Texas A&M Engineering's Department of Biomedical Engineering Annual Report

IMPACTING HEALTH OUTCOMES

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

PAGE 24

PAGE 14

PAGE 12

PAGE 18

TABLE OF CONTENTS 6

Faculty Awards

18

Taking on Pediatric Care Challenges

7

Professional Society Fellows

20

Distinguished Lecturer Seminar Series

8

Hagler Fellows Contribute to Research Education

22

National Excellence Fellows Program Bringing the Brightest to Aggieland

9

Pettigrew Leads Innovative Program to Combine Medicine and Engineering

24

Research Serving the Underserved Gets a New Home

10

Faculty Research Overview

26

Annual Research Symposium Promotes a Culture of Excellence

12

Research Highlight: Regenerative Medicine

28

Introducing New Faculty

14

Research Highlight: Medical Devices

16

Falohun has a Sense for Compelling Research

2

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

PAGE 22 3

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

LETTER FROM THE

DEPARTMENT HEAD Underserved Populations Engineering Research Center (NSF ERC). These programs support academic research aimed at translational efforts to quickly move design concepts developed in our labs out into practice, where patients are in need. It is a thrill to work with faculty and students so committed to solving problems that are not considered “big enough” or “profitable” for industry to address with commercial products.

Dear colleagues and supporters, I am excited to share the 2019 annual update for the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Our entire team of faculty, students and staff have a fundamental commitment to making an impact.

Dedication to this desire not only influences our strategy on hiring new faculty and developing training programs for students, but it affects our daily activities in the lab, in the classroom, and in the clinic and field. I am pleased to highlight some exciting research developments, celebrate the achievements of our faculty and students, underscore the impact of their innovative and translational research, and recognize their elevated status in several professional societies.

As we move into the future, we will be maintaining technical emphasis on our four primary research areas of Imaging Technologies, Medical Devices, Regenerative Medicine and Sensing and Monitoring Systems. At the same time, our faculty is expanding to bring complementary expertise in application areas of great importance throughout the world: chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes), trauma care and pediatric devices. We expect this will enhance our ability to impact these critical areas, which are already strongly supported with two of our federallyfunded research centers — the SouthWest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (FDA) and the Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for

4

Students are choosing Texas A&M for graduate studies because they want to work with faculty and other students that maintain a similar focus on translation.

The opportunities to work with clinical and/or industry partners that are similarly committed to turning concepts into products while pursuing their degrees are also very appealing. In turn, we are engaging closely with these external partners and constantly evolving our graduate programs to ensure that our students are well-poised to quickly meet the needs of industry and innovative clinicians. We expect these students to be impact-minded leaders that will not only design engineering solutions to clinical problems, but understand all aspects of the process necessary to turn those into approved products — that is the only way to truly advance health care for the future. It is through this comprehensive training, delivered by distinguished leaders in the field, that we have confidence in producing complete biomedical engineers, prepared to have a lasting influence on our state, our nation and our world.

This strategic focus is paying off, as evidenced by the increase in research expenditures, publications, faculty awards, graduate student fellowships and research space.

These achievements are enabling further growth in faculty and student numbers that will provide even greater opportunities for impact. Please visit our website engineering.tamu.edu/biomedical or come visit us in person to see firsthand how our plans are coming together to make a difference in the world.

Michael J. McShane, Ph.D.

Department Head Professor Holder of the James J. Cain Professorship II

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW ENROLLMENT • 622 FALL 2019

Faculty Numbers

DEGREES AWARDED • 167 FALL 2018 – SUMMER 2019

Ph.D.

9

Graduate

146 B.S.

Tenure Track Faculty

23

Professors of Practice

4

Professors of Instruction

2

Lecturers 2

26 476

56

M.S./M.Eng.

Courtesy Appointments

25

Research Focus Areas

132

Imaging Technologies Medical Devices Regenerative Medicine

Undergraduate

Sensing and Monitoring Systems

DIVERSITY

FEMALE

39% 48% Graduate Program

Undergraduate Program

UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY

15% 23% Graduate Program

Undergraduate Program

5

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

FACULTY AWARDS Daniel Alge

Assistant Professor

Abhishek Jain

Association of Former Students Teaching

Award, College of Engineering,

Texas A&M University

Trailblazer, National Institutes of Health

Gerard CotĂŠ

Regents Professor Holder of the James J. Cain Professorship I Technical Achievement Award in the area of

sensors, IEEE Sensors Council Regents Professor, Texas A&M University

Assistant Professor

Duncan Maitland

Professor Holder of the Stewart & Stevenson Professorship I Clearance on IMPEDE Embolization Plug,

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Akhilesh Gaharwar

Kristen Maitland

Early Career Authors Award, Langmuir Young Faculty Fellow, College of

Engineering, Texas A&M University Research Impact, College of Engineering,

Texas A&M University

Executive Leadership in Academic

Technology and Engineering

Program, Drexel College of Engineering Faculty Fellow,

Texas A&M University

Associate Professor

Associate Professor

Roderic Pettigrew Roozbeh Jafari

Professor Robert A. Welch Chair

Outstanding Contributions, College of

Engineering, Texas A&M University

Arthur M. Bueche Award,

National Academy of Engineering Faculty Achievement Award,

Southeastern Conference

Associate Professor

Roland Kaunas Associate Professor

Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering

Distinguished Leadership Award,

Biomedical Engineering Society

6

Vladislav Yakovlev Professor

Faculty Fellow, Texas A&M Engineering

Experiment Station University Professorship,

Texas A&M University

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY FELLOWS Gerard CotĂŠ

Regents Professor Holder of the James J. Cain Professorship I American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Biomedical Engineering Society Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers International Society for Optics and Photonics

Melissa Grunlan

Duncan Maitland

Professor Holder of the Stewart & Stevenson

Professorship I American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors inaugural class, 2019

Professor Holder of the Charles H. and Bettye Barclay

Professorship in Engineering

Kristen Maitland

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering 2019 Fellow

Associate Professor

International Society for Optics and Photonics

Fellow, American Chemistry Society

Anthony Guiseppi-Elie Professor

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Royal Society of Chemistry

Balakrishna Haridas Professor of Practice

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering 2019 Fellow Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors

Mike McShane

Department Head Professor Holder of the James J. Cain Professorship II American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

Vladislav Yakovlev Professor

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering American Physical Society International Society for Optics and Photonics The Optical Society of America

7

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

HAGLER FELLOWS CONTRIBUTE TO RESEARCH, EDUCATION The department has the unique opportunity of collaborating with two esteemed faculty members from outside universities through the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University.

to rather unique clinical facilities in Brazil, which can be potentially used by our faculty members. I am planning to visit those next month and look forward to future collaborations.”

Dr. Vanderlei Bagnato is a full professor in the Department of Physics and Materials Science at the University of São Paulo and the Institute of Physics of São Carlos, Brazil. Dr. Maryellen Giger is the college vice-chair for basic science research in the Department of Radiology at the University of Chicago. Both have found ways to impact students and faculty at Texas A&M.

This fall Giger is co-teaching “Special Topics in Computer Vision and Machine Learning in Biomedical Imaging.” The course teaches students basic concepts in computerized image analysis and machine learning in biomedical imaging, image processing, feature extraction, feature selection methods, radiomics, deep learning, and evaluation methods using current figures of merit and statistical techniques.

Bagnato has visited campus to speak and visit with faculty and students in the department about their research, as well as give several guest lectures. He is working on two research grant proposals with Dr. Vladislav Yakovlev, professor in the department, and plans are underway to set up a joint experiment with the Health Science Center, for experiments with participation of biomedical engineering students.

“He brings a rather unique combination of expertise in fundamental science (quantum physics) and translational biomedical optics (photodynamic therapy and photobiostimulation),” Yakovlev said. “He has access

“It’s not a programming course; it’s a course to see the big picture of biomedical image analysis and understand where images come from and why they are taken,” Giger said. “The goal is to enrich students more in image analysis. A system is both acquisition and interpretation of images. The department is great on the front part, but my expertise is on analysis.”

Bagnato and Giger have each visited Texas A&M several times and regularly communicate with faculty on topics ranging from research discussions to grant proposal collaborations.

Dr. Maryellen Giger, back row center, speaks with members of the SPIE Texas A&M student chapter during one of her visits to campus.

8

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

PETTIGREW LEADS INNOVATIVE PROGRAM TO COMBINE MEDICINE AND ENGINEERING Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew has only been at Texas A&M University for about two years, but he has already spearheaded some impactful programs, including Engineering Medicine (EnMed), a new initiative to bring forth a new kind of converged physician and engineer, a physicianeer.

“The driver for EnMed is the desire to be as impactful and transformative as we can in addressing complex medical problems,” Pettigrew said.

Pettigrew serves as executive dean of the EnMed program, which was created through a three-way partnership between the College of Engineering, College of Medicine and Houston Methodist Hospital. EnMed is the nation’s first four-year, fully-integrated engineering and medical education curriculum leading to both a doctor of medicine degree and a master’s degree in engineering.

“Students are required to invent something that addresses a health care challenge or problem,” Pettigrew

said. “To do that, both research and its translational are required. What good is an invention if it doesn’t help solve a problem or can be used to advance our understanding?”

EnMed is an subsidiary of the EnHealth program at Texas A&M, where Pettigrew serves as chief executive officer.

He also holds the endowed Robert A. Welch Chair and is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

The inaugural class has recently begun, and Pettigrew said he looks forward to seeing what kind of minds the program creates, minds he says we have not encountered yet.

“I was a physicist, then an engineer, then got my Ph.D. in applied radiation physics, and then I went to medical school. But I didn’t learn the quantitative and life science fields in a blended fashion,” Pettigrew said. “The great hope is that we will create this new kind of bilingual mind poised to make a transformative difference in the health care world, full of problem solving physicians, great imagineers, great innovators and inventors.”

While EnHealth and EnMed have been Pettigrew’s primary focus for the last few years, he looks forward to jumping back into the research arena soon. He is forming multiple collaborations within the cardiovascular area and has received a Governor’s University Research Initiative grant and an endowment from the Welch Foundation. His goal — to end heart attacks.

“We don’t have to have heart attacks,” Pettigrew said.

“There’s nothing in nature that says humans must have heart attacks. It’s not a requirement of life.”

Pettigrew served as founding director for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health. Prior to his appointment there, he was on the faculty at Emory University School of Medicine as a professor of radiology and medicine (cardiology), and at Georgia Institute of Technology as a professor of bioengineering. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors and is an elected foreign member of the National Academy of Science, India.

9

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

RESEARCH GROUPS The department has four main research focus areas, each with its own unique approach to translational and impactful research. Along with Regenerative Medicine and Medical Devices, both featured in this report, our faculty in Imaging Technologies and Sensing and Monitoring Systems strive to innovate biomedical engineering and the health care industry overall.

Sensing and Monitoring Systems Research aims to develop new materials, instrumentation, communication and analysis approaches to detect and track physical and chemical indicators of health. Target measurands include biomarkers of chronic diseases — especially cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and cancer — and the measuring systems range from point-of-care desktop or handheld devices to wearable and implantable sensors. Of particular interest are needs for low-cost technology intended for use in remote locations.

Professor

Dr. Anthony GuiseppiElie

Biomedical sensing and imaging, biomedical optics, biosensors, point-of-care medical devices, micro/ nanotechnology

Augmentation, regenerative engineering, diagnostics, innovation and entrepreneurship

Dr. Gerard L. Coté

Dr. Roozbeh Jafari Associate Professor Biomedical optics, biosensors, medical devices

Dr. Michael McShane Professor Biosensors, biomaterials, biomedical optics, micro/ nanotechnology, medical devices

10

Professor

Dr. Samuel Mabbott Assistant Professor Nanotechnology, medical devices, biosensors and biomaterials

Dr. Limei Tian Assistant Professor Biomaterials, biosensors, medical devices, micro/ nanotechnology, drug delivery

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

Imaging Technologies From nanoscale to full organism, research aims to develop novel tools with enhanced capabilities to noninvasively visualize anatomical features and distribution of molecules. Optical microscopy and magnetic resonance-based imaging and spectroscopy are current strengths. Advances in both imaging hardware and software for image analysis with broad applications to many fundamental studies and diagnostic problems are being pursued.

Dr. Wonmuk Hwang Associate Professor Biomolecular simulation, bioimage analysis, computational immunology, molecular mechanics

Dr. Mary McDougall

Dr. Kristen Maitland Associate Professor Biomedical imaging, biomedical optics, biosensors, medical devices

Associate Professor

Dr. Roderic Pettigrew

Biomedical imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, biomedical devices, biosensors

Professor Biomedical imaging, bioengineering

Dr. Alex Walsh

Dr. Vladislav Yakovlev

Assistant Professor

Professor

Microscopy, biomedical optics, image analysis, laser-tissue research

Biomedical imaging, biomedical optics, cell and molecular biomechanics, biosensors

Dr. Alvin Yeh Associate Professor Microscopy, biomedical optics, early embryonic brain development, genomic imaging

11

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Research Highlight: Regenerative Medicine “My research is on hydrogel biomaterials, which can be used to deliver cells and other therapeutics and promote tissue regeneration. Our research spans from fundamental studies on hydrogel chemistry and biological responses hydrogels to applicationspecific studies on the efficacy of hydrogels we design.

With continued investment in regenerative medicine research, I expect we will achieve unprecedented capabilities in repairing the human body from injury and disease in the near future. Humans are largely incapable of tissue regeneration, and degenerative diseases take a significant toll on the health and wellbeing of millions of people. Solving these problems would have an enormous impact.”

Dr. Daniel Alge “We’re working with extracellular matrices, tissue made by stem cells that mimics the composition of regenerating bone tissue. This accelerates bone healing. Instead of gathering the tissue from patients, we’re growing the tissue in a dish. We then harvest this and combine it with engineered scaffold using microfluidic techniques to make it more effective for bone regeneration surgery.

This is a new paradigm for how to make tissue.

The goal is to make this material and stem cells in general in a scalable way that is manufacturable.

Right now, the technology exists, but methods of making it efficiently in large quantities still needs to be worked out. This is being addressed as part of a multidisciplinary grant involving the College of Medicine and our department.”

Dr. Roland Kaunas

12

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

Regenerative medicine research in biomedical engineering seeks to create living tissues to replace tissues or organs lost due to age, disease, injury or congenital defects. Our faculty are pursuing innovations in biomaterial platforms include “smart” materials, biomimetic nanomaterials, functionalized hydrogels and therapeutic delivery systems.

We asked our faculty what projects they’re currently working on and what impact they think regenerative medicine has in the health care field.

We are excited to add two new faculty to the group this year. Read more on pages 28-29. · Dr. Isaac Adjei, assistant professor · Dr. Shreya Raghavan, assistant professor

“Our research is focused on developing tissue engineering scaffolds that can enable healing of orthopedic tissues. To treat irregularly shaped craniomaxillofacial bone defects, we are developing “self-fitting” scaffolds that conform to the defect space, which is necessary for healing. To treat osteochondral defects of the knee, we are preparing implants comprised of a hybrid hydrogel scaffold that stimulates bone formation and a synthetic cartilage cap for resurfacing.”

Dr. Melissa Grunlan

“Our research has contributed to the fundamental design and application of twodimensional nanomaterials — important for the development of smart and responsive biomaterials for regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. Specifically, we have developed multiple technologies to facilitate repair and regeneration of damaged tissue ranging from bioactive nanomaterials for bone regeneration and augmentation, bioactive materials for osteoarthritis treatment and injectable bandages for traumatic injuries.”

Dr. Akhilesh Gaharwar

13

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

“My team and I have developed biodegradable shape memory polymer foam. The first applications of the material is to occlude blood vessels for indications like dissected aortas and neurovascular aneurysms. The key features of the implanted materials is that they form clots rapidly and only where doctors want the occlusion, recruit a healing response to the implant site and bioresorb after their function is served. So far, 20 years of work have resulted in two devices approved for use in the USA and Europe.

We are currently researching new uses for the materials in hemostatic and cancer applications.”

Dr. Duncan Maitland

“Significant technical (design and manufacturing), preclinical testing, clinical and regulatory testing challenges exist in the field of pediatric devices. Clearly a different model of product development and clinical translation is needed for pediatric device innovation, one that is based on nonprofit motives and a fundamental passion to improve, and in many cases, save lives of pediatric patients.”

Dr. Balakrishna Haridas

“For people who go into biomedical engineering, it’s about impacting patients, so how do you improve patients’ lives through either therapeutic or device products. The goal of helping patients and the goal of innovating medical devices go hand in hand. I don’t think you can separate those.”

James Machek

14

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

With a strong translational emphasis, research in medical devices focuses on technological advances toward and supporting product design and development. Primary topics include on-chip systems that mimic vascular physiology to assess blood disorders, interventional tools for treatment of stroke and aneurysms, and devices to support heart healing after infarction Our faculty took some time to summarize their current research and discuss how medical device research impacts the health care field.

Dr. Reza Avazmohammadi will be joining the faculty this year as a new assistant professor, bringing expertise that will support the medical devices group as well as regenerative medicine. Read more on page 29.

“I’ve been in the world of startup companies for almost 15 years and have launched multiple startup companies. I have practice pitching to investors and teaching others how. The whole idea of professors of practice was to share this learning, how you take a medical device from its earliest conception and take through all the stages, which involve basic concept, design, lab testing through FDA to market and sharing with them how it’s done. It’s fun. I’m helping teach innovation entrepreneurship. When we are teaching we are using examples from our careers in the classroom. Teaching with real-world experience helps concepts make more sense, which is a big benefit.”

Dr. Saurabh Biswas

“My research focuses on how mechanics – the study of force and motion in matter – applies to the biology of the heart and how to utilize such knowledge to obtain better clinical outcomes. Toward this end, we invest, design, prototype and test devices that correct the mechanical performance of the heart in order to improve heart repair and function.”

Dr. John Criscione

“Our team works at the intersection of two large fields of bioengineering, one is tissue engineering, and one is biomicrofluidics. When you merge the two, a new field is born which we call organs-on-a-chip. This discipline of bioengineering aims to act as an alternative to current test models, provides potential to advance personalized medicine because it offers the flexibility to make patient specific organs-on-a-chip and allows us to model complex physiology using bioengineering at a very high resolution.”

Dr. Abhishek Jain

15

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

“I think there are few things that are more compelling than trying to improve human health. I’ve always looked at that as something that draws me, something I feel that if I can help out, that would be a really impactful experience,” said graduate student Tokunbo “T.J.” Falohun. “Biomedical engineering boils down to using technology to improve human health.”

Falohun joined the department in 2017 to pursue his master’s degree. He said three reasons drove his decision to come to College Station: the large variety of research taking place within the biomedical engineering department, the translational emphasis on the research that occurs within the department and the numerous opportunities available to students.

Falohun works in the Biosensing Systems and Materials Lab under the direction of department head Dr. Mike McShane, helping to develop small-molecule biosensors — miniature analytical devices used to measure biochemicals in the body and cell/tissue samples for medical research and clinical application.

One example of the research performed at the lab is the measurement of blood sugar levels for individuals with diabetes. A biosensor, which is implanted under the skin, can respond to blood sugar levels for extended periods

16

without the need for finger pricks. The implant can then be “read” using an external device to inform a patient on their current condition, giving them more control of their health.

“The field of biosensors, I think, is one of our most compelling subdisciplines within biomedical engineering because it enables people to better maintain their conditions,” Falohun said. “It saves tons of money as opposed to going to the doctor to get tests. If we can monitor our own health, you can prevent a lot of these chronic diseases that develop.”

So far, the team has developed a biosensing platform to measure oxygen, glucose and lactate. For his master’s thesis, Falohun worked to expand the list to include uric acid, a substance that, when it crystalizes and deposits in joints, can cause gout.

Falohun transitioned to pursuing his doctoral degree in the summer of 2019. His end goal is to contribute to the development of life-saving medical technologies.

Falohun has disseminated the result of his research on sensors for managing gout at various professional meetings, including the National Society of Black Engineers’ annual convention and the Biomedical Engineering Society’s annual meeting.

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

FALOHUN HAS A SENSE FOR COMPELLING RESEARCH He has also taken his research to the next level by participating in entrepreneurial ventures while on campus.

He entered the Raymond Ideas Challenge, hosted by the McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship. His idea was a user-friendly approach to diabetes management using biosensors and connected electronics.

Innovation Corps (i-Corps) program to explore the commercialization potential of implantable biosensors.

The idea was inspired by work in his lab, where the team develops implantable hydrogel biosensors for chronic disease management. Falohun said his experience in the Raymond Ideas Challenge would have been impossible without the supportive environment provided by McShane, his research group and the biomedical engineering department.

The GRFP provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period — a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution.

“Entrepreneurship really excites me,” Falohun said. “In my view, the prospect of turning an idea that previously didn’t exist into a product or service that can improve the lives of people is a challenge worth undertaking.”

His other recognitions and activities include receiving the 2018-19 Outstanding Engineering M.S. Graduate Student Award, tutoring K-12 students from underserved communities in math and reading comprehension, mentoring young people to pursue higher education in the STEM fields, leadership council member for 3-Day Startup and participation in the National Science Foundation

Falohun’s impact in the department has not gone unnoticed.

He was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) grant in 2018.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award and am very proud to represent the Department of Biomedical Engineering, as it has provided me with opportunities that have been essential to my growth as a graduate student,” Falohun said.

This year, four students in the department received the GRFP: Annie Hedman, Shannon Ingram, Mark Keppler and Jim Tronolone.

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSFsupported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.

17

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

TAKING ON PEDIATRIC CARE CHALLENGES

To help younger patients, researchers at Texas A&M University are working with Texas Children’s Hospital and a group of clinical and commercial partners to develop pediatric medical devices.

The SouthWest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium hospital and university partners work to identify unmet pediatric device needs, and design and test pediatric device prototypes that can be developed into viable pediatric medical devices.

Contextual Inquiry Projects This project aims to apply the contextual inquiry process to two clinical areas to discover unmet needs and potential engineering problems to tackle. The photo (Left: Victoria Baldock; Right: William Stewart) shows the needs discovery process applied to the Type I Diabetes space where the team maps out Points of Pain and Points of Delight expressed by stakeholders to find common themes that emerge.

Collaborator: Texas Children’s Hospital

Bio-Synthetic Tracheal Graft Project This project aims to develop a bio-synthetic tracheal graft for use in tracheal reconstruction in children with Congenital Tracheal Stenosis (CTS), a rare birth defect where current treatment methodologies are lacking. The new graft will allow for tracheal remodeling and also provide mechanical support during the remodeling process. The photo shows a trachea reconstructed with the device in a test bench designed to expose the trachea to cyclic pressure changes while measuring pressurevolume relationships.

Collaborator: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 18

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

At Texas A&M, a team of engineers and graduate students is working on a substantial portfolio of pediatric devices that include the development of a biosynthetic growth accommodating tracheal graft, new minimally invasive methods and instruments for fetal surgery, synthetic urinary sphincter valves, wireless urinary bladder sensors, devices and software for remote monitoring of Type 1 Diabetes patients, and numerous other upcoming applications in pediatric interventions. Several of these examples are featured below.

Devices and surgical technologies for pediatric patients are technically challenging to develop, which increases the cost of development as well as the time frame for successful implementation of complex technological solutions with safety and efficacy as the primary goals. Learn more at swpdc.org.

Synthetic Urinary Valve This project aims to develop a synthetic urinary valve for use in patients with neurogenic bladder. This condition results from spinal cord afflictions such as spina bifida and leaves the patient without bladder control. The valve aims to prevent urine leakage, allow for catheterization for manual voiding and prevent over-pressurization of the bladder. Given the prevalence of infection in urinary tract devices, anti-microbial properties are important to the success of this device. We’re incorporating polyethylene glycol additives developed by Dr. Melissa Grunlan’s group at Texas A&M into the silicone to provide anti-microbial and anti-fouling properties to the synthetic urinary valve.

The photo shows a prototype valve deployed in a female bladder model.

Collaborators: Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine

Chorioamniotic Membrane Anchor Conditions such as spina bifida can be corrected through fetal surgery which leads to significantly improved outcomes for both mother and child. Fetal surgery, when performed fetoscopically, frequently results in separation of the chorioamniotic membranes post-surgery which leads to premature birth. Currently, the uterus is exteriorized at the time of surgery to place stitches that anchor the membranes to the uterine wall. We’re developing a device to anchor the membranes in a fully percutaneous procedure that is significantly less traumatic to the mother. The photo (Left to Right: Dr. Balakrishna Haridas, Achu Byju, Madison Hughes) shows the anchor system in its intended location.

Collaborators: Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine

19

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

Distinguished Lecturer Seminar Series The Department of Biomedical Engineering hosts a variety of seminar speakers to introduce students and faculty to experts, research strategies and ideas in a diversity of fields. Several seminar speakers collaborate with our faculty.

Fall 2019 Dr. Mary Pat Moyer Founder, CEO and Chief Science Officer INCELL Corporation, LLC Dr. Mary Pat Moyer brings over four decades of broad-ranging expertise, knowledge, integrity and leadership to INCELL’s regenerative medicine, cell and tissue therapies, and infectious diseases programs, and to the product development and manufacturing of biologics, devices and drugs. Moyer has a Ph.D. in microbiology from The University of Texas at Austin and is an elected member of the American Academy for Microbiology. Previously a University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio tenured professor, surgical research division head, director of the Center for Human Cell Biotechnology, and appointed faculty member of five departments, Moyer is currently an adjunct professor. She has consulted for many companies and served local, state, national and international entities, including that National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, NASA and more. Moyer has received many grants, contracts and awards of recognition for leadership as a scientist, entrepreneur, STEM educator and life sciences technology community activist. Her awards include the international Athena Award, Entrepreneur of the Year, Texas Healthcare and Biosciences Institute “Top Ten Texas CEOs in Life Sciences”, American Association of University Women “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award,” and many more.

Dr. Chester Koh Professor of Urology, Pediatrics, and OB/GYN; Director, Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine Dr. Chester Koh is a professor of urology, pediatrics and OB-GYN at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, as well as director of the Pediatric Robotic Surgery Program.

He received his B.S. degree with honors in mechanical engineering from University of California Berkeley and his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine. He completed his urology residency at the University of Southern California and his pediatric urology fellowship at Children’s Hospital Boston/Harvard Medical School. His clinical area of expertise is in minimally invasive surgery in children, especially with robotic surgery, single incision laparoscopic surgery.

He is founder, contact PI and executive director of the Southwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium, a Food and Drug Administration P50 grant supported multi-institutional consortium.

20

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

Spring 2020 Dr. Jennifer Lewis Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dr. Jennifer A. Lewis is the Jianming Yu Professor of Arts and Sciences and a core faculty member and co-lead of the 3D Organs Initiative at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard. She earned a Sc.D. in ceramic science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Inventors, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She has received numerous distinctions, including the 2017 Lush Science Prize, the Materials Research Society Medal, the Friedburg, Sosman, and Brunauer Awards from the American Ceramic Society, and the Langmuir Lecture Award from the American Chemical Society. Lewis has made pioneering contributions to the directed assembly of soft functional, structural and biological materials. Her work integrates materials science, additive manufacturing, bioengineering and soft matter physics to design and assemble synthetic and living materials with controlled composition, architecture and properties across multiple length scales.

Specifically, her team and their collaborators have created new classes of printed electronics, soft robotics, shapemorphing matter and vascularized organ-specific tissues. Additionally, she has been actively engaged in STEM education and outreach for nearly three decades and has recently co-founded two companies that are commercialling advances from her lab.

Dr. Susan Margulies Wallace H. Coulter Chair Professor Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Injury Biomechanics, Georgia Tech Dr. Susan Margulies’ research program spans the micro-to-macro scales in two distinct subfields: traumatic brain injury and ventilator-induced lung injury. Over the years, as principal investigator she has secured nearly $34 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Centers of Disease Control, Department of Transportation, private foundations and corporate research agreements, with over $11 million in pending federal research grants. Her scholarship has been disseminated in over 140 peer-reviewed papers, 11 book chapters and numerous media features. Using an integrated biomechanics approach consisting of relevant animal models, cell and tissue experiments, and complementary computational models and human studies, Margulies’ research program has generated new knowledge about the structural and functional responses of the brain and lung to their mechanical environment. Her lab has pioneered new methods for measuring functional effects of large or repeated tissue distortions; identified injury tolerances, response cascades, and causal signaling pathways; and translated these discoveries to preclinical therapeutic trials to mitigate and prevent brain and lung injuries in children and adults. With funding from NIH, Margulies conceived of and oversaw the budget management and construction of Penn’s $1.2 million Neurointensive Care and Assessment Facility, for which she now serves as director. Margulies has been nationally recognized for her scholarship by her election as a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

21

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

NATIONAL EXCELLENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM BRINGING THE BRIGHTEST TO AGGIELAND The doctoral program landscape across the country is increasingly competitive, with top candidates receiving multi-year high-salary offers, signing bonuses and travel funds from multiple highly ranked programs. The National Excellence Fellows Program (NEFP) was created within the department to help attract these high-achieving students.

Jim Tronolone is a first year Ph.D. student in Dr. Abhishek Jain’s lab working on organ-on-a-chip devices, specifically researching type 1 diabetes treatment. Tronolone said he is interested in working to vascularize islets (help the formation of new blood vessels), which can be transplanted as a diabetes treatment.

“The motivation is to improve islet survival following implantation. Currently, islet replacement therapy has low success because the islets die before new vasculature transporting oxygen and nutrients can form,” Tronolone said. “My project involves trying to vascularize islets on

a chip and analyze their exocrine functions, and we’ll eventually move on to adapting the model so that we can 3D print implantable grafts.”

Tronolone was finishing his master’s at George Washington University when Jain’s name came up in class. Jain had reached out to a colleague looking for prospective Ph.D. students. Tronolone had come across Jain’s name before.

“I’ve been doing organ-on-a-chip research since last year.

My previous lab was another organ-on-a-chip lab and just from doing work there I stumbled upon his research,” Tronolone said.

The NEFP is designed for students pursuing their Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, specifically those intending to pursue translational research that impacts the biomedical engineering industry.

Eligibility Requirements • Apply to the Ph.D. program in biomedical engineering via EngineeringCAS and submit all supporting documents no later than December 1.

• U.S. Resident • Received or will receive a B.S. degree in an engineering degree from an accredited U.S. institution prior to starting the Ph.D. program • Recommended GRE scores of 164-Q/156-V or higher • Recommended GPA of 3.75 or higher • Minimum of two years of research experience

22

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

Jain, assistant professor, said through the NEFP, faculty have additional incentive to actively recruit prospective students who would otherwise be going to the top five schools in the country.

to also apply for external fellowships. Tronolone was recently announced as a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP).

“It encourages faculty members to get engaged with some of these brightest students and advocate their work,” Jain said. “[Jim and I] were constantly in touch and he was very well aware of the work that we do. He was very excited to be a part of our lab and I was very excited to have him.”

Participants receive a $38,000 annual stipend, a $17,000 cost-of-education allowance, an invitation to special networking opportunities with industry and academic partners, and the opportunity to complete internships with industry or national labs, or complete training programs on related careers in academia.

“The National Excellence Fellows Program was developed with the intention to attract top graduate student prospects — ­ those with extensive research experience and outstanding potential as leaders — with a rare opportunity to focus on translational work,” said Dr. Michael McShane, department head and originator of the NEFP concept. “This is a very different emphasis than traditional fellowship programs (NSF, Hertz, etc.) and is more aligned with our departmental goals. Still, we have had students win both NEFP and NSF GRFP awards — ­ they are just so impressively prepared that they are able to bridge the fundamental and applied research.”

Another goal of the program is for faculty and students to work together to help the student leverage the NEFP

The department expects to offer two-three NEFP awards per year.

23

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

RESEARCH SERVING THE UNDERSERVED GETS A NEW HOME A major engineering research center led by biomedical engineering faculty now has a new home on campus.

In 2017, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $25 million grant to Texas A&M University and its partners to pursue low-cost technology for diagnosing and monitoring markers of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This led to the formation of the Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Underserved Populations (PATHS-UP) Engineering Research Center (ERC), which moved into its new home in the Health Technologies and Innovation Building in February 2019.

The 25,000-square-foot facility houses over 10,000 square feet of dedicated laboratory space that includes a shared Biosafety Level 2 lab, a Class 10,000 clean room, a chemistry lab and several faculty research labs. The facility also houses 13 offices, five bullpens (student rooms) and two conference rooms.

The goals of the PATHS-UP NSF-ERC is to engineer transformative, robust and affordable technologies and systems to improve health care access, enhance the quality of service and life, and reduce the cost of

24

health care in underserved populations. It also aims to recruit and educate a diverse group of scientists and engineers who are ready to lead the future in developing enabling technologies to improve health in underserved communities.

The team is led by researchers at Texas A&M, with partners from the University of California at Los Angeles, Florida International University and Rice University, and includes assessment experts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“The PATHS-UP multidisciplinary team is excited to be in a space with the INVENT team that fosters an atmosphere for creativity, collaboration and exciting research,” said Dr. Gerard Coté, director of the Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems.

Coté, who is holder of the James J. Cain Professorship I in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, said the building will be a place to collaborate to facilitate the center’s goals to engineer transformative, cost-effective medical technologies that can be used in underserved communities.

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

“Specifically, it provides the space to accomplish the research thrusts of PATHS-UP, including such research as the development of nanoparticles, assays, paper fluidics, readers, wearable devices with flexible electronics and the data analytics,” Coté said.

Beyond the research pillar, PATHS-UP includes the pillars of culture of inclusion, innovation ecosystem and workforce development, including college and precollege programs. The new space will facilitate annual workshops, house STEM post-docs, graduate students and undergraduate students doing research, industry representatives from top medical device companies, and K-12 teachers and students. These pillars are supported by internal programs such as the Research Experience for Undergrads and Summer Research Experiences for Teachers and Young Scholars.

PATHS-UP is a part of the Center for Remote Health Technologies and Systems, where researchers are developing breakthrough remote health technologies, algorithms and health analytics as well as using advanced systems engineering to solve the global health grand challenges and enable healthy living.

Visit pathsup.org for more information about the center’s operations and goals.

25

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

ANNUAL RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM PROMOTES A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE Even before the first day of the fall semester, graduate students in the department are put to the test during the Annual Research Symposium.

This is the third year for the event, which was started to display and promote the culture of excellence in the department. Students present on their work, allowing other students to learn about cutting-edge research

26

happening in the department and become familiar with technical presentation skills. The symposium encourages and fosters future collaborations both within and outside of the department.

Dr. Michael McShane, department head, said it also allows all students, including incoming graduate students, to interact and network with senior and peer researchers.

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

“Our commitment here is not just to do excellent research, write a lot of papers and graduate students that are able to contribute in industry and in academic circles. We also need to have our research make an impact in the future, meaning it gets to the hands of people who are going to apply it in the clinic, in the home, to make a difference and improve their quality of life,” McShane said.

The symposium is organized and run by a committee of graduate students who work to plan the agenda, help students find their way and connect with event sponsors.

“It was a great opportunity for me to learn and shape my event management and planning skills,” said Sakina Mohammed Mota, doctoral student and this year’s committee chair. “I will always be thankful for being given this chance. It was a very rewarding journey.”

The symposium has evolved over its three years of operation. This year’s event introduced rapid-fire

presentations, invited speakers during lunch and undergraduate research presentations on top of the established graduate oral and poster presentations.

“Perhaps one of the best experiences was receiving questions from the incoming students. Their ability to review our work with fresh minds and outside knowledge produces insightful questions that serve to improve and strengthen our research,” said Lance Graul, doctoral student and last year’s symposium committee chair.

Plans to continue growth are already in consideration, and the students are looking into ways to include medical research groups as well as other external academic departments at Texas A&M — particularly those with whom faculty have extensive collaborations — to gain additional expert feedback on research projects and further foster partnerships.

27

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

NEW FACULTY The department welcomes five new faculty members for the 2019-20 academic year.

Dr. Isaac Adjei Assistant Professor Ph.D., Molecular Medicine, Case Western Reserve University Dr. Isaac Adjei’s research interests include biomaterials, micro/nanotechnology, tissue engineering, drug delivery and cancer immunotherapy. His goals are to advance translatable strategies to understand, treat and diagnose cancer, and in the process educate the next generation of scientists. His awards include the Biomedical Engineering Society’s Career Development Award.

Dr. Charles Patrick Professor of Practice Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Rice University Dr. Charles Patrick has worked in higher education for 34 years at state and private universities and a NCI comprehensive cancer hospital. He worked for 13 years at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as a research professor. He directed the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s clinical translation program tissue engineering applications.

28

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

Dr. Alex Walsh Assistant Professor Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University Dr. Alex Walsh’s research interests include biomedical imaging, biomedical optics, medical devices and laser-tissue research. In her graduate work, she developed biomarkers for predicting anti-cancer drug response of patient derived primary organoids. She was awarded a National Research Council Associateship for her post-doctoral studies at the Air Force Research Lab.

Dr. Reza Avazmohammadi Assistant Professor Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania Dr. Reza Avazmohammadi’s research interests include cardiovascular biomechanics and mechanobiology, computational bioengineering, patient-specific modeling and mechanical testing instrumentation. His awards include the National Institues of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Pathway to Independence Award and the American Heart Association Career Development Award. He will join the department in Spring 2020.

Dr. Shreya Raghavan Associate Professor Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Dr. Shreya Raghavan’s research interests include tissue engineering, cancer engineering, biomaterials, stem cell engineering, immunology, biomimetic environments and bioreactors. She is the recipient of the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health. She will join the department in Spring 2020.

29

DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

30

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING | engineering.tamu.edu

AGGIES LEAD

by Example IMPACT AN ENGINEERING STUDENT Scholarships

You can give undergraduate students a better opportunity to succeed at Texas A&M through a variety of scholarship programs that allow you to direct your gift in creative ways.

Excellence Fund

Your contribution to an excellence fund allows the department head to use the funds for specific priorities such as student competitions or conference travel, faculty teaching awards or career development, for equipment acquisition, or special events.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Wilson, Assistant Director of Development pwilson@txamfoundation.com 979.458.8655

31

E GORG. NONPROFIT STA U.S. POPOSTAGE PAID RMIT PE STATION D COLLEGE TEXAS 77843 IRE QU215 PERMIT RENO.

RECIPIENT Address

Department of

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 5045 Emerging Technologies Building TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY College Station, TX 77843-3120

engineering.tamu.edu/biomedical @TAMUEngineering

@TAMUbmen

17_2277