2015 IEM News

Dr. Joan Bechtold, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and IEM Member, was selected as the recipient of the 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society's (ORS) Women's Leadership Award. This award is "given every year to recognize a woman biologist, clinician, or engineer who, throughout her professional lifetime, has made significant contributions to the understanding of the musculoskeletal system and musculoskeletal diseases and injuries. She will have also demonstrated outstanding leadership through service to the professional community and mentorship of colleagues and trainees." Dr. Bechtold, who is the past President of ORS, will be presented the award on Sunday March 6th at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society in Orlando, Florida.

IEM Member Dr. Robert M. Sweet, Associate Professor of Urology, and Director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies (CREST), was awarded the 2015 Cook Medical Arthur Award at the 33rd Annual World Congress of Endourology, held in London this past October. WCE's award committee presents the Arthur award each year in honor of the lifetime achievements of world-renowned urologist Dr. Arthur D. Smith. The award is presented to an urologist who is within 10 years of completing residency or fellowship, and who has already achieved distinction through myriad contributions to the field of Endourology in research and teaching.

Dr. Taner Akkin, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and IEM Member, was awarded with an NSF grant and funding from the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center totaling $500,000 for his brain imaging research initially supported by an IEM seed grant. The research aims to develop an optical imaging technique to study the anatomical changes associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), which is a fatal inherited neurodegenerative disease," and aims to "enable a comprehensive three-dimensional reconstruction of the brain and cerebellum, and support quantitative assessments on white matter content and circuitry." Dr. Akkin is performing this research with Dr. Harry T. Orr, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and director of Institute for Translational Neuroscience.

National Science Foundation: NSF Historical Awards

IEM Member Dr. Henry Buchwald, Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, was inducted into the Academic Health Center's Academy for Excellence in Health Research on November 16th. A component of the ACH's Academies for Excellence, the Academy for Excellence in Health Research "is intended to serve as the highest recognition of excellence in research by AHC faculty. Those selected have enhanced the research identity of the University of Minnesota through sustained nationally- and internationally-recognized biomedical or health-related research in their field." Dr. Buchwald is among three 2015 inductees and forty inductees since the Academy was initiated in 2003.

IEM Members Drs. Bin He, James Carey, and Andrew Grande were profiled by the University of Minnesota Foundation for their work in developing treatments that could help stroke patients to regain some of their functionality. Dr. Bin He, IEM Director and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, is exploring how the application of his Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology can restore this functionality by stimulating and reactivating the brain tissue that has been injured. Dr. James R. Carey, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, is exploring the approach of strengthening areas of the brain affected by stroke by temporarily inhibiting unaffected areas. Dr. Andrew W. Grande, Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery and Co-director of the University of Minnesota's Earl Grande Stroke and Stem Cell Laboratory, is exploring how genetically-reprogramming glial cells can transform them into mature neurons. These approaches can have a tremendous impact as approximately 800,000 Americans experience a stroke annually, and there are approximately 6.5 million stroke survivors in the U.S.

IEM Members Drs. Stephen J. Haines and Samuel C. Levine are determining whether a technique of removing acoustic neuromas that seeks to preserve hearing and facial control, will work in the long-term. As reported by the University of Minnesota Foundation, the procedure significantly improved outcomes from what had been the standard procedure. Through this technique, "About 70 percent of our patients retained their hearing," says Dr. Stephen J. Haines, Professor and Department Head, Department of Neurosurgery and Lyle A. French Chair.

Drs. Haines and Levine started publishing their findings in 1993. Due to the longevity of their collaboration,the technique has now been performed for a long enough period of time to measure its effectiveness. "The thing that's powerful is when you get 25 to 30 years' worth of data," says Dr. Samuel C. Levine, a Professor in the departments of Neurosugery and Otolaryngology, who started the database from which the results are being studied. "If it turned out that we preserved hearing right after surgery, but it was all gone in five years, that wouldn't be a strong reason to have the operation," says Haines. "But if it's going to last the rest of their lives, it would make a huge difference in indication for the surgery. It made a big difference for Sally."

Huy Tran and Dr. Jianxun Lei received "Abstract Achievement Awards" from the American Society of Hematology, during its meeting in Orlando, Florida, Dec 5th to 8th. Both are trainees of Dr. Kalpna Gupta, Professor of Medicine, Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, and co-chair of the IEM Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Theme. Awards were given for Huy Tran's abstract, "Induced Mast cell-extracellular traps impart resistance to therapy in a sickle microenvironment" and Dr. Lei's abstract, "Pharmacological inhibition of TLR4 reduces mast cell activation, neuroinflammation and hyperalgesia in sickle mice." These merit-based awards, in the amount of $500, are offered to "trainees who are chosen to present an abstract, of which they are the first and senior author and presenter, at the ASH annual meeting."

Dr. David R. Jacobs, Professor of Epidemiology & Community Health, and IEM Member, was the co-author of a study published recently in "JAMA Psychiatry" that links television-watching and low levels of physical activity with lower cognitive function in midlife. The study followed more than 3,000 adults for 25 years, from early adulthood to midlife, addressing both their television viewing habits and levels of exercise at least three times per year. The study was also featured in "Ars Technica", which highlighted that the study is among the first to include the impact of television-watching and cardiorespiratory fitness on midlife cognitive function. According to that article, "these risk behaviors may be critical targets for prevention of cognitive aging even before middle age."

Ars Technica: TV-Binging Exercise-Skipping Linked to Poor Cognitive Function

JAMA Psychiatry: Effect of Early Patterns of Physical Activity and Television Viewing on Midlife Cognitive Function

Dr. Ronald A. Siegel, Professor of Pharmaceutics and IEM Member and Dr. SuPing Lyu, Senior Principal Scientist at Medtronic, and IEM Industrial Fellow were credited with editing the first edition of a new textbook published by Wiley, "Drug-device Combinations for Chronic Diseases." Released on November 4, 2015, and now available online this month, the textbook details "the concepts and technologies of drug-device combination products" and "includes case studies of important products that either significantly shape our technologies and thinking, or contribute to current healthcare practice."

Wiley: Drug-device Combinations for Chronic Diseases

Dr. Hubert H. Lim, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Translational Neuroscience Scholar, and IEM Member, was interviewed by Minnesota CBS affiliate WCCO about the practice of sound therapy, which can be used to treat conditions commonly addressed by more traditional treatments, such as chiropractic intervention or massage therapy. Dr. Lim's lab is exploring if and how these types of physiological and neural effects can be systematically controlled to relieve certain disease symptoms or enhance other conventional treatments, leading to new directions in integrative medicine.

According to Dr. Lim, "it is clearly doing something in the body, in the brain. When you measure signals in the body you will see the heart rate will change, people will sweat or have chills for different types of sounds, so it is clearly causing a physiological neural effect."

CBS Minnesota: Ancient Treatment Sound Therapy Rediscovered in Minnesota

The Institute for Engineering in Medicine is pleased to announce the successful launch of its new Clinical Immersion Program, in which groups of engineers from medical technology companies visited the University of Minnesota in September and October. During the week-long program, the participants observed numerous surgical procedures and learned about the many challenges and unmet clinical needs associated with treating patients with heart disease, cancer, and other very serious conditions.

Hosted by the Department of Surgery, the program seeks to help engineers become more effective in developing leading-edge medical technologies. Among the participants was Dr. Aditee Kurane, an R&D manager at St. Jude Medical. "We got to see so many aspects of the clinical setting that we had no previous exposure to - grand rounds, listening to detailed case preparation by the surgical residents and most importantly, a variety of surgical procedures where the surgeons were so accommodating and explained details of the procedures to help us truly understand what was going on," said Dr. Kurane. IEM is currently organizing company groups for Spring 2016.

The third edition of "Cardiac Anatomy, Physiology and Devices" edited by Dr. Paul Iaizzo, Professor of Surgery and IEM Associate Director for Education and Outreach, is recently available. This new edition includes six new chapters and contributions from a number of physicians and industry experts.

"The major impetus for this third edition was to update this resource textbook for interested students, residents, clinicians, and/or practicing biomedical engineers. A secondary motivation was to promote the expertise, past and present, in the areas of cardiovascular science at the University of Minnesota," says Dr. Iaizzo, who adds that the third edition includes "state-of-the-art information on a variety of topics related to cardiac anatomy, physiology, and devices." The handbook is now available on-line, and can be accessed through the following link.

The American Cancer Society's new guidelines for breast cancer screening encourage women to make the decision on when, and how often, to go in for testing. Under the new guidelines, women of average risk are recommend to be screened annually starting at age 45, and then every other year starting at age 55. As reported in a story by the "Minnesota Daily," having annual exams at earlier ages could lead to false-positives. The co-author of the study that led to the new guidelines, Dr. Timothy R. Church, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, and IEM Member, says "When you screen for any disease, the tests are not perfect, so sometimes they'll indicate a disease is present when it isn't."

In another article on the topic in the University of Minnesota's "Health Talk," IEM Member Dr. Douglas Yee, Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, Director of the Masonic Cancer Center and John H. Kersey Chair in Cancer Research, says "The new ACS guidelines are based on a systematic evidence review of breast cancer screening literature including randomized controlled trials, more recent observational studies, and simulations." Dr. Yee notes, however, that the new guidelines are not appropriate for women at high-risk of breast cancer, such as those possessing the inherited BRCA mutation.

Dr. Esther Krook-Magnuson, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience, MnDRIVE Neuromodulation Scholar, and IEM Member, is researching how brain activity during epileptic seizures can be altered using light, a technique known as optogenetics. As reported in the University of Minnesota's Health Talk Publication, medication is unable to control seizures in as many as 40% of epilepsy patients, resulting in a need for other approaches. Optogenetics can potentially address this by targeting the specific groups of cells that cause the seizures and adjusting the activity within the cells. Dr. Krook-Magnuson says that "Optogenetics is the tool we've been waiting for." Her research is supported by both MnDRIVE and the NIH.

Dr. Kalpna Gupta, Professor of Medicine, Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, and co-chair of the IEM Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Theme, is performing research funded by the state of Minnesota on the effectiveness of cannabis in addressing intractable pain. As reported in the Minnesota Daily, the Minnesota Department of Health is determining whether to recommend use of medical marijuana, in addition to the nine conditions that already qualify patients for use of the drug in Minnesota. The clinical trial includes 35 patients who receive either a vaporized form of the drug or a placebo. All of the patients will randomly receive each during the study to determine the effectiveness of cannabis in treating their pain. Dr. Gupta noted that the approvals for her research from various federal and state (California) organizations were obtained without any blockade.

MN Daily: Cannabis Use Could Broaden

IEM Member Dr. Xiang Cheng, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, has been awarded a Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering. Dr. Cheng is among 18 people from the U.S. to receive this honor, given to "the most innovative scientists and engineers" as reported in CEMS News. The fellowships "provide early-career scientists with flexible funding and the freedom to take risks and explore new frontiers in their fields." Dr. Cheng says that his laboratory "aims to design 'smart' fluids, where the properties of fluids (e.g. viscosity) can be controlled by external factors such as light, shear forces and electromagnetic fields. These smart fluids can be used in many industrial circumstances such as lubricants, coating fluids et al." The Packard Fellowship grant will provide Dr. Cheng with $875,000 over 5 years to support his research.

Dr. Clifford Steer, M.D., Professor of Medicine and IEM Member, has accepted a new leadership role as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the Medical School, a position he will begin on December 1st. Dr. Steer's time at the University of Minnesota's Medical School began more than 40 years ago, when he was an MD student and then a resident of Internal Medicine. After then spending 14 years at the NIH, he returned to the Medical School, where he has served as a tenured professor and in a number of committees. "As a physician and researcher, with ties throughout the school, Cliff can relate to our faculty on many levels. He's going to be an outstanding ally for the faculty as we begin to meet our goals with mentorship, academic scholarship, P&T program and tenure track, and diversity," said Dr. Brooks Jackson, Dean of Medical School and VP of Health Sciences, in his announcement of this new position.

IEM Industrial Fellow Dr. Timothy Denison of Medtronic is collaborating with researchers at the Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, and University of Pennsylvania to develop a device that would predict, then prevent impending epileptic seizures, as reported in the publication "Fierce Medical Devices." The development is being funded by a $6.8 million 5 year grant from the NIH led by Dr. Greg Worrell, Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic, as part of the Obama Administration's Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. Dr. Worrell, who discussed the technology at an IEM Seminar in March, says that "The new technology, coupled with the big data analysis, will also be used for effective brain stimulation to prevent seizures before they ever occur." Drs. Worrell and Denison are both affiliate members of the Center for Neuroengineering, which is an affiliate center of IEM.

IEM Members Dr. Timothy J. Ebner, Professor and Head, Department of Neuroscience and Dr. Kamil Ugurbil, Professor of Radiology and Director of the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) are leading two of the four University of Minnesota Medical Discovery Teams (MDT). As reported in the "Medical School Blog," these teams were established and funded by the Minnesota State Legislature "to recruit faculty considered to be national leaders in their fields to lead teams focused on solving health issues important to Minnesota and the nation," according to Medical School Dean Brooks Jackson. Dr. Ebner will lead the "Addiction" faculty search team and Dr. Ugurbil will lead the search team entitled: "Imaging Across Multiple Scales of Neuronal Organization in the Brain: Circuit Based Approaches to Neuropsychiactric Disorders."

Dr. Michael McAlpine, Benjamin Mayhugh Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and IEM Member, is working on ways to regenerate complex nerve injuries with 3-D printed scaffolding to serve as a conduit between the ends of a broken nerve network, as reported in M.I.T.'s "Technology Review." The impact of this type of nerve regeneration is potentially significant as more than 200,000 procedures to repair nerves are performed annually in the U.S., and the approach can eliminate some of the issues associated with the current practice of harvesting and using nerve tissue from other parts of the body. Dr. McAlpine recently came to the University of Minnesota from Princeton University and presented aspects of this research during an IEM Seminar in September. He says that, as he continues his research, he would like to identify a biodegradable material that could be used for the scaffolding so that it can dissolve in the body after the nerve has been regenerated. This advance will set the stage for future clinical trials in humans.

The University of Minnesota's Visible Heart Lab (VHL), directed by Dr. Paul A. Iaizzo, Professor of Surgery and IEM Associate Director for Education and Outreach, is the sole research site for the testing of the TransMedics OSCTM Portable Lung Perfusion System, which will help to make more lungs available for transplantation. "With only 20% of all lung offers currently used for transplant and a growing need for quality donors, our research with Ex vivo lung preservation (EVLP) is a critical step toward addressing this shortage," says Dr. Gabriel Loor, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, who is performing this research with Dr. Iaizzo.

The OSC system preserves lungs by continuously pumping blood through them as they are being transported from the donor to the recipient. This practice increases the time available between harvest and transplant as compared to the current practice of placing the harvested lungs on ice. This added time would increase the number of lungs available for transplants. The Visible Heart Lab is uniquely capable of performing the studies needed to evaluate the OSC system's various aspects, and the resulting research is described in two journal articles that are currently under review, one in the "Journal of Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery" and the other in the "Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation." TransMedics expects its OSC system to soon enter clinical trials in the U.S., although it is already available for commercial use in Europe and Australia.

Tychon Biosciences, a new biotechnology company, has started to commercialize an adaptive immunotherapy developed by IEM Member Dr. Carston Wagner, Professor and Endowed Chair of Medicinal Chemistry and Director of the Chemical Biology Initiative. Dr. Wagner says the treatment can be used against a variety of cancers including those of the prostate, breast, pancreas, lung and brain, in addition to some types of leukemia. Unlike other immunotherapies in which cells are genetically modified, Dr. Wagner's technology uses a protein design - a chemical and biological approach of engineering the cells, which allows the treatment to be delivered to the patient in an "off-the-shelf" fashion, so that it can be given "much more readily." The treatment is currently in pre-clinical studies and is on track to proceed to a Phase 1 human clinical trial within two years.

Invenshure Launches Tychon Biosciences

The 2015 IEM Annual Conference and Retreat, was successfully held at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities Campus on Monday, September 21st, attracting over 400 participants from both engineering and health sciences community, including members of industry. Attendees experienced captivating talks from nationally recognized keynote speakers on discovery, innovation, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and medicine. The retreat offered rich opportunities for networking and discussions of collaborations. Over 80 faculty and industrial colleagues presented their R & D programs in 6 breakout sessions, followed by a highly engaged poster session featuring work of more than 100 University of Minnesota faculty, research programs, and students. 19 students and postdocs won poster awards (see below for a complete list).

“The high level of excitement we have experienced and the record number of participants and presenters indicate a need to enhance interdisciplinary collaborations across disciplines between medicine and health sciences and engineering, as well as between academia and industry. I am very pleased that IEM has played a positive role in fostering such collaborations.” Said Dr. Bin He, IEM director.

2016 IEM Conference and Retreat will be held on September 26, 2016. SAVE THE DATE.

At the 2015 IEM Annual Conference and Retreat, the inaugural class of IEM Industrial Fellows, were inducted. These talented individuals will serve to foster greater collaboration between University of Minnesota and the medical devices and life sciences industry. Specifically, the IEM Industrial Fellows will explore and pursue collaborative research initiatives, communicate industry needs to University of Minnesota faculty and faculty expertise to industry. They will also participate at IEM events, which will serve as forums from which many of these collaborations will evolve. The IEM Industrial Fellows are nominated by IEM faculty members who work closely with industry, and are selected by the IEM Executive Committee. Being selected as an IEM Industrial Fellow represents a professional recognition.

2015 Class of IEM Industrial Fellows:
Dr. Cynthia Thatcher Clague, Medtronic
Dr. Timothy Denison, Medtronic
Dr. Bruce Forsyth, Boston Scientific
Dr. Gary Leo Hansen, RespirTech
Dr. Bruce H. KenKnight, Cyberonics
Dr. David M. Knapp, Boston Scientific
Dr. Jaydeep Kokate, Boston Scientific
Dr. SuPing Lyu, Medtronic
Mr. Rick D. McVenes, Medtronic
Dr. Gregory F. Molnar, Medical Device Consultant
Mr. Eric N. Rudie, Denervx

IEM's 2015-2016 Seminar Series kicked off with Dr. Charlie Johnson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, delivering the seminar, "Graphene-enabled Nano/Bio Hybrids for Chemical Detection and Medical Diagnostics". The following week Dr. Michael McAlpine, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and IEM Member, presented, "3D Printed Bionic Nanomaterials." Both seminars attracted overflow audiences of faculty members, students, and members of industry, as well as other participants who have an interest in these innovative technologies. The IEM Seminar Series was launched in the Spring semester of 2015 to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among members of academia and industry in an informal and collegial environment. The seminars commonly occur during the fall and spring semesters on Tuesdays, at 4-101 NHH, unless otherwise noted. Pizza and soda will be served for attendees, and it is recommended that you arrive early to secure seating.

IEM Member Dr. Robert Tranquillo, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, received the 2015 Senior Scientist Award from the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Americas (TERMIS-AM). The award "is based on an individual's significant contributions to the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine field." Dr. Tranquillo, who was presented with a plaque during the 2015 TERMIS World Congress held earlier this month in Boston, says that this award "reflects the dedicated effort and ingenuity of many excellent students and lab staff over the years."

IEM Member Kelvin O. Lim, M.D., Drs. T.J. and Ella M. Arneson Land-Grant Chair in Human Behavior; Professor and Vice Chair of Research, Department of Psychiatry, and his colleagues were recently awarded an NIH R01 grant "Functional Connectivity Changes during Early Recovery as a Marker for Relapse." The $2.6 Million grant will fund functional magnetic resonance imaging research to measure biomarkers that can identify individuals who have a high risk of drug relapse. This research had previously been supported by IEM seed funding, which Dr. Lim says, "supported the formation of an interdisciplinary faculty group of clinicians, engineers and neuroscientists that helped us refine our ideas and strategies for using noninvasive neuromodulation to therapeutically alter brain networks."

IEM Industrial Fellow Dr. Jay Kokate was featured in the Star Tribune for his work in developing Boston Scientific's Eluvia stent to treat peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition that affects more than 200 million people, globally. The stent, which could ultimately help prevent the amputations of the legs and feet of many diabetic patients, is coated with the drug paclitaxel, which is combined with a polymer to allow for its slow release, to prevent the re-narrowing of vessels in which it is placed - a common issue with stents. "We wanted to make sure that it was a sustained release for at least six months to a year," says Dr. Kokate. That slow release is believed among people at Boston Scientific to be the reason that 94% of patients in a clinical trial of the Eluvia stent avoided having to return to the hospital to have their arteries reopened within nine months of having it implanted.

Boston Scientific's Eluvia Stent Shows Promise Treating Peripheral Artery Disease

The posters were divided into one of IEM’s five research themes – Cardiovascular Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Medical and Biological Imaging, Medical Devices and Neuroengineering, and also into a separate group, Postdoctoral Posters; the students/postdocs were judged by a competition panel on the quality and presentation of their works. The winners of this year’s sessions are as follows:

Cardiovascular Engineering
1st Place - Jay Reimer, et al.
Pediatric Tubular Pulmonary Heart Valve from Decellularized Engineered Tissue Tubes

2nd Place - Mengen Zhang, et al.
Engineering Skeletal Muscle Tissue Constructs Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell

3rd Place - Kanchan Kulkarni, et al.
Real-Time Feedback Based Control of Cardiac Restitution using Optical Mapping

Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
1st Place - Sofie O’Brien, et al.
A Systems Analysis of Dual Signaling Control of Conjugative Drug Resistance Transfer in Enterococcus Faecalis

2nd Place - Geneva Doak, et al.
A Microfluidic Model of Tumor Heterogeneity to Study Evolution of Chemoresistance

3rd Place - Alexandra Crampton, et al.
Rapid Generation of Collagen Microtissues to Study Cell Matrix Remodeling

Medical and Biological Imaging
1st Place - Kai Yu, et al.
In Vivo Monitoring of Tumor Growth in a Mouse Cancer Model Using High-resolution Electrical-conductivity Contrast Imaging

2nd Place - Yicun Wang, et al.
Magnetic Resonance based Electrical Properties Tomography with Multi-channel Transmission and Total Variation Constrains

3rd Place - Oliver Dannberg, et al.
Comparison Between Gaussian and Bessel Beam Illumination for Scanning Thin-Sheet Laser Imaging Microscope (sTSLIM)

Medical Devices
1st Place - Yiru Wang, et al.
Thermal Contrast Amplification Bioassay Technology

2nd Place - Patricia Maglalang, et al.
Thermal Contrast Amplification Bioassay Technology

3rd Place - Yulong Li, et al.
Fully-Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator Devices for In Vivo Radiation Cancer Therapy

Neuroengineering
1st Place - tie - Abbey Holt, et al.
Phasic Burst Stimulation: A Closed-Loop Approach to Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease

1st Place - tie - Julia Quindlen, et al.
A Multiphysics Model of the Pacinian Corpuscle

2nd Place - Kate Frost, et al.
Patient Enrollment Difficulties in Trial of Primed rTMS for Acute Stroke in U.S.

3rd Place - Elisabeth Moore, et al.
V4 LFP Signals Predict and Affect Behavioral Reliability in Non-human Primates During Shape Detection Task Training

Post Docs
1st Place - Hattie L. Ring, et al.
In Vivo Quantification of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Biodistribution Using Positive T1 Contrast

2nd Place - Giuseppe Cataldo, et al.
Targeting Putative Mu Opioid/Chemokine Receptor Type 5 Heteromers Potently Attenuates Nociception in a Murine Model of Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

3rd Place - Marie-Elena Brett, et al.
Droplet-Based Three Dimensional Cell Migration Assay with Flow Cytometrey Based Automated Analysis

Research led by IEM Executive Committee Member Dr. Kelvin Lim was recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Dr. Lim is Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Psychiatry, and Drs. T.J. and Ella M. Arneson Land-Grant Chair in Human Behavior. The randomized clinical trial, entitled “Meditation Interventions for Treatment of PTSD in Veterans," compared the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, a group program that teaches participants to increase their mindfulness, "moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness," versus present-centered group therapy, in which participants focus upon their current life problems. The results showed that the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction was more effective than present-centered group therapy and comparable to standard therapies such as prolonged exposure. The Veterans Administration supported this research as part of its efforts to address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which affects 23% of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Posttraumatic Stress

A recent study that used data from Medtronic Reveal cardiac monitors, shows that drones can cause stress to bears. The study, reported by the BBC and other publications and led by Dr. Mark A. Ditmer, a University of Minnesota Postdoctoral Associate, took place in northern Minnesota, and shows that the heart rates of four black bears studied jumped significantly when drones flew within 20 meters of them. The cardiac monitors were implanted by Dr. Paul A. Iaizzo, Professor of Surgery and IEM Associate Director for Education and Outreach. The data was downloaded and analyzed during visits to the bear dens by Dr. Iaizzo and Dr. Tim Laske, Vice President of Research and Business Development at Medtronic AF Solutions, and IEM Industrial Advisory Board Member. Members of the bear research team led by Dr. Dave Garshelis, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, discussed the cardiac changes and how they were correlated with the drone flights and other stressors.

Bears get "stressed" by drones

IEM Director Dr. Bin He’s research was featured in a video at an online “Hangout On Air” event hosted on August 7th by the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. In the video, produced by the National Science Foundation’s “Science Nation” series and narrated by PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien, Dr. He discusses how the noninvasive brain-computer interface works and its potential to help people with disabilities become more independent by giving them the ability to perform daily tasks on their own. The Hangout hosts also discuss the tremendous benefit of the system being noninvasive and its future promise to those who will utilize it.

Featured in the “Duluth News Tribune”, funding from the Minnesota Legislature’s MnDRIVE initiative has helped in the recruitment of six leading brain researchers to the University of Minnesota. These researchers have joined the MnDRIVE Brain Conditions team led by IEM Member Dr. Jerrold Vitek, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology. Dr. Vitek ‘s team focuses on neuromodulation, including Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), which is used to address conditions such as essential tremor, which affects Parkinson’s Disease patients. Two of the team’s new members are Dr. Michael Park, a neurosurgeon recruited from the University of Louisville and Dr. Scott Cooper, a neurologist who was recruited from the Cleveland Clinic.

Initiative Brings Top Brain Researchers

The National Academy of Medicine issued a summary of a workshop held in early March 2015 entitled “Non-Invasive Neuromodulation of the Central Nervous System: Opportunities and Challenges.” The workshop was organized to address the benefits and risks, regulatory, reimbursement and ethical issues associated with noninvasive neuromodulation, as rapid advances in the field lead to new medical devices. Such devices could include therapeutic ones that would treat nervous system disorders and nontherapeutic ones for cognitive and functional enhancement. To thoroughly address these issues and opportunities, stakeholders with a variety of backgrounds were invited to take part in the two-day meeting; including clinicians, regulatory experts, healthcare providers, payers, researchers, ethicists and people who develop neuromodulation technologies and devices.

The University of Minnesota is among the leaders of the newly-established Minnesota Medical Manufacturing Partnership (MMMP), a federally-formed consortium of the state’s key participants in its medical technology community, according to a recent article in the University of Minnesota’s “Inquiry” publication. The article highlights the University of Minnesota’s strong track record of medical technology development, and cites the roles of both the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM) and Medical Devices Center (MDC) in this development, through IEM’s formation of interdisciplinary research collaborations and the MDC’s Innovation Fellows Program. The MMMP is one of twelve such “Manufacturing Communities” named by the U.S. Department of Commerce to support, through access to federal aid, the best-practices and economic development in the chosen sectors.

Dr. Victor Barocas, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and IEM Member, was named a College of Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor, which honors an outstanding faculty member for his or her, "Efforts in and contributions to teaching and scholarly research, and for their genuine commitment to the College of Science and Engineering and its activities." Speaking about his distinction, Dr. Barocas said, "The award is a great honor, and it's particularly gratifying because the U and CSE have been such a vital part of my education and career over the years." Included with this recognition is a one-time award of $15,000 to be used for professional development or research.

Dr. Paul A. Iaizzo, Professor of Surgery, IEM Associate Director for Education and Outreach, and Director of the Visible Heart Laboratory, and Dr. John C. Bischof, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, and IEM Associate Director for Development, recently received a grant from the Minnesota Partnership for Biotechnology and Medical Genomics focused on "Electroporation for Selective, Non-thermal, Reversible and Irreversible Tissue Ablation." The primary goal of this collaboration is to investigate and apply refined electroporation protocols to selectively ablate tissues, while at the same time, minimizing undesired destruction or collateral damage to associated tissues. Dr. Iaizzo will oversee in vitro tissue dose titration experiments, and Dr. Bischof will perform cellular and ex vivo tissue assessments to determine the highest-possible efficacy of non-thermal ablation in cardiovascular systems. As an outcome of this work, the findings will then be leveraged into new clinical approaches with collaborators at the Mayo Clinic.

Multiple IEM Members were featured in the July 15th issue of the University of Minnesota's Discover publication for their interdisciplinary work in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to more precisely treat patients with movement disorders, including tremors associated with Parkinson's disease. Featured in the article were Drs. Jerrold Vitek, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology; Kenneth Baker, Assistant Professor of Neurology; Noam Harel, Associate Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery; Matthew Johnson, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering; and Timothy Church, Professor of Environmental Health Sciences. The team takes a multidisciplinary approach to map electrical signals of neurons and use MR and CT imaging. Efforts are being made to increase this precision with a new type of DBS lead, which would allow for a more-controlled delivery of electrical current to a patients' brain than it is possible with existing leads.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is prominently featuring the heritage of Minnesota's medical technology community in its new "Places of Invention" exhibit that opened on July 1st. As reported in the Star Tribune, the "Medical Alley" section focuses on the community's beginnings in the 1950's with the risky, innovative pursuits of University of Minnesota surgeon Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, and eventual Medtronic founder Earl Bakken. Those beginnings, which were the result of strong collaborations between the University of Minnesota and industry, have since evolved into a community of "more than 500 small and large businesses and more than 36,000 employees." The Smithsonian sought to highlight technology clusters that have a compelling story of innovation, sense of community and "critical mass of people and resources and ideas." "Medical Alley's" importance to our nation's innovative heritage is made clear by its placement next to a section highlighting Silicon Valley.

Medical Technology Heritage Featured at Smithsonian

As reported by the Star Tribune, the University of Minnesota's Medical School is using 3-D printers from Twin Cities-based Stratasys to make 3-D models of human body parts to train medical students, part of an increasing application of 3-D printing in medicine. IEM Member Dr. Robert M. Sweet, Associate Professor of Urology and Director of the university's Center for Research in Education and Simulation Technologies (CREST), is using 3-D printouts of kidneys to train students at the University of Minnesota and other institutions, including hospitals, nursing schools and military medical training facilities. In addition to producing models of organs, the printers are used to replicate a patient's specific anatomy in preparation for surgery.

The Department of Defense has partnered with the University of Minnesota and Stratasys to produce realistic head, tongue and trachea models in which the 3-D-printed body parts are further enhanced with silicone molds, hand-painting and water sealants, making them more realistic for the training of Army physicians and first responders. The tracheas, in particular, are realistic enough to be sold on the open market. More recently, the Defense Department has partnered with the university and Stratasys to produce a "modular manikin" for surgical training.

Stratasys 3-D Printers Ramp Up Health Care Applications

In a recent Star Tribune article, Dr. Andrew W. Grande, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and IEM Member, discusses the need to increase the percentage of stroke patients receiving recommended treatment in Minnesota beyond its current level of 4%. Dr. Grande says that key factors in improving this figure are for patients to learn about the symptoms of a stroke, and then to seek immediate treatment at a hospital. That treatment, which has been primarily in the form of IV medications, will now include more medical devices that mechanically remove blood clots from patients experiencing acute severe strokes. So far, two devices have been approved for treatment of this condition in the U.S., one manufactured by Medtronic, and the other by Stryker. Early intervention is required, as current devices need to be used within several hours of the onset of symptoms.

Clot Removal Devices Recommended for Some Stroke Patients

Dr. Bin He, IEM director, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medtronic-Bakken Endowed Chair for Engineering in Medicine, was recently elected as the Chair-elect of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE) for 2015-2018. IAMBE consists currently of 119 fellows worldwide including 26 members of national academies. The Academy fellowship represents significant recognition of an individual's original scientific contributions to and leadership in the field of medical and biological engineering. The Academy is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE), the umbrella organization of all national societies of biomedical engineering consisting of over 120,000 members worldwide. Dr. Bob Nerem, the Institute Professor Emeritus at Georgia Tech and member of National Academy of Engineering, is the founding Chair of the Academy. Dr. Roger Kamm, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Biological and Mechanical Engineering at MIT and member of the Institute of Medicine, is the Past Chair.

International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering; About IAMBE

Dr. David W. Polly, Jr., M.D., Professor and Chief of Spine Surgery, and IEM Member, is President-Elect of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS). Dr. Polly says that Minnesota has "led the way" in making dramatic advancements in treating this condition during much of the society's 50 years of existence, especially in spinal instrumentation and surgical techniques that have led to much faster recovery times for patients. The SRS, which includes more than 1,200 of the world's leading spine surgeons, funds a variety of research grants and offers educational opportunities through its conferences, hands-on courses, worldwide courses and e-text. It will be holding its 50th Annual meeting in Minneapolis from September 30 - October 3, 2015. Minneapolis has had an historic relationship with the SRS, hosting its first two annual meetings in 1966 and 1967, and the 25th Annual meeting in 1991. More of the society's presidents, throughout its history, have had Minnesota roots than from anywhere else.

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

Dr. J. Jeffrey McCullough, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, American Red Cross Professor of Transfusion Medicine, and IEM Member, has been appointed Chair of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Advisory Council on Blood Stem Cell Transplantation. Through this appointment, Dr. McCullough will lead the council, which advises the Secretary of HHS on matters regarding blood and stem cell transplantation. Dr. McCullough's role in founding the National Marrow Donor Program and experience in Stem Cell Transplant program activities, and in blood and marrow stem cell processing gained at the University of Minnesota, adds to his expertise and ability to serve effectively as the Chair of this Committee.

Dr. Art Erdman, Director of IEM affiliated Medical Devices Center and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, delivered a Keynote presentation, "Generating an 'Optimal Solution' Including Device/Tissue Interaction via Modeling and Simulation," at the Medtronic Modeling Symposium on June 3, 2015, held on the company's Mounds View campus. The theme for the conference was "When Modeling Becomes Essential." The Medical Devices Center, under Dr. Erdman's leadership, has collaborated with Dr. Dan Keefe's team in Computer Science and Engineering to develop a virtual prototyping system "The Coffey Table," one of which is located at the Medtronic Mounds View facility.

Dr. Ann Van de Winckel, PhD, PT, and IEM Member, received a Medical School/UMF Faculty Equipment Award to support her project, "Integrated Motion Analysis and Biofeedback System for Upper Extremity Performance." The equipment will allow for more precise measurements to assess a patient's motor recovery following stroke. The equipment's software will provide real-time feedback to help stroke patients improve how they move their arms and hands in space. Dr. Van de Winckel's primary research objectives include defining the involvement and neural mechanisms of proprioception (body awareness) and neuroplasticity in sensorimotor recovery in stroke patients through brain imaging, neurorehabilitation, and clinical assessments. Dr. Van de Winckel is seeking to translate these research findings to therapeutic interventions aimed at sensorimotor recovery.

Dr. Teresa Jacobson Kimberley, Ph.D., PT, and IEM Member, received a grant from MicroTransponder to participate in a clinical trial to test their new Vivistim System - a neuromodulation device for treatment of hemiparesis secondary to stroke. The treatment involves pairing vagus nerve stimulation with rehabilitation to improve arm function after ischemic stroke. Dr. Stephen Haines, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Neurosurgery, and IEM Member, will serve as a surgeon on the project. The University of Minnesota is one of three sites in the U.S. to conduct this investigation.

On June 21, 2015, results were announced of a clinical drug trial made with the gene-transfer method "Sleeping Beauty System" developed by the University of Minnesota's Dr. Perry Hackett, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and IEM Member. In the trial, half of the 16 patients treated with the cancer-killing CAR-T drug following bone-marrow transplant survived. The promise of this technology led to an investment earlier this year by drug company Merck of nearly $1 Billion, in addition to royalties. The Sleeping Beauty system, which is based on a transposon gene, is thought to be advantageous compared to other, virus-based methods of making CAR-T drugs, which can be more prone to mutations in the host DNA. As a result, the Sleeping Beauty system may be a faster, less expensive and potentially safer production method.
StarTribune - U technology is key to potent drug to treat blood cancer

Dr. Wei-Shou Hu, Ph.D., Professor of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, and IEM Member, was among four investigators who received a Minnesota Futures Grant for "Glycoengineering of therapeutic biologics by systems design and combinational synthesis." Their research will utilize genome engineering, synthetic biology and systems biotechnology, and seeks to ensure that drugs made with materials obtained from living human or animal cells meet quality standards. Achieving these standards can be a challenge because current methods for reproducing the cells in a lab can lead to the unwanted altering of the cells' genetic material and structure, resulting in drugs which don't meet production standards.

In response to the increasing demand for cancer research resources among IEM Members, the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM) has funded the establishment of an affiliate laboratory, the Cancer Animal Core (CAC), which provides service to IEM members and the community. What makes the CAC especially unique on campus is its capability to test devices and therapeutics, its access to a variety of cancer imaging modalities, and its accessibility to researchers new to the use of animals, according to CAC Director Dr. John Bischof, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Mechanical Engineering and IEM Associate Director for Development.

The CAC also offers users a full range of cancer research services in the management of animals, cell lines, tumor monitoring, and data sets. As a result, the CAC can "dramatically reduce the time and effort for an investigator to run pilot and long term projects using cancer models that are already in operation within the core," says Qi Shao, a Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. candidate managing the lab. 

For more information on the CAC’s services, please contact Qi Shao at [email protected]

Dr. Joan Bechtold, Ph.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, and IEM Member, was among five new members named to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Advisory Council. Members on the council consist of both scientists and laypersons experienced with the NIAMS’ mission. They advise the institute on broad issues, and recommend what courses of action should be taken on research proposals.

Since 1995, Dr. Betchold has been receiving funding from NIH for a variety of research projects. Her primary research focus area is on bone healing in situations in which co-morbidities exist, especially for patients who have received revision joint replacement surgeries. With her expertise and experience, she will help NIAMS support research seeking answers to issues in causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis, musculoskeletal and skin diseases.

The laboratory of IEM Member Dr. Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari was among 20 facilities chosen to receive one of the earliest bioprinters, a 3D printer using living tissue, which she is utilizing in her research. Dr. Angela Panoskaltsis-Mortari is a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Pulmonary Medicine and Director of theCytokine Reference Laboratory. In the StarTribune article, Dr. Panoskaltsis-Mortari discusses the tremendous promise of 3D bioprinting, such as the printing of organs. The article also cites hurdles to achieving this promise, and other uses of 3D printing in medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Among those other uses is the more-simple printing of plastic 3D models of organs, as utilized by the Visible Heart Lab, an IEM Affiliated laboratory, for educational purposes. As an example of how this technology is used, IEM Member Dr. Robroy MacIver, an Assistant Professor of Surgery who specializes in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, shows the organ models to his patients’ parents so that they can better-understand the conditions faced by their children.

Star Tribune - University of Minnesota researcher has one of the first "bioprinters" using living tissue

The Medical Devices Center (MDC), an IEM affiliated center, is pleased to announce the names of its Innovation Fellows for the 2015-2016 academic year. The program’s Director, Dr. Ben Arcand, is enthusiastic about this class, stating "We've recruited a very strong team for the 2015-'16 Innovation Fellows Program with a diverse range of technical skills and experiences." The Fellows have backgrounds in neurosurgery, cardiology, electrical, mechanical and biomedical engineering, chemistry, app development, and neurosciences. Dr. Arcand feels that this diversity will allow the team to "be well-poised to develop technologies that meet important unmet clinical needs and to collaborate across a variety of clinical and technical areas." This will be the 8th year of the program, which has produced 160 patent disclosures during its first 5 years, and has prepared dozens of its alumni to be productive innovators in industry, academia, and clinical medicine.

The 2015-‘16 Class Members:
Adam Black, Ph.D. candidate, Biomedical, Electrical Engineering, University of Minnesota
Michael Greminger, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota - Duluth
Brian Krohn, Ph.D. candidate, Natural Resource Science, Chemistry; CEO of Zuri Apps; Entrepreneur
Amit Goyal, M.D., Resident in Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota
Steven Reinitz, Ph.D., Co-founder B.B.R. Medical Innovations; Entrepreneur
Ahmed Selim, M.D., Internal Medicine Physician (Cardiovascular Hospitalist), University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics
Bradley Slaker, M.B.A., Founder and CEO of DesignWise Medical; Entrepreneur
Anastasia Zink, Ph.D. candidate, Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Co-founder of MN Neuromodulation Consortium

Dr. Kalpna Gupta, Professor of Medicine, Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, and IEM Member, gave the plenary talk "Cannabinoid-based therapy and approaches to quantify pain in sickle cell disease" at the Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Meeting in Hollywood, Florida, April 10-13, 2015. Dr. Gupta also gave the plenary lecture "Integrative approaches to treat sickle pain," at the 10th International Congress of Sickle Cell Disease in Strasbourg, France, April 16-18, 2015. Sickle Cell Disease affects 70,000 to 80,000 Americans, according to Generics Home Reference, and can lead to intense pain. That said, obtaining approval and funding to test cannabinoids in humans has been a challenge due to laws against marijuana. Still, this avenue of research could have great potential.

Medical Jane - Sickle Cell Disease and Cannabis: Human Trials Set to Begin in California Next Month

Dr. Russell K. Hobbie, Professor of Physics, Emeritus, and IEM member, has co-authored the fifth edition of Intermediate Physics for Medicine and Biology along with Dr. Bradley J. Roth, Professor of Physics, Oakland University. According to its publisher, Springer, this textbook, "Bridges the gap between an introductory physics course and the physics needed by researchers and practitioners in medical physics, biological physics, biomedical engineering and medicine." Additional information about the book can be found online.

Springer - Intermediate Physics for Medicine & Biology, 5th Edition

Dr. Bin He, IEM director, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Medtronic-Bakken Endowed Chair for Engineering in Medicine, received the prestigious Academic Career Achievement Award from the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), one of the world’s largest professional societies in bioengineering. This award is given annually to an individual “For outstanding contribution and achievement in the field of Biomedical Engineering as an educator, researcher, developer, or administrator who has had a distinguished career of twenty years or more in the field of biomedical engineering.” Scientific contributions and academic achievements are major criteria for the award, which represents the highest honor for the society to recognize one of its 10,000+ members each year. Past awardees include Bob Langer (MIT; tissue engineering) and Roger Barr (Duke University; bioelectricity), among others. Dr. He was recognized “For significant contributions to neuroengineering research and education.”

IEEE EMBS

Dr. Jakub Tolar, Professor of Pediatrics, director of Stem Cell Institute, and IEM member, was recently named Distinguished McKnight University Professor. The Distinguished McKnight University Professorship program recognizes outstanding mid-career faculty members who have recently achieved full professor status. Recipients hold the title “Distinguished McKnight University Professor” for as long as they remain employed at the University of Minnesota. Inspired by the needs of his patients, Dr. Tolar has pioneered new therapies for children with otherwise lethal disorders and is now viewed as one of the world’s experts in the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa. Dr. Tolar has also come to be a University advocate for new areas of medical science, such as genome editing and regenerative medicine. Dr. Tolar was one of five professors awarded and joins an esteemed group of faculty at the University of Minnesota.

Dr. James Cloyd, Professor of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Director, Center for Orphan Drug Research, and IEM member has been recognized for his contributions to the field and will receive the 2015 Sumner J. Yaffe Life Time Achievement Award in Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The award will be presented by the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group at the 24th PPAG Annual Meeting at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center on May 1. Dr. Cloyd was selected to receive this award because of his contributions which have expanded and enhanced knowledge of the use of drugs in children and the treatment of disease. Dr. Cloyd is also being recognized for being instrumental in training the next generation of clinical pharmacologists and pharmacists. The Sumner Yaffe Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2002 and is given annually in recognition of significant and sustained contributions toward the improvement of children's health through the field of pediatric pharmacology and therapeutics.

Dr. Casim Sarkar, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and IEM member has recently been awarded a 5-year R01 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of NIH, to study the interplay between noise and signaling in cellular decision making, with a focus on cell differentiation. At the molecular level, noise arises from inherent stochasticity in underlying biochemical reactions or variability in cellular machinery. However, it is still unclear how this noise propagates through signaling pathways to influence the trajectory of cell differentiation. Dr. Sarkar’s lab will use computational and synthetic biology approaches to elucidate how such trajectories arise and will use systems biology approaches to experimentally demonstrate and manipulate these trajectories in the differentiation of progenitor cells. The results of this study will yield deeper insights into fundamental mechanisms underlying cellular decision-making and should enable more robust engineering of stem and progenitor cells for applications in regenerative medicine.

U of MN - Molecular Cell Engineering Laboratory

Dr. Alptekin Aksan, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and IEM member, is part of a team of University of Minnesota researchers working to enhance and create new methods of remediation to treat chemically-infested water which, if left untreated, can create health risks in animals and humans. As part of this team, Dr. Aksan is researching methods of increasing the silica sphere production, which can help ensure that bacteria uniformly removes chemicals from water sources. The interdisciplinary teams of scientists are using a new software program called RAPID to investigate how different chemicals can be best biodegraded, and are developing tests that detect chemicals and treatments that remove these chemicals from the water, thereby allowing for industry to develop more environmentally friendly and safer products.

Dr. Paul Iaizzo, Professor of Surgery, and IEM Associate Director for Education and Outreach, was recently featured in Duluth News Tribune describing his Minnesota Black Bear Research. Dr. Iaizzo, along with a team of graduate students and scientists as part of the ongoing black bear research project with Medtronic and the University of Minnesota, spends time in the field each year to gain insight on the hibernation patterns of bears. Dr. Iaizzo looks into how the bear’s state of suspended animation could be translated to human medicine and perhaps become an alternative to inducing comas in intensive care patients. With eighteen bears currently collared and under GPS observation by the DNR, there will be continued opportunities for research and observation by Dr. Iaizzo and his team.

Duluth News Tribune - Gaining New Insight on Bears

Two trainees of Dr. Kalpna Gupta, Professor of Medicine, Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, and co-chair of the IEM Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Theme, presented at the Sickle Cell Disease Research and Educational Meeting in Miami, Florida, on April 10 – 14, 2015. Dr. Gupta’s high school trainee, Aditya Mittal’s abstract, “Image-based quantification of pain for sickle cell disease" was selected for plenary session presentation. Dr. Gupta’s post-doctoral trainee, Dr. Ying Wang, was invited to give a keynote presentation “Acupuncture analgesia in sickle mice". The Foundation of Sickle Cell Disease Research holds this annual meeting to support and promote hemoglobinopathy research.

Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research

Anthony Braun was selected as the recipient of the Biomedical Engineering program’s 2015 Best Dissertation Award. Dr. Braun’s thesis, carried out in Jonathan Sachs’ lab, is entitled “Understanding the membrane biophysics of α-Synuclein and its role in membrane curvature induction and structural remodeling.” The work was supported early on by an IEM Seed grant to Dr. Sachs, which helped Dr. Braun secure an NRSA pre-doctoral fellowship from the NIH’s Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The fellowship was co-sponsored by Dr. Braun’s current post-doctoral mentor, Dr. Michael Lee, a Professor in the University of Minnesota’s department of Neuroscience and Institute for Translational Neuroscience.

The University of Minnesota was recently selected by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as one of three sites in the nation to establish a strategic Research and Evaluation Hub (REACH), helping to promote commercialization and technology transfer in life sciences and biomedicine. To develop the hub, NIH will invest $3 million grant with another $3 million in matching U of M funds. The university’s MIN-REACH program will provide commercial expertise and resources needed for the development and commercialization of diagnostics, therapeutics, preventive medicine and medical devices. The program will establish new industry partnerships, strengthen existing partnerships, and provide entrepreneurial, commercial-style education for innovators to accelerate the pace at which innovations reach the marketplace. It will fund between 10-20 research projects each year.

The University’s hub, MIN-REACH, will be led by Dr. Charles Muscoplat (PI), Professor of Food Science and Nutrition. Along with Dr. Muscoplat, multiple members of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM) are taking lead roles on the project. Dr. Allison Hubel (Co-PI), director of the IEM-affiliated Biopreservation Core Resource (BioCoR), and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Dr. Bin He (Co-PI), IEM director and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, will jointly lead the medical devices side of the program. Dr. Vadim Gurvich, Associate Professor of Pharmacy and associate director of the Institute for Therapeutics Discovery and Development, will co-lead, with Dr. Muscoplat, the pharmaceutical side of the program. In addition to the 4 Co-PIs, several IEM members are participating in the MN-REACH grant, including Dr. Kevin Peterson (Co-I), from the Department of Family and Community Health and director of the Center for Excellence in Primary Care, who will provide medical advice.

"MIN-REACH will play a crucial role in providing the coaching, training and expertise needed to focus our research efforts on commercial markets and accelerate the tech transfer process," said Brian Herman, vice president for research at the University of Minnesota.

"MN-REACH is closely related to the mission of IEM for promoting translational research moving basic discoveries to medical devices industry," said Bin He, IEM director. "The IEM has been heavily involved in the planning of this NIH REACH grant from the beginning. This NIH Hub program is another recognition of what we do and will further accelerate the translation of UMN research to industry and clinical practice."

On March 16, 2015, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) inducted new members to their College of Fellows at their Annual Meeting in Washington DC. AIMBE Fellows consists of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country. It is composed of accomplished and distinguished engineering and medical school chairs, research directors, professors, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs. In order to be inducted, new members were nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows.

Joan Bechtold, Ph.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and IEM member, was inducted into the College of Fellows for outstanding contributions in research on the bone-implant interface and bone healing mechanisms.

Wei Chen, Ph.D., Professor of Radiology and IEM Medical and Biological Imaging theme chair, was inducted into the College of Fellows for outstanding contributions to MRS research and technology.

William Durfee, Ph.D., Professor and Director of Design Education of Department of Mechanical Engineering and IEM member, was inducted into the College of Fellows for outstanding contributions to medical device design education and research.

For more information about the AIMBE Annual Meeting and the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2015, please visit AIMBE’s website

Dr. Filippo Coletti, Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics and IEM member, received an NSF CAREER award for his research in respiratory fluid mechanics. Coletti's project will address the influence of the structure of the respiratory system, such as branching patterns in the bronchi and the properties of airway walls, on its function, including how inhaled therapeutic drugs or harmful particulates are transported in the lungs. The respiratory fluid mechanics will be studied in 3D printed airways by means of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Particle Image Velocimetry. This project will also engage underrepresented K-12 students, who will learn about fluid mechanics and physiology, while being sensitized on the effects of smoking and poor air quality.

NSF Engineering boosts 146 early-career researchers with awards totaling $73M

Dr. David Polly, Professor of Orthapaedic Surgery, Chief of Spine Surgery, and IEM member has been awarded the Catherine Mills Davis Land Grant Chair in Biomechanical Engineering in Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Polly is nationally and internationally recognized for biomechanics and outcomes research, and is well known for his work in scoliosis. His other specializations include spine surgery and pediatric orthopaedics.

Dr. Jayanth Panyam, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics and IEM member, was featured in the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) News for his work in nanoengineering, and a method he has been developing for treating lung cancer with the use of nanoparticles. Dr. Panyam’s research shows an alternative way to manage lung cancer that does not involve chemotherapy, radiation, or a lobectomy. This treatment revolves around the use of an inhaler and magnets and results in attacking the surface of the tumor. First, the patient’s inhale the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles into their lungs. Next, the lungs heat up due to the surrounding oscillating magnetic field. By localizing particles in or next to tumor cells and then heating them up, the tumor cells die. Dr. Panyam’s study noted nanoparticles would likely attach to peptides that would then attach onto tumors. Dr. Panyam’s lab is currently working on creating a protein cocktail that would help the nanoparticles travel through the tumor matrix to attack the tumor from the inside.

ASME News - Nanoparticles Kill Cancer

IEM members Dr. Mo Li, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Dr. Steven Koester, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, have had their research study of black phosphorus and the improvement of optical communication published in Nature Photonics. In the new study by Dr. Li and Dr. Koester, and Nathan Youngblood and Che Chen, researchers use an ultrathin black phosphorus film to demonstrate high-speed data communication on nanoscale optical circuits. Black phosphorus is highly effective at detecting light, making it useful for optical applications, and is ideal for this new type of adaptable electronics technology.

Dr. Donald Simone, Division Director for Basic Sciences, School of Dentistry, and IEM member, will serve on the University of Minnesota’s Grand Challenges Research Strategies Group. Convened by Provost Hanson, the workgroup will help to shape the grand-challenges research priorities. Dr. Simone was selected as a distinguished faculty member who is deeply respected and accomplished in his field. He joins a group of senior faculty who will take an expansive and informed view and be open to extensive consultation with all levels and elements of campus.

This group has been charged with gathering perspectives from across campus on the cross-disciplinary areas of research and scholarship where the University of Minnesota has, or are poised to have, exceptional strength and a competitive advantage. In consultation with faculty, staff, students, and relevant external experts, this group will suggest which of these areas might best align with the Grand Challenge criteria outlined by the Strategic Planning Workgroup.

Dr. Shashi Shekhar, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, and IEM member received the University of Minnesota’s 2015 Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education. Dr. Shekhar’s massive open online course, encyclopedia, textbook, and survey papers have helped educate tens of thousands of students worldwide. He has co-authored over 300 publications with 75 graduate advisees, many of whom have risen to leadership roles in academia, industry, and government. He also led an Interdisciplinary Graduate Education, Research, and Training program and co-founded the professional Master of Geographic Information Science Degree.

Since 1998-1999, the University of Minnesota has recognized a select group of faculty members for their outstanding contributions to post baccalaureate, graduate, and/or professional education. This honor is awarded annually to exceptional candidates nominated by their colleges.

Dr. David Jacobs, Professor of Epidemiology and Community Health and IEM member, was featured in an article by the Star Tribune in regards to the current debate surrounding the consuming of foods that are high in fat. In the article Dr. Jacobs discusses a new but necessary view on the debate stating that a new approach to fat consumption is needed. Dr. Jacobs stated the old message of consuming “a low amount of saturated fat” is not entirely correct, as not all fats are the same. In the article, Dr. Jacobs also offers advice on what people should eat for good health and discusses the confusing nature of this nutritional debate.

StarTribune - A new debate is swirling around high-fat foods

KSTP featured a story on NeuroPace RNS System, a new device that is being used to treat epilepsy. Dr. Cornelius Lam, Professor of Neurosurgery, and IEM member was featured in the new story consulting the patient who had the device implanted. The NeuroPace System monitors brain wave activity to detect seizures before they occur, by using electrodes implanted in the patient’s brain. The device then administers electric pulses to help the patient’s brain return to normal function. This device will reduce the need for medication and will benefit epilepsy patients who have not benefitted in the past from surgical treatment.

General Electric (GE) has launched a new video series entitled “Invention Factory” in which a University of Minnesota study on brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, led by IEM Director Dr. Bin He, was featured. In the episode “How Will Mind Overcome Matter” Dr. He’s lab shows by using noninvasive BCI and their thoughts, it is possible to steer a flying robot. It is the hope that this technology may someday allow for disabled people to regain function by controlling artificial limbs, wheelchairs, or other devices. This study was previously published on YouTube in the video entitled “Mind Over Mechanics”.

Dr. Curtis Corum, Assistant Professor of Radiology at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research and IEM member, spoke to Health Talk in regards to a new technique named Multi-Band SWIFT (MB-SWIFT) which allows for the better identification of oral cancer in the jawbone. Unlike previous techniques of oral cancer identification such as CT scans and clinical examinations, MB-SWIFT makes it much easier to see if cancer has reached the jaw by providing sharper images and brightening cortical bone. This new technique makes it possible for clinicians to forgo unnecessary procedures such as a biopsy or surgery to determine if the cancer has reached the jawbone. The future of this technique is the hopeful continued translation of this form of oral cancer diagnosis and making it more widely available to patients and their doctors.

The Institute for Engineering in Medicine is proud to announce that Miriam Smetak has been awarded a 2015-2016 Scott D. and Susan D. Augustine Fellowship. Graduating in 2010 from the University of Southern California with a BS in Aerospace Engineering, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Archaeology, Miriam is part of the SONIC Lab under Dr. Hugh Lim. Through the fellowship program, Miriam will be able to assist Dr. Lim investigating and developing new neuromodulation techniques for treating tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Every year IEM grants up to three fellowships recognizing outstanding students participating in the MD/MS Dual-Degree Program through the University of Minnesota's Medical School and Department of Biomedical Engineering. This program uniquely prepares new physicians as opinion leaders and bridge builders between medicine and engineering in the evolving biomedical engineering/healthcare industry, a field that applies high-tech research to improvements in health. Students must be admitted into both the Medical School and Biomedical Engineering programs at the University of Minnesota to qualify, and are able to complete their MS in one year due to credits applying to both programs.

University of Minnesota student Julia Brekke was awarded a 2015-2016 Fulbright Student Award to travel to Germany. Brekke, an undergraduate student at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been working in the lab of IEM Member, Afshin Divani, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, and received a fellowship last year from the American Heart Association for her work on a cardiac resuscitation procedure. She is hoping to be admitted into medical school at the conclusion of her BA.

Dr. Robert Tranquillo, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Head of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and member of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, was elected a Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), in honor of his distinguished contributions to and leadership in the field of medical and biological engineering at an international level.

Every year existing fellows of the academy vote on new members who have been nominated and screened by the academy membership committee. IAMBE also offers an Early Career Award which is used to encourage and support young researchers as they develop their careers. Additional information on IAMBE, as well as a list of current fellows can be found on their website.
IAMBE Website

Dr. Matthew Johnson, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and member of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, was awarded the designation of McKnight Land-Grant Professor for the years of 2015 – 2017.

Bridging engineering and neuroscience disciplines, Dr. Johnson’s research is being recognized for building a principled understanding for how to target electrical stimulation within the brain to correct abnormal patterns of neural activity. Using these principles, he is creating new neural interface technology to more precisely modulate networks of neurons within the brain to ultimately improve the clinical care of individuals with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.
 

ABC Good Morning America published a story on the drone phenomenon, and featured the University of Minnesota’s BCI study, led by Institute for Engineering in Medicine Director, Dr. Bin He. The BCI study featured in the video news piece demonstrates how brainwaves through an EEG cap are used to control a flying robot. Monitoring electrical activity from the brain, the 64 scalp electrodes of the EEG cap report the signals (or lack of signals) they detect to a computer, which translates the pattern into an electronic command. ABC Good Morning America commented on how drone technology is changing the way people interact with the world around them, and says that the sky is the limit. Dr. He’s BCI study aims to apply the flying robot technology to help disabled patients interact with the world.

Dr. Alan T. Hirsch, Professor of Medicine, Director of the University of Minnesota’s Vascular Medicine Program, and IEM Member, is leading a study that aims to minimize the rate of stroke and heart attack in groups of people that are of moderate to high risk–men age 45 to 79 and women age 55 to 79.

The result of a trial version of this study was that the proportion of the people in the targeted population who took a low-dose aspirin rose from 36 percent to 54 percent in four months, helping them better manage their health. In article recent article published in the StarTribune, Dr. Hirsch explains that this was a higher percentage increase than expected, and that if this same pattern could be achieved statewide, as many as 7,000 first heart attacks and strokes a year could be prevented over the next five years. Dr. Hirsch also emphasized the importance of individuals to first determine with their doctor if they have the right heart risk rate and the lowest bleeding risk before committing to the program.

U of MN to expand low-dose aspirin campaign as stroke, heart attack prevention

Dr. Perry Hackett, Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and IEM Member, developed, with his international team, a DNA-based gene delivery platform called “Sleeping Beauty” (SB). This genetic technology, combined with University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s cancer therapies, has resulted in a $100 million licensing deal with Intrexon Corp., a biotech company, and Ziopharm Oncology, a pharmaceutical company. Instead of designating royalties to be paid after the launch, the licensing deal arranged for the University of Minnesota to be paid up-front for the use of the non-viral gene therapy treatment technology. A portion of these funds will be used to provide substantial support for future research at the university. Dr. Hackett states that it’s an exciting victory for genome engineering technology — one that promises a sigh of relief from sufferers of many genetic diseases.

Dr. Paul Iaizzo, Associate Director for Education and Outreach, Institute for Engineering in Medicine, and Professor of Surgery; Integrative Biology and Physiology; and the Carlson School of Management, was featured in an article by Legacy Magazine discussing his ongoing partnership with Medtronic Inc., on his Minnesota Black Bear research.

Dr. Iaizzo, with the collaboration of Tim Laske, Vice President of Research and Development of Medtronic AF Solutions, and U of MN scientist Dr. Tinen Iles, is studying black bear hibernation and how components of hibernation could prevent the risk of blood clots in sedentary humans. Dr. Iaizzo is also investigating how components of hibernation induction triggers can be used in human patients in order to increase the functioning of affected tissues or to preserve organs that are to be used in transplant surgery. Dr. Iaizzo states that Medtronic’s support allows for the training of undergraduate and graduate medical students, promotion of medical careers to young children, better understanding of cardiac health, and the development of black bear research.

The Institute for Engineering in Medicine is pleased to host two University of Minnesota Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellows in 2015-2016. Fellows are selected for this honor through the University's Graduate School, allowing them to benefit from interaction with faculty at one of the University's interdisciplinary research centers or institutes. IEM would like to congratulate this year's recipients.

Julia Quindlen
Department of Biomedical Engineering
"Mechano-to-neural Transduction of the Pacinian Corpuscle"
Mentors: Drs. Victor Barocas and Martha Flanders

Kathryn Geldart
Department of Chemical Engineering
"Engineering Antibiotic Probiotics for the Treatment of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus"
Mentors: Drs. Yiannis Kaznessis and Gary Dunny

Dr. Jian-Ping Wang, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and co-chair of Medical Devices Theme of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, discussed the details of his research and vision of the future for spintronics with the StarTribune. His breakthroughs in applied science may revolutionize medical and environmental testing to detect disease from a drop of body fluid. Dr. Wang is also director of the Center for Spintronic Materials, Interfaces and Novel Architectures (C-SPIN) at the University of Minnesota. Spintronic CPU, a new computer central processing unit Dr. Wang is currently working on, would use less energy than current systems and would provide persistent data storage and logical functions.

StarTribune – In tiny electrons, University of Minnesota professor sees infinite potential

Dr. David R. Jacobs, Professor of the Division of Epidemiology and Community Heath in the School of Public Health, and member of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, commented in January to Fox News about a new whole grain health study put forward by the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Jacob explained to Fox News that the study, along with other studies at alternate institutions, shows the benefits of whole grains in one’s diet, and its ability to reduce mortality from cardiovascular disease. Dr. Jacobs also agrees with the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Qi Sun, that it is important for whole grains to be included in a healthy diet.

Dr. Alan T. Hirsch, Professor of Medicine, Director of the Vascular Medicine Program, and IEM member, spoke to the Star Tribune about the benefits of stent surgery versus treadmill therapy. CLEVER, the federally funded exercise program trial Dr. Hirsch chairs, showed that, with patients who either participated in a six-month supervised exercise program, received a stent, or took part of a prescription drug treatment, those who participated in supervised exercise walked farther, but those who received a stent noted a better quality of life. Despite these findings, Dr. Hirsch, who specializes in cardiovascular prevention and vascular medicine and peripheral arterial disease (PAD), explained that having stents put in is still the most popular treatment for PAD.

StarTribune – Leg pain? U study says walk it off and avoid the stent surgery

Dr. Emil Lou, Assistant Professor of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, and member of the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, along with fellow researchers in his lab, have found that microRNAs can travel via nanotube pipelines directly between cancer cells, and between cancer cells and non-cancer cells. Dr. Lou and his collaborators aim to better understand nanotube function in order to determine how to cut communication of microRNAs to their target cancer and non-cancer cells, to create a therapy treatment for cancers. Dr. Lou’s research was recently published in the November issue of Translational Research, which also named him the Featured New Investigator of the month.

Translational Research, Volume 165, Issue 2 (Institutional log-in required)