On May 9, 2013 at the Friday Center NC TraCS Institute’s Carolina KickStart, Innovate@Carolina, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Office of Technology Development, and RENCI presented the 2013 Emerging Company Showcase. The Emerging Company Showcase highlights early-stage companies spinning out of UNC. Showcased companies present short pitches about their big idea. Novocor, one of the seven companies presenting in the Scientific track, is a spinout company from the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering’s undergraduate and Medtech design courses. The faculty leader for these courses, and Novocor principal, is BME assistant professor Dr. Andrew DiMeo.

BME core faculty member, Dr. Zhen Gu, has been awarded a NC State Faculty Research and Professional Development (FRPD) grant. This project was titled “Development of Intelligent Insulin Delivery Devices Integrated with Glucose-Responsive Nanocomposites.” The goal of this award is to support Dr. Gu’s professional development and to leverage additional support from external funding agencies. The project will start on July 1, 2013 and will run for twelve months. The Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering congratulates Zhen for achieving this early professional accomplishment!

In recent months seven biomedical engineering senior design students traveled to Africa and South America in order to apply their BME work in the settings intended. Three students traveled to Ethiopia to study oxygen delivery systems in the field. These seniors were Galen Graham, Andrew Miller, and Yohanes Haile. This team’s work was entered into the Rice 360 competition, held the first week in April 2013, and they placed into the final competition. Three students traveled to Guatemala to study locally made rehabilitation equipment. These BME seniors were Amber Johnson, Eyob Eyualem, and Stephanie Summe. This team then sent a fourth student (Amy Hofmann) back to the same region in Guatemala to follow up on their original field research. This follow-up was part of an Alternative Service Break (ASB) trip, a program sponsored by NC State’s Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service (CSLEPS). CLEPS was a major help in getting BME’s field research program off the ground last year; and this year the senior designers mostly planned on their own trips based on relationships built by CSLEPS.

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Two of BME's North Carolina State based Undergraduate Seniors, Leigh Atchison and John Miller, were awarded 2013 Graduate Research Fellowships by the National Science Foundation. Leigh and John won these Fellowships by achieving in the face of serious competition as NSF received over 13,000 submitted applications for the 2013 competition, and made just 2,000 award offers. Fellow Biomedical Engineering Senior, Eric Whitmire, was recently named a 2013 Goldwater Scholar. The purpose of the sponsoring Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields. Eric’s career goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and conduct research in bioelectricity and biomedical devices. BME wishes Leigh, John, and Eric well as they use their Fellowships to launch their graduate research careers.

Dr. Elizabeth Loboa, core faculty in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, and her and her Cell Mechanics Laboratory team were pictured on the front page and featured prominently in the March 8, 2013 Triangle Business Journal article titled “In local university labs, ‘cooper-etition’ reigns.” The article explores how world-class research universities and their laboratories, while competitive, are much more collaborative in their shared goal to advance public wellbeing. To see the article by Jason deBruyn follow this link: http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/print-edition/2013/03/08/in-local-university-labs.html?page=all

BME Ph.D. student and 2012-13 NC Space Grant Graduate Research Fellow, Angelica de Rosa, presented her research on “Space Exploration Induced Bone Loss: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms” on Friday, March 1, 2013 at the National Space Grant Directors' Meeting. BME core faculty member Dr. Ted Bateman mentors Angelica and her work is in the area of gravitational and space biology. The objective of the NC Space Grant Graduate Research Fellowship is to encourage talented individuals to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields that support NASA’s mission. Angelica’s talk was webcast live via NASA's DLiNfo Channel (http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/dln/webcast/webcast.html).

Research by BME graduate student Jason Streeter (first author) and core faculty Paul Dayton, published in January in the journal Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment, was featured prominently in the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center News last month. The Dayton Group's article reports on preclinical studies that show the potential of ultrasonic molecular imaging (USMI) and Dynamic Contrast Enhanced-Perfusion Imaging (DCE-PI) to detect response to cancer therapy earlier. The link to the full UNC Cancer Center News Story is: http://www.unclineberger.org/news/preclinical-study-study-shows-potential-of-new-technologies-

Dr. Elizabeth Loboa, core faculty in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, and her research in adipose-derived stem cell based tissue engineering were featured prominently in the February 13, 2013 broadcast of “Radio In Vivo: Your Link to the Triangle Science Community” by WCOM-FM Carrboro, NC. Dr. Loboa was interviewed for one hour by the show’s producer and host Ernie Hood who titled this episode “Bone and Cartilage from Fat-derived Stem Cells.” This unique long-form interview show devoted to reporting on cutting-edge scientific research covered the broad spectrum of Dr. Loboa’s expertise, ranging from: tissue engineering with human mesenchymal stem cells and human adipose (fat)-derived adult stem cells to produce robust bone and cartilage; “smart” bandages; and meeting the challenges faced by women in science and engineering. You can hear the complete interview at this link: http://www.ibiblio.org/wcom/podcast/mp3s/mp3s/RIV02132013.mp3

NCSU recently featured a profile of BME Ph.D. candidate Vindhya Kunduru and her entrepreneurship work on create a business around a new Salmonella vaccine. Through an entrepreneurship course offered at NCSU, Vindhya became interested in forming a company with the developers of the vaccine to market it to poultry companies. Their efforts have led to the formation of Enteric Vaccine Solutions, launched in 2012. Vindhya also plans to graduate from BME in 2013 after completing her research in Dr. Glenn Walker's lab. Learn more by reading Vindhya's NCSU profile, Unexpected Entrepreneur.

Dr. Elizabeth Loboa, core faculty in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, and her “Smart Bandage” nonwovens technology are featured prominently in the February 8, 2013 Triangle Business Journal article titled “Patent responses getting to inventors faster than in past.” The article explains why 2012 patents, such as Loboa’s bandage that emits medication to prevent infection and inflammation, were issued in greater numbers and 6-12 months quicker than 2011 patents. To see the full article by Chris Bagley follow this link: http://digital.bizjournals.com/launch.aspx?eid=2a4264d1-6107-4389-bc01-c2575c2b0613&pnum=4

In Honor of the 10^th anniversary since the formation of the UNC-Chapel Hill / North Carolina State University Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, UNC’s “The Daily Tar Heel” chronicles the history and highlights of the BME Joint Department’s first decade. To see the full article by Ellen Black follow this link: http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/02/biomedical-engineering-program-growing-rapidly

On February 14, 2013 Dr. Anne Marion Taylor, an assistant professor in the UNC/NCSU Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, received a prestigious Valentine from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Specifically, Dr. Taylor was informed she was one of the recipients of the Sloan Foundation’s two-year research fellowships aimed at encouraging promising young scholars.

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In January 2013 BME doctoral candidate Ryan Gessner was notified by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Graduate School that he would receive this year’s single Distinguished Dissertation Award in Mathematics, Physical Sciences & Engineering. The Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes the scholarly contributions of UNC Chapel Hill doctoral students in their dissertation projects. The award highlights original and innovative work. Four students receive this award each year; one in each of four subject areas: Mathematics, Physical Sciences & Engineering; Biological & Life Sciences; Social Sciences; and Humanities & Fine Arts. Awardees receive an honorarium and are recognized at the Annual Graduate Student Recognition Celebration. In addition, the Graduate School Dean may nominate two awardees for the national CGS/UMI Distinguished Dissertation Award. Congratulations to Ryan for achieving this well deserved recognition.

In December 2012 BME doctoral candidate Ryan Gessner was notified by UNC’s Dr. Joseph Pagano that he was one of only three recipients of this year’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Graduate Fellow Award in Basic Sciences. These awards recognize outstanding graduate students in the research programs of Members of the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Members propose students in any of the basic research disciplines with a minimum of one published paper. Award selection is based on academic record, quality of the research plan, and supporting letters. Recognition of awardees’ basic science research is intended to encourage research excellence, promote recruitment of high quality students, and stimulate cancer-related research. Congratulations to Ryan for achieving this well deserved recognition.

NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson announced on November 16, 2012 that BME core faculty member, Dr. Elizabeth Loboa, was among the 24 members of the very first class of University Faculty Scholars. This program, created by Chancellor Woodson in March 2012, is a recognition and reward program for top NC State early- and mid-career faculty. It is part of the NC State’s strategic initiative to invest in and retain top faculty.

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Dr. Ted Bateman and his research team will be at the Kennedy Space Center for the last space shuttle launch of the NASA program as Atlantis departs for its final mission into the Earth’s orbit. Not only is this a milestone in the history of space exploration, but also for Dr. Bateman who has been involved as an investigator in numerous spaceflight studies. Once again he and his team have another research project manifested on this the final mission of STS-135. In addition to the human crew of this historic flight, Atlantis will be host to thirty of its smallest passengers; mice that might help humans one day travel far beyond the moon. These mice are the integral part of Dr. Bateman’s joint North Carolina State / University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Biomedical Engineering research on bone and muscle health in micro-gravity.

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