1003 (Tong Auditorium) Engineering Centers Building

Molecular to Systemic Engineering of Immune Cells for Robust Immunotherapy Hua Wang, PhDAssociate ProfessorDepartment of Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Abstract:Immunotherapy has achieved significant clinical progress for the treatment of cancer and other diseases over the past decade, but challenges, including low patient responses, off-target side effects, and poor efficacy against solid...

Molecular Imaging of the Tumor Microenvironment Marty Pagel, PhDProfessorDepartment of Medical PhysicsDepartment of RadiologyUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Abstract:Tumor acidosis, hypoxia, and vascular perfusion are well-known characteristics of the tumor microenvironment. We have developed MRI, MR Fingerprinting, PET/MRI, electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI), and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) to quantitatively measure extracellular pH, oxygenation, and pharmacokinetic transport rates...

Electrical Manipulation of Biological Cells: Models and Applications Allen Garner, PhD, PEProfessor, Graduate Program ChairSchool of Nuclear EngineeringPurdue University Electric waveforms, including electric pulses (EPs) and alternating current (AC) fields, such as radiofrequency and high-power microwaves, can induce deleterious or beneficial effects that require additional characterization. We combine thermal models with the Smoluchowski equation to...

Biomechanics of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms Jessica Wagenseil, DScProfessor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials ScienceVice Dean for Faculty AdvancementMcKelvey School of EngineeringWashington University Abstract:Thoracic aortic aneurysms are a dilation of the aortic wall that can be asymptomatic for many years until they dissect or rupture. Dissection or rupture is associated with a high mortality rate. Surgical replacement...

Analyzing Brain-Wide Function Using New Molecular Imaging Tools Alan Jasanoff, PhDProfessor of Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive SciencesMassachusetts Institute of Technology Abstract:Behavior and cognition depend on the integrated action of neural structures and populations distributed throughout the brain. Deciphering mechanisms by which this takes this place is both a tremendous scientific problem and a...

Nanotransfection-driven gene and cell therapies Daniel Gallego-Perez, PhDEdgar C. Hendrickson Chair in Biomedical EngineeringProfessor, Surgery GeneralThe Ohio State University Abstract:Gene and engineered cell therapies hold transformative potential for treating a wide range of conditions. However, current approaches face significant practical and translational challenges, including a heavy reliance on viral vectors and high variability, which often...

The Death and Re-Birth of the Intervertebral Disc Cell Lori A. Setton, PhDLopata Distinguished Professor and Chair of Biomedical EngineeringMcKelvey School of Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis Corrine Bahr Memorial Lecture Abstract:Intervertebral disc disorders are among the greatest contributors to pain and disability annually, such that low back pain and neck pain are ranked...

Mapping cellular responses to perturbations with dynamic computational imaging and AI Shalin Mehta, PhDPlatform LeaderComputational MicroscopyChan Zuckerberg Biohub co-sponsors: Morgridge Institute for Research and the Center for Quantitative Cellular Imaging Abstract:Discovery of biological mechanisms, drugs, and therapeutics is being accelerated by image-based profiling of cellular responses to perturbations. In this seminar, I will discuss our...

Artificial intelligence for state-of-the-art gene therapy Jacob Witten, PhDPostdoctoral FellowAnderson LabMassachusetts Institute of Technology Abstract:Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for RNA delivery have exploded onto the biomedical research scene with the success of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19. In addition to their promise as mRNA vaccines for infectious disease and cancer, LNPs have the potential to treat or...

Metabolic Adaptations of Drug-Tolerant Persister Cells Mehmet A Orman, PhDAssociate ProfessorChemical and Biomolecular Engineering DepartmentUniversity of Houston Abstract:My research focuses on understanding drug-tolerant phenotypes, particularly persister cells, in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. Persister cells are temporarily tolerant to drugs and contribute significantly to disease recurrence. We investigate their molecular makeup, including metabolite profiles, RNA...