Biomedical Engineering Spring 2022 Update

Many avenues of growth and expansion

Brenda Ogle

Dear BME community,

The snow in Minnesota is long gone, spring is in the air, and we are looking forward!

To kick off the season, we welcomed 85 sophomore students to the biomedical engineering undergraduate major corresponding to our class size capacity. Capacity has been a limitation on our program in past years, but we are now pleased to announce that expansion of our incoming class size is on the horizon as we open our newly renovated and 30 percent LARGER teaching lab spaces. We look forward to welcoming even more BME undergraduates in 2023!

We also matriculated 25 new Ph.D. students from 14 states and 4 other countries to our program, plus M.S. matriculation is well underway. We look forward to welcoming them to campus in the fall!

With more students, comes more energy and insight infused into our research programs. This spring we realized unprecedented success with collaborative research centers and training grants on topics of cancer therapeutic development, cancer imaging, and training in neuroengineering. Much of this success can be attributed to a Center Accelerator Program developed in part by BME Professor Dave Odde in his role as Associate Director of Strategic Research Initiatives in the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM).

We look forward to tracking the transformative impact of these large-scale efforts on the field of BME and human health.

Brenda Ogle
Professor and Head
Department of Biomedical Engineering

Funding Highlight

Collage showing cancer cells, imaging scan, and brain rendering

More than $17M awarded via three grants

BME faculty have secured major grants focused on cancer and neuroengineering:

Research Highlights

 

Cancer cells

Developing new ways to target cancer

A study led by Associate Professor Paolo Provenzano demonstrates that patterns surrounding cancerous cells, known as extracellular matrix architectures, regulate early invasions that can seed metastases. 

 

Diagram showing using ultrasound to modulate nerve activity

Ultrasound does not activate but can inhibit in vivo mammalian nerves

Findings from a study led by Professor Hubert Lim have opened up new opportunities for using targeted ultrasound to modulate nerve activity.

 

Diagram of a platform for studying lung disease

3D model helps find new lung disease treatments

Associate Professor Dave Wood and team created a 3D platform for studying lung disease by recapitulating the tissue features of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

 

 

tomatoes

A cell-free approach for identifying binding hotspots in plant immune receptors

Associate Professor Casim Sarkar has investigated an alternative approach for studying the biochemical determinants of target recognition in recalcitrant plant immune receptors.

 

Researchers working in a lab

UMN start-up based on BME research closes $10 million Series A financing

The investment will support Vascudyne’s efforts to further develop its proprietary TRUE Tissue technology, a 100% biological regenerative material technology developed by Professor Robert Tranquillo and team.

Student Highlights

 

Sadhika Prabhu and other students at the Earl Bakken Medical Devices Center

BME student helps college DEI efforts, while building engineering skills

Learning about stents and Medtronic founder Earl Bakken in fourth grade were among the first steps biomedical engineering senior Sadhika Prabhu took toward her current career path.

 

Collage of BME student innovations

Four BME student teams win awards to develop innovations

Biomedical engineering innovations from four teams of BME undergraduate students were recognized for being among the University of Minnesota's “Most Visionary Prototypes.”

 

Benjamin Alva, Taylor Berger, and Carly Donahue

BME students receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Congratulations to our 2022 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship recipients: undergraduate student Benjamin Alva and Ph.D. students Taylor Berger and Carly Donahue (honorable mention).

 

 

Lizzy Crist

Ph.D. student Lizzy Crist receives President’s Student Leadership and Service Award

BME Ph.D. student Lizzy Crist is among the 2022 recipients of the President’s Student Leadership and Service Award announced by University of Minnesota President Joan T.A. Gabel.

Alumni Highlight

Student holding up the DuoPouch

BME students’ innovation aims to reduce maternal mortality

Called the DuoPouch, the calibrated, two-pouch drape is designed to diagnose postpartum hemorrhages, a leading cause of maternal deaths.