Type 1 Diabetes End to an Engineering BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING of at the UNIVERSITY // invaders and destroy all Mission: toseek 8 FALL 2018

14 16 19 The Intersection Horses Help Do Woodpeckers Get of BME and Tackle Orthopedic Concussions? Public Policy Challenges GO GREATER HERBERT WERTHEIM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

A CASE FOR GREATNESS

GO GREATER is a bold statement of who we are and who we want to be. Together — inspired by shared vision, driven by our collective energy and bound by common purpose — there is little we can’t achieve.

Through the GO GREATER campaign, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering answers a call to lead. Building on the spark that occurs at the intersection of vision and opportunity, we will blaze trails of success that will enrich the lives of citizens across our state, nation and world. With your help, we will:

• Create more faculty endowments and new scholarships — to attract and retain academia’s best and brightest scholars

• Invest in priority infrastructure and facilities — to provide environments that inspire ideas and solutions

• Fund multidisciplinary bright ideas — to address grand challenges and improve how people experience life

• Strengthen UF’s national and global stature — to better serve society

• Increase the college’s endowment — to forever sustain excellence in scholarship, discovery and service

UF ENGINEERING STUDENT RUBEN JEAN AT THE FORBIDDEN CITY, BEIJING, CHINA Dear UF BME Friends & Family, 6 News & Notables Welcome to the 5th issue of CrossLink, the annual magazine of the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida.

A primary focus for the department over the past five years has been, and Engineering an End remains, the growth of our faculty to expand educational opportunities for to Type 1 Diabetes our growing student body. With the bar set at the highest level, we seek to bring in the best people to join our stellar faculty through rigorous searches 2018 FALL and joint efforts across the university. We also truly value the collegial 8 environment we have built and focus on recruiting faculty who will further build a positive community.

This fall we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lakiesha Williams to the department as an associate professor. Dr. Williams works to understand mechanistic changes associated with traumatic brain injuries. Please read more about her exciting research on page 19. The In addition to recruiting top faculty, central to our success has been building Intersection strong partnerships across campus and nationally. In line with this goal, we have implemented two new annual events, Industry Connect and Alumni Connect. of BME and Public Policy In terms of building partnerships, we are happy to announce our new industry 14 partner, Edwards Lifesciences (see page 23). Industry partnerships are critical as they provide strategic connections between industry and our students and faculty. We look forward to meaningful interactions with Edwards Lifesciences and to further expand our industry partners program.

With the recent instability of federal research funding threatening the scientific A publication of the J. Crayton progress of universities across the nation, students at UF BME founded an Pruitt Family Department of organization focused on advocating for positive science policy and public Biomedical Engineering at the awareness. This team of passionate students aims to motivate others and take University of Florida Horses Help action to enact meaningful changes to the scientific community. Please read DEAN, HERBERT Tackle Orthopedic more about their efforts on page 14. WERTHEIM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Challenges While we celebrate successes from the 2017-2018 academic year, we anticipate Cammy Abernathy 18 that the upcoming year will be even better. We have set our goals high and DEPARTMENT CHAIR Student Spotlight 16 are committed to moving the department forward to be among the top Christine E. Schmidt biomedical engineering departments in the country. To continue to rise, we are EDITORS focusing on raising funds to support new educational initiatives, undergraduate Candi Crimmins labs and new programs, graduate fellowships and new endowed chairs and Sommer Green professorships. EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS April Frawley Lacey I hope you will spend some time reading about the great research and other Jonathan Griffin activities our faculty and students are involved in. If you’re in the Gainesville CONTRIBUTING area, please stop by and visit! PHOTOGRAPHER Megan Brown Do Woodpeckers 20 Sincerely, COVER ILLUSTRATION Faculty Snapshot & DESIGN Get Concussions? Liquid Creative Learning from Nature to Protect the Brain 22 Christine E. Schmidt Alumni Highlights Professor, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Chair and Department Chair 19 Distinguished Leadership Major Faculty Awards + Recognitions News + Notables Seminar Series • Dr. Kyle D. Allen invited to serve as associate editor for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Journal 2017-2018 SPEAKERS of Biomechanical Engineering The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering • Dr. Kyle D. Allen invited to serve on NIH Skeletal Biology (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Structure and Regeneration (SBSR) study section Nancy L. Allbritton, M.D., Ph.D. Washington, D.C., representing the most accomplished • Drs. Jon Dobson and Carlos Rinaldi published book, Kenan Distinguished Professor, Chair of UNC/NC State Joint “Nanomagnetic Actuation in Biomedicine: Basic Principles Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jointly Appointed with individuals in the fields of medical and biological engineering. School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy AIMBE’s mission is to provide leadership and advocacy in medical and Applications” • Dr. Ruogu Fang selected as a member of the Association for Mini-Guts on Microchips and biological engineering for the benefit of society. Computing Machinery’s Future of Computer Academy • Dr. Daniel Ferris awarded 2018 American Society of Rebecca M. Bergman Dr. Christine E. Schmidt named Biomechanics (ASB) Founders' Award President, Gustavus Adolphus College • Dr. Jennifer A. Nichols awarded the 2018 ASB Young From Technology Development to College Leadership: AIMBE President Scientist Post-doctoral Award A Journey of Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Dr. Christine E. Schmidt, professor, • Dr. Edward Phelps received Young Investigator Award from Innovation and Vision J. Crayton Pruitt Family Chair and the Network of Pancreatic Donors with Diabetes (nPOD) Department Chair, has been named • Dr. Carlos Rinaldi named chair of UF Department of Chemical Engineering Martha L. Gray, Ph.D. President of AIMBE. J. W. Kieckhefer Professor of Health Sciences & Technology, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Key Research Advances + Innovation Massachusetts Institute of Technology Are you a Biomedical Engineer who Dreams of Having an Drs. Benjamin G. Keselowsky and Cherie Stabler elected • Dr. Kyle D. Allen awarded $1.8M collaborative NIH R01 grant, Impact on Healthcare? AIMBE Fellows “A Pathogenesis Beyond Cartilage: A Preclinical Study of the Sources of Osteoarthritis Pain” Warren M. Grill, Ph.D. Drs. Benjamin G. Keselowsky, professor, and Cherie Stabler, • Dr. Mingzhou Ding awarded $2.7M collaborative NIH R01 Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. School Professor of Biomedical Engineering, professor, were elected as AIMBE Fellows representing a grant, “Mechanisms of Attentional Control: Structure and Duke University select group of the top two percent of medical and biological Dynamics from Simultaneous EEG-fMRI and Machine Temporal Pattern of Neural Stimulation as a New Dimension of engineering professionals. The College of Fellows is composed of Learning” Therapeutic Innovation 24 40 + distinguished bioengineers in academia, industry and • Dr. Daniel Ferris awarded $2M NIH R01 grant, “Supraspinal Control of Human Locomotor Adaptation” government. Buddy D. Ratner, Ph.D. Core Faculty Affiliate Faculty • Dr. Gregory A. Hudalla awarded National Institute of Director, University of Washington Engineered Biomaterials (UWEB21), Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) Trailblazer Michael L. and Myrna Darland Endowed Chair in Technology Keselowsky was elected for his outstanding contributions to R21 Award Commercialization, Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical the field of immune engineering, • Drs. Benjamin Keselowsky (PI) and Cherie Stabler awarded Engineering, University of Washington at the interface of biomaterials and collaborative NIH T32 training grant, “Interdisciplinary Hemodialysis Re-envisioned: The Contributions of New Biomaterials Graduate Program in Type 1 Diabetes and Biomedical immunology. Engineering” Lonnie Shea, Ph.D. • Dr. Benjamin Keselowsky awarded $2.6M collaborative Professor and William and Valerie Hall Chair, Department of Stabler was elected for her outstanding NIH R01 grant, “Tolerogenic Dual Microparticle System for Biomedical Engineering, Professor, Department of Chemical contributions in the design of Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis” Engineering, University of Michigan Hospitals translational bioactive materials for • Drs. Benjamin Keselowsky (PI) and Gregory Hudalla awarded Tissue Engineering of the Pre-metastatic Niche $2.1M collaborative NIH R01 grant, “Tissue-Targeted 3 cellular transplantation, focusing on Enzyme for Localized Tryptophan Catabolism to Direct treatment of type 1 diabetes. Subcutaneous” • Dr. Parisa Rashidi awarded NIH R01 grant, “PRECEDE: 2018-2019 SPEAKERS PREsurgical Cognitive Evaluation via Digital clockfacE Drawing” Dr. Parisa Rashidi received prestigious NSF CAREER Award Joseph M. DeSimone, Ph.D. • Dr. Blanka Sharma awarded $1.5M NIH R01 grant, For her research advancing the exploration of machine learning Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry, University of North “Nanoparticle Targeting within the Joint for Site-specific 30 + Carolina Chapel Hill, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor, Department of algorithms and critical care medicine. delivery of Osteoarthritis Therapeutics” Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Departments, North Carolina State University Centers & Student Awards Susan S. Margulies, Ph.D. Institutes • Alexis Brake selected for National Institute of Standards Wallace H. Coulter Chair, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Technology (NIST) Summer Undergraduate Research in Injury Biomechanics, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Fellowship Engineering, Georgia Tech College of Engineering, • Jackson Cagle honored with Society for Neuroscience Emory University School of Medicine Trainee Professional Development Award • Anis Davoudi selected as a grant recipient for Workshop for Women in Computer Vision (WiCV) Leonard Pinchuk, Ph.D. • Cassandra Frisch, part of Team Tech, placed second at the Distinguished Research Professor, Department of Biomedical Maggie Fettis elected President and Michaela McCrary Society for Women Engineers Conference Engineering, University of , elected Bylaws Chair for Society for Biomaterials National • Anne Gormaley and Danny Xie accepted into NIH Biomedical President/CEO at Innovia LLC Engineering Summer Internship Program (BESIP) Student Chapter • Shruti Siva Kumar awarded scholarship to attend 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration 7 • Olivia Lanier and Rachna Sannegowda received fellowships Thomas C. Skalak, Ph.D. to attend NSF Summer School Vice President for Research Emeritus, • Peng Liu won first place in the International Computational Colleges University of Virginia Competition on Diabetic Retinopathy Diagnosis • Chandni Rana selected for RIKEN Brain Science Program • Immanuel B.H. Samuel and Fuyong Xing honored as UF Outstanding International Students Marjolein C.H. van der Meulen, Ph.D. Fettis McCrary • Joshua Stewart received SFB Student Travel and Professional James M. and Marsha McCormick Director and Swanson Professor Development Award of Biomedical Engineering, Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University

Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 7 Imagine you have a cold. Your immune system senses the threat and deploys its army of immune cells to the Engineering an End to scene. Their mission: to seek and destroy all invaders. All threats must be eliminated.

Type 1 Diabetes But what if your immune system senses a threat a little By April Frawley Lacey closer to home – namely, the insulin-producing cells inside your pancreas? This is how type 1 diabetes Dr. Cherie Stabler (L) working with Ph.D. student, Sydney Wiggins (R) starts, not because you eat too much chocolate cake, forget to exercise or drink orange soda instead of water. more than 1.25 million children and clusters of insulin-producing beta cells adults in the United States. in the pancreas. When the islets that There are no simple lifestyle changes make insulin are destroyed in type that can stop someone’s body from an “Biomedical engineers have had 1 diabetes, patients rely on insulin autoimmune attack on itself, which is a huge impact on type 1 diabetes they inject or get through pumps what happens in type 1 diabetes. But already,” said Ed Phelps, Ph.D., an to survive. The body needs insulin UF researchers in the J. Crayton Pruitt assistant professor of biomedical because it directs other cells to absorb Family Department of Biomedical engineering who joined the sugar from food to make energy. Engineering are working with experts department in 2017. “Recombinant in the UF Diabetes Institute on human insulin was one of the first “In diabetes, there is an autoimmune innovative ways to stop the disease in biotech drugs produced. Also, we have reaction that drives the formation and its tracks, and in some cases, prevent devices for continuous blood glucose selection of T cells that distinguish an it from even occurring. monitoring and pumps for insulin antigen from beta cells and islets in delivery linked to smartphones.” the pancreas. What we are trying to “Type 1 is out of the patient’s control. do is reeducate the immune system It is a lethal condition, and they require “Biomedical engineers bring a to ignore this antigen or selectively insulin to survive,” said Cherie Stabler, different perspective and a way of to kill these disease causing T cells,” Ph.D., a UF professor of biomedical problem solving so we can make new Keselowsky said. engineering and associate chair of and innovative contributions.” graduate studies. “Patients face a lot of challenges managing their The contributions UF biomedical The contributions UF blood sugar. If their blood sugar gets engineers are making to improve the lives of people with diabetes run the biomedical engineers are too high, it can develop secondary making to improve the lives complications. If it gets too low, it can gamut from better understanding kill them.” the disease and developing better of people with diabetes treatments for preventing the disease run the gamut from better outright or curing it after it begins. With an internationally recognized understanding the disease Diabetes Institute housed in the same building, a team of biomedical In the lab of Benjamin G. Keselowsky, and developing better engineers in the department are Ph.D., a UF professor of biomedical treatments to preventing the focused on developing new ways to engineering, he and his team are working on a project to retrain the disease outright or curing it solve the challenges that face patients after it begins. with type 1 diabetes, which affects immune system not to recognize islets in the pancreas as a threat. Islets are

Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 9 Keselowsky teamed with With funding from the National Institutes of immunologists Mark Atkinson, Health, the researchers have been studying Ph.D., Todd Brusko, Ph.D., and Clive what happens when they inject a microparticle Wasserfall, M.S., of the UF Diabetes formulation in the body that attracts immune cells Institute, to form a company focused and retrains them not to attack. on developing a vaccine that would interested in how they function naturally prevent and reverse type 1 diabetes by normally and in diabetes, and how remodel the retraining immune cells not to attack that contributes to the disease.” implant once it is the insulin-producing beta cells. in place, linking it With funding from the National Phelps and his team work closely with to blood vessels. Institutes of Health, the researchers Stabler, whose research focuses on This is important have been studying what happens improving islet transplantation. Islet because islets need when they inject a microparticle transplants provide patients with oxygen from the formulation in the body that attracts working islets again, so their bodies blood to survive. immune cells and retrains them not to can make their own insulin. However, But it takes about attack. A patent was awarded for the the transplant is targeted to the liver, two weeks for the formulation, Keselowsky said. which isn’t the ideal location for it and omentum to remodel patients require immunosuppressive the implant, so the In Phelps’ lab, he and his team are drugs for the islets to work. About half team is also working working to understand how islets the islets that are transplanted usually on ways to improve the communicate. Similar to cells in the die and although the transplant microenvironment for brain, islets use neurotransmitters provides a cure, it is a temporary the islets. to control functions and coordinate one. UF researchers are working on insulin secretion. But little is known ways to improve how the transplant The implant includes about how these neurotransmitters is delivered, engineering a better a silicone-based function together, he said. location so it can be delivered with scaffold that houses the fewer islets and last longer. microenvironment for “We are trying to understand central the islets. Some of the biological questions,” he said. “Only a Stabler's team has developed an improvements her team are few people have conducted research implant to house islets that can be working on include adding in this area. There are a lot of open delivered to the omentum, a fold of oxygen-generating material questions, and they need an organized tissue that connects the stomach and to protect the islets and and systematic approach. We are other abdominal organs. It’s an ideal delivering agents to suppress location because the omentum will the immune system.

Dr. Ed Phelps (R) working with Ph.D. student, Matthew Becker (L) “We can deliver a drug that deactivates the immune cells in (the implant’s) microenvironment,” Stabler said. “We can also shrink wrap the islets in polymer to protect them.”

The researchers already have a medical grade product to translate and are in conversations with the FDA, Stabler said.

Dr. Benjamin G. Keselowsky (L) and Dr. Matthew R. Carstens (R)

10 // CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 11 A Comprehensive Approach to Tackling Diabetes

Ruogu Fang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor UF BME: Machine learning to assess patient RESEARCH IMPACT risk for retinopathy

Gregory A. Hudalla, Ph.D. Assistant Professor & VACCINES FOR J. Crayton Pruitt Family Term Fellow AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE Immunomodulatory enzyme assemblies and biomaterials to protect pancreatic tissues

SAFE DRUG Benjamin G. Keselowsky, Ph.D. DELIVERY SYSTEMS Professor Biomaterials and controlled release systems for diabetes vaccine PREVENTION & TREATMENT THROUGH IMMUNE CELL Kevin J. Otto, Ph.D. INTERACTIONS Professor Neuromodulation of the pancreas to Because it can be challenging to program allows five predoctoral is the world’s largest open research promote insulin secretion foresee how projects translate from students to be mentored and trained consortium dedicated to the study AUTOMATION OF LARGESCALE animals to humans, Stabler’s team by experts in biomedical engineering of the human pancreas and provides SCREENING USING MACHINE is also focused on developing better and immunology. scientific investigators around the LEARNING & DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE predictive models. Her “Islet on a world with human pancreas samples Edward A. Phelps, Ph.D. Chip” project creates a 3-D system “The training grant demonstrates that for research. Assistant Professor that predicts what islets will do in the at UF we are training students at the Pancreatic islet biology to understand body under certain circumstances. cutting edge of type 1 diabetes and “The environment at UF is top notch diabetes and autoimmunity BIOMATERIAL PLATFORMS FOR biomedical engineering research,” for doing this work,” Phelps said. “The CELL-BASED THERAPIES “Translation is difficult,” she said. Keselowsky said. UFDI, with all they are doing, makes “There is nothing like a human.” our research possible.” Cherie Stabler, Ph.D. The researchers are all quick to Professor & To ensure researchers continue point out that none of this would be Stabler added, “The goal is to treat Associate Chair for Graduate Studies to develop innovative techniques possible without the expertise and this disease and come up with a better Biomaterials for pancreatic islet NEW BIOMARKERS THROUGH to treat and cure type 1 diabetes, resources of the UF Diabetes Institute option for patients. We want to move transplantation and regeneration BIG DATA & ARTIFICIAL the UF Diabetes Institute (UFDI) at their disposal and the leadership the needle forward.” INTELLIGENCE and the Department of Biomedical by UFDI Director, Dr. Mark Atkinson. Engineering received a training For example, the institute is home Lin Yang, Ph.D. grant from the National Institutes of to the JDRF (a global organization Associate Professor Health earlier this year to establish a funding type 1 diabetes research) Imaging informatics of pancreatic tissue THERAPIES THAT INTERVENE AT graduate program in type 1 diabetes Network for Pancreatic Organ Donors for personalized diabetes treatment EARLY STAGE OF DISEASE and biomedical engineering. This with Diabetes (or nPOD). UF’s nPOD

12 // CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 13 The Intersection of BME and Public Policy

Above, from L to R: Mary Kasper, Rep. Ted Yoho, Meggie Pires-Fernandez and Kaitlynn Olczak Left: NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins (L) and Eric Fuller (R)

Concerned about budget cuts to The team of science advocates has who is the executive director of the labs within the department. During for the upcoming school year. This scientific research institutions like fulfilled this mission through several American Institute for Medical and the tour, students demonstrated will include encouraging attendance the National Institutes of Health and activities. These included writing Biological Engineering (AIMBE), innovative lab work focused on next- at town hall meetings, spreading the National Science Foundation, a a newsletter educating members gave a talk titled, “The Losing Case generation treatments and cures for information about the upcoming 2018 new student group was founded by of the department on how science for Innovation: Understanding Why cancer, osteoarthritis, nerve injuries elections to the BME and Gainesville a few passionate students in the J. policy impacts them, hosting a letter Congress Doesn’t Fund Research” and more. Rep. Yoho learned through communities, and bringing in speakers Crayton Pruitt Family Department of writing event to representatives in where he discussed what is visual presentations and hands-on with relevant experience and insight Biomedical Engineering. The Student the House and Senate, and promoting happening on Capitol Hill as it relates demos about the impact that federally to promoting public policy beneficial Association for the Support of Science attendance at a talk given on campus to science and research funding. funded science is having at UF. to the BME community. (SASS) was formed to advocate for by National Institutes of Health His talk discussed the critical role of positive science policy and public Director, Dr. Francis Collins. federally funded science and how this “It’s fantastic to see this group of awareness. role can be protected and promoted. students being pro-active in educating Pivotal in the formation of SASS was both the public and elected officials to Inspired by Yager's visit, BME The team has a three-fold mission, Milan Yager's visit to campus. Yager, the value of science and engineering,” SASS members Eric Fuller and Ben including: said Dr. Jon Dobson, Ph.D., UF BME Spearman attended the AIMBE Public professor and faculty advisor of Motivate – Communicate with both Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. SASS. “Their energy and dedication researchers and the public on the where they were educated on how are impressive, and hopefully SASS importance of science and science public policy impacts biomedical inspires other students to become funding in the United States engineers. Members Kaitlynn Olczak, more engaged in activities that help to Spread Awareness – Update the Meggie Pires-Fernandes, and Mary counter anti-science sentiment held scientific community on relevant Kasper attended the Catalyzing b y m a n y.” major policies and decisions that Advocacy for Science and Engineering affect science funding and research (CASE) Workshop also in D.C., where The team hopes to encourage Take Action – Facilitate they were taught science policy and policymakers on all sides of the communication between people advocacy and had the opportunity to political spectrum to look to science and their representatives to enact meet with Rep. Ted Yoho (FL-3rd). This when designing new laws, systems, meaningful change on science culminated in inviting Rep. Yoho to and regulations and has big plans policy meet with students and tour research Madison Temples (L) and Rep. Ted Yoho (R)

14 // CrossLink From L to R: BME SASS officers Eric Fuller, Kaitlynn Olczak, Meggie Pires-Fernandez and Ben Spearman Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 15 The current standard for veterinarians joints. OA samples showed higher The close proximity of to measure viscosity is by placing fluid magnetic particle counts, which Horses Help the BME department between the thumb and pointer finger correctly correlated to lower viscosity, and the College of and checking if a string forms as the supporting the use of this method as a fingers are pulled apart, Biedrzycki potential diagnostic tool. Veterinary Medicine says. Tackle Orthopedic has made it easy for The close proximity of the BME For a more quantitative and department and the College of biomedical engineers reliable measurement, Allen’s lab Veterinary Medicine has made it easy to openly communicate in collaboration with Carlos Rinaldi, for biomedical engineers to openly Ph.D., Chair of the Department communicate with veterinarians Challenges with veterinarians like of Chemical Engineering and like Biedrzycki, and in doing so, they Biedrzycki, and in doing BME professor, has developed have gained new perspectives on the Merging Engineering and an inexpensive method that only potential of their own research. so, they have gained requires very small volumes and could Veterinary Expertise new perspectives on the potentially be used as a point-of-care “Being able to have access to these potential of their own tool. animal models and the veterinarians By Jonathan Griffin and the surgeons is just a huge research. A measurement such as this could advantage in terms of understanding be particularly useful for veterinary the translatability of some of our The successful surgeries and Although they stand on four legs and medicine where diagnostic tools can technology sooner rather than later,” promising findings demonstrated often weigh over a thousand pounds, sometimes be more important than in Sharma said. feasibility of the treatment, however, we can learn much about ourselves human medicine. the injuries did not necessarily from horses. Moving forward, Sharma and replicate real injury or disease. In the “You’re really limited to what the Allen will continue expanding their future, Sharma and Biedrzycki plan In particular, certain similarities make biology and the owner are telling you. collaborations with the vet school on expanding the potential of this horses invaluable for orthopedic The horse can’t tell you what’s going to better understand and develop treatment by studying horses with OA. research. Horse joints have cartilage on with their knee,” Allen said. strategies for joint diseases that affect thickness comparable to ours and With this new method, fluid viscosity both human and horsekind. “What we want to try to do is damaging these joints, like for us, can be determined by adding understand if the hydrogel or can eventually lead to osteoarthritis, magnetic nanoparticles embedded in combination of hydrogel and cells can or OA, a painful and incurable joint polymer microparticles to the fluid. actually repair these OA lesions and if disease. “I think the horse could be a good A magnet is then placed within the draw out marrow and blood cells from they can’t, what other requirements bridge for understanding repair in fluid which attracts particles the underlying bone, which stimulates are needed to promote regeneration,” By studying these animals, cartilage defects,” Sharma said. and the number of collected tissue repair. Sharma said. researchers in the J. Crayton Pruitt particles correlates to the Family Department of Biomedical As a veterinary surgeon who viscosity. Going into surgeries, it was suspected Biedrzycki’s collaboration with Engineering and the UF College of regularly treats horse patients, Adam that differences in the mechanics biomedical engineering extends to Veterinary Medicine have made Biedrzycki, Ph.D., assistant professor “It’s really simplistic and of horses and humans may disrupt another project with Kyle Allen, Ph.D., important progress towards better of large animal surgery, collaborated it's dirt cheap…it’s not hydrogels and limit cell survival. UF BME associate professor, aimed at treatments for joint injury and disease with Sharma in a pilot study to implant that much, yet it’s still developing a new diagnostic method in both horses and humans. hydrogels into horse stifles, which are correlating to the fluid “We can’t just tell the horses to chill in for joint disease by measuring synovial analogous to human knees. properties,” Allen said. bed for two weeks,” Biedrzycki said. fluid viscosity. As a strategy to repair damaged “They have to stand up right after cartilage, Blanka Sharma, Ph.D., During surgeries, two different In a study published s u r g e r y.” Synovial fluid, which provides UF BME assistant professor, has strategies for repair were employed. in the Journal of lubrication in joints, decreases in Biomechanics last year, developed hydrogels to stimulate In the first, hydrogels were used to One month later, small biopsies were viscosity, becoming more water-like, this method was tested chondrogenesis, a process by which deliver stem cells provided by Glyn collected, and the researchers were as diseases such as OA progress and in clinical samples of cells produce new cartilage. To Palmer, Ph.D., assistant professor of excited to find that both hydrogels can therefore be used as a marker for synovial fluid gathered better understand how the hydrogel orthopedics and rehabilitation, into and labeled cells remained in the joint joint disease. by Biedrzycki from behaves in the joint, an animal model large cartilage defects. In the second, tissue. that mimics human joints closely is hydrogels were placed into cartilage healthy and OA horse From L to R: Dr. Blanka Sharma, necessary, Sharma says. microfractures which were made to Dr. Adam Biedrzycki and Dr. Kyle Allen

16 // CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 17 Student Spotlight Engineering Nanoparticles for Cancer Vaccines Do Woodpeckers Get Concussions? Learning from Nature to Protect the Brain

In recent vaccines. This would be a powerful design, implement, and analyze a times, the tool for physicians because it would clinical trial of their own making. lines between be one of the first to inform whether traditional they should continue a patient on this “The clinical practicum was an incredibly disciplines have therapy or switch the patient to an insightful experience that has given begun to blur. As alternative option. me first-hand practice in every step of new questions and challenges arise in clinical trial design and implementation. science, engineering and medicine, new Grippin’s research has produced The biggest benefit is that I can now use collaborations form to address them. promising results. He first engineered a my own experience to judge how much nanoparticle to deliver tumor-derived work a clinical trial requires and rely on Adam Grippin, UF BME student, entered RNA and iron oxide to dendritic cells. that training to initiate future studies,” the University of Florida MD-PhD He then demonstrated that MRI said Grippin. program to address theses challenges. could be used to noninvasively Lakiesha Williams, Ph.D. Under the combined mentorship of predict whether this treatment Associate Professor Jon Dobson, Ph.D., the J. Crayton would inhibit tumor growth in UF BME Welcomes New Faculty Pruitt Family Professor in the UF animal models just two days after Biomedical Engineering Department, vaccination. Upon completion of and Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., the preclinical studies, Mitchell plans to Learning how nature solves problems Williams’ research is centered on especially those made to accept high Phyllis Kottler Friedman Professor in implement this novel therapy in his and designs systems is a primary focus the hierarchical multiscale-property impacts and intense vibrations. the UF Department of Neurosurgery, ongoing clinical trials. of new UF BME associate professor, relationship of biological materials, Grippin is developing a new nanoparticle Lakiesha Williams’ research. Williams' in this case the beaks of red-bellied One of Williams’ goals in studying tissue based cancer vaccine to train patients’ Grippin’s work has led to three interest in impact, injury, and injury woodpeckers. The structure of a mechanics is to identify and correlate immune systems to eliminate cancer UF fellowships, three private protection led her and her team to woodpecker’s beak consists of three structural change thresholds and feature cells and predict which patients will foundation grants, and an NIH ask the question “Do Woodpeckers layers, an outer keratin shell, a middle changes that may lead to irreversible benefit from this therapy just days after F30, which is the most prestigious Get Concussions?” This question foam layer and an inner bony layer. The functional/physiological changes in administration. national award for MD-PhD led to years of ongoing research and percentage of keratin, bone and foam tissues. There is great opportunity in scholars. Grippin has also been discovery. changes from the root of the beak (near adapting processes and ideas from The base of Grippin’s therapy is a honored with numerous awards for Outside of his research and didactic the face) to the beak’s tip. Along with nature to develop novel protective dendritic cell vaccine that Mitchell presenting his project including Best training, Grippin serves as the Executive Williams uses experimental tools to the amount of material changing, so systems that may potentially protect developed to treat patients with Oral Presentation at the 2017 BME Pruitt Director of the student-run Equal study hierarchical structural changes does the percentage of special features people against extensive damage to glioblastoma. Adam is applying Family Research Day and a Best Poster Access Clinic Network, which provides of biological tissues that result from within each material. tissues. mechanical damage. More specifically, Dobson’s experience with iron oxide Award at the 16th Annual Meeting of the free, comprehensive healthcare to the Williams studies mechanistic changes When compared to other birds (chicken, nanoparticles to enable tracking of Association for Cancer Immunotherapy uninsured. The organization also seeks Williams earned her B.S. in biological engineering associated with traumatic brain injury finch and toucan), the woodpecker’s these cells with in Mainz, Germany. to inspire and equip health professional from Louisiana State University and received her resulting from high impacts and intense beak has more elongated keratin scales Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Mississippi MRI. students to make service to the vibrations. that can slide over each other. These State University (MSU). Before joining UF, Williams Grippin hopes to financially disadvantaged an enduring keratin scales admit local shearing at was an associate professor in the Department The combination establish a career component of their life’s work. of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at A wood pecker will spend many hours the nanoscale. The shearing motion of MSU and director of the Human Body Simulation of these engineering new pecking for food or constructing the scales allow for emission of heat as research team. In 2017, Williams was recognized technologies therapies for patients. “The Equal Access clinic is a tremendous cavities. When a woodpecker makes a form of energy, which build up during by Mississippi’s Business Journal as one of could provide He is aided in this resource for patients in our area. I a blow into a tree trunk, its beak pecking. Mississippi’s “Top in Technology” among a list of 28 others in the state. Additionally, she was early information mission by participation am fortunate to serve here alongside repeatedly strikes at a speed of awarded the IBM Women of Color Rising Star on whether in the clinical inspiring students and health approximately 100-300 times per Correlating the structure and function award, and MSU’s Champion of Diversity award. a patient will practicum, in which professionals who continually challenge minute with an impact deceleration that in biological materials can provide benefit from MD-PhD students me to make service to those in need a is 10 times that of a typical survivable insight on design guidelines for dendritic cell like Grippin conceive, higher priority in my life,” said Grippin. car crash. developing energy mitigating materials,

18 // CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 19 UF BME Faculty Snapshot

Jennifer A. Nichols Christine E. Schmidt Kyle D. Allen Daniel Ferris Assistant Professor Robert W. Adenbaum Professor & Professor, J. Crayton Pruitt Family Chair & Associate Professor, Associate Chair for Ph.D., Northwestern University Senior Associate Chair Department Chair Undergraduate Studies & Biomechanics, musculoskeletal modeling, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Ph.D., University of Illinois J. Crayton Pruitt Family Term Fellow predictive simulation and medical imaging Biomechanics, neuromechanical control, Biomaterials for neural tissue regeneration and Ph.D., Rice University locomotion and prosthetics neural interfacing Novel strategies to diagnose and treat degenerative joint diseases

Blanka Sharma Aysegul Gunduz Kevin J. Otto Assistant Professor Professor Associate Professor & Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University Stephen H. Arce Ph.D., Arizona State University Lecturer J. Crayton Pruitt Family Term Fellow Nanomedicine, stem cells, biomaterials, Neural engineering, device-tissue Ph.D., University of Florida Ph.D., University of Florida tissue engineering and targeted interfaces and neurostimulation Bioinstrumentation and biodesign Human brain mapping, neuromodulation drug/gene delivery and neural interfacing

Cherie Stabler Gregory A. Hudalla Edward Phelps Professor & Associate Chair for Wesley E. Bolch Assistant Professor & Assistant Professor Graduate Studies Professor J. Crayton Pruitt Family Term Fellow Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Ph.D., University of Florida Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Cell and tissue regeneration, islet biology, Biomaterials, cell encapsulation, Dosimetry, computational medical Molecular engineering for immunotherapies diabetes and immunoengineering regenerative medicine, controlled physics and dose assessment and immune modulation release systems and diabetes

Mingzhou Ding Parisa Rashidi Hans van Oostrom Assistant Professor Distinguished Professor & Benjamin G. Keselowsky Associate Professor & Director, Institute Professor J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor Ph.D., Washington State University for Excellence in Engineering Education Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Ph.D., University of Maryland Biomedical data science, machine learning, Ph.D., Eindhoven University of Technology Biomaterials and controlled release pervasive health and clinical informatics Cognitive neuroscience, multivariate Human physiologic simulation to enhance systems for vaccines, immunotherapies signal processing and multimodal noninvasive patient monitoring and education and implants neural imaging

Carlos Rinaldi Lakiesha N. Williams Jon P. Dobson Peter McFetridge Dean's Leadership Professor & Associate Professor J. Crayton Pruitt Family Professor Associate Professor, Integra LifeSciences Chemical Engineering Department Chair Ph.D., Mississippi State University Ph.D., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Term Professor & Graduate Coordinator Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology Traumatic brain injury, soft tissue mechanics, ETH-Zurich Ph.D., University of Bath Nanomedicine, cancer nanotechnology, magnetic bio-inspired design & materials characterization Magnetic micro- and nanoparticle-based Naturally inspired biomaterials for biologically nanoparticles and transport phenomena biomedical applications functional implants and organ regeneration

Sarah Rowlinson Ruogu Fang Walter Lee Murfee Lecturer & Undergraduate Coordinator Lin Yang Associate Professor Assistant Professor Associate Professor Ph.D., Clemson University Ph.D., Rutgers University Ph.D., Cornell University Ph.D., University of Virginia BME cellular engineering laboratory and engineering education research Imaging informatics, biomedical image Big data analytics, brain informatics Cell dynamics, microcirculation, angiogenesis, analysis, machine learning, computer and medical image analysis lymphangiogenesis and neurogenesis vision and computer-aided diagnosis

20 // CrossLink Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 21 UF BME ALUMNI: GIVING BACK TIME AND TALENT SCIENCE BECOMES ART in the UF BME Welcomes By building meaningful relationships between alumni and current students, winning and notable photographs from New Industry UF BME cultivates a tradition of giving back. the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering 2017 Art of Research Partner UF BME’s diverse alumni play a vital role in the continued success of the department, serving as an Photo Contest. important link between our academic community and the world we are preparing our students to lead. This annual event celebrates the art of research Edwards April 2018 through the eyes of BME faculty, staff and students. 1st Annual Alumni Connect: UF BME alumni shared their experiences in industry and non-industry Judging was based on scientific significance, Lifesciences backgrounds, provided recommendations to students about finding originality, and artistic and/or visual impact of the opportunities and discussed the attitudes and skills that successful job images. The winning photo, called “Human Beta candidates possess. Edwards Lifesciences is the global leader in Cells Manufacturing Insulin,” by Dr. Ed Phelps, BME the science of heart valves and hemodynamic UF BME alumni in attendance (from left to right): assistant professor, was chosen for its striking colors monitoring. Driven by a passion to help patients, • Troy Templin, Quality Engineer, LivaNova (BS, 2015) and overall aesthetic appeal. the company partners with clinicians to develop • Shashank Kabra, Manufacturing Engineer, AxoGen (MS, 2010) innovative technologies in the areas of structural • Albina Mikhaylova, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Materials Science and Engineering Research Facility, University of North Florida (PhD, 2004) heart disease and critical care monitoring, enabling • Bryan Schwarz, Ph.D., Diagnostic Medical Physics Resident, University of 1st them to save and enhance lives. Florida (MS, 2014 & PhD, 2016) Human Beta Cells • Stephen Myers, Ph.D., Associate, Foley & Lardner, LLP (PhD, 2011) Manufacturing Edwards Lifesciences • Wil Companioni, Medical Device Sales Executive, Nuvecta (ME, 2002) Insulin has built a by Dr. Ed Phelps, partnership with February 2018 May 2018 BME assistant professor the J. Crayton Pruitt UF Biomaterials Day: Undergraduate Pinning Ceremony: Family Department Breaking Barriers in Biomaterials Research Alumnus Encourages New Graduates to Learn from of Biomedical 2nd Engineering over the Each Other Circle of the Universe The UF student chapter of the Society past three years. This for Biomaterials (SFB) hosted its in a Cup This spring, UF BME partnership is vital seventh annual Biomaterials Day, recognized the hard work by Jiapu Liang, inviting UF BME alumnus Dr. of our bachelor students BME Ph.D. student to the growth of our Jamal Lewis, assistant professor with a graduation reception department because of biomedical engineering at the and pinning ceremony it directly impacts University of California Davis, to to celebrate the new 3rd students and provides deliver one of the four research Collagen - Hyaluronic class of graduates. We them with numerous presentations. Lewis’ talk focused on invited UF BME alumnus, Nabors graduated in 2014 with her bachelor’s Acid Hydrogel different particulate systems currently degree and is currently an associate product by Syed Mustafa Jamal opportunities; student design projects, travel to Abigail Nabors, to give a manager at Becton, Dickinson and Company. under development in the Immunomodulatory commencement speech. BME M.S. student conferences and supports student-related activities Biomaterials Lab, which attempts to control critical cellular and Nabors delivered a message inspiring students to build valuable and organizations. humoral mediators that engender conditions such as type 1 lifelong relationships and support each other. diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune autism. “Alumni stands for support. Support in your career, support in Before his professorship, Lewis was a senior scientist at OneVax, your education, and support in knowing you graduated from LLC and a post-doctoral associate in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family one of the toughest engineering programs. I encourage you to Department of Biomedical Engineering, where he also received connect with your peers; collectively we have a diverse range of Thank you to all of the UF If your company or organization would a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering under the mentorship of Dr. experiences that cover old and also uncharted ground. Peers can like more information on how to give Benjamin Keselowsky in 2012. help you decide on a medical program or PhD pathway; peers can BME Industry Partners! to BME or become an industry partner, advise on internships and job opportunities; peers can give advice on problems specific to our industry. I encourage each of us to PLATINUM SILVER please contact Paul Print lean on each other.” at 352-294-7947 or [email protected]. UF BME Alumni: Keep us updated! GOLD Send us your news, updates, achievements or memories from your time at Florida. Email us at [email protected] and stay connected on social media! Visit our website at bme.ufl.edu Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida // 23 Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida Biomedical Sciences Buildling JG56 1275 Center Drive, P.O. Box 116131 Gainesville, FL 32611-6131