1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building

Mechanobiology of Cancer Invasion and Metastasis Mediated by 3D Extracellular Matrix Ian Wong, PhDAssociate ProfessorSchool of EngineeringPathology and Laboratory MedicineBrown University Abstract:Invasion and metastasis are a hallmark of cancer and governed by mechanical interactions with the extracellular matrix. Indeed, there exists a dynamic reciprocity where by cell migration is shaped by matrix architecture, but the...

Building Human Microvasculature for Regeneration and Disease Modeling Ying Zheng, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of MedicineStanford University Abstract:Microvasculature helps define the tissue microenvironment. These vessels are highly heterogeneous in size and geometry, spanning three orders of magnitude in diameter, and their dysfunction is a systemic hallmark of many diseases. Yet studying them remains difficult because they are...

Preclinical nuclear medicine and magnetic resonance imaging for theranostic radiopharmaceutical development Paul Ellison, PhDAssistant Professor, Medical PhysicsSchool of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Abstract:The development of radiopharmaceuticals for use in nuclear medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of disease is a highly interdisciplinary field that integrates elements of engineering, materials science, physics, chemistry, and...

Expanding the optical bag of tricks for (neuro)biology Fabian Voigt, PhDPostdoctoral Researcher & Branco Weiss Fellow (2024-2029)Biolabs 2072Engert LaboratoryHarvard University Abstract:Seeing is believing and thus, optical imaging techniques are extremely useful to study brain structure and function. I will present several projects aimed at providing the neuroscience community with better imaging instrumentation: These range from...

Bench-to-Bedside Engineering of Precision Immunotherapy Paradigms with Focused Ultrasound Natasha Sheybani, PhDAssistant Professor of Biomedical EngineeringResearch Director at UVA Focused UltrasoundImmuno-Oncology (FUSION) CenterUniversity of Virginia Abstract:Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but significant limitations remain across solid tumor indications. This talk will highlight advances in the use of image-guided focused ultrasound (FUS) as a non-invasive, multi-pronged...

How Serious Fun (and Mild Panic) Led Me from Academia to Venture Innovation Christopher Konop, PhDInnovation and Commercialization SpecialistIsthmus ProjectUW Health Abstract:Most scientific careers don’t follow a straight line—and mine certainly didn’t. I’ve moved from academia to startups, consulting, and eventually venture innovation. I’ll share a few brief stories from building WiSolve, stepping into life‑science...

From Development to Repair: Using Skeletal Development Principles to Advance Stem Cell-Mediated Cartilage Regeneration Wan-Ju Li, PhD, FIORAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Orthopedics and RehabilitationUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Abstract:Why does cartilage regeneration still fall short despite major progress in stem cell engineering? In this seminar, I will argue that one important reason is that cartilage repair strategies are...

Revolutionizing Immunotherapy: Bioengineered Immune Organs and Nanoscale Technologies Ankur Singh, PhDCarl Ring Family ProfessorGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical EngineeringWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory MedicineDirector, Center for Immunoengineering at Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of Technology Abstract:The human immune system is a complex and vital defense network, yet its dysfunction...

From Cellular Networks to Therapeutic Predictions: A Data-Driven Approach to Precision Medicine Shawn M. Gomez, EngScDProfessor and Associate Chair for ResearchCo-Executive Director, FastTaCS, NC TraCS InstituteLampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University Abstract:Precision medicine aims to tailor prevention, diagnosis, and therapy to individual patients' biological states. We pursue this...