SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for April
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Alfred E.Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering - Seminar series
Fri, Apr 04, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Xiaoping P. Hu, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Bioengineering;Director, Center for Advanced Neuroimaging Reza Abbaschian Chair Professor University of California, Riverside
Talk Title: Some Recent Advances in MRI of Neurodegeneration
Abstract: MRI is a widely used modality in neuroimaging in both clinical medicine and research. For neurodegeneration, in addition to providing exquisite anatomic measures, MRI can assess function, connectivity, and neurobiologically relevant biomarkers such as iron and melanin. In this talk, I will first present our work on the development of neuromelanin imaging and applying it, in conjunction with iron imaging and diffusion tensor imaging, to the diagnosis and assessment of Parkinson’s disease. Our data demonstrate that both neuromelanin and iron imaging could provide potential biomarkers for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease. Second, I will describe our more recent endeavor in imaging the integrity and structural connectivity of locus coeruleus and investigation of their relevance to aging and cognition. I will demonstrate that MR imaging of locus coeruleus could provide highly relevant measure in studying aging.
Biography: Xiaoping Hu obtained his Ph.D. in medical physics in 1988 from the University of Chicago. From 1990 to 2002, he was a faculty member at the University of Minnesota where he became a full professor in 1998. In 2002-2016, he was Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Imaging in the Wallace H. Coulter joint department of biomedical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. In July 2016, Dr. Hu joined UC Riverside as professor and chair of bioengineering and director of the center for advanced neuroimaging. Dr. Hu has worked on the development and biomedical application of magnetic resonance imaging, with an emphasis on the brain, for almost 4 decades. He has authored or co-authored 325 peer-reviewed journal articles, with a total of 33,000+ citations and an h-index of 101. He is currently on the editorial board of Brain Connectivity and is an associate editor of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. He is a fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, a fellow of IEEE, a fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, a fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and a fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineers. He was named Reza Abbaschian Chair in July, 2023 and promoted to distinguished professor in July, 2024.
Host: Qifa Zhou
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 109
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. -
Deans Transformative Lecture Series
Mon, Apr 07, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Ph.D., Malcolm Gillis University Professor Director, Rice 360 Institute for Global Health Department of Bioengineering at Rice University
Talk Title: Point-of-Care Tools to Improve Global Cancer Care
Biography: Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Ph.D.is the Rice University Malcolm Gillis University Professor of Bioengineeringand co-Director of Rice 360 Institute for Global Health. Her research has been instrumental in improving earlydetection of cancers and in developing and scaling affordable technologies to improve newborn and maternalhealth, especially in low-resource settings. She is a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship and a member of theUS National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Inventors,the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. She received her Ph.D. inMedical Physics from MIT and her BS in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Nebraska.
Host: Keck School of Medicine- USC
Location: Aresty Auditorium -Norris Cancer Center
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 - Seminar series
Fri, Apr 11, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Dr. Morgan Huse, Ph.D., Member, Immunology Program at MSKCC
Talk Title: âÂÂMechanoregulation of Anti-tumor ImmunityâÂÂ
Abstract: The Huse lab studies the structure and function of dynamic immune cell-cell interactions. We are particularly interested in the immunological synapses formed between cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and the transformed or infected target cells they aim to destroy. In recent years, CTL-mediated killing has emerged as a central component of several promising anti-cancer immunotherapies. Hence, a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling this process could provide avenues for enhancing the potency and specificity of CTLs in clinical contexts. Using a combination of synthetic chemistry, materials science, single cell biophysical assays, and fluorescence video-microscopy, we have 1) identified critical signaling pathways required to establish the cytoskeletal architecture of the synapse, and 2) established a novel role for mechanical force in controlling the potency and specificity of killing responses. These results have spawned a more holistic understanding of how physical and chemical processes synergize to facilitate intercellular communication in the immune system.
Biography: Dr. Huse grew up in East Asia before completing high school in Los Angeles. After graduating from Harvard University with a degree in Biochemical Sciences, he carried out doctoral work at the Rockefeller University in the labs of John Kuriyan and Tom Muir. His Ph.D. thesis focused on the phosphoregulation of the TGFβ receptor. Dr. Huse then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Mark Davis’ lab at Stanford University, where he studied signal transduction and polarized effector responses in T cells. He took a position in the MSKCC Immunology Program in 2007. Since then, his lab has investigated the dynamic architecture of immune cell-cell interactions. He has studied key signaling pathways required for the elaboration of specific interfacial structures and the importance of mechanical force as an avenue for communication between immune cells and their targets. His talk today will describe recent studies from his lab aimed at understanding the mechanoregulation of immune effector responses.
Host: Peter Yingxiao Wang- Chair of Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 109
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 - Seminar series
Thu, Apr 17, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Ashutosh Chilkoti,Ph.D., Alan L. Kaganov Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science and Chemistry, Senior Associate Dean at Pratt School of Engineering and Professor for the Department of Biomedical Engineering Duke University, Durham, USA
Talk Title: Molecular Engineering of Biointerfaces and Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
Abstract: I will describe two disparate projects in this talk that illustrate the diversity of ongoing workin my laboratory. In the first half, I will describe a point-of-care diagnostic—the D4 assay—that we have developed, in which all reagents are printed and stored on a “non-fouling”—protein and cell resistant—polymer brush. The D4 assay has no moving parts, does notrequire a cold-chain, and works from a single drop of blood with minimal user intervention,and measures the concentration of multiple analytes with a sub-picomolar limit of detection.In the second half, I will introduce synthetic intrinsically disordered proteins (SynIDPs) thatare genetically encoded polymers of short peptide repeats that exhibit upper criticalsolution temperature (UCST) or lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behavior,like many naturally occurring IDPs. Because of their simplicity, the phase behavior ofSynIDPs can be rationally tuned at the molecular level by control of their sequence,composition, and chain length. I will describe how SynIDPs can be used to develop simplebut powerful tools for biotechnology and for the design of synthetic biomolecularcondensates in live cells to control diverse cellular functions
Biography: I will describe two disparate projects in this talk that illustrate the diversity of ongoing workin my laboratory. In the first half, I will describe a point-of-care diagnostic—the D4 assay—that we have developed, in which all reagents are printed and stored on a “non-fouling”—protein and cell resistant—polymer brush. The D4 assay has no moving parts, does notrequire a cold-chain, and works from a single drop of blood with minimal user intervention,and measures the concentration of multiple analytes with a sub-picomolar limit of detection.In the second half, I will introduce synthetic intrinsically disordered proteins (SynIDPs) thatare genetically encoded polymers of short peptide repeats that exhibit upper criticalsolution temperature (UCST) or lower critical solution temperature (LCST) phase behavior,like many naturally occurring IDPs. Because of their simplicity, the phase behavior ofSynIDPs can be rationally tuned at the molecular level by control of their sequence,composition, and chain length. I will describe how SynIDPs can be used to develop simplebut powerful tools for biotechnology and for the design of synthetic biomolecularcondensates in live cells to control diverse cellular functions.
Host: Eunji Chung
Location: Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience (MCB) - Room 101
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 - Seminar series
Fri, Apr 18, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Wei Gao, Ph.D., Professor of Medical Engineering, Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar, and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator at the California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Body-Interfaced Electrochemical Biosensors
Abstract: The rise of personalized medicine is reshaping traditional healthcare, enabling predictive analytics and tailored treatment strategies. In this talk, I will discuss our progress in developing wearable, implantable, and ingestible electrochemical biosensors for real-time molecular analysis. These bioelectronic systems autonomously access and sample diverse body fluids—including sweat, interstitial fluid, gastrointestinal fluid, wound exudate, and exhaled breath condensate—enabling continuous monitoring of key biomarkers such as metabolites, nutrients, hormones, proteins, and drugs during various activities. To facilitate scalable, cost-effective manufacturing of these high-performance, nanomaterial-based sensors, we employ laser engraving, inkjet printing, and 3D printing techniques. The clinical utility of our biosensors is being evaluated in human and animal studies, focusing on applications such as stress and mental health assessment, precision nutrition, chronic disease management, and personalized drug monitoring. Additionally, I will highlight our efforts in energy harvesting from both the body and the environment, opening the door to battery-free, wireless biosensing technologies. By integrating electrochemical biosensing with advanced bioelectronics, we aim to revolutionize personalized healthcare, offering new possibilities for diagnostics, continuous monitoring, and therapeutic interventions.
Biography: Wei Gao is a Professor of Medical Engineering, Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar, and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator at the California Institute of Technology. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego in 2014, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley from 2014 to 2017. He is serving as an Associate Editor for Science Advances, npj Flexible Electronics, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, and Sensors & Diagnostics. His achievements have garnered a number of awards and honors, such as NSF Career Award, ONR Young Investigator Award, IAMBE Early Career Award, Sloan Research Fellowship, Pittcon Achievement Award, IEEE EMBS Early Career Achievement Award, IEEE Sensor Council Technical Achievement Award, Falling Walls Breakthrough of the Year 2023 in Engineering and Technology, Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists Finalist, MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35, ACS DIC Young Investigator Award, and Materials Today Rising Star Award. He is also recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist, a Highly Cited Researcher (Web of Science), and is a member of the Global Young Academy. He is an elected fellow for AIMBE. His research interests encompass a wide range of areas including wearable sensors, bioelectronics, flexible electronics, and micro/nanorobotics.For additional information about Gao’s research, please visit www.gao.caltech.edu
Host: Qifa Zhou/ Maral Mousavi
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 109
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 - Seminar series
Fri, Apr 25, 2025 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Gen-Sheng Feng, PHD., Professor Department of Pathology, School of Medicine Department of Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of California, San Diego
Talk Title: Mechanistic dissection and immunotherapy of liver cancer
Abstract: I will describe our research program that aims at elucidating the paradoxical anti-oncogenic effects of classical oncoproteins in hepatocellular cancer, which was initiated by the discovery of an SH2-containing tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 (originally called Syp) while a postdoc with the late Tony Pawson. In particular, I will discuss most recent data that unveil how Shp2 promotes signaling through the RTK-Ras-Erk pathway. This work has led to the most recent discovery of a new type of vesicle, intercellsome, in cell-cell communication to offset intracellular proliferative signal deficit. I will also discuss mechanisms of liver cancer initiation and progression driven by the dynamic interactions between tumor cells and the microenvironment. By deciphering multi-faceted roles of the immune ecosystem, we aim to develop new strategies for combinatorial liver cancer immunotherapy through coordinated activation of innate and adaptive immune cells.
Biography: Gen-Sheng Feng is Professor of Pathology and Molecular Biology at the University of California, San Diego. He has been approved for promotion to Distinguished Professor at UCSD (effective on July 1, 2025). Dr. Feng got BSc degree in Biology from Hangzhou University, and PhD degree from Indiana University Bloomington. He received postdoctoral training at the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Feng has published 193 peer-reviewed research papers, reviews and book chapters. Dr. Feng has served on the editorial boards of MCB, JBC, Hepatology, and J Hepatology. He is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Feng was the President for the Association of Chinese Americans in Cancer Research (ACACR, 2022-2024) and the President-elect for the Society of Chinese Bio scientists in America (SCBA).
Host: Peter Yingxiao Wang- Chair of Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Location: Ronald Tutor Hall of Engineering (RTH) - 109
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.
