/2023	Omer Inan	Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Chair Professor at Georgia Tech	Young Kim	https://irl.gatech.edu
7	10/4/2023	Alexander Chubykin	Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences Purdue University	Fang Huang	https://www.bio.purdue.edu/People/profile/achubyki.html
8	10/11/2023	Kyung Sung	Chief of Cellular and Tissue Therapy Branch, FDA	Young Kim	https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/biologics-research-projects/investigating-effects-cell-materials-interactions-safety-and-effectiveness-cell-based-products
9	10/18/2023	Alan Grodzinsky	Professor of Biological, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering Department of Biological Engineering, MIT	Deva Chan	https://be.mit.edu/directory/alan-j-grodzinsky
10	10/25/2023	Nian Wang	Assistant Professor of Radiology & Imaging Sciences, Indiana School of Medicine	Yunjie Tong	https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/48212/wang-nian
11	11/1/2023	Ben Gaston	Billie Lou Wood Professor of Pediatrics Indiana University School of Medicine	George Wodicka	https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/43800/gaston-benjamin
12	11/8/2023	Jean-Pierre Mobasser	Affiliate Clinical Faculty Indiana University	Young Kim	https://www.goodmancampbell.com/our-team/team-member/jean-pierre-mobasser-md
13	11/15/2023	Jane Grande- Allen	Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering, Rice University	Deva Chan	https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/k-jane-grande-allen
14	11/29/2023	Sarah Wiehe	Jean and Jerry Bepko Professor of Pediatrics Indiana University School of Medicine	George Wodicka	https://medicine.iu.edu/faculty/16722/wiehe-sarah
15	12/6/2023	Robbee Wedow	Assistant Professor of Sociology and Data Science, Purdue University Department of Sociology	David Umulis	https://www.robbeewedow.com/?_ga=2.88497945.389094989.1679581193-1816225309.1603576015

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

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR
THE 2023 INDIANA CTSI ANNUAL MEETING

PLEASE JOIN US ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2023!

Dear Indiana CTSI Colleagues,

As announced today in a communication to our Indiana CTSI newsletter subscribers, registration is open for this year's Indiana CTSI Annual Meeting to be held in-person, with virtual option, 2023 Indiana CTSI Annual Meeting on September 22, 2023.

As you know, this year's 2023 August M. Watanabe Prize in Translational Research Awardee, Huda Y. Zoghbi, MD, is our keynote speaker. Dr. Zoghbiis a Distinguished Service Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital and an investigator with Howard Hughes Medicine Institute.  

In honor of this year’s Watanabe Awardee, Dr. Zoghbi, our annual meeting theme will focus on translational neuroscience. Thus we will be showcasing the Indiana CTSI’s cutting-edge research in neuroscience and related topics from across all our campuses. Importantly, as part of the day's agenda, we responded to your feedback and have dedicated a separate poster session along with more opportunities for networking and building collaborations. Our complete program is being finalized so please view the website to stay informed.  

We are accepting submissions for in-person poster presentations. Research topics across the translational spectrum are welcome. Come showcase your research that is making a difference! The deadline for submitting poster presentation applications is 5:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, August 9th. More information is available via the registration link above – please note that you must register first in order to receive poster submission details.

We look forward to seeing you on September 22 as we highlight the great work and people of the Indiana CTSI, and celebrate our efforts to advance health research in Indiana and beyond.

Please register now and encourage others to do so!

Sarah and Sharon
Co-directors, Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute
ictsi@iupui.edu

Attachments

Student-Advisor Expectation Scales

BME_Graduate_Research_Credit_Expectations_Form_Fa22

Admissions Guidance Aug 2023 FINAL

WGHI Symposium

Reportable Outside Activities Memo