Biomedical Engineering Spring 2023 Update
A translational research victory
Dear BME community,
For us biomedical engineers, one of the most satisfying career moments will be seeing one of our technologies make the leap from idea to impact (should we be so lucky!).
We had the good fortune to relish such a moment at our department this spring, with the FDA approval of Lenire, a first-of-its-kind tinnitus treatment. Department of Biomedical Engineering Professor Hubert Lim was part of the international research team that developed this breakthrough and was the senior author of the studies sponsored by Neuromod Devices, which manufactures the device.
Now, the non-invasive device is giving tinnitus specialists across the U.S. an exciting new option for treating a condition that affects more than 25 million Americans.
This is just one example of how our department’s faculty and students are making a difference through research. Nearly half of our faculty have a startup, and the vast majority are teaming up with industry contacts to translate their research into products that make people’s lives better.
The path to translational research success is a long, challenging one, to be sure. But seeing more treatments reach more people is a feeling that can’t be beat.
Brenda Ogle
Professor and Head
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Feature Story
New tinnitus treatment receives FDA approval
Professor Hubert Lim is part of an international team that has developed a new device that could help millions of people worldwide with tinnitus. The non-invasive device, called Lenire, is now available in the U.S.
Research Highlights
New insights for fine-tuning deep brain stimulation settings
A recent study led by Professor Matt Johnson and published in Scientific Reports provides neuroanatomical insights for selecting electrode configurations when treating Parkinson’s disease.
Shapeshifters: Can buildings behave like organisms?
The project, which includes Professor David Odde, reimagines the convergence of architecture and biology to understand how organisms create internal structures.
Funding Highlights
Hartwell awarded Michelson Prize for immunology and vaccine research
Assistant Professor Brittany Hartwell is one of only four researchers worldwide to win the award, which honors early-career investigators who “represent the next generation of innovators in human immunology and vaccine research.”
Three BME faculty secure grants to study military health issues
Professor and Department Head Brenda Ogle, Associate Professor Patrick Alford, and Associate Professor Alexander Opitz each have received grants to advance research addressing health issues such as radiation exposure and traumatic brain injury.
Yoshida awarded AHA Career Development Award
Assistant Professor Kyoko Yoshida’s project aims to understand how hormonal and mechanical interactions drive cardiovascular adaptations during pregnancy.
Education Highlights
Shaping the future of biomedical engineering education
Professor and Department Head Brenda Ogle and Associate Professor Chun Wang teamed up with collaborators across the country to create a framework for what they believe will be the next wave of biomedical engineering education.
Barocas receives national education and mentorship honor
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has awarded Professor Victor Barocas with the 2023 Robert M. Nerem Education and Mentorship Medal.
Student Highlights
The sky’s the limit for this BME Ph.D. student
The idea of possibilities is one of the things Ph.D. student Marcus Flowers enjoys most about research. For his research, he builds and tests materials that can be used to deliver different drugs and treatments into the body.
BME Ph.D. students receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships
Congratulations to our 2023 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship recipients, Meghan Griffin and Emily Hoffmann.
Grand prize for BME undergrads at medical device competition
The student design team won the grand prize at a Design of Medical Devices Conference event for their project called, “Novel Device Design for Large Ovarian Cyst Removal."
BME students recognized with awards
BME students have recently received several awards, including a Fulbright award, President’s Student Leadership and Service Award, and an Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship.
Dream school for BME undergrad
In this Q&A, Dannica Donahue, who receives the 3M Impact Scholarship and WISE Medtronic Scholarship, talks about her involvement with student organizations and internships.