VOLUME VII ISSUE 2 OCT 2012 PIONEER.GATECH.EDU
PREHEALTH
SPOTLIGHT
CAREER
The pathway towards becoming a doctor demystified
Graduate student, Warren Grey, on his experiences of discovering his career perspectives through unconventional means
Brian Srinkanchana on the development of WorkReadyGrad, providing students opportunities beyond Tech
Pioneer THE WALLACE H. COULTER DEPARTMENT At Georgia Tech and Emory University
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Ajit P. Yoganathan From the Bench to the Bedside by Harish Srinimukesh— Srinimukesh— Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department DR. AJIT YOGANATHAN, Associate Chair for Research in The Wallace H. Coulter School of Biomedical Engineering, a Regents' Professor & the Wallace H. Coulter Distinguished Faculty Chair in Biomedical Engineering, and the Director for the Center of Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies, heads the Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics (CFM) lab located in the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB). Dr. Yoganathan has both B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University College of London and the California Institute of Technology, respectively. He was recently selected to be the Biomedical Engineering Society’s (BMES) 2012 Pritzker Lecturer, one of the highest
honors given to a BMES member. As Associate Chair for Research, he facilitates faculty involvement in multiinvestigative and multi-institutional grants that tie together faculty of various disciplines and institutions such as Mechanical Engineering and Emory University. A major component of the role deals with helping to expedite training grant applications for graduate training through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the American Heart Association (AHA). Continued on page 11 Dr. Ajit Yoganathan is the Associate Chair for Research and a Regents’ Professor of the Wallace H. Coulter Dept. of Biomedical Engineering (Photo: Nicole Cappello)
Innovation in the Biomedical Field An Introduction to its Current State by Neil Viswanathan —Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
With his extensive experience in the biomedical industry, Professor Rains uncovers the factors needed for the development of new technologies. (Photo: Sheridan Carroll)
FOR YEARS, the biomedical industry has been a hotbed of innovation, where engineers of all disciplines worked with medical professionals to create new medical devices. But now, innovation has slowed. The biomedical industry still shows promise, but the future of medicine is not approaching as quickly as everyone once believed. So then, what happened to all of that innovation? What even affects it in the first place? For a company to innovate, it needs financial incentives, enough human and physical resources, and a favorable regulatory climate. That is, it needs a reason to innovate, the ability to innovate, and the ability to sell its innovations. This series will address the recent changes that have drastically constricted innovation in the biomedical field. First of all, the financial crisis and the resulting stagnant economy severely constricted many companies’ ability to innovate. Before the financial crisis of 2008, business was booming and budgets were bursting. Almost any idea with a glimmer of potential drew attention, attracted funding, and... Continued on page 8
Pioneer Established 2007
From the Editor in Chief Hello and welcome to another issue of Pioneer! Over the last couple of weeks, our staff has gone through another exciting and successful round of recruitment. Out of a qualified batch of applicants, we have added a new set of talented staff members. We warmly welcome these applicants into our staff and are very excited to work with them this upcoming year. A little over a month into the semester, everyone is adjusting to their workloads, which steadily increase as finals start approaching. For many of us, this time of the year also signals a time to seek out different career paths beyond graduation. In this issue of Pioneer, we look into the process of pursuing these careers with our coverage of the 8th Annual Biotechnology Career Fair and an introduction to a new website, WorkReadyGrad, started by one of our alumni, Brian Srikanchana, to help students find opportunities beyond school. We also have a special feature on the journeys of some BME alumni towards becoming a doctor. Starting this issue, we are pleased to bring a new series on the state of the biotechnology industry, aimed to keep you up-to-date on current issues and innovations in the market. We hope that you enjoy this issue as you peruse through the pages. For more updates on the happenings of the biotechnology community, feel free to like our page on facebook: facebook.com/gtpioneer and/or follow us on twitter: twitter.com/pioneergt. twitter.com/pioneergt And as always, feel free to contact us for any comments or concerns at thepioneer@gatech.edu. With warm regards, Virginia Lin Editor-in-Chief
FACULTY SPONSOR Wendy Newstetter, Ph.D. OPERATIONS SECRETARY TREASURER PUBLIC RELATIONS
Timothy Lin Saranya Karthikeyan Guergana Terzieva Jaemin Sung
WEBMASTERS Sara Khalek Elizabeth Walker Felis (Doyeon) Koo Jaheda Khanam Jimmy Nguyen Taufiq Dhana STAFF WRITERS Subhendu De Rachel Stewart Abigail Riddle Amrita Banerjee Arun Kumar Belane Gizaw Guergana Terzieva Harish Srinimukesh Hifza Sakhi Iva Zivojinovic Nina Mohebbi Nithya Paranthaman Prateek Neil Viswanathan Sarah Gonzales Steven Touchton Jr Valeriya Popova Yeonghoon Joung (Robert) EDITORS Harish Srinimukesh Arun Kumar Fatiesa Sulejmani Jackson Hair Kristen Weirich Steven Touchton Jr
Pioneer
INSIDE:PIONEER BME ANSWERS…………………………………………….………….……...….……….. 3 Your Questions Answered by AEMB, the Secret Honor Society of BME
BME FRACTURES……………….………………………… ……………………………………...4 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: BRIAN BRIAN SRICHANKANA…………………… SRICHANKANA…………………… ……….. 5 On His New Project, WorkReadyGrad, a New Tool to Help Students Find Opportunities Beyond Tech
RECENT PUBLICATIONS………………………..…………….………………….... 6 THE 8TH ANNUAL BIOTECHNOLOGY BIOTE CHNOLOGY CAREER FAIR…….. FAIR……..………. …….. ………. 7 A Week of Opportunities
GRADUATE SPOTLIGHT: WARREN GREY……………………………. ...... 9 Discovering Career Goals through Unconventional Means
UNDERGRADUATE SPOTLIGHT: SPOTLIGHT: CATHERINE GU……….... G U……….... .......... 10 The Perks of the China Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program
PREPRE -HEALTH COLUMN………………………………...……….……..………. …. 12 BME Alumnus Reveal the Pathways to Becoming a Doctor
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EDITOR IN CHIEF Virginia Lin
LAYOUT EDITORS Kevin Lam Alexandra Low Candace Law Marisa Casola Summer Lee Xurong Liu PHOTOGRAPHERS William Sessions Alex Shao Benjamin Stewart David Van Henry Mei Hyunjun Fred Woo Jacob Khouri Rachel Moore Sheridan Carroll Shriya Raje COLLABORATORS Karen Adams Paul Fincannon Sally Gerrish Marty C. Jacobson Jennifer Kimble Megan McDevitt Mark P. McJunkin Colleen Mitchell Adrianne Proeller Shannon Sullivan
Undergraduate BME Answers Your Questions Answered by AEMB, the Secret Honor Society of BME By AEMB, Bme’s Secret Honor Society Q: I haven't heard of too many BME students interning or coco- oping. Should I? A: Interning or co-oping is always a good idea if you're planning on looking for a job right after graduation. Most companies prefer to see some work experience on your resume. If you don't want to delay graduation too much, a summer internship would be a good idea. Q: Is it a good idea to take summer classes even though the pace is faster? A: Summer classes can be a great way to get some time consuming classes out of the way. In general, students are less busy in the summer and have more time to devote to class. Just be careful not to take too many hours, since the classes are squeezed into a shorter semester. Q: How can I get more involved in BME? A: The best way to get involved in BME is to read the department emails. There is always stuff about joining organizations, submitting to BME publications, faculty talks, etc. Getting involved in BME is also a great way to meet other BME students and faculty who may be able to answer any questions you have about the major.
Q: What are some of the subject areas that BME's specialize into? A: As far as research areas and elective classes that you can get involved in, there are five main areas: cardiovascular systems, biomechanics, biomaterials and tissue engineering, neuroengineering, and medical imaging. If you want to do consulting or device design, one of the great things about BME is that you may be involved in all five areas at some point in your career. Q: What kind of jobs do BME undergraduates go into? A: The BME department at Georgia Tech has a very strong research program, so many BME undergraduates will go into research by working in a lab or going to graduate school. However, BME undergraduates also go into consulting, device design, or some professional field like being a lawyer or a doctor. Got a question to ask knowledgeable upperclassmen BME students? Send them over to bmeanswers@gmail.com and we will post the answers up here!
If you think you've found him, then you’re TOO OPTIMISTIC OR You have an ADVANCED DEGREE 3
BME FRACTURES You might be a BME when the thought of explaining your GPA to medical schools gives you nightmares. Takes biomechanics to play with pool noodles
Compiled by Rachel Stewart Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department I <3 Ting and her pool
So... many...cubes
Part of three groups for only two classes. Only in BME.
You know you are a BME major when you are stressed about making cubes and cylinders. Pulls out calipers rather than rulers to measure anything.
Prays someone makes a Time Turner to take BMED 3510 and BMED 3300 in the same semester alongside CHEM 3511/4511
Someone totally stole my cube and cylinder
No cell service in the basement, missed group member phone calls.
This guy in a 3110 lab came up to me and said "hey you're the guy who had the picture of your ecg up on facebook right?"
The IBB needs a meal plan for how much I'm at the Whitaker building
Finished 3110 SIT Module, guess Dunkin' should be open by now.
Pandas love pool toys When you walk into the labs during the day and walk out when the sun is about to rise.
Schedule meetings in 2 different PBL rooms so that you can go between both Oh you are saving major classes for you friends? I should too. Oh wait...I'm BME
Haven't received any entertaining emails from Paul lately...
Hot guy in my bme group
My friends and I got kicked out of the computer lab in the basement today. Apparently it was reserved by a graduate BME course?!! BestMajorEverBestMajorEverBestMajorEver
Got something to say about BME? Go to our site at thepioneer@gatech.edu and submit a line under our "That's So BME!" section!
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Alumni Spotlight: Brian Srikanchana On his new project, WorkReadyGrad, a new tool to help students find opportunities beyond Tech by Amrita Banerjee— Banerjee — Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
Brian Srikanchana graduated with a BS in Biomedical Engineering in 2008 and is the founder of WorkReadyGrad.com. (Photo: James K. Holder II)
BRIAN SRIKANCHANA, Georgia Tech and Emory School of Biomedical Engineering class of 2008, contemplated multiple career paths as a BME student. While a freshman, Brian volunteered in Emory’s ER, thinking he may want to become a surgeon. As a sophomore, interested in research, he worked in the Temenoff lab as a PURA recipient, researching stress and strain on novel hydrogels for mesenchymal stem cell applications. During his junior year, as a result of a growing interest in translational research and entrepreneurship, Brian started participating in the School of Management business plan competition. His team BioFueltration became a finalist that later competed in MIT’s Ignite Clean Energy Competition. Now, Brian works as an analyst for a global investment fund, studying macro economic data to forecast how economies will expand or contact in the future. In his spare time, Brian has been active as a mentor in Tech’s alumni mentorship program, MentorJackets, and, this year, has been leading a group of Tech students to build an online tool, WorkReadyGrad (WRG). The aim of WorkReadyGrad is to help students in streamlining what they want to do and maximizing their time in college to achieve their career aspirations. Built during the spring 2012 semester by a team of four seniors (Alex Martin, Nathan Griffin, David Dudley, and Carl Mastrangelo) in Dr. Bob Water’s Computer Science Capstone Design class, WorkReadyGrad is a platform to connect students with employers and alumni, informing students of real-world talent needs and enabling them to become “good
fit” job candidates by the time they graduate. Currently in its alpha stage, it hosts over 150 students and 20 BME alumni from Georgia Tech. Over 30 companies participated in their first pilot this past April including Home Depot, Coca-Cola, P&G, GE, Lockheed Martin, Citrix, and CardioMEMS. The website focuses on three perspectives: that of students, alumni, and employers. Each of these target audiences interacts with the site in a way that provides value to them. Employers communicate the required and preferred skills and experiences they’re seeking, which enable students to configure their experiences in school effectively and enable employers to identify Tech talent. Alumni submit their success stories answering what they do day-to-day in their career, the process they went through to gain employment, and the skills and experiences which distinguished them from other job applicants. Answers to questions like these give Georgia Tech students insight to proactively develop a strong background for future careers earlier in their college years. For alumni, the site enables them to network with other alumni and gives their digital resumes visibility to employers who are looking for more experienced hires. Though in its early development stages, WRG offers many features. Students can navigate their career path development through the Career Path tab, which recommends clubs and activities based on their career path interest: working for established companies, starting their own as entrepreneurs, going to graduate school, or going to professional school. They can also document their classroom and extracurricular experiences through a digital resume. These digital resumes have multiple unique features: the ability to include multimedia (pictures and video) of important class projects; WorkReadyGrad points, which are tags for common student experiences (internships, research, leadership roles on campus, innovation, community service, etc), allowing employers to search for talent based on a threshold of accumulated points in each of these categories; and a personal statement video where students answer a typical interview question and talk about the experience they’re looking for in their future job/internship. Unlike widespread websites such as LinkedIn focused on professionals already in the workforce, WorkReadyGrad provides employers with a clear presentation of any student’s college career, helping them to understand whether or not the candidate has the skills it takes to work in the real world. “Companies are not worried about whether or not you can memorize facts and repeat those facts on an exam; they are worried about whether or not you can solve complex problems and work well within a team,” mentions Brian. Group projects such as those created in BMED 1300, BMED 2300 and Senior Design are great examples of content employers will want to see in your WorkReadyGrad portfolio. In the long run, Brian hopes to create a community between students, alumni, and employers, as well as elucidate the career pursuing process for students earlier on. Students interested in this resource can start their portfolio on the website, workreadgrad.com. workreadgrad.com
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Recent Publications Journal
Article Title
Authors
Academic Radiology
Grand Rounds and a Visiting Professorship Program in a Department of Radiology: How We Do It.
Tridandapani S, Mullins ME, Meltzer CC.
Acta Biomateriala
Differential functional effects of biomaterials on dendritic cell maturation.
Park J, Babensee JE.
Advanced Materials
Flexible and Transparent Nanogenerators Based on a Composite of Lead-Free ZnSnO(3) Triangular-Belts.
Wu JM, Xu C, Zhang Y, Yang Y, Zhou Y, Wang ZL.
Advanced Materials
Progress in piezotronics and piezo-phototronics.
Wang ZL.
Advanced Materials
Theory of piezo-phototronics for light-emitting diodes.
Zhang Y, Wang ZL.
Advanced Materials
Special section on piezotronics: preface to the special section on piezotronics
Wang ZL.
Advanced Materials
Preface to the special section on piezotronics.
Wang ZL.
Advanced Materials
Direct Growth of TiO(2) Nanosheet Arrays on Carbon Fibers for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Orange.
Guo W, Zhang F, Lin C, Wang ZL.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition English
Generation of Controllable Gradients in Cell Density.
Liu W, Zhang Y, Thomopoulos S, Xia Y.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition English
Synthesis of Pd-Rh Core-Frame Concave Nanocubes and Their Conversion to Rh Cubic Nanoframes by Selective Etching of the Pd Cores.
Xie S, Lu N, Xie Z, Wang J, Kim MJ, Xia Y.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
Perng JK, Lee S, Kundu K, Caskey CF, Knight Ultrasound imaging of oxidative stress in vivo with chemically-generated gas microbubbles. SF, Satir S, Ferrara KW, Taylor WR, Degertekin FL, Sorescu D, Murthy N.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
Spatiotemporal Mechanical Variation Reveals Critical Role for Rho Kinase During Primitive Streak Morphogenesis.
Henkels J, Oh J, Xu W, Owen D, Sulchek T, Zamir E.
Annals of Biomedical Engineering
A Novel Left Heart Simulator for the Multi-modality Characterization of Native Mitral Valve Geometry and Fluid Mechanics.
Rabbah JP, Saikrishnan N, Yoganathan AP.
Bioinspiration & Biomimetics Locomotion of Mexican jumping beans.
West DM, Lal IK, Leamy MJ, Hu DL.
Biomaterials
Self-assembling nanoparticles for intra-articular delivery of anti-inflammatory proteins.
Whitmire RE, Scott Wilson D, Singh A, Levenston ME, Murthy N, García AJ.
Biomaterials
The responses to surface wettability gradients induced by chitosan nanofilms on microtextured titanium mediated by specific integrin receptors.
Park JH, Wasilewski CE, Almodovar N, Olivares -Navarrete R, Boyan BD, Tannenbaum R, Schwartz Z.
Biomaterials
Effect of bone marrow-derived extracellular matrix on cardiac function after ischemic injury.
Ravi S, Caves JM, Martinez AW, Xiao J, Wen J, Haller CA, Davis ME, Chaikof EL.
Biomaterials
Karumbaiah L, Norman SE, Rajan NB, Anand The upregulation of specific interleukin (IL) receptor antagonists and paradoxical S, Saxena T, Betancur M, Patkar enhancement of neuronal apoptosis due to electrode induced strain and brain micromotion. R, Bellamkonda RV.
Calcified Tissue International
Interrelationship of cranial suture fusion, basicranial development, and resynostosis following suturectomy in twist1(+/-) mice, a murine model of saethre-chotzen syndrome.
Hermann CD, Lee CS, Gadepalli S, Lawrence KA, Richards MA, Olivares-Navarrete R, Williams JK,Schwartz Z, Boyan BD.
Journal of Biomechanics
Effect of flow pulsatility on modeling the hemodynamics in the total cavopulmonary connection.
Khiabani RH, Restrepo M, Tang E, De Zélicourt D, Sotiropoulos F, Fogel M, Yoganathan AP.
Journal of Cellular Biochemistry
BMP2 induces osteoblast apoptosis in a maturation state and noggin-dependent manner.
Hyzy SL, Olivares-Navarrete R, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD.
Nano Letters
Hybridizing Energy Conversion and Storage in a Mechanical-to-Electrochemical Process for Self-Charging Power Cell.
Xue X, Wang S, Guo W, Zhang Y, Wang ZL.
Nano Letters
Triboelectric-generator-driven pulse electrodeposition for micropatterning.
Zhu G, Pan C, Guo W, Chen CY, Zhou Y, Yu R, Wang ZL.
Nanotechnology
Lead-free KNbO(3) ferroelectric nanorod based flexible nanogenerators and capacitors.
Jung JH, Chen CY, Yun BK, Lee N, Zhou Y, Jo W, Chou LJ, Wang ZL.
Neurosurgery
Anchoring depth electrodes for bedside removal: a "break-away" suturing technique for intracranial monitoring.
Gross RE, Rowland NC, Sung EK, Laborde DV, Suleiman SL.
Nucleic Acids Research
Quantifying RNA-protein interactions in situ using modified-MTRIPs and proximity ligation.
Jung J, Lifland AW, Zurla C, Alonas EJ, Santangelo PJ.
Ostereoporosis International
Three years of alendronate treatment does not continue to decrease microstructural stresses and strains associated with trabecular microdamage initiation beyond those at 1 year.
Green JO, Diab T, Allen MR, Vidakovic B, Burr DB, Guldberg RE.
Small
Protein-Protected Au Clusters as a New Class of Nanoscale Biosensor for Label-Free Fluorescence Detection of Proteases.
Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhou F, Kim P, Xia Y.
The Journal Haggerty CM, Fynn-Thompson F, McElhinney Experimental and numeric investigation of Impella pumps as cavopulmonary assistance for of Thoracic and Cardiovascul DB, Valente AM, Saikrishnan N, Del Nido a failing Fontan. ar Surgery PJ, YoganathanAP.
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The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Rapid membrane responses to dihydrotestosterone are sex dependent in growth plate chondrocytes.
Elbaradie K, Wang Y, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z.
The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Phospholipase A(2) activating protein is required for 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) dependent rapid activation of protein kinase C via Pdia3.
Doroudi M, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD.
The 8th Annual Biotechnology Career Fair A Week of Opportunities by Guergana Terzieva— Terzieva — Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department
THE SECOND WEEK OF SEPTEMBER was marked by the Georgia Tech Career Fair encompassing a wide range of employers and targeting all kinds of Tech students and alums. This two-day event gathered over 1000 representatives who provided valuable information for job openings and programs in their companies and recruited numerous students. Taking out the stress of the general career fair is the major-specific fair with less people, shorter lines, and where the job openings are more geared towards the skill sets of the students present. On September 13th, the 8th Annual Biotechnology Career Fair took place in the Molecular Science and Engineering Building. This year’s fair presented 16 companies, covering a wide range of areas within the bioengineering field. The fair was attended by around 300 undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and Georgia Tech alums, representing an increase from last year’s 250. Organized by the Biotechnology Career Fair Committee, the fair was the culmination event following interview and resume workshops, information sessions and company seminars. These events provided useful resources for students to prepare resumes and cover letters and become more familiar with professional etiquette. This year, a growing majority of the
attending representatives were from companies attending the fair for the first time. One of these new visitors was Dendreon, which specializes in active cellular immunotherapy to aid the treatment of prostate cancer. Nevertheless, some of the returning companies were the largest and most well known in their fields, including companies such as Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic. Medtronic, the largest medical technology company in existence, is located in Minnesota, but also has branches in several continents and about 50 facilities for research and development (R&D). Its main focus is the manufacturing of devices and therapies to treat a wide range of chronic diseases such as obesity and heart failure. Another returning company was Amendia, located in Marietta, Georgia. Its multidisciplinary team of engineers work on device R&D connected to bone and soft tissues. These companies have created a legacy of recruiting Georgia Tech BME students. The career fair, growing each year, presents the students with many opportunities, allowing them to get a feel for the market, gather courage and practice, and network with other BME students, alums, and recruiters. Among the recruiters in this year’s fair were even some of Georgia Tech’s own BME graduates. Willa Ni and Alex Cooper,
Top: Top Company recruiters discusses job opportunities with Georgia Tech student. Bottom Right: Right Edwards Lifesciences employees discuss different career options with Georgia Tech students at Bio Tech career fair. (Photos: Shriya Raje)
both graduated last May, were recruiting for Edwards Lifesciences, hoping to get new hires from Georgia Tech. Ultimately, for whatever reason one would attend the fair may be, the process of preparation starts well in advance with the first draft of a resume, and may end with landing that desired internship, co-op, or full time position.
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Continued from page 1
Innovation created jobs, bolstering innovation. In today’s economy, most companies lack the funds to invest in research and development (R&D) on that scale. Funding has slowed down, employment has decreased, and most companies investing in innovation have minimized the number of projects and closely monitor their success and potential. Reimbursement is another factor that will limit innovation in the future. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is an organization that dictates reimbursements to doctors and hospitals for different procedures, in effect paying them for using certain procedures and defraying the cost of a normal hospital’s operations. In today’s stagnant economy, CMS has reduced its reimbursements, leaving medical companies with less reason to spend money on creating new innovative functions since those innovations hold an uncertain value for future patients.
In addition to a weaker economy, new legislation taking effect in 2013 will change the U.S patent process drastically. Before 2011, American patent law operated through a “first-toinvent” system. Under this system, any inventor with credible documentation (logbooks, dated journals, notebooks, data) showing that he had been the first to create a product would receive a patent for that product. As of 2011, America’s patent system was the only one of its kind, with all other countries using a “first to file” patent system. With the new legislation, America will no longer use the “first-to-invent” system, and companies will have to be far more careful about disclosing details, creating a need for stronger legal teams with the newer “first-to-file” system. This leaves less room for innovation. Medical regulations will play a huge role in the state of innovation as well. Companies that produce and sell medical devices must clear several hurdles before bringing their devices to market: Conception, Development,
Patent, Testing, and FDA clearance. However, in 2010, after a string of recalls and accidents, the FDA proposed over 60 new changes to increase safety, noting that no changes had been administered for the previous 30 years. One of the most salient proposals creates a new category for “mediumrisk” devices, increasing the cost to the companies and producers. Representatives of such companies claim that these heightened regulations will stifle innovation and delay patients’ access to new and improved medical devices. The biomedical industry is changing; as a result, while demand for new effective technology remains as high as ever, acceptable prices have fallen so low that it is almost impossible for companies to yield profit. How, then, will companies release and manufacture new innovative products? This and more will be addressed in the next segment of Innovation in the Biomedical Field: FDA Regulations and Patent Law Revealed.
With his extensive experience in the biomedical industry, Professor Rains uncovers the factors needed for the development of new technologies. (Photo credit: Sheridan Carroll)
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Graduate Spotlight: Warren Grey Discovering Career Goals through Unconventional Means by Sarah Gonzales— Gonzales — Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department MEET WARREN GREY. Grey is a fourth year BME graduate student who has traveled to Italy, France, Switzerland, England, Scotland, Wales, Thailand, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, and South Korea. He has worked in industry, interned in medicine, aided in the teaching of Quantitative Engineering Physiology Laboratory (BME 3110) and carried out research for multiple prestigious universities. Grey is also one of the first students to be involved in the joint PhD program between the Georgia Institute of Technology, Peking University, and Emory University. As a part of this new program, Grey was allowed to spend two years at the Georgia Institute of Technology, one year engaged in research at Beijing University, and is now spending his fourth year studying at Emory University. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a degree in chemical engineering, Grey spent some time working in industry at two separate sixmonth internships to explore his interest in chemical engineering-related industry work. Grey’s first industry experience was with Kodak, working with thin film coating of substrates, whereas his second internship was with Merix, mostly working with printing circuit boards. Both of his experiences involved the evaluation of current systems and machine performance, developing new programs to improve efficiency. Grey’s industry experience coupled alongside his undergraduate research experience at the Brigham Young University Chemical Engineering Biofuels Lab led him to realize that while he really loved chemistry, it was the biological aspects of his work that truly int ere sted h im. Studying biomedical engineering was the obvious next step for him. Grey initially chose to attend the joint BME program at Georgia Tech because of his desire to study abroad. While other universities had great graduate programs, he felt that any international components were not as secure as the one at Georgia Tech. Grey sums up the most appealing aspect of studying abroad as, “It was important to have some sort of international component because we’re going to be
working at a high level with other people and potentially other countries and the world is getting smaller.” While studying abroad in Beijing, Grey was involved in research in Dr. Ying Luo’s lab, where he worked on drug delivery with dendrimers to promote angiogenesis within the heart as a treatment follow ing myocardial infarction. Somehow, despite all the research and traveling, Grey also manages to find time for extracurricular and volunteering activities. He is a full time volunteer for his church, leading the choir and aiding in humanitarian efforts. Grey has been engaged in several extracurricular activities such as Bioengineering and Bioscience Unified Graduate Students (BBUGS) as Outreach Co-Chair and the Graduate Leadership Development Program as a member. To undergraduate students considering graduate studies, Grey emphasizes the importance of first examining one’s projected career path and priorities. “ You want to evaluate the type of research you want to do, what type of people you want to work with, what type of environment you want to work with. . .It’s not just the big names.”
To the undergraduates who are unsure about their future goals, Grey highly recommends exploring one’s interests, even if they are varied and diverse. “Things we learn in life, although disparate, can become interconnected,” Grey stresses. On the surface, studying abroad in China can lead to more of an understanding of Chinese culture; but on a deeper level, it can also lead to the creation of an open mind. As graduation approaches, Grey looks to the future. He hopes to return to his home state of Oregon and pursue a career in academia, both in teaching as a professor and engaging in research. “I really enjoy working with students and seeing them learn and grow,” Grey says, “so working with students is rewarding for me.”
Top: Warren Grey in Chengdu in the evening after a World Biomaterials Congress. Bottom: Warren Grey in the desert outside Hohot, Inner Mongolia. (Photos provided by Warren Grey)
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Continued from page 12
Journey of a Doctor path of becoming a doctor is a long and difficult journey. Secasanu was an R&D engineer with a start-up company prior to entering medical school. Knowing the challenges of medical school, he took the effort to take some time off and travel. He recommends “taking it easy” before the start of medical school. However, both Secasanu and Tillman stressed the
importance of being passionate about going into medicine, and that being BME is actually a great route into a medical career. Tillman notes that medical schools are accepting more BMEs, but that even if being BME sets you apart from the crowd, you still need to be able to complete all the necessary requirements to be accepted. Secasanu sums it up, “The key is to be in something that you enjoy, are curious about, and will allow you to grow as a person and professional. The passion and success will naturally follow.”
Undergraduate Spotlight: Catherine Gu The Perks of the China Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Program by Steven Touchton, Jr.— Jr. — Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department MANY STUDENTS WORKING towards a Biomedical Engineering degree here at Georgia Tech place great importance in finding a research position on campus. The opportunities are endless, with lab topics ranging from stem cell technology to cardiovascular fluid mechanics to neurophysiology. Catherine Gu, a student in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, took her aspirations one step further. Gu and eight other students from the Coulter Department were selected last spring to participate in the China Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE), a 12-month undergraduate research program during which the students spent their summer months conducting research full-time for a lab at Peking University (PKU) in Beijing, China, one of the premier universities in Asia. Gu began her research in Dr. Michael E. Davis’s lab in cardiac regeneration at Emory University. She has been working under her mentor, Jie Liu, on the “development of an siRNA delivery system and its applications in cardiac disease models.” During the spring semester, Gu was able to receive three credit hours of research while taking classes at Georgia Tech, and she is currently receiving three more credits for her involvement with the Davis Research Group. That first spring semester, Gu explains, “acts as a stepping stone into research.” The CURE program “facilitates the process of finding an interesting lab.” After their spring semester in Atlanta, the group traveled to Beijing with airfare, living expenses, and a living stipend funded by the National Science Foundation. Along with learning to conduct research in a foreign country, the trip taught Gu the importance of research in today’s growing era of globalization. In fact, Gu’s lab mentor in the Davis Lab in Atlanta traveled from PKU to work at Emory, and Kai Wang, her lab mentor at PKU, will be coming to work for a lab in the Coulter Department under the GT-PKU joint PhD program. The “main focus of the program” Gu explains, was “our time in China and how we adapted not just to lab work, but also just being there for ten weeks.” Living in a “global village” with another Georgia Tech student, Gu was within biking distance of PKU and Tsinghua, another of China’s premier universities. In addition to her work in biomaterials at PKU, Gu was able to travel to several different cities around Beijing, experiencing many distinctive cultures. “You can take a train and in two hours be in a different city, where the way they talk is different, the food is different, the culture is different, and the whole atmosphere is different.” Gu took time to visit cities like Tianjin and Qingdao, where she describes that, “From our hostel we could literally look out and see the ocean.” Catherine Gu has nothing but praise for CURE, and
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recommends that students interested in similar opportunities keep their eyes and ears open. “There are so many opportunities out there like this that people just don’t know about.” For CURE, she says, only 30 people applied, but it’s such an amazing program.” Gu continues her research in the Davis Lab this fall with a newfound appreciation for the global affects her research has on places as far from home as Peking University in Beijing.
Top: Catherine Gu in Dr. Davis Lab in Emory University Bottom: Catherine Gu at the Great Wall in Beijing, China (Photos provided by Catherine Gu)
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Faculty Spotlight From Caltech, Dr. Yoganathan completed his Ph.D. work in the cardiovascular field, which influenced the formation of the CFM lab that primarily deals with experimental and computational fluid mechanics in the scope of artificial heart valves, left and right sides of the heart, and congenital heart diseases. While previously under the Chemical Engineering Department during its formation back in 1979, the CFM lab has now become part of the Coulter Department. Influential in translational research, Dr. Yoganathan’s CFM Lab completes work on a daily basis through the use of laser Doppler velocimetry, digital particle image velocimetry, Doppler ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help clinicians and patients by effectively studying and quantifying blood flow patterns in the cardiovascular system. Current projects underway in this division include a translation research grant between Georgia Tech and Emory University to further push work from the “bench to the bedside”. As one of four co-founders of the startup Apica, Dr. Yoganathan was recently involved in the development of a system designed to simplify and standardize opening and closing the heart during cardiac surgery. The endeavor received a $5.1 million investment for minimizing the size of incisions, improving safety, and decreasing procedure time. Dr. Yoganathan hopes to take the multitude of laboratory successes and bring them to fruition through commercialization. Other recent translational work on a Y-graft has come out of the CFM from a patent that was filed 5 years ago. The project dealt with the Fontan Procedure, a surgical palliation to correct congenital heart defects in patients with a single functional ventricle. The work that had been completed between Tech and Emory University is now implemented at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Also heading the Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies (CICT), Dr. Yoganathan connects a plethora of institutions both in Industry and Healthcare such as Abbott Laboratories, Edwards Life Sciences, Medtronic, CHOP, and Saint Joseph’s Translational Research Institute. Dr. Yoganathan works alongside the CICT Administrative Board, which strives to become the principal resource in developing new cardiovascular solutions. A recent collaboration between the CICT and Women in Engineering (WIE) gave rise to three new $1,000 scholarships back in March of this year for three undergraduate females that completed extraordinary work contributing to cardiovascular research. The three recipients were Kathy Dinh, Shabnam Gupta, and Lauren Troxler who worked on aortic valve mechanobiology, disease mechanisms in aortic valve disease and flow characteristics through transcatheter valves, and measuring and analyzing forces seen in the tricuspid valve chordae in normal and disease conditions. Dr. Yoganathan predicts that similar programs to promote a larger female presence in engineering will be pursued in the future.
calendar October 2 Bioengineering Seminar Series Cortically-Coupled Computing for Image Search Paul Sajda, PhD – Columbia University 11am—IBB 1128 8 2012 Bio Industry Symposium Regenerative medicine, medical devices, pharmaceutical technologies and disease biology 8am—Nanotech and IBB 9 Soft Condensed Matter and Biophysics Seminar Mechanical response of complex-shaped shells subject to loading and in different mechanical environments (with or without an inout pressure difference). Pedro Reis, PhD – Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3pm—Howey N110 10 Mobile Apps and Clinical Decision Support Technology Developing Practical Compliance Strategies with Evolving Requirements and Multiple Regulators 2pm—IBB 1128 10 ChBE Seminar Series Controlled free radical polymerization in aqueous media, Rational design of polymer architecture for nanomedicine, and more Charles McCormick, PhD – University of Southern Mississippi 4pm—MS&E G011 16 Breakfast Club Seminar Series Mechanisms of RNA-driven DNA Modification and Repair Francesca Storici, PhD – Assistant Professor School of Biology 8:30am—IBB 1128 16 Stem Cell Engineering Center Seminar Series Synthetic signaling systems for biological discovery Casim A. Sarkar, PhD – University of Pennsylvania 11am—IBB 1128 17 ChBE Seminar Series Downstream processing of biotechnology products Giorgio Carta, PhD – Lawrence R. Quarles Professor 4pm—MS&E G011 24 4th Symposium on Frontiers in Biomechanics Mechanics in Oncology 8am—Georgia World Congress Center A301 24 ChBE Seminar Series A Point-of-Care Diagnostic System for the Developing World Paul Yager, PhD – University of Washington 4pm—MS&E G011 24-26 BMES Annual Conference Georgia World Conference Center 30 BME Young Innovators Pieter Abbeel, PhD – UC Berkeley 11am—Whitaker 1103
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PrePre-Health Column
The journey commences with acceptance into medical school. (Photo: Hyunjun Fred Woo)
BME Alumnus Reveal the Pathways to Becoming a Doctor by Subhendu De— De — Undergraduate Student in the Coulter Department A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER of undergraduate students in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory and Georgia Tech aspire to become physicians or health care professionals. From the perspective of undergraduates, getting accepted into medical school involves an endless effort to make the best grades, gain leadership experiences, and improve their resumes with volunteer work and extracurricular activities. However, gaining entrance into medical school is not the last step towards becoming a doctor. Rather, the journey begins before medical school and continues for a lifetime. Although an uncommon and rigorous major for pre-medical school students, the journey of a doctor for a Biomedical Engineering undergraduate can be fulfilling, exciting, and achievable. The journey commences with acceptance into medical school. Many BME students are concerned that pursuing BME instead of more traditional majors such as Biology or Chemistry will put them at a disadvantage. Current University of Central Florida medical student and BME alumnus Virgil Secasanu says, “An undergraduate major doesn’t affect your medical school applications. It is your passion, successes, and involvement that have an influence.” He continues to explain that “engineers,
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and BME particularly, are especially well suited for a career in medicine.” He rationalizes that the BME focus on problem solving coupled with biomedical sciences lends to an advantage in the area of upcoming advances in medicine. He also stresses the importance of showing dedication to the medical field by being active in student organizations such as BMES and AMSA, volunteering at hospitals, and participating in undergraduate research. After gaining entry into medical school, students can look forward to another four years of education filled with many more classes, practical experience, and standardized exams. Dr. Robert Tillman, BME alumnus and graduate of Georgia Health Sciences University, offered insight into the stages of medical school. The first two years consist of lecture classes, limited time with patients, learning how to complete physicals and patient histories, and gross anatomy experience with cadavers. After the first two years, students take a standardized exam called the “Step 1”, which must be passed to move onto the next stages. In the third year, medical students go on rotations through all the major disciplines of medicine. After each rotation, another standardized exam specific to that rotation is administered. Tillman further elaborates, “The third
year is on the job experience where you turn all that you learn in your first two years into practical treatment of patients.” At the start of the fourth year, two standardized exams called “Step 2 Clinical Knowledge” and “Step 2 Clinical Skills” are administered to evaluate the student’s third year. Finally, the fourth year is mainly comprised of the matching process, where medical students apply to various residency programs across the country. After successfully being matched, a medical student becomes a resident. Tillman explains, “A residency is on-thejob training for doctors. You do your residency in your chosen field.” The length of residency depends on the particular field, for example, pediatrics and internal medicine last three years, while surgery often lasts five. During this time, the resident learns how to be a doctor and care for patients, but an attending physician always watches and teaches how to properly provide better care. Finally, there are several postresidency options. Secasanu expressed interest in pursuing academic medicine. In contrast, Tillman declared his intent of entering into a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine. A fellowship, Tillman explained, is a continuation of the residency program with a greater focus in a particular subspecialty. Without a doubt, the process and... Continued on page 10