SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for March
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Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Fri, Mar 01, 2024 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Michelle Khine- Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education UC Irvine
Talk Title: Soft Electronics for Ubiquitous Physiological Monitoring
Abstract: While great advances in medicine has been made in the past century, the overall infrastructure of the healthcare system has not progressed. Patients are still expected to travel to a centralized location for discrete, reactionary based care where the healthcare provider only has a brief window to assess the patient’s health. Unless the symptoms are overt at the time of examination, the subjective evaluation relies heavily on the self-reporting of symptoms from the patient. This often results in delayed or improper diagnoses. In contrast, we know that physiological signals precede clinical deterioration. We have developed a suite of soft, low-cost, unobtrusive, Band-Aid © like physiological sensors to continuously monitor patients cardiovascular and pulmonary functions. We seek to continuously quantify subtle physiological changes to predict – and eventually prevent -- the onset of acute clinical events.
Biography: Michelle Khine, Ph.D. is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at UC Irvine. She was the founding Director of Faculty Innovation at the Samueli School of Engineering and founding Director of BioENGINE (BioEngineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at UC Irvine. Prior to joining UC Irvine, she was an Assistant & Founding Professor at UC Merced. Michelle received her BS and MS from UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering and her PhD in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and UCSF. She is the Scientific Founder of 6 start-up companies. Michelle was the recipient of the TR35 Award and named one of Forbes 10 Revolutionaries’ and by Fast Company Magazine as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. She was awarded the NIH New Innovator s Award and was named by Marie Claire magazine as Women on Top: Top Scientist. Michelle is a Fellow of AIMBE (American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering) and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Host: Maral Mousavi
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 100 B
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Wed, Mar 13, 2024 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Ishwar K. Puri, Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Talk Title: Playing with Magnets
Abstract: Control over coalescing particles as they interact, grow, and form patterns leads to a wide array of life science and nanotechnology applications. We consider engineered clusters, such as annuli, spheroids, and organoids, that better mimic in vitro physiological constructs than 1D monolayer structures. Here, we describe a macroscale contactless and label-free field-guided magnetic method that prints in-situ three-dimensional particle assemblies of different morphologies and sizes using non-adherent cells (RBCs) and adherent cells, such as MCF-7, over relatively short timespans. Potential applications of the method include biosensing, high-throughput drug testing, and other patient-specific treatments.
Biography: Ishwar K. Puri is professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Southern California. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and holds the Engineering Medal for Engineering Excellence awarded by Professional Engineers Ontario and the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. Puri is the author of over 200 archival publications and books that have been cited over 9,400 times per Google Scholar with an H-Index of 54, and is ranked among the top 2% of scientists in the world based on the citations publications between 1965-2019. He has founded and mentored startups. He also oversees the USC Office of Research and Innovation that guides the university’s research programs.
Host: Peter Wang
Location: Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience (MCB) - 102
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Tue, Mar 19, 2024 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Wilson Wong, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering an Allen Distinguished Investigator
Talk Title: Engineering Vaccines, Cell and GeneTherapies using Synthetic Biology
Abstract: In this seminar, I will share with you some of the work that my trainees and colleagues have done on using synthetic biology in various areas, such as foundational circuit engineering, cellular immunotherapy, and vaccines. I will discuss our work on improving the specificity and safety of CAR T cell therapy against cancer using synthetic biology and biomaterials. I will also share our recent discovery on engineering self-amplifying RNA with reduced innate immune response and improved protein expression, leading to a highly potent COVID-19 vaccine as demonstrated in a lethal live virus challenge in mice.
Biography: Dr. Wilson Wong is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and an Allen Distinguished Investigator at Boston University. He is an expert in immune cell engineering and synthetic biology for therapeutic applications. Dr. Wong’s research has been published in numerous high-impact journals, including Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Cell, and PNAS. Dr. Wong has been recognized with multiple academic career awards, including the NIH New Innovator Award, the ACS Synthetic Biology Young Investigator Award, the NSF CAREER Award, and the Allen Distinguished Investigator Award. He has co-founded three companies, with one in the clinical stage. Dr. Wong has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Wong completed his postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Professor Wendell Lim at the University of California, San Francisco.
Host: Peter Wang
Location: Corwin D. Denney Research Center (DRB) - 145
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
USC SleepHuB Special Seminar
Thu, Mar 21, 2024 @ 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Rebecca Spencer, Ph.D., Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of the Sleep Lab Core Facility -University of Massachusetts at Amherst
Talk Title: Cognitive benefits of sleep in spite of sleep loss in older adults
Abstract: Sleep benefits memory consolidation in young adults. Evidence suggests that this benefit reflects the active reorganization of memories, moving them from short-term hippocampal storage which is susceptible to interference to long-term more stable storage in the neocortex. Synchronized oscillations in the hippocampus and neocortex during slow wave sleep underlie this memory stabilization. Older adults have reduced slow wave sleep and yet, in many cases, sleep-dependent memory consolidation is preserved. It is important to understand this resilience as it may speak to ways to prevent or intervene in age-related memory loss. In my talk, I will present studies demonstrating the benefits of sleep on memories in older adults as well as the limitations of this process. I will also present some evidence of possible mechanisms supporting memory consolidation in the face of reduced slow wave sleep with aging. These studies hold relevance for those studying aging from a clinical and cognitive perspective.
Biography: Rebecca Spencer, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Director of the Sleep Lab Core Facility in the Institute of Applied Life Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research focuses on the role of sleep in cognition and brain changes, specifically lifespan changes in sleep-dependent cognitive processing. In young children, she is interested in how the high levels of sleep during development relate to the massive amount of learning and brain development at this age. In old adults, she studies how age-related changes in sleep contribute to changes in memory and emotion processing. After graduating from Purdue with a PhD in neuroscience in 2002, she went to UC Berkeley where she was a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist in the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute until 2008. She was the recipient of a NIH Pathways to Independence Award (K99/R00). Her work is currently funded by 3 NIH R01 awards and an NSF grant. She chairs the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) Program Committee.
Host: Dr. Michael Khoo
Location: Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center (GER) - 224
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Fri, Mar 22, 2024 @ 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Tejal Desai, Ph.D., The Sorensen Family Dean of Engineering Brown University
Talk Title: Therapeutic Biomaterials: Engineering Material Structure to Modulate Biologic Delivery
Abstract: The ability to deliver therapeutics within and across biologic barriers is a much sought after goal. In this talk, I will discuss our recent work in developing nanostructured materials for biologic delivery as well as injectable micro/nanoscale materials for the reduction of fibrosis and immune activation. By incorporating micro and nanoscale features into biomaterials, one can modulate properties such as tissue permeability, matrix production, and cell activation. The understanding of how small-scale topographies can influence the biological microenvironment allows us to design platforms for applications in therapeutic delivery and tissue regeneration. Micro and nanostructured materials can add functionality to current drug delivery platforms while becoming an enabling technology leading to new basic discoveries in the pharmaceutical and biological sciences
Biography: Tejal A. Desai assumed the role of Sorensen Family Dean of Engineering at Brown University, effective September 1, 2022. An accomplished biomedical engineer and academic leader, Desai’s research spans multiple disciplines including materials engineering, cell biology, tissue engineering, and pharmacological delivery systems to develop new therapeutic interventions for disease. She seeks to design new platforms, enabled by advances in micro and nanotechnology, to overcome challenges in therapeutic delivery. With more than 260 peer-reviewed articles and patents, Desai’s research has earned her numerous recognitions including Technology Review’s Top 100 Young Innovators, Popular Science’s Brilliant 10 and the Dawson Biotechnology Award. She served as president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering from 2020 to 2022 and is a fellow of AIMBE, IAMBE, CRS, and BMES. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015, the National Academy of Inventors in 2019, and to the National Academy of Engineering in 2024. Desai was also awarded the 2023 Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecture Award at the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting — the highest honor the organization can bestow upon an individual who has demonstrated impactful leadership and accomplishments in biomedical engineering science and practice. Prior to coming to Brown, she was the Deborah Cowan Endowed Professor of the Department of Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF); and Professor in Residence, Department of Bioengineering, UC Berkeley (UCB). She served as director of the NIH training grant for the Joint UCSF/UCB Graduate Program in Bioengineering for over 15 years and founding director of the UCSF/UCB Master’s Program in Translational Medicine. She was also chair of the department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at UCSF from 2014-2021 and the Inaugural Director of the UCSF Engineering and Applied Sciences Initiative known as HIVE (Health Innovation Via Engineering). A vocal advocate for education and outreach to historically underrepresented groups in STEM, Desai’s work to break down institutional barriers to equity and cultivate a climate of inclusion has earned numerous honors and awards, including the AWIS Judith Poole Award in Mentorship, the 2021 UCSF Chancellors Award for the Advancement of Women, and the 2022 Controlled Release Woman in Science Award. As president of AIMBE (2020-2022), she led advocacy efforts for increased scientific funding and addressing workforce disparities in science/engineering. To foster the next generation of scientists, she was involved in the SF Science Education partnership and has worked with outreach organizations such as the Lawrence Hall of Science, PBS, and the UN Women’s council to develop hand-on exhibits and videos related to nanotechnology and women in engineering.
Host: Eunji Chung
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 100B
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor. -
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Fri, Mar 29, 2024 @ 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Hadley Sikes, Ph.D., The Willard Henry Dow Professor and Graduate Officer in Chemical Engineering, and PI in the Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group in Singapores CREATE campus MIT
Talk Title: Protein and reaction engineering for accessible, scalable medical diagnostics
Abstract: Paper-based medical diagnostic tests have an appealingly low cost of goods and can be very simple to operate. However, new tests typically take months to a year or more to develop, driving up costs. A longstanding focus in our lab has been developing and applying an engineering design approach to new medical diagnostic tests. One of the slow and expensive steps in developing diagnostic immunoassays is identification of pairs, or sets in the case of multiplexed assays, of affinity reagents that simultaneously bind non-overlapping target epitopes and also do not cross-react with one another or complex matrix components. Engineered binding molecules derived from a thermophilic organism will be presented as alternatives to antibodies, human or camelid, along with a method for selecting pairs or sets of these reagents for diagnostic immunoassays. Analysis of reaction rates and fluid flow within paper-based tests suggested further protein engineering strategies to improve sensitivity. Generalized assay design principles for integrating these engineered proteins into antigen and serology tests will be discussed, as well as innovations in scalable manufacturing of test formats beyond conventional lateral flow tests. Finally, key elements of the commercialization process for new diagnostic tests will be presented, including protection of intellectual property, technology transfer to partners, manufacturing under ISO13485 certification, usability and clinical testing, and regulatory filings.
Biography: Hadley D. Sikes is the Willard Henry Dow Professor and Graduate Officer in Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PI in the Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group in Singapores CREATE campus. She advises a team of researchers in the application of physical principles to design, synthesize, characterize, and test molecules for utility in detecting and understanding disease. Hadley earned degrees in chemistry, a BS at Tulane University (D.K. Schwartz lab) and a PhD Stanford University (C.E.D. Chidsey lab) and trained as a postdoctoral scholar in chemical engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder (C.N. Bowman lab), and at the California Institute of Technology (F.H. Arnold lab) prior to joining the faculty at MIT. Hadley is an Associate Editor at Bioengineering and Translational Medicine.
Host: Maral Mousavi
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 100B
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Carla Stanard
This event is open to all eligible individuals. USC Viterbi operates all of its activities consistent with the University's Notice of Non-Discrimination. Eligibility is not determined based on race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited factor.
