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Two BME graduate students bring home scholarships from Innovate-A-Thon Prosthetics event

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:10:58 +0000

Two BME graduate students bring home scholarships from Innovate-A-Thon Prosthetics event Alexander Jame… Fri, 11/08/2024 - 16:10

Alexander Servantez

Two biomedical engineering graduate students were invited to participate in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

Master’s students Sahana Balaji and Sophia Ramsey represented the ��ƷSM��ӰƬ in the two-week hybrid event, sponsored by nonprofit organization Education2Success. They competed with and against students from Boise State University to design above-the-knee prosthetic solutions for citizens in Tanzania.

Balaji and her team took home the top prize: a $600 scholarship for each team member. She also said the competition was a great opportunity to showcase and develop her innovation prowess in front of a panel of industry professionals and entrepreneurs.

Sahana Balaji, BME master's student and member of the winning team in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

“My background is very computational, specifically on women’s health. I didn’t have the same experience with computer-aided design as the others in the competition, so I kept on questioning whether or not I’m cut out for this,” she said. “In the end, I learned a lot and I proved that my background can come in handy.”

According to Steven Szymeczek, director of the Innovate-A-Thon, the competition is judged on both the prosthetic technology and a business model that is creative and feasible. It also needs to be economically sustainable and relevant to Tanzanian culture.

Balaji’s group designed a flexible, ball-jointed prosthetic leg with a 135-degree range of motion. It grants Tanzanian users peak mobility to perform all cultural activities without any risks of wear-and-tear.

Their design also featured a simple approach, relying on interchangeable parts rather than cutting-edge technology. Balaji said this strategy allowed them to account for users who lack the resources and money to replace their prosthetic device or visit a clinic if things did go awry.

“We could have implemented electronics into our prosthetic,” Balaji said. “But do Tanzanian people have the budget, time or means to fix those parts if there were problems?

“Ultimately, we decided to implement locally sourced material. We used tools and parts that you could find in a hardware store, so that users can fix the device themselves and have time to visit the clinic within their own schedules for any other major issues.”

Sophia Ramsey, BME master's student and participant in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

The approach ended up putting them over the top, said Szymeczek. But the scoring was very close. Each team presented models so innovative and thoughtful that there was nearly a three-way tie for first place. Szymeczek said it was one of the most competitive iterations of the Innovate-A-Thon to date.

“Sometimes it varies between the best scores and the lowest scores,” he said. “These scores were very close, and it’s a testament to all the background and expertise they showed and learned during this program.”

Among the teams just short of first place was Sophia Ramsey’s. Although the BME MS student was unable to take home the top prize, her participation alone scored her a $500 scholarship. And just like Balaji, she said the experience and connection held the true value.

“The program really gives you a good snapshot of what it’s like to be an engineer in the field with tight deadlines and a team to collaborate with,” Ramsey said. “I’m also getting set up with some of the industry professionals who judged and advised this competition to explore some future career opportunities.”

This iteration of the Innovate-A-Thon was the first to feature students from ��ƷSM��ӰƬ. Szymeczek says their team will launch more competitions in the future, and they hope to see more students take advantage of this opportunity.

Two biomedical engineering master's students brought home scholarships for their exceptional prosthetic designs in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

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A sketch of the winning prosthetic design that earned BME graduate student Sahana Balaji and her team $600 scholarships at the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

New device could deliver bedside blood test results in an hour

Radhika Patel — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 16:19:03 +0000

New device could deliver bedside blood test results in an hour Radhika Patel Thu, 10/17/2024 - 10:19

Go to the doctor to provide a blood sample and you're typically faced with a needle and syringe and hours or even days of waiting to get results back from a lab. ��ƷSM��ӰƬ researchers in Dr. Wyatt Shields lab hope to change that with a new handheld, sound-based diagnostic system able to deliver precise results in an hour with a mere finger prick of blood.

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Biomedical engineering’s Career Symposium returns for its third year

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:10:17 +0000

Biomedical engineering’s Career Symposium returns for its third year Alexander Jame… Fri, 10/11/2024 - 14:10

Alexander Servantez

More than 160 ��ƷSM��ӰƬ students put on their best business attire on Monday for the third annual Biomedical Engineering Career Symposium. Their mission? Go toe-to-toe with the workforce.

The symposium, organized by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and run by students, provided an opportunity for students to connect and learn from various company representatives in the med-tech industry. It featured company information sessions, company tabling, product demonstrations, and one-on-one meetings with experienced industry professionals.

Fourteen companies and organizations, including CONMED, Medtronic and others, were in attendance to recruit some of Boulder’s finest aspiring biomedical engineers. In past years, students have received job and internship opportunities with the help of the symposium. At the very least, students walked away with valuable insight into the diverse career paths the industry has to offer.

This year’s iteration of the event looked a little different. Students were required to attend a ProReady workshop in order to register for the symposium. Designed by Engineering Career Services, the ProReady initiative supports student career development, and these workshops helped prepare students to speak to company representatives in a professional setting.

“Last year, we had companies telling us that students were struggling to interact with representatives,” said Vivian Shi, a third-year student and BMES Career Symposium Committee member. “This year, our biggest focus was changing that, and I think we did a good job."

A BME student chats with a company representative at the 2024 BME Career Symposium.

Many of the students in attendance echoed some of those same sentiments. BME senior Christian Moon, who has been to multiple career symposiums, saw first hand how the workshop and symposium has affected his comfortability and confidence.

“Being able to practice interviews is nice,” Moon said. “It can be awkward to talk to people and talk about yourself. But it’s good practice and useful when interacting with people who are actually in the industry.”

Putting together an event like this is no easy task. On top of their own individual coursework, the BMES Career Symposium Committee spent long, tireless nights bringing the ballroom to life for their fellow BME classmates.

Clare Keeler, BMES Career Symposium committee chair, recalled the extensive planning involved, including difficulties wrangling commitments from companies or finding the perfect room arrangement. However, seeing vibrant and life-changing relationships being built during the event made all their hard work worth it.

“Overall, it makes me very happy that I was able to provide this experience for other students. It was a really long process dating back to April. My goal was to expand the symposium, and it just feels amazing seeing it come to life,” Keeler said.

Some company representatives gave their praise for this year’s symposium, including CONMED representative and former ��ƷSM��ӰƬ alumna Mia Fox.

Fox co-founded the BME Career Symposium and was a part of the BME program’s first graduating class in 2023. She knows first hand just how difficult coordinating this event can be, and she was proud of the committee for building on the legacy her class started during her time on campus.

“The committee has done a good job taking feedback from both students and company representatives,” Fox said. “They ran with that and they did a really good job.

“This event is unique. It’s different. It’s run by students, for students. I hope everyone continues to see the importance in that going forward.”

More than 160 of ��ƷSM��ӰƬ's finest Biomedical Engineering students attended the third annual Career Symposium in search of post-college opportunities.

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Three male BME students talking to a male company representative at the 2024 BME Career Symposium.

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Three current BME students talking to a company representative at the 2024 BME Career Symposium.

Biomedical professor at intersection of teaching and entrepreneurship

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 16:45:00 +0000

Biomedical professor at intersection of teaching and entrepreneurship Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/30/2024 - 10:45

Aspero Medical CEO Mark Rentschler, BME Faculty member, slated for next week’s CU Showcase

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With Polaris Dawn’s launch, Colorado scientists will study vision changes in space

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:35:45 +0000

With Polaris Dawn’s launch, Colorado scientists will study vision changes in space Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/26/2024 - 10:35

��ƷSM��ӰƬ and Anschutz Medical Campus involvement in SpaceX's Polaris Dawn, multi-day high-altitude launch for health research regarding spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) includes BME researchers Drs. Allie Hayman and Torin Clark.

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BME Students Gain Engineering Experience Through SPUR Research Program

Radhika Patel — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:51:19 +0000

BME Students Gain Engineering Experience Through SPUR Research Program Radhika Patel Tue, 09/17/2024 - 11:51

This summer, several undergraduate students in the Biomedical Engineering program participated in the CU Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) conducting research in campus labs. The students, their projects, and their sponsoring labs can be found below.

Three students are conducting research in Dr. Wei Tan's lab, a BME faculty member. Bridget Antreasin is studying The Design and Fabrication of Novel Vascular Grafts; Anna Sallee studies the Thin coating of Metallic Vascular Stents; Meghan Stancliff is studying Modeling the Link Between Desing and Well-Being Outcomes of Campus Transport. Two students are conducting research in Dr. Wyatt Shield’s lab. Alisha Kumari studies Programming Active Particle Behavior by Depositing Precisely Shaped Metallic Surface Patches; Vivan Nguyen is studying the Design and Fabrication of Active Magnetic Particles with Unique Geometries. In Dr. Ortiz Peleg’s lab, undergraduate student Andrew Swanson studies Adaptations of Honeybees Swarm in Response to Environmental Perturbations. Sam Zanotti is studying Advanced Materials and Bioinspiration in Dr. Francois Barthelat’s lab. In Professor John Crimaldi and Dr. Aaron True’s lab, David Katilius studies the Fluid Dynamics of Olfaction. Madison Seckman is studying Graphene-Based Semipermeable Membrane Electrode (grME) Fabrication Parameters in Dr. John Pellegrino’s lab. In Dr. Sarah Calve’s lab, student Nathan Day studies Optogenetic Control of Tissue-Engineering Robotic Jellyfish Using Smooth Muscle. Student Cole Thomas is studying Droplet Motion through Microchannels in Dr. Robert Davis’s lab. In Dr. Michael Toney and Trisha Nickerson’s lab, student Matteo Campbell studies Alternative Sanitation Compost.

CU SPUR is open to all undergraduate students in the Engineering and Applied Sciences program. The program aims to engage students in research with college faculty and graduate students. CU SPUR is just one of the research programs available to students in the College, other programs include CU DLA and YOU’RE@CU. Participating in research allows students to gain hands-on learning and allows them to take what they have learned in the classroom and see how it is used in real-world applications. Students can benefit from networking opportunities and mentoring by joining a research team.

BME Students Share Their Experience

“In the Tan lab, my work focuses on the characterization of coaxial electrospun fibers as a vascular graft material. The goal of the project is to create a graft material that mimics the mechanical properties of the native blood vessels and acts as a scaffold to allow for tissue regeneration. This experience has allowed me to apply much of the knowledge gained from my coursework, and it has helped me gain insight into graduate school.” - Bridget Antreasin (pictured on the right)

“This summer I worked on quantifying thrombogenicity using human plasma. The procedure I am working on provides a facile, fast, high-throughput means to quantify the thrombogenicity of a vascular implant using the absorbance readings of separated plasma.” - Anna Sallee (pictured above on the left)

“Engagement with external sources, or stakeholders, outside of the design team (e.g. community members, field experts, people interacting with the product, etc.) is prevalent within engineering design, and my research aims to look into how designers interact with and represent these sources. Specifically, we’ve been looking into what conditions may make designers more or less likely to take stakeholders’ perspectives and the accuracy to which they represent stakeholder perspectives.

This opportunity has allowed me to meet some incredible people and mentors and has taught me so much about engineering design—a discipline of engineering I didn’t know existed until eight months ago. Doing design research has enabled me to seamlessly combine my interests in engineering, anthropology, psychology, and writing. Because of this research, I’ve been able to find a field of engineering that I’m extremely passionate about.” - Meghan Stancliff

“In this project I used two-photon lithography to print particles and metal deposition to deposit unique metallic surface patches on them. Our goal was to test the trajectory of particles in three systems: magnetics, catalysis, and electrokinetics. I really enjoyed working in the lab and learning how to utilize machines and software that I hadn't before.” - Alisha Kumari (pictured on the right)

“My project mainly focuses on the idea of magnetic microrobots. Spherical magnetic rollers have been well explored in the past, so we wanted to look at and design particles of unique and interesting geometries. Specifically, we wanted to study how these particles' behavior differs from spherical ones such as in their speed or in their trajectories. These differences could play a major role in how they can maneuver in biological systems.

SPUR has allowed me to have hands-on experience in a research lab as well as in clean-room fabrication. It has given me the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge, which has not only solidified those ideas, but has also allowed me to learn even more in these fields of study. I have grown to be a more confident student and a better learner. I have also been connected with other undergrads and graduate mentors in the lab that have given me valuable advice moving forward in my academic career.” - Vivian Nguyen (pictured left above)

"My research mostly consists of development of image processing algorithms in MATLAB to get meaningful information from our CT scans of honeybee swarms that we artificially create in our lab. I am also responsible for monitoring the X-ray machine while we gather data for our experiments and a little bit of beekeeping in our outdoor apiary. Getting a bit outside of the realm of biomedical engineering while still applying techniques I’ve learned in classes has been really interesting and fun! I attached a couple images of me taken over the summer.” - Andrew Swanson

“They look to combine theoretical mechanics, numerical modeling, optimization, experimental mechanics, 3D printing, and also a bit of biology. This led them to replicate the mechanics of fish fins through a simple laser-cut model. They hired me as a biomedical engineering student to explore how this can be applied in the medical field, specifically catheters. My job was to replicate the steerable tip of a catheter with our "fish fin" morphing material.” - Sam Zanotti

"Essentially, I was contracted to design a wind tunnel that would allow a couple hundred bees to be blown by wind speeds that are typically seen in nature. These bees would be forced into the standing position rather than flying so that researchers could understand more about their antenna (the part that smells) and how they respond to wind and odors within the wind.” - David Katilius

“PhD. students Caleb Song and Tom Disorbo mentored me on their project, from which I derived my summer project: Graphene Based Semipermeable Membrane Electrode (grME) Fabrication Parameters. GrMEs are composed of a thin polymer layer and an anisotropically conductive layer of graphene sheets. They are 25-mm in diameter, and it can take anywhere from 2-3 days to make one membrane. Eventually, the lab would like to put grMEs in a fuel cell that will be used to power prosthetics with blood flow, therefore removing the need for lithium-ion batteries."- Madison Seckman

“The overall goal of this research project is to deform a thin layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using primary human smooth muscle cells from the bladder. This will eventually be used to create a jellyfish-like construct that we can use to model biological pumps to study biotransport mechanisms and systems. A similar project to this was done by researchers in 2013 using rat cardiomyocytes and an electric field in lieu of pacemaker cells. We aim to create a similar construct using smooth muscle cells instead. Smooth muscle differs from cardiac muscle in the way it contracts and responds to stimuli.

Unlike the rapid, rhythmic contractions of cardiac muscle (often regulated by the pacemaker cells), smooth muscles exhibit slow, sustained contractions over a longer period of maintained tension. As we iterate, we will see how the different properties of smooth muscles will affect the design and function of our bioinspired construct. The objective is to create a swimming construct similar to a juvenile jellyfish using smooth muscle cells and work our way up to more complex biological models. Overall, this project can provide us with valuable information about physiological processes involving smooth muscle-driven transport including vasoconstriction, lymphatic circulation, peristalsis, and micturition. Furthermore, it will contribute to advances in biohybrid and bioinspired robotics.” - Nathan Day

“In this lab we studied the deformation of 8% Glycerol and PDMS droplets as they pass through various constrictions in a straight channel. The SPUR program was a great opportunity for me to decide whether or not to pursue research as a career.” - Cole Thomas

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BME receives ABET accreditation

Lisa Romero De Mendoza — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 14:38:40 +0000

BME receives ABET accreditation Lisa Romero De… Mon, 09/09/2024 - 08:38

The ��ƷSM��ӰƬ's Biomedical Engineering Bachelor of Science program is now accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The accreditation is retroactive to the first year of graduates (2023) and is based on the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering Programs.

ABET is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that accredits programs in engineering, computing, applied and natural science, and engineering technology. ABET accreditation assures confidence that a collegiate program has met standards essential to prepare graduates to enter critical STEM fields in the global workforce. Graduates from an ABET-accredited program have a solid educational foundation and can lead the way in innovation, emerging technologies, and in anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.

The ABET accreditation review process is an intensive team effort, and the process yields data and insights; that can be use it to deliver the best educational experience for students. More than 2,000 professionals from academia, industry and government carry out every aspect of ABET accreditation. They know their profession’s dynamic and emerging workforce needs and review academic programs to ensure they provide the technical and professional skills graduates need to succeed.
ABET accreditation tells your prospective students, peers and the professions you serve that your program:
Has received international recognition of its quality.
Promotes “best practices” in education.
Directly involves faculty and staff in self-assessment and continuous quality improvement processes.
Is based on “learning outcomes,” rather than “teaching inputs.”
Can more easily determine the acceptability of transfer credits.

The Biomedical Engineering Program wishes to thank the many people involved with this process, which include current faculty, staff and students; alumni; and the BME Industry Advisory Board. Special thanks go to BME faculty members, Drs. Jessica McLoughlin and Mark Borden for leading this effort and Vanessa Dunn, Director of Analytics, Assessment and Accreditation for the College of Engineering and Applied Science. We are grateful to all these folks for their contributions and time.

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A Band-Aid for the heart? New 3D printing method makes this, and much more, possible

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 19:30:15 +0000

A Band-Aid for the heart? New 3D printing method makes this, and much more, possible Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/02/2024 - 13:30

A ��ƷSM��ӰƬ-led team, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, has developed a new way to 3D print material that is at once elastic enough to withstand a heart’s persistent beating, tough enough to endure the crushing load placed on joints, and easily shapable to fit a patient’s unique defects.

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Congratulations Alaa Ahmed, new Associate Dean of Graduate Education

Anonymous — Sat, 18 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Congratulations Alaa Ahmed, new Associate Dean of Graduate Education Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 05/18/2024 - 00:00

Keith Molenaar, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, recently announced leadership updates that included Alaa Ahmed as the new associate dean of graduate education. Faculty members who have accepted new leadership roles in the college will start July 1.

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Celebrating the Bright Futures of the Biomedical Graduates

Anonymous — Thu, 16 May 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Celebrating the Bright Futures of the Biomedical Graduates Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/16/2024 - 00:00

Thursday, May 9, 2024 marked a momentous occasion, a culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and an unyielding quest for knowledge. It was a celebration of a graduating class, a cohort of bright minds ready to make a significant impact on the world of biomedical science.

The journey to this point has been anything but easy. With this class being only the second graduating class, the number of graduates has significantly expanded over the last year. Last year, the department had 15 graduates (14 Bachelors and 1 Masters), and this year, that number jumped to 73 graduates (3PhD, 10 Masters, and 60 Bachelors). From the foundational principles of biology to cutting-edge advancement in biotechnology and biomedical engineering, these students have demonstrated exceptional resilience and intellectual curiosity.

Throughout their time at ��ƷSM��ӰƬ, these students have been supported by an outstanding faculty, whose commitment to excellence in teaching and research has provided a strong foundation for their academic and professional growth. The collaborative environment fostered within the Biomedical Engineering Department has allowed students to engage in meaningful research projects, many of which have the potential to revolutionize healthcare.

Antoinette Gawin, President and CEO of the Terumo Corporation, was this year's keynote speaker. Ms. Gawin's remarkable journey and leadership in the medical technology industry served as an inspiration to all of the graduates. Her insights and experiences will undoubtedly provide invaluable guidance as the graduates embark on their own professional paths.

As the graduates step into the next chapter of their lives, they carry with them the spirit of innovation and a deep sense of purpose. The field of biomedical science is ever-evolving, and our graduates are well-equipped to tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Whether they pursue careers in research, clinical practice, industry, or further education, their contributions will undoubtedly shape the future of medicine and healthcare.

To the Class of 2024, we say congratulations! May your careers be filled with success, discovery, and fulfillment. The University of Colorado, Boulder is immensely proud of your achievement and eagerly anticipates the remarkable contributions you will make to the world! Congratulations, Biomedical Graduates of 2024, and a special thank you to Antoinette Gawin for joining us on this special day and inspiring the next generation of biomedical professionals!

To view and download the pictures from the Spring 2024 Commencement Ceremony, please visit this link.

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