BME MONDAY ROUNDTABLE

JANUARY 9, 2023

 

HEADS NOTE

Welcome back students and happy start to 2023!  We are resuming our Wednesday morning seminar series and this week we have an interesting talk that couples simulation and cardiovascular research.  Faculty- I want to highlight the first important date on our list- the deadline to submit SURF project proposals.  This semester we are also starting a new era for Purdue University with President Mung Chiang and Provost Patrick Wolfe both starting their tenure.  With this change, and building from the momentum we’ve established in Indianapolis, I’ve agreed to take on a new role as SVP for Purdue in Indianapolis.  This was an exceptionally challenging decision to make and for further details, I refer you to the Thursday special roundtable sent out last week from Provost Patrick Wolfe and me.  Reminder to faculty- we will have faculty meeting this upcoming Friday and I look forward to seeing you there!  Best regards, David Umulis

 

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

 

Week of January 9

Mon., Jan. 9: Deadline to submit Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project proposal. The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program is now accepting project proposals from faculty for the 2023 program. Purdue faculty may post a research project on the EURO website now through Jan. 9 and select a student from the pool of applicants between Jan. 9 and Feb. 15 when the student application portal opens. Final selections should be made no later than March 1. SURF is an opportunity for undergraduates to gain research experience under the guidance of a Purdue professor. The program is open to students enrolled at U.S. institutions in a baccalaureate degree program. For more information, contact John Howarter, Engineering Undergraduate Research Office (EURO) director and associate professor of materials engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, at howarter@purdue.edu.

Mon., Jan. 9: 2023 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) Call for Abstracts opens  and closes 19 February 2023. We WILL NOT accept abstract submissions after 19 February, so please plan accordingly. The MHSRS is the Department of Defense's premier scientific meeting. It provides a collaborative environment for military medical care providers with deployment experience, DoD scientists, academia, and industry to meet and exchange information on the unique medical needs of the Warfighter.Go to the MHSRS website (https://mhsrs.health.mil) to review the titles and descriptions of the 2023 scientific breakout sessions, to submit an abstract, and to access Frequently Asked Questions concerning the Call for Abstracts process. (Note from Young Kim: DoD medical research grant applications often require to include military medical personnel as a team member.  This is an excellent conference to be connected and meet with program officers.

Wed., Jan. 11: Spring 2023 BME Seminar, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Dr. Michael Sacks, W. A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Simulation-Based Engineering Sciences, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UT Austin will present “New trends in mitral valve modeling.”

Thurs., Jan. 12:  Seminars in Hearing Research, 10:30 a.m., LYLE 1150 and via Zoom. Alexander L. Francis, Professor of SLHS will present “Preliminary findings from a study relating the effects of hearing loss and listening conditions on postural sway to fall risk in older adults.” Zoom link: https:// https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/4326340458 Meeting ID: 432 634 0458.

 

Upcoming important deadlines and info.

Wed., Jan. 18: BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Alexa Petrucciani (E. Pienaar, advisor), 8:00 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Title of presentation: Agent-Based Modeling of Cell Culture Granuloma Models: Separating the Impact of Dimension, Collagen, and Non-Immune Cells

Wed., Jan. 18: Prospective BME Faculty Seminar, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Jacob Rosenstein, Associate Professor of Engineering, Brown University

Wed., Jan. 25: Prospective BME Faculty Seminar, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Sunghee (Estelle) Park, PhD Candidate and CEMB Fellow, Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania will present “Engineering Stem Cells and Organoids on a Chip.”

Wed., Feb. 1:  Prospective BME Faculty Seminar, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Wei Ouyang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Bioelectronics, Northwestern University

Wed., Feb. 8: Prospective BME Faculty Seminar, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Yiyang Gong, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University will present “Traditional and computational development of fluorescence imaging tools for neuroscience”

Fri., Feb. 17:  Clinical and Translational Sciences (CTSI) Winter Retreat, 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Purdue University West Lafayette campus. Agenda includes:

·      Introduction from Indiana CTSI

·      Keynote vision on women's health research

·      Discussion panels including topics on:

o    Maternal and child health

o    Obesity and chronic diseases

o    Neurodegenerative disorder and aging

o    Women's health in rural areas

Full agenda and registration links will be sent out via email in January 2023. This event is sponsored by the Purdue University Women’s Global Health Institute and the Indiana CTSI.

 

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

 

Graduate Office Update

 

Spring 2023 BME Seminar Schedule (Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001). Full schedule below.

 

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

 

 

Graduate Admissions Update

 

Fall 2022 (Fall 2023 Admit Term) BME Graduate Admissions

DateDATE

Activity

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

 

 

BME Faculty Search Update

 

The Faculty Search Committee has invited four faculty candidates to campus for interviews. If you are interested in meeting with any of the candidates, please contact Jo Gelfand (jo@purdue.edu). All candidates will give a research seminar in MJIS 1001 at 9:30 a.m. on the Wednesday of their visit.

Jan. 18-19 – Jacob Rosenstein, Associate Professor of Engineering, Brown University

Jan. 25-26 – Sunghee Estelle Park, PhD Candidate and CEMB Fellow, Bioengineering, Univ. of PA

Feb. 1-2 – Wei Ouyang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Bioelectronics, Northwestern Univ.

Feb. 8-9 – Yiyang Gong, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke Univ.

 

 

Resources, attachments, further information

 

Spring 2023 BME Seminar, Wed., Jan. 11, 9:30 a.m., MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Dr. Michael Sacks, W. A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Simulation-Based Engineering Sciences, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UT Austin will present “New trends in mitral valve modeling.”

Abstract: Mitral valve regurgitation (MR) is a highly prevalent and deadly disease characterized by the inability of the mitral valve (MV) leaflets to properly coapt, permitting backflow of blood into the left atrium. While the gold standard for treating MR has been surgical repair utilizing undersized ring annuloplasty (URA), but 30% of URA patients experience significant recurrence at 12 months. Recently-developed transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) techniques, such as the MitraClip are a promising alternative, but clinical trials comparing MR treatment strategies have reported highly contradictory results, largely driven by the heterogeneity of the patient cohorts. Furthermore, the impact of TEER on MV functional behavior, the effects of different clip configurations, and the long-term outcomes of this novel procedure remain almost completely unknown. Though numerous potential prognostic factors of TEER success have been proposed, their practical utility has yet to be demonstrated. Clearly, there is an urgent, unmet need for quantitative, patient-specific approaches to MR treatment due to the vast heterogeneity in the MR patient population, and computational repair optimization is a critical step towards this goal.

We and others have previously demonstrated that the MV undergoes substantial changes in multiscale-level growth and remodeling as a direct consequence of myocardial infarction and subsequent ischemic MR, and that changes in mechanical loading caused by surgical repair significantly alter the biosynthetic state of the MV. Moreover, we have shown that pre-surgical MV deformation is correlated with and can be a predictive indicator of recurrence in URA patients with IMR. We hypothesize that the patient specific MV pre-operative functional state in MR patients can be used to predict long-term TEER outcomes, and that this relationship can be elucidated using readily available clinical imaging data and our state-of-the-art MV computational models. The novel insights provided by this study will be used to develop a precise MR treatment guidance to direct subject-specific patient stratification, which is critical for personalizing and optimizing patient outcomes.

Biography: Professor Sacks is a world authority on cardiovascular modeling and simulation, particularly on developing patient-specific, simulation-based approaches for the understanding and treatment of heart and heart valve diseases. His research is based on multi-scale modeling, quantification, and simulation of the biophysical behavior of the constituent cells and tissues and translation to the organ level in health, disease, and treatment. For example, he has developed novel non-invasive methods to quantify pre- and post-surgical state of the mitral valve from pre-surgical clinical images. He has determined the how local stress environments of heart valve interstitial cells alter their biosynthetic responses in the context of altered heart and valvular organ-level responses. His research also includes developing novel cardiac models to simulate growth and remodeling of the myocardium in pulmonary hypertension, the first full 3D approach for left ventricular myocardium mechanical behavior. Dr. Sacks is also active in modeling replacement heart valve materials and in understanding the in-vivo remodeling processes.

~BME Host: Craig Goergen~

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

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95558098080

 

Seminars in Hearing Research, Thurs., Jan. 12:  10:30 a.m., LYLE 1150 and via Zoom. Alexander L. Francis, Professor of SLHS will present “Preliminary findings from a study relating the effects of hearing loss and listening conditions on postural sway to fall risk in older adults.” Zoom link: https:// https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/4326340458 Meeting ID: 432 634 0458.

Abstract: Hearing loss is associated with increased fall risk in older adults, but multiple mechanisms have been proposed to account for this. Hearing loss may reduce spatial awareness and/or increase cognitive load, both of which may increase fall risk but may be ameliorated by hearing aid use. Here we present preliminary results from an in-progress study comparing fall incidence in daily life with postural sway measured under various listening conditions in older adults with and without hearing aids. Seventeen adults aged 65 to 81 years (7 using bilateral hearing aids, 10 without) stood with feet together and eyes closed, listening to noise vocoded speech (4, 8, 16 channels) and spatially distributed environmental sounds (silence, 1, 3 sources) for 1 minute per condition while postural sway was recorded in the lab. Participants subsequently reported daily near-falls and falls for 4 months. Results suggest hearing aid users show less postural sway, potentially indicating greater rigidity which has been associated with greater fall risk. However, near-fall incidence was lower for hearing aid users. Further analyses showed higher near-fall rates associated with higher auditory thresholds, but hearing aid use may mitigate this trend. We are currently collecting more data with a wider variety of participants.   

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

 

BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Alexa Petrucciani (E. Pienaar, advisor), Wed., Jan. 18, 8:00 a.m., MJIS 2001 and via Zoom. Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 8:00am. Title of presentation: Agent-Based Modeling of Cell Culture Granuloma Models: Separating the Impact of Dimension, Collagen, and Non-Immune Cells

Thesis Committee: Dr. Elsje Pienaar - Major Professor; Dr. Tamara Kinzer-Ursem, Dr. Nan Kong, Dr. Nelita du Plessis, Dr. Bradley Allen

Abstract: 

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global public health crisis, causing over 10 million new infections and 1.6 million deaths in 2021 alone. TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which is spread via respiratory droplets. After inhalation, the bacteria initiate heterogeneous pathology in the lungs, including granulomas and cavities. Granulomas are organized structures of immune cells, traditionally though to contain the bacteria, and cavities are pathological spaces are caused by the destruction of extracellular matrix (ECM), which can worsen disease outcomes and cause long-lasting pulmonary impairment. In vitro methods are commonly used to study host-pathogen interactions in Mtb infection, and recent developments have led to more advanced models that represent the TB granuloma environment more closely than the traditional cell culture counterparts. These advances include the development of 3D models, the inclusion of physiological ECM components like collagen, and the co-culturing of immune cells with neighboring nonimmune cells. Increasing complexity has been accomplished in a piece-wise manner – minimally necessary components are included to minimize cost while maintaining throughput and tractability. This creates a need for tools to analyze these systems and, more importantly, integrate the independent data created. We propose using agent-based modeling of in vitro Mtb infection models to separate out the contributions of dimension, collagen, and neighboring cells to clinically relevant outputs: bacterial load and ECM destruction. The model can provide insights into the role of granuloma structure, elucidate the emergence of cavities, predict drug targets, and generate and test hypotheses in tandem with in vitro models.

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/9607220370

 

Prospective BME Faculty Seminar, Wed., Jan. 25, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Sunghee (Estelle) Park, PhD Candidate and CEMB Fellow, Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania will present “Engineering Stem Cells and Organoids on a Chip.”

Abstract: Organ development is a complex process that involves highly coordinated, dynamic changes in the structural organization and mechanical environment of developing tissues. Recent advances in our understanding of stem cells have led to the development of human adult stem cell or pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids that follow the developmental trajectories of living human organs in vitro and create multicellular tissue constructs that recapitulate the key structural and functional aspects of human organs with greater biological and cellular complexity. In parallel, organ-on-a-chip technology allows us to engineer human organ-like tissue constructs by enabling precise control over their culture conditions and microenvironment. Inspired by the potential of combining these two approaches, we are interested in creating microfabricated devices and developing stem cell-based tissue engineering approaches to investigate the biochemical and biomechanical cues that are responsible for guiding organoid growth and maturation. I will discuss how we synergistically combine organoids and organ-on-a-chip technology, so called organoids-on-a-chip, to create in vitro replicas of living human organs with unprecedented levels of maturity and complexity. Using these platforms, I will also describe efforts to uncover the critical roles of different biophysical mechanisms in fetal lung development.   

Bio: Estelle Park is a PhD candidate in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on using engineered tissues and organoid models to understand how biomechanical and biochemical cues direct stem cell differentiation, maturation, and function during development and disease progression, with a particular emphasis on the lung and intestine. Her research is best known for growing stem cell-derived organoids in physiologically relevant microenvironments through microengineered organ-chip devices to study tissue morphogenesis and identify biomarkers in diseases of the intestine and lung. When she’s not thinking about her research, Estelle enjoys walking her dog, planning her next hike, or trying out new restaurants.

~BME Host: Hugh Lee~

 

Prospective BME Faculty Seminar, Wed., Feb. 8, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001 and via Zoom. Yiyang Gong, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University will present “Traditional and computational development of fluorescence imaging tools for neuroscience”

Abstract: Modern basic research in neuroscience aims to dissect neural activity from genetically identifiable neuron populations within dense neural circuits. Such research has relied increasingly on tools that perform optical imaging and optical stimulation. In this area, my lab develops a diverse toolbox that employs multiple engineering disciplines simultaneously. In this talk, I will highlight our recent gains in protein engineering, optical microscopy, and data analysis. The protein tools will attempt to enable multi-channel optical experiments by increasing spectral separation between fluorescent protein sensors and actuators. The microscopy tools will attempt to support fast volumetric imaging experiments that accurately capture neural activity. The data analysis tools will attempt to find neurons and calculate their neural activity from the large datasets resulting from optical imaging experiments quickly and accurately. Lastly, this talk will touch on the future of the protein engineering pipeline seen through the lens of protein tools in neuroscience.

Bio: Yiyang Gong obtained his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He then obtained his M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, training with Prof. Jelena Vuckovic on plasmonic and photonic crystal optical devices. He trained with Prof. Mark Schnitzer at Stanford University as a postdoc in Biology, developing genetically encoded voltage sensors that are advancing the current generation of neuroscience experiments. His current work focuses on imaging neural activity with a combination of engineered protein sensors, optical microscopes, and computational algorithms. His work has been supported by the Beckman Young Investigator Award, the BRAIN initiative, NIH New Innovator Award, NSF CAREER Award, Sloan Fellowship, and Vallee Young Investigator Award.

~BME Host: Hugh Lee~

 

 

Spring 2023 BME Seminar Schedule (Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. in MJIS 1001)

 

Week

 

Date

Speaker

Host

 

Week 1

1/11/2023

Dr. Michael Sacks

W. A. “Tex” Moncrief, Jr. Chair in Simulation-Based Engineering Sciences, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UT Austin

Dr. Craig Goergen

Week 2

1/18/2023

BME Faculty candidate

Dr. Jacob K. Rosenstein, Associate Professor of Engineering, Brown University

Dr. Hugh Lee

 

Week 3

1/25/2023

Faculty candidate

Sunghee Estelle Park, PhD Candidate and CEMB Fellow, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Hugh Lee

 

Week 4

2/1/2023

Faculty candidate

Dr. Wei Ouyang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Bioelectronics, Northwestern University

Dr. Hugh Lee

 

Week 5

2/8/2023

Faculty candidate

Dr. Yiyang Gong, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University

Dr. Hugh Lee

 

Week 6

2/15/2023

Dr. Ken Yoshida

Professor of BME at IUPUI

Dr. Young Kim

Week 7

2/22/2023

Dr. Rita Patel

Associate Professor, Speech & Hearing Sciences + Associate Professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at IUSM

Dr. Young Kim

Week 8

3/1/2023

Dr. Joey Wallace

Chair and Professor of BME at IUPUI

Dr. Young Kim

Week 9

3/8/2023

Dr. Hubert Lim

Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Otolaryngology, Institute for Translational Neuroscience Scholar, University of Minnesota

Dr. Hugh Lee

Week 10

3/22/2023

Dr. Daniel DiLorenzo, Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences, Loma Linda University; Attending Neurosurgeon, Loma Linda VA Medical Center; President Barinetics Corporation

Dr. Matthew Ward

Week 11

3/29/2023

Dr. Nimmi Ramanujam

Robert W. Carr Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology and Cell Biology, Director of The Center for Global Women's Health Technologies, Duke University

Dr. Jackie Linnes

Week 12

4/5/2023

Dr. Junhong Chen

Crown Family Professor of Molecular Engineering and Lead Water Strategist at Argonne National Laboratory

Dr. Chi Hwan Lee

Week 13

4/12/2023

Dr. Chien-Chi Lin

Thomas J. Linnemeier Guidant Foundation Endowed Chair & Professor of BME at IUPUI

Dr. Young Kim

Week 14

4/19/2023

Dr. Rachel Surowiec

Assistant Professor of BME at IUPUI

Dr. Young Kim

Week 15

4/26/2023

Dr. James Moon

J. G. Searle Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor, Biomedical Engineering at Michigan

Dr. Chi Hwan Lee

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