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COMPUTING A HEALTHIER MOLECULAR A publication of the 8 FUTURE 18 JIGSAW PUZZLE J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of at the University of Florida

DEAN, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING CONTENTS Cammy Abernathy DEPARTMENT CHAIR 2 WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR 14 HAVING AN IMPACT ON Christine E. Schmidt Dr. Christine Schmidt PATIENT CARE EDITOR Dr. Aysegul Gunduz, Dr. Huabei Jiang Sommer Green 4 BME FACULTY SNAPSHOT 16 STUDENT ENDEAVORS EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS 6 PRUITT HISTORICAL Rebecca Burton MARKER EVENT 20 GRADUATE STUDENT FEATURE Laura Mize Evelyn Bracho-Sanchez Michael Stone 7 NEWS & NOTABLES CONTRIBUTING

21 ALUMNI FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS 7 DISTINGUISHED LEADERSHIP Dr. Justin Sanchez Bernard Brzezinski SEMINAR SERIES Thinkstock.com 22 BME GIFTS 12 UF PREEMINENCE BioD and the Leo Claire & Robert COVER ILLUSTRATION & NEW FACULTY Adenbaum Foundation & DESIGN University Relations Dr. Kevin Otto, Dr. Cherie Stabler, Creative Services Dr. Lin Yang

UF BME Faculty Snapshot AYSEGUL GUNDUZ BRANDI K. ORMEROD Assistant Professor Associate Professor Ph.D., University of Florida Ph.D., University of British Columbia Human neuroscience, neuroprostheses Engineered stem cell and immunomodulatory and neurorehabilitation. strategies for brain repair and aging studies. KYLE D. ALLEN RANGANATHA SITARAM Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Ph.D., Rice University Ph.D., University of Tuebingen Novel strategies to diagnose and treat Neuroscience and neuroimaging, degenerative joint diseases. brain-computer interfaces and neurofeedback, and connectomics. DAVID E. HINTENLANG KEVIN J. OTTO Associate Professor Associate Professor Ph.D., Brown University Ph.D., Arizona State University Real-time characterization and optimization of Neural engineering, device-tissue interfaces radiation dosimetry for therapy and imaging. and neurostimulation. WESLEY E. BOLCH CHERIE STABLER Professor and Associate Dean Associate Professor for Academic Affairs & Graduate Coordinator Ph.D., University of Florida Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Dosimetry, computational medical Biomaterials, cell encapsulation, regenerative physics and dose assessment. medicine, controlled release systems and GREGORY HUDALLA PARISA RASHIDI diabetes. Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Ph.D., Washington State University Nanomaterials engineered to direct immune Machine learning, data mining, big data, responses for disease prophylaxis, implants biomedical informatics, pervasive health and immunotherapies. and gerontechnology. MINGZHOU DING HANS VAN OOSTROM J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor Associate Professor UF Research Foundation Professor & Associate Chair Ph.D., University of Maryland Ph.D., Eindhoven University of Technology Cognitive neuroscience, multivariate Human physiologic simulation to enhance signal processing and multimodal noninvasive patient monitoring and neural imaging. HUABEI JIANG CARLOS RINALDI education. J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor Professor Ph.D., Dartmouth College Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Optical, fluorescence and photoacoustic , cancer , tomography and microscopy. magnetic nanoparticles and transport phenomena. JON P. DOBSON BRUCE C. WHEELER Professor Professor Emeritus Ph.D., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Ph.D., Cornell University ETH-Zurich Brain-on-a-chip, micropatterning neurons Magnetic micro- and nanoparticle-based and microelectrode arrays and neural signal biomedical applications. processing. BENJAMIN G. KESELOWSKY CHRISTINE E. SCHMIDT Associate Professor J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor UF Research Foundation Professor & Department Chair Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Ph.D., University of Illinois Biomaterials and controlled release systems Biomaterials for neural tissue regeneration for vaccines, immunotherapies and implants. and neural interfacing. DAVID R. GILLAND LIN YANG Associate Professor Associate Professor & Undergraduate Coordinator Ph.D., Rutgers University Ph.D., University of North Carolina Imaging informatics, biomedical image analysis, Molecular imaging, instrumentation machine learning, computer vision and and algorithm development using computer aided diagnosis. PET and SPECT. PETER MCFETRIDGE BLANKA SHARMA Associate Professor Assistant Professor Ph.D., University of Bath Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Naturally inspired biomaterials for Nanomedicine, stem cells, biomaterials, biologically functional implants and tissue engineering and targeted drug/gene organ regeneration. delivery.

4 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 5 Left: Members of the Pruitt family unveiling the new historical marker News & Notables Distinguished Leadership Below: Dr. Pruitt Sr.’s daughters, Natalie Judge and Helen Wallace Seminar Series: 2014-2015

10/06/2014 MAJOR FACULTY AWARDS Dr. Michael L. Shuler, James and Marsha McCormick > Dr. Wesley Bolch appointed to U.S. delegation to United Nations Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Samuel Scientific Committee on Effects of Atomic Radiation Eckert Professor of Chemical Engineering, Cornell University “Body-on-a-Chip”: A New Approach to Drug Development > Dr. Jon Dobson elected AIMBE Fellow > Dr. Aysegul Gunduz received IAMBE Early Career Award 11/10/2014 Dr. David Hintenlang elected Fellow of the American Association of Dr. Maryellen L. Giger, A.N. Pritzker Professor of > Radiology, University of Chicago Physicists in Medicine Deciphering Breast Cancer with Imaging, Genomics, and Big Data > Dr. Gregory Hudalla received NSF CAREER Award > Dr. Benjamin Keselowsky named UF Research Foundation Professor 11/17/2014 Dr. Hans van Oostrom selected as College of Engineering and > Dr. W. Mark Saltzman, Goizueta Foundation Professor University of Florida Faculty Adviser/Mentor of the Year of Biomedical, Chemical and Environmental Engineering & > Dr. Christine Schmidt elected Chair of AIMBE’s College of Fellows Physiology, Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science Highly penetrative nanocarriers loaded with drugs targeted to > Dr. Blanka Sharma featured on cover of ASEE’s Prism magazine resistant cells improve treatment of brain tumors > Dr. Bruce Wheeler elected IAMBE Fellow 01/12/2015 Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, University Professor, Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of KEY RESEARCH ADVANCES & INNOVATION Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Dr. Aysegul Gunduz’s lab highlighted in CNN’s Vital Signs with Dr. Engineering, University of Connecticut > Regenerative Engineering: The Launch of a Next Generation Field BME HONORS NAMESAKE Sanjay Gupta > Dr. Aysegul Gunduz and UF neuroengineering team awarded up to 02/23/2015 $5.4M from DARPA for neuroprosthetics research Dr. Andrés J. Garcia, Neely Chair and Regents’ Professor WITH HISTORICAL MARKER of , Georgia Institute of Technology > Dr. Gregory Hudalla’s article published in Nature Materials BioArtificial Materials and Mechanobiology Technologies for Regenerative Medicine The J. Crayton Pruitt Family The plaque’s inscription reads: > Dr. Huabei Jiang authored book on Photoacoustic Tomography Department of Biomedical > Dr. Benjamin Keselowsky awarded $1.5M NIH R01 grant as PI for 03/30/2015 Engineering at the University of “Biomaterial Delivery System for Type 1 Diabetes Vaccine” Dr. Metin Akay, Founding Chair and John S. Dunn Florida is made possible by the > Dr. Parisa Rashidi awarded $1.9M NIH R01 grant as Co-I for “Finding Endowed Chair Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, J. Crayton Pruitt Sr. was a visionary leader and inspiration to all who University of Houston vision and generosity of Dr. J. Good TEMporal PostOperative pain Signatures” knew him. An accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon, researcher, inventor Engineering High-Throughput 3D Platform for Targeting Crayton Pruitt and his family. This > Dr. Carlos Rinaldi invited to speak at Gordon Research Conference Gliablastome Multiforme Vasculature and Molecular Profiling and philanthropist, Dr. Pruitt had a lasting influence over innumerable on Cancer Nanotechnology fall the department honored and lives in his 80 years. Born on November 23, 1931, in Jefferson, South recognized this generosity during > Dr. Blanka Sharma received National Academies Keck Futures Initiative grant Upcoming Speakers the third annual Pruitt Research Day, Carolina, he built a thriving private surgical practice in St. Petersburg, Florida. > Dr. Cherie Stabler awarded $4.9M NIH UC4 grant as PI for an event held in celebration of the “Engineering a Human Physiomimetic Islet Microsystem” 09/14/2015 research being conducted in the BME Dr. Kristi S. Anseth, Distinguished Professor, Tisone He devoted his career to the prevention of strokes. His father suffered > Dr. Lin Yang awarded $1.5 M NIH R01 grant as PI for “Development Professor, Associate Professor of Surgery, and Howard Hughes community. and Dissemination of MuscleMiner: An Imaging Informatics Tool” Medical Institute Investigator, University of Colorado Boulder a debilitating series of strokes beginning mid-life, which motivated Dr. Pruitt to research and create improved surgical technology. In the late In addition to a successful day of 09/21/2015 talks and poster presentations, the 1970s, Dr. Pruitt co-invented the Pruitt-Inahara Carotid Shunt, one of the STUDENT AWARDS Dr. Jennifer L. West, Fitzpatrick Family University Professor of Engineering, Duke University department held a special ceremony most widely used shunts of its kind for many decades. He also pioneered > Evelyn Bracho-Sanchez voted President-Elect for the Society of Biomaterials National Student Chapter for the unveiling of the Pruitt the surgical treatment of carotid artery arteriosclerosis for stroke Historical Marker. UF Provost and > Aniruddh Ravindran selected as 2015 Engineering M.S. Scholar prevention. At the time of his death in 2011, he had performed more of 10/26/2015 > Izabella Lipnharski won two 1st place awards at 2015 AAPM Spring Senior VP for Academic Affairs Dr. these procedures than any other surgeon in the nation. Dr. Rashid Bashir, Abel Bliss Professor of Engineering Joe Glover presented the Pruitt Clinical Meeting and Bioengineering Department Head, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign family with the university’s first-ever In 1995, Dr. Pruitt received a heart transplant at UF Health Shands > Four students awarded Health Physics Society Fellowships “Preeminence Award” to thank them Hospital. The experience left Dr. Pruitt and his family with a profound • Michael Hermansen • Emily Marshall 01/11/2016 for their continued support. appreciation for biomedical engineering. They expressed their gratitude • Heather Petroccia • Michelle Sands Dr. Matthew O’Donnell, Frank and Julie Jungers Dean Emeritus, College of Engineering and Professor, Department of through multiple gifts to the biomedical engineering graduate program This marker sits near the entrance Bioengineering, University of Washington of the Biomedical Sciences Building, at UF’s College of Engineering, and University leaders created the first- RANKINGS home to the BME department as a ever named department at UF: the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of > University of Florida ranked 14th among public universities by U.S. 02/15/2016 News & World Report reminder of Dr. Pruitt and his family’s Biomedical Engineering. The University of Florida Dr. Dominique M. Durand, EL Lindseth Professor of UF BME Graduate Program ranked 22nd among public universities by Biomedical Engineering and Director, Neural Engineering Center, is grateful to the Pruitt family for its generosity and foresight. > influence. U.S. News & World Report Case Western Reserve University > UF BME ranked 10th by GraduatePrograms.com student reviews 6 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 7 Computing a Biomedical Informatics Healthier Future Rising at UF

A Star Trek-like device that can monitor and diagnose your health while you’re on the go…

A prescription that truly factors in “you” (your medical records, genetics, behavior, and community) when choosing the right medicine and dosage…

A supercomputer, much like IBM’s Watson of Jeopardy! fame, able to easily absorb the often- overwhelming inflow of new medical research while offering invaluable advice to doctors in their decision making… These are the medical advancements Dr. Parisa Rashidi envisions for biomedical informatics in the next decade or so, and the University of Florida is making headway in its focus on the rising field, adding faculty members, including Rashidi, and planning the launch of a certificate program in the fall.

BY MICHAEL STONE 8 / CrossLink “I am feeling lucky to be involved in Another hire as part “I can do all of the data analysis. I the biomedical informatics field at can find all these interesting patterns this time,” she says. “This means I of UF’s Informatics in data,” she says. “We need to talk can use my knowledge of computer to doctors to say, ‘OK, these are the science and machine learning in initiative, Dr. William patterns that we see, but do they have practical applications and hopefully any meaning to you?’” Hogan was recruited to be able to make a change in people’s lives.” For an example, Rashidi points to UF in June 2014 by the a study she’s working on with two Though the definition varies Department of Health other researchers at UF that looks from source to source, biomedical at post-surgery pain in more than informatics’ overarching aim is to Outcomes and Policy 250,000 patients. turn sometimes vast amounts of data and knowledge about medicine and (HOP) in the College By gathering data on patients’ personal health, from an individual’s pain levels and what’s causing the DNA sequences to whole populations, of Medicine. pain — as well as adding in factors into meaningful health care solutions. such as the type of surgery, patient demographics and previous medical Formerly chief of the The field is indeed a complex one, the problems — the research could help University of Arkansas Medical product of interdisciplinary efforts in prescribing more accurate dosages Sciences’ Division of Biomedical from computer scientists, doctors and of pain medication, Rashidi says. Informatics, Hogan serves as engineers, says Rashidi, an assistant Dr. Rashidi’s lab works with facial expression recognition programs to detect and measure pain in clinical settings. UF Clinical and Translational professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt “Taking such factors into Science Institute’s director of Family Department of Biomedical consideration moves pain from Biomedical Informatics says the Like those found in smart phones, While many universities date the biomedical informatics, and Engineering. what has been considered a static discipline “has been an ‘emerging today’s sensors are capable of roots of their biomedical informatics he’s organizing the 15-credit classification to a dynamic one,” she field’ for decades. Concern about tracking a great deal about people, departments back many decades, “It’s not like an individual project that graduate certificate in the adds. medical information and the desire such as their movements and their Rashidi says many of the programs we are working on in isolation,” she field that’s set to launch this to computerize health care are hardly exposure to light. have started in the past five years. “The problem is nobody knows says. “It’s usually a collaborative type fall. In anticipation of the new.” of project.” launch, Hogan has made three what the dosage is that should be The problem in the past, Rashidi says, UF is set to launch its own graduate more biomedical informatics prescribed,” Rashidi says. “This would For Rashidi, the timeline comes was that data could be collected only certificate this fall, and Dr. William Rashidi graduated with her Ph.D. hires himself for the HOP be more personalized medicine as down to title and technology — what for the few hours a participant was Hogan, UF’s director of biomedical in computer science in 2011 from department. opposed to blanket prescribing for you want to call the intersection in a lab. But sensors can now stay informatics, says classes taught Washington State University. She the general population because what of medical data and technology, with the participant around the clock, by Rashidi and Yang could count taught at Northwestern University’s works for you might not work for me. and what inventions opened the and computers are able to process as electives for students in the Feinberg School of Medicine for a And the whole goal is to make it more floodgates. everything the sensors detect, she certificate program. year before coming to UF in 2013. personalized.” adds. “It has been around,” she says, With the already-made hires and The BME department has made one Rashidi’s first experience with “but with very different names. It Still, the technology has some others likely for his and other other recent hire with a specialization biomedical informatics occurred wasn’t perfect. It was more like a toy room to expand. For instance, departments, Hogan’s aim is to in biomedical informatics: Dr. Lin during her time at Washington State. compared to what we have these electroencephalography (EEG) eventually turn the certificate into a Yang, who graduated with his Ph.D. Smart-home-technology sensors were days.” machines, used to measure brain full 30-credit master’s program. in 2009 from Rutgers University’s used to monitor the daily activities of activity, are often bulky and Department of Electrical and dementia patients so their caregivers unreliable, Rashidi says. “So not all “Nationwide, there is a critical . He was an could see how they’re performing and Rashidi explains that the measures are there yet, but we’ve shortage of informatics-trained professionals. Florida is no exception,” assistant professor at Rutgers for where they most need help. today’s version of biomedical come a long way.” two years and at the University of What to Research? Hogan says. “The launch of the Kentucky for three before coming Then Into Now informatics owes much to Another limitation: Much of the graduate certificate represents the research has not yet translated first step in developing advanced to UF in 2014. Dr. Yang specializes Rashidi describes biomedical two primary developments: in imaging informatics, which informatics as a “back-and-forth Some trace biomedical informatics into health care policies. “We have degrees, including a master’s complements Dr. Rashidi’s expertise process” in which doctors outline a back a half century or more, while high-tech sensors and had research activities,” Rashidi degree, to address this shortage.” in clinical and health informatics. health care problem with researchers others consider it relatively fresh. computers that can navigate says, “but in terms of being actually in other fields, who later return with implemented (in the health care data collections. The 2009 paper “What is biomedical mass quantities of data. system), I think it’s going to take a informatics?” in the Journal of while.”

10 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 11 “UF’s Department of Biomedical Michigan, Ann Arbor, where his work Biomedical Engineering Program. Engineering has the strategic focused on cochlear implants. Before She receives funding support from a advantage of being one of only a joining UF he was associate professor variety of sources, including the NIH handful of biomedical engineering in the Department of Biological and the Juvenile Diabetes Research departments nationally that is Sciences and Biomedical Engineering Foundation. She was also awarded located adjacent to a top-ranked at . the 2008 NIH NIDDK Type 1 Diabetes academic health science center,” Pathfinder DP2 Award. Fuchs says. “The department Dr. Cherie Stabler joined the Dr. Lin Yang joined the department continues to advance UF’s department as an associate as an associate professor under the preeminence goals while making professor under the Smart Polymer Biomedical Informatics/Big Data scientific breakthroughs and shaping initiative. Her initiative. His research is in the area new technologies that improve the research centers on the engineering of biomedical image analysis, imaging health of patients.” of cell-based tissues for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes, specifically the informatics, machine learning, and As part of the university’s growth development of novel biomaterials robust computer vision. He received initiative, the J. Crayton Pruitt for cellular encapsulation, three- his Ph.D. from the Department of Family Department of Biomedical dimensional scaffolds, and in situ Electrical and Computer Engineering Engineering received five preeminent oxygen and drug release. Through from Rutgers University. He faculty positions and was fortunate the fabrication of novel biomaterials conducted part of his Ph.D. research to welcome three outstanding new capable of actively interfacing with at Siemens Corporate Research and Above: UF BME’s Preeminence hires, Dr. Lin Yang, Dr. Kevin Otto and Dr. Cherie Stabler faculty this past year. the host, she seeks to modulate IBM T. J. Watson Research Lab. Before Inset: Dr. W. Kent Fuchs, UF President the graft environment to favor joining UF, Dr. Yang was an assistant Dr. Kevin Otto joined the survival and optimal function of the professor in the Department of department as an associate implanted cells. She has published Radiology at Rutgers University UF Preeminence professor under the Neuroscience her work in a broad range of and an assistant professor in the and the Brain initiative. His journals, with recent publications Division of Biomedical Informatics, research is in the area of systems in Advanced Healthcare Materials Department of Biostatistics and INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND PROGRAMS neural engineering. Specific and Proceedings of the National Department of Computer Science laboratory research interests include Academy of Science. Prior to joining at the University of Kentucky. He THAT HELP US HELP THE WORLD neuroprostheses, brain-machine UF, she was an associate professor has more than 15 years of research interfaces, neural applications in Biomedical Engineering at the experience and has published more of BioMEMS, and assessing and The University of Florida has an data.” Additionally, UF is well on University of Miami. She also than 60 peer-reviewed journal Electrical and Computer Engineering optimizing neural implant lifetime ambitious goal to become one of its way to recruiting 120 nationally served as the Director of the Tissue and conference articles. Dr. Yang’s and the Coordinated Science and biocompatibility. Dr. Otto the world’s best public research recognized faculty members who will Engineering Program at the Diabetes biomedical image computing and Laboratory at the University of received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering institutions. Already viewed as the join existing UF faculty in pursuing Research Institute at the UM College imaging informatics lab (BICI2) Illinois from 1985 to 1996. from Arizona State University, Tempe. state’s premier public university, these focus areas. of Medicine. Dr. Stabler received her is sponsored by multiple active He was a research assistant in the UF wants to accelerate the pace of He is a fellow of the American Ph.D. from the joint Georgia Institute extramural grants, including NIH R01. ASU Bioengineering Department, research, teaching and service to As UF moves into the third year Academy of Arts and Sciences, of Technology/Emory University where his work was in the areas become globally recognized as an of this groundbreaking effort, it the American Association for of neural engineering and sensory educational leader. welcomes a new President, Dr. the Advancement of Science, the W. Kent Fuchs. Most recently the Institute of Electrical and Electronics neuroprostheses. As a research fellow Since receiving “preeminent” provost of Cornell University, Dr. Engineers, and the Association for in the Department of Biomedical designation from the Florida Fuchs’ experience combines academic Computing Machinery, and has Engineering, University of Michigan, UF Preeminence is an opportunity for Gators to come together Ann Arbor, his work focused on Legislature in June 2013, UF has leadership as a provost, dean and received numerous awards for to help UF focus on addressing the world’s biggest challenges, devised a plan for meeting this goal. department chair; a distinguished teaching and research. brain-machine interface systems and The plan includes articulating more career as an engineering professor; implantable devices. including hunger, poverty and infectious disease. In the process, than two dozen interdisciplinary and graduate education in both As a fellow engineer, President Fuchs Dr. Otto was a post-doctoral fellow the university will expand in impact, influence and prestige. focus areas, spanning health, engineering and divinity. Dr. continues to pursue the goal of in the Central Systems Laboratory agriculture, computing and education Fuchs joined Cornell from Purdue elevating UF to one of the nation’s Such a leap will strengthen UF’s role as an economic engine in the Kresge Hearing Research that are shining a light on world University, where he headed the best public universities and sees the Institute in the Department of and trusted resource for people around the globe. challenges such as biodiversity, drug School of Electrical and Computer BME department playing a large role Otolaryngology at the University of discovery and development, food Engineering from 1996 to 2002. He in that success. security and the harnessing of “big was a professor in the Department of

12 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 13 Having an Impact on Patient Care

Researchers in the UF College of Engineering’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering are poised to forge new paths in the A POTENTIAL GAME CHANGER landscape of patient care, both on campus and off. Here are two department FOR CANCER CARE faculty members who are turning heads with their innovative work.

Like Gunduz’s work with deep brain DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION, MODIFIED stimulation, the work of Huabei Jiang, Ph.D., J. Crayton Pruitt Family For example, take Aysegul Gunduz, Gunduz uses an air conditioner as an Professor, is directly targeting patient Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Deep brain stimulation example. “You know how the ACs are care and treatment with photoacoustic department. She runs UF’s Brain Mapping now, they’re not blowing air continuously,” tomography. Laboratory and has teamed up with UF is FDA-approved for use she explains. “They are actually detecting Jiang has created detectors that allow for neurologist Michael Okun, M.D., and in people suffering from the temperature of the room and if they UF neurosurgeon Kelly Foote, M.D., say ‘Oh, it’s now hot, that’s when the AC the development of a new type of optical both professors and co-directors of the Parkinson’s disease and actually starts working. That saves us a lot imaging, called functional photoacoustic Center for Movement Disorders and of power.’” tomography (fPAT). Neurorestoration, in their groundbreaking essential tremor, but Gunduz work to help people with Tourette’s and her collaborators are Saving power is important when it comes Jiang and the founders of Advanced Such a tool could prove invaluable syndrome, Parkinson’s disease and to deep brain stimulators, as well. When fPAT Imaging Inc. see great promise in for oncologists and cancer patients. other illnesses. exploring its potential for the control pack’s batteries run out, the method, although more testing is fPAT offers another advantage over required. The company, which formed last patients with Tourette’s surgery is required to replace them. mammography, in that its effectiveness is Together, Gunduz, Foote and Okun year, has licensed fPAT technology from not compromised when scanning dense are taking the practice of deep brain syndrome. One key difference To help solve this problem, Gunduz is UF and developed designs for a breast breast tissue. imaging device utilizing Jiang’s detectors stimulation to new levels. This treatment is that people with Tourette’s using new devices from manufacturer involves implanting special stimulators Medtronic that can listen to and record and unique image reconstruction Jiang has built a prototype fPAT device deep inside the brain, at carefully syndrome are wracked by signals in the brain to detect when algorithms. and tested it on about 10 patients in a selected spots. The stimulators are wired stimulation is needed to stave off a tic in a small clinical trial. Now, he, Addley and to a battery-powered pulse generator their diseases at intervals, Tourette’s syndrome patient. In March the UF Office of Technology the rest of the Advanced fPAT Imaging implanted in the chest, which receives not continuously. Licensing recognized Jiang with an Inc. team are working to raise money to signals from a computer. The stimulators Less frequent stimulation also should Innovator award for his development of continue clinical trials. deliver a constant, mild electrical current reduce side effects in patients. Adaptive the breast imaging technology, which was to the brain, to help control disease devices will allow clinicians to tweak licensed in 2014. Jiang and Addley see fPAT as an symptoms. That’s where Gunduz’s background stimulation signals for each individual advance that could significantly change in comes in patient as needed, Gunduz added. Jiang and Michael Addley, a medical cancer care and may even be applied handy. Intermittent symptoms require device executive and one of the to screening, with additional clinical stimulation signals that stop and start “It’s really, really exciting research,” she company’s founders, say fPAT provides evaluation. as needed. says, “and having access to chronic resolution equal to or better than that devices that can record from the human provided by MRI, and can be used to While the two men initially focused on brain whenever we want is just evaluate water content, blood flow, breast cancer, Jiang sees fPAT’s potential fascinating.” oxygen saturation and overall health of as even greater. “Basically, I would say tumors, without the use of radiation. there is no limitation [to the types of cancer for which this could be useful],” And it isn’t just meant for breast disease. Jiang says. Above top: Hybrid fPAT/diffused optical tomography Jiang said the interface could be adapted of breast cancer for use with many types of cancer. BY LAURA MIZE Above bottom: Artist’s rendering of fPAT breast imaging system

Left: Dr. Gunduz works with a team of “The idea here is we wanted to use photoacoustic tomography neurologists and neurosurgeons to detect a patient’s pathological brain signals. as the tool to monitor tumor response to therapy, so that physicians can really make a timely decision [about] whether they need to change their treatment strategy,” Jiang explains.

14 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 15 Student Endeavors: UF Biodesign BME SENIORS PARTNER WITH TAMPA BIOTECH COMPANY TO EVALUATE CANCER-CELL-SEPARATION TECHNOLOGY

Julian Rey admits that he was a tad intimidated last fall when he started the College of Above: SHMPS members at the 2015 Relay for Life event Engineering’s Integrated Product and Process Design (IPPD) program.

Student Endeavors: The J. Crayton Pruitt Family Organizations & Outreach Department of Biomedical Engineering senior considers it the closest to a real-world scenario he’s experienced in his SHMPS RAISES AWARENESS, undergraduate career. Classes are usually based on absorbing Above: Cellparation team working HONORS STAFF MEMBER information for an eventual in the lab on their prototype test, he says, but IPPD requires Left: Julian Rey presenting at the IPPD’s annual event Honoring the lives of loved ones, including a valued BME staff students to work with actual member, the Society of Health and Medical Physics Students companies to develop applicable (SHMPS) became the top fundraising team at April 17’s Relay for Life, technologies. The six-student team — which Cellparation was one of 25 teams He describes how he pushed an annual event sponsored by the American Cancer Society to raise included another BME senior, in this year’s IPPD program, a two- his team hard over the past two money and awareness of the fight against cancer. Another “real- Sophia Bou-Ghannam — semester College of Engineering semesters. Consisting of an 18-hour walk around the track and a series of partnered with Tampa-based course that starts with defining a “Did they meet all the objectives competitions, this year’s event embraced an overall “storybook” world” challenge: biotech firm Morphogenesis Inc. problem at the beginning of the I set out? No,” Rinaldi says. “But theme. SHMPS, in another example of the involvement of BME to further its Polymer Antibody fall semester and goes all the way I set objectives that were harder students in community activities, chose the specific theme of “Relay in being on a team of Cell Separator technology. to having a prototype built by the than what was needed. They met Wonderland.” end of spring. six seniors from four The company uses polymer everything that Morphogenesis Despite an attendance of more than 300 participants, different engineering microspheres (basically tiny Headed by Dr. Keith Stanfill, IPPD was expecting and then some.” SHMPS took the lead in raising funds, with three of the top 10 plastic beads) that have their celebrated its 20th anniversary “This was the students coming up fundraisers coming from the SHMPS team. departments at surfaces molded so they attach this year. The program groups to specific types of cells, such as students into teams, each of with the ideas because … I don’t In addition to this great achievement, SHMPS members recognized the University of circulating tumor cells that could which is mentored by a faculty tell you a solution. You have to friends and family members who have or had cancer. With paper spread cancer to other locations member and is partnered with come up with it because when lanterns, purple ribbons, and T-shirts emblazoned with the names of Florida. Such an in the body. The cells can then be a private-sector company to you’re an engineer, you have to figure it out.” these loved ones, the SHMPS team dedicated their walk to them and, interdisciplinary filtered from complex mixtures develop technology. most especially, BME colleague Diana “Di” Dampier, who passed away — bone marrow and blood, for Cellparation’s project received in February from lung cancer. effort was new after example — containing a variety Cellparation was mentored by Dr. of cells. Carlos Rinaldi, a joint professor in funding from the J. Crayton Pruitt Di joined BME as office assistant in 2011, taking on myriad studying alongside BME and chemical engineering. Foundation Inc. in St. Petersburg, responsibilities throughout the department. She was well regarded for The technology is meant for use another namesake of BME’s her commitment, passion, and humor (and her occasionally purple- just BME students, in cancer diagnostics and therapy. “The IPPD program provides founder and his family. colored hair!). A devoted and caring staff member, Di supported many engineering students with an “It’s great to see after a lot of time SHMPS members throughout their undergraduate and graduate Rey says. The specific goal for the team, opportunity to participate in a making calculations and talking careers. She is greatly missed. called Cellparation, was to project that has real, practical perform research on a device that elements,” Rinaldi says. about what materials to purchase that, in the end, something does BME congratulates all of the members of SHMPS on their successful Above top: SHMPS table at the 2015 Relay for Life event “What I learned most throughout filters out the beads and their Above bottom: Paper lantern in honor of BME staff member, “In real life, as an engineer, you come together that you can show fundraising at the Relay for Life, and appreciates the team’s recognition the process was how to interact attached undesirable cells. Diana “Di” Dampier (right) work in a diverse group, and your sponsor company and your of Diana Dampier, beloved BME staff member and friend. with my team to get the The students’ intention wasn’t you’re suppose to learn to bring in classmates,” Rey says. deliverables finished, how to to fully develop the device your expertise and also listen to communicate effectively with our themselves but rather help the expertise of others,” he adds. BY MICHAEL STONE sponsors so that we could really Morphogenesis researchers with clarify what their needs were, the design and evaluating how what their expectations of us well it separates the cells. were,” says Rey, the team’s leader. 16 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 17 “An initial surgery was performed to “Self-assembly allows us to precisely repair the cartilage, but that surgery vary material formulations to find didn’t take. At that time, the only those that can modulate the activity real clinical option was a total knee of a particular galectin for a given replacement, which was not ideal for application,” Hudalla says. “For a 19- to 20- year-old,” Hudalla says. example, galectin-1 and galectin-3 have differing roles during immune Luckily for Hudalla, a new technology responses and autoimmunity, and soon became available, which involved Dr. Hudalla works with students to produce a new we’re working to identify materials taking some of his cartilage, sending self-assembling peptide that can selectively inhibit galectin-1, it to a lab to grow, and implanting it or galectin-3, while having no effect back into his knee. “Self-assembly can allow you to take on the other galectins. Viruses, such different components and bring them as HIV, show such galectin-binding “I was wholly unfamiliar with these together in a precise way to perform specificity, and we try to use insights sorts of efforts to improve medical a specific function,” Hudalla says. into these natural interactions to interventions until my orthopedic “So let’s say we build a therapeutic design galectin-binding biomaterials.” surgeon suggested this new intended for the general population, technology as a promising alternative but it doesn’t work for a subset of A team of graduate, undergraduate, to total knee replacement,” Hudalla patients. Instead of rebuilding the and high school students in Hudalla’s says. “It was at that moment that whole therapeutic, we can go back lab spend most of their time my eyes were opened to biomedical and precisely change one or more conducting experiments to piece engineering.” parts to improve its efficacy. Ideally, together molecular puzzles. we can systematically interchange Today, Hudalla’s lab is focused on One of those team members, the different components to achieve solving human health challenges Antonietta Restuccia, a second-year optimal effectiveness throughout by building new therapeutic and Ph.D. student, is learning what works diverse patient populations.” diagnostic biomaterials with a and doesn’t work when designing new process called “self-assembly.” In a 2014 publication in the journal Hudalla explains that self-assembly Nature Materials, Hudalla and is kind of like molecular Velcro. colleagues developed an approach to Different molecules can be designed create multifunctional biomaterials to have complementarity, or a sense by co-integrating different proteins of attraction, that allows them to into “self-assembled peptide organize together in a precise way. nanofibers” - elongated assemblies THE having a diameter less than 100 “We’re interested in self-assembly nanometers. Self-assembly allowed because this is how functional the amount of each protein within materials are built in nature. The the nanofibers to be precisely and simplest cell is a number of different independently varied. This provided pieces that have self-assembled unprecedented means to create JIGSAW PUZZLE together, and in doing so can work biomaterials with tailored functional together to enable the cell to perform properties, including finely tuned Antonietta Restuccia, Ph.D. student in Hudalla’s lab BY REBECCA BURTON complex functions, like moving or fluorescent hues and optimized molecules. She considers the team dividing,” Hudalla says. “Although we efficacy as multi-antigen vaccines. problem solvers of the human body. haven’t reached the complexity of a cell yet, we often look to nature to Through a recent CAREER She hopes her contributions will lay find examples of how to build new award from the National Science the foundation for future students in functional biomaterials.” Foundation, Hudalla and his UF team the Hudalla lab. are now investigating self-assembly as Right now, his team is working a means to construct materials that “These materials can be applied to engineer common biological manipulate the activity of “galectins,” as therapeutics and diagnostics Greg Hudalla, assistant professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department molecules – proteins, peptides, and a family of proteins that instruct for a wide range of human health of Biomedical Engineering, always knew he wanted to make a positive impact on carbohydrates – to self-assemble into cell behavior in various biological concerns,” she says. “The beauty human health. Suffering damage to cartilage in his knee while playing soccer during functional biomaterials with easily processes, including development, of this research is that the future his freshman year, and experiencing first-hand the potential of biomedical engineering interchangeable components. cancer and viral infection. applications are limitless.” 18 / CrossLink technologies to improve quality of life, led him to where he is today. Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 19 Graduate Student Feature Alumni Highlight

NEW SFB STUDENT PRESIDENT LOOKS TO FOSTER ALL IN YOUR HEAD: BME ALUM CARRIES BIOMEDICAL COMMUNICATION BRAIN WORK TO PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL

When Justin Sanchez Evelyn Bracho-Sanchez, a completed his doctoral work Sanchez’s work Ph.D. candidate under the in 2004 from the J. Crayton supervision of Dr. Benjamin Pruitt Family Department would help current Keselowsky, was recently Above: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, examines a prototype prosthetic arm and of Biomedical Engineering, elected President of the National and former soldiers hand developed by DARPA, fitted to Fred Downs, right, and explained by Justin Sanchez, he was only the second Ph.D. center, a program manager with DARPA Student Chapter of the Society Above: Evelyn Bracho-Sanchez student to graduate from the who may have for Biomaterials (SFB), helping to receiving the Thomas O. Hunter young department, formalized push the University of Florida’s J. Leadership Scholarship just two years before. neuropsychiatric With his neuroprosthetic focus, and co-director of the Center Crayton Pruitt Family Department Sanchez oversees multiple for Movement Disorders and of Biomedical Engineering to new underrepresented minority Carrying the Tampa native into illnesses, such as programs that have different Neurorestoration. Okun says that national recognition. graduate students. the field were two goals he’d depression, PTSD aims but fall in line with the when he began working at UF in had since childhood: to work in BRAIN Initiative’s goals. The the early 2000s, Sanchez was one Bracho-Sanchez, who became “A lot of them come from science and technology, and to programs include Enabling of his first students. interested in engineering when and anxiety. But it historically black colleges help people. These were perhaps Stress Resistance; Neuro she was a senior in high school, and universities or smaller lofty, cliché goals for a youngster, also stands to assist Function, Activity, Structure, and In the lab, they explored the began her journey with SFB as an schools, and transitioning to but Dr. Sanchez, now 37, has Technology; Restoring Active physiology of human brain cells undergraduate. Quickly she rose something as big as UF can be fulfilled them in many ways in anyone with brain Memory; and Revolutionizing and how different regions of the to the position of vice-president difficult,” she says. “I try to provide his work in neuroprosthetics, the Prosthetics. brain talk with one another. and, now, as president-elect, she disorders by being a place for them to feel welcomed. discipline that uses electronic has clear goals for the society, and many. Among the prizes she has Bracho-Sanchez is passionate It can be hard to find someone machinery to help in functions Working on these projects Okun says it’s “very gratifying to for herself. tied to President received are “Best Professional about the Biomedical and like you in such a big school. This that might have been lost from are multidisciplinary teams of see someone like that go all the Event,” awarded by the UF Benton Biomaterials Engineering program allows all of us to shrink Obama’s BRAIN several hundred researchers way up to one of the top positions Chief among these, Bracho- brain injury or illness. Engineering Council, and the community. As the active vice it a bit.” with specialties in software, at DARPA.” Sanchez says, is an increase in “Thomas O. Hunter Leadership president of the UF Biomedical In fact, he sees his present Initiative, launched hardware, the brain and other communication among all of the Scholarship,” awarded by the Engineering Graduate Student Bracho-Sanchez says that while position in the Defense Advanced related fields. The follow up, “Justin was always a cut above,” student chapters. “We can learn in April 2013. College of Engineering. Council, she has participated in the challenges of biomedical Research Projects Agency Sanchez says, could be going to a he adds. “He was running with a lot from each other’s way of every recruitment and orientation engineering are many, the (DARPA) in Arlington, Virginia medical-device manufacturer in the cream of the crop. He was doing things,” she says. Bracho-Sanchez’s current event, and has interacted with potential benefits of scientific — part of the Department the private industry to bring any thinking like a scientist, even as research focuses on the seminar speakers and External discovery are more than enough The $300 million effort brings an undergraduate.” In addition, Bracho-Sanchez has of Defense — as “a unique technologies developed to the development of drug delivery Advisory Board members. She motivation. opportunity” that goes as far as together DARPA, the National commercial market. an active role in the organization Continuing with his advice for systems for therapeutic recently was given the honor of to ask, “How do we change the Institutes of Health, the National of UF Biomaterials Day, a future students, Sanchez says applications in autoimmune delivering a speech on behalf of “Out-of-this-world ideas move world?” Science Foundation and other Sanchez’s curriculum vitae is an symposium entirely organized by being a “go-getter kind of a diseases mainly in the field of the student population during the the field forward,” she says. organizations to improve the expansive one, going far beyond students, with the intention of student is the best thing you Type 1 Diabetes. She has shared annual Pruitt Research Day, and “Finding the balance between “The best you can do right now understanding of how the brain DARPA. Among his accolades: fostering communication among can do.” her findings in presentations at was nominated to the Student ingenuity and applicability can is go talk to your therapist on works, the disorders that affect it, being credited to 75-plus members of the biomaterials numerous national conferences. Leadership Advisory Board for the be hard. There’s yet so much we the couch or take medications, and technologies that can unlock academic papers, co-authoring field. Bracho-Sanchez and her “I would always tell any person College of Engineering. don’t know about the human and we want to do much better mysteries within. the 2007 book Brain-Machine team have secured funds for the who is in the BME program that A key point of Bracho-Sanchez’s body. How will the immune than that,” he says of those with Interface Engineering, and holding event for the past four years, and there are bound to be new fields message is that, when it comes During the summer semesters, system react to our new designs? brain injuries, neuropsychiatric As a DARPA project manager, seven patents in neuroprosthetic have been able to bring to UF in biomedical engineering that are to biomedical engineering, it is Bracho-Sanchez participates How will we vascularize such issues, and who have trouble with Sanchez is meant to find out what design. a distinguished list of speakers, going to be emerging, that are not important to focus on the big in the Board of Education designs to be integrated properly? memories and moving. research aspects the U.S. needs to well established,” Sanchez says. including Dr. Cato Laurencin, a picture. Summer Fellowship program, There isn’t a one-size-fits-all invest in to stay ahead of the rest His advice to current BME member of both the Institutes serving as a peer mentor to “We want to develop students: “Define your own answer to these questions, and of the world, or to at least not be “I know a lot of students now look of Medicine and the National technologies that are based on future.” When he started each experiment or idea has its bewildered when another country to the program to tell them what Academy of Engineering. knowledge of how the brain graduate courses related to own set of challenges.” makes a discovery. they should be doing. And I guess functions and use that knowledge biomedical engineering at UF, the Bracho-Sanchez credits the the message that I’m saying is “We do a lot of experiments that don’t work, Despite her many to deliver precise therapy back to “We have this slogan here that department was not yet official, students for these luminary visits. the reverse of that: The students accomplishments as a student, the brain.” says, ‘DARPA: Create, or prevent but he knew he wanted to work “Particularly within SFB there’s a should have the desire to seek but when you realize this could be the new representative and leader in the technological surprise,’” Sanchez in neuroprosthetics. So he sought strong sense of commitment to out new knowledge and new field of biomedical engineering, Sanchez was hired by DARPA in says. out faculty and mentorship that be better, to push further and to Type 1 Diabetes treatment, you understand technologies.” Bracho-Sanchez says she is no June 2013 following biomedical would further his goal. reach out to the best,” she says. why it is important to fail. That’s how we different than her peers. engineering professorships at This objective dates back to the the University of Florida and the founding of DARPA in 1958 as One such mentor was Dr. Michael BY MICHAEL STONE Over the years her leadership “I come in to work, make a list University of Miami. Traditionally, a response to Russia’s launch of Okun, now interim chair of efforts have been recognized by learn the most and the only way we’re going of things to do for the day, fail DARPA’s focus is developing the first human-made satellite, UF’s Department of Neurology to eventually find a solution.” often and celebrate the science technology for military use. Sputnik, the year before. victories.” 20 / CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida / 21 BME Gifts

LEADING BIOTECH FIRM INVESTS $1M INTO Left: Jerry Chang, VP of Business BME AT UF Development; Tim Brahm, Founder and Chairman; and Russ Olsen, President and CEO The biotechnology company “We already collaborate with BioD has committed $1 faculty across campus in our million to the University of research efforts, but this new Florida J. Crayton Pruitt Family industry partnership will expedite Department of Biomedical our ability to create new products Engineering. The funding will be and technologies that will affect “BioD is committed to advancing used to establish the Tim Brahm and save lives.” the frontiers of regenerative Endowed Term Professorship in medicine, just as much as we are,” Biomedical Engineering, and to BioD is a leading regenerative says Cammy Abernathy, dean of bolster a collaborative research medicine company engaged says Brahm. “I’ve had the great the UF College of Engineering. partnership between the in the development and professional reward of working “This partnership will help speed university and the company. The commercialization of novel with Christine Schmidt and up our translational research, professorship will be awarded to biologic products derived one of her lead scientists, Peter closing the gap from bench to a faculty member who specializes from placental tissues. The McFetridge. Their department’s bedside by stimulating our own in regenerative medicine, a endowed professorship combined tissue engineering campus-wide interdisciplinary revolutionary research area that is named in honor of experience will help BioD to collaborations with a proven involves engineering tissues and BioD’s founder, chairman elevate its offerings.” vision for bringing solutions to a cells to establish and restore of the board, and chief global market. The faculty resources, used in normal functioning. Regenerative development officer, Tim conjunction with the Institute medicine will be the central focus Brahm, who has over 21 years A reception celebrating the gift for Cell Engineering and of this new research collaboration. of experience working in and research collaboration took tissue banking. Regenerative Medicine (ICERM), place on Thursday, April 9, in the “Regenerative medicine is a key will ensure that biomedical Biomedical Sciences Building focus area for our department, “UF’s state-of-the-art BME engineering researchers at atrium. The BME community and one that is tremendously facilities, which are run and UF have the cutting-edge enjoyed talks from senior important for advancing patient staffed by some of the top minds instruments and technologies leadership at BioD including outcomes,” says Christine in human tissue engineering, they need to facilitate significant Jerry Chang, VP of Business Schmidt, Ph.D., professor have created a perfect storm advancement in biomaterials Development; Tim Brahm, and chair of the Biomedical to help BioD accomplish its innovation. Founder and Chairman; and Russ Engineering department. goals in regenerative medicine,” Olsen, President and CEO.

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