UW Bioengineering eNews | March 2021
Recent news highlights for UW BioE alumni and friends.
Delayed action gene switch controls when stem cells become T cells
Research led by Hao Yuan Kueh's lab demystifies molecular timer.
Ph.D. student wins $150K DoD grant for brain cancer research
Meilyn Sylvestre studies glioblastoma drugs, transport across the blood-brain barrier.
New approach builds capillaries in full 3D complexity
Researchers created a structure mimicking the glomerulus, a kidney component.
NSF Graduate Research Fellows tackle cancer therapies, drug delivery, artificial organs
Clinton Heinze, Trey Pichon, Olivia Prado are 2020 NSF Fellows.
Undergraduates win Best Idea prize at Health Innovation Challenge
Device improves disease testing along with health access and disparities.
Six BioE teams to compete in 2021 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge
Six BioE-related teams are among 21 regional finalists.
Dan Ratner, Kim Woodrow Elected to AIMBE
Honor represents top two percent of medical and biological engineers.
Smartphone can show bacteria, plaque
System could help low-resource communities monitor tooth and skin health.
Fighting racial inequity by funding Black scientists
UW Bioengineering's Kelly Stevens and Univ. of Michigan's Omolola Eniola-Adefesa lead a national network of biomedical engineers calling to end funding discrimination against Black scientists.
New sensors quickly spot coronavirus proteins, antibodies
When mixed with fluid from a nasal swab or blood sample, these protein sensors emit light within minutes. BioE graduate student Alfredo Quijano-Rubio co-led the work at the Institute for Protein Design.
KING 5-TV News coverage of the Cell paper
A network of researchers are calling for an end in discrimination in funding black scientists. That's the central focus of a new report released today. The lead author is from the University of Washington. Aired on January 26, 2021 at 6:50 PM on KING-TV (Seattle, WA).
Patterned platforms for tissue engineering
A new approach uses lasers and molecular tethers to pattern 3D cell fate in natural scaffolds for tissue engineering.
Ho named to National Academy of Inventors
Rodney JY Ho, UW professor in pharmaceutics and adjunct professor in bioengineering, has been elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
Student invention to better diagnose tuberculosis wins NIH prize
A team of UW bioengineering and mechanical engineering undergraduates won second place overall – and took home a $15,000 prize – at the National Institutes of Health’s 9th annual Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) challenge.
Blood vessel twists-and-turns cause cell changes
New 3D model reveals that curvature gives rise to a range of vascular shapes and [...]
Kelly Stevens uses heat to control 3D organ-like tissues
UW Bioengineering's Kelly Stevens Lab and researchers at Rice University created radiatorlike systems to remotely control the positioning and timing of cell functions to build 3-dimensional, artificial, living tissues.
Buddy Ratner wins Bioelastomer Award
Biomaterials expert Buddy Ratner, joint professor in UW Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering, will receive the 2021 Bioelastomer Award
Buddy Ratner, dialysis team win prize for synthetic graft
UW bioengineer Buddy Ratner and his collaborators at Seattle’s Center for Dialysis Innovation (CDI) captured one of six prizes in a national contest to develop new solutions for dialysis care.
2019/2020 Bioengineering Industry-Sponsored Student Capstone Projects
Stryker, the medical technology company, sponsored two UW Bioengineering capstone projects in the 2019-20 academic year. Read about both projects on the College of Engineering industry page.
UW Bioengineering eNews | COVID-19 Special Issue 2020
One-third of University of Washington Bioengineering faculty quickly pivoted and are adapting their research to addressing needs created by the coronavirus pandemic.
UW Bioengineers pivot to develop coronavirus solutions
A number of UW Bioengineering faculty members quickly pivoted and are adapting their research to addressing the needs created by the coronavirus pandemic. From developing rapid at-home tests and protective masks to vaccines and treatments, here is a sampling of some of the ways UW BioE faculty, staff and students are stepping up to help.
Bioengineering Students Developing Platform to Assess Public Understanding of COVID-19
A group of UW Bioengineering undergraduates came together this spring to develop a way to promote public understanding of the COVID-19 crisis. Through two design challenge competitions and the aid of mentors, they have refined their idea and are developing a platform that aims to capture how well the public understands the disease and identify gaps in knowledge.
How Credible are the COVID-19 Models? Center Aims to Find Out
The multi-institution Center for Reproducible Biomedical Modeling, led by UW Bioengineering Professor Herbert Sauro, is partnering with top U.S. government agencies to determine how credible several commonly used COVID-19 models are.
UW Bioengineering eNews | Spring/Summer 2020
In an unprecedented year, UW Bioengineering celebrates achievements in research, education and outreach. Our department is known for our culture of openness and collaboration. Let’s continue to build on that to create a more equitable, inclusive and compassionate community together.
Arogya wins Prizes at UW Dempsey Startup Competition, Environmental Innovation Challenge
A team of UW bioengineering and psychology undergraduates have created an electricity-free clothes washer and dryer that captured the attention of judges and two prizes totaling $9,000 at several design challenge competitions this spring.
Favour Orji Receives Gilman Scholarship
Favour Orji, a UW senior working on a dual degree in bioengineering and sociology, has received the highly competitive Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad.
UW Bioengineers Use Cholesterol Tag to Ease Proteins into Cells
Xiaohu Gao, professor of bioengineering, and his lab have developed a new, cholesterol-based tag system to bring imaging and disease-treating proteins directly into a live cell, bypassing the cell’s defenses. They reported their finding June 19 in Science Advances.
A-Alpha Bio Wins $620K NSF Grant; Builds on $2.8 Million in Seed Funding
A-Alpha Bio, a startup co-founded and led by UW Bioengineering alumni David Younger (Ph.D. ’17), and Randolph Lopez (Ph.D. ’18, received a $620,472 grant from the National Science Foundation to continue developing their AlphaSeq platform for the discovery of molecular glues.
Bioengineering alumna Jane Grande-Allen receives 2020 UW Diamond Award
UW Bioengineering alumna Jane Grande-Allen (Ph.D. ’98) has received the UW College of Engineering’s 2020 Diamond Award for Distinguished Achievement in Academia.
Bioengineering students finish in top 3 in Microsoft Imagine Cup
Two bioengineering students were part of a team that finished in the top three of Microsoft’s 2020 Imagine Cup, a global technology competition for student developers.
New Weill Neurohub Launches First Projects; UW Bioengineering Faculty Among Project Leaders
Two UW Bioengineering faculty, Amy Orsborn and Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad, are project leaders on one of the new Weill Neurohub's five foundational projects announced in March.
Meeting the need for COVID-19 test kits: pivoting from Seattle Flu Study and developing new rapid tests
Barry Lutz, associate professor, and his lab are working on multiple fronts to support the need for coronavirus testing. Within days, his team shifted from helping with the Seattle Flu Study to COVID-19, and his lab began developing community and at-home tests.
2020 UW Department of Bioengineering Graduation Celebration.
2020 UW Department of Bioengineering Graduation Celebration. The UW Department of Bioengineering celebrates the graduates [...]
Paul Yager developing rapid COVID-19 tests for the home and clinic
The Paul Yager Lab at UW Bioengineering is applying its rapid, low-cost testing technology, called UbiNAAT, to COVID-19 tests, which could be used by untrained people in their homes as well as in health care facilities and low-resource settings around the world.
Patrick Boyle Leads Artificial Intelligence Effort to Predict Risk of Heart Complications from COVID-19
UW Bioengineering Assistant Professor Patrick Boyle and his collaborators in UW cardiology and epidemiology are developing a way to use artificial intelligence to help frontline health care workers predict which COVID-19 patients are at highest risk for heart complications from the illness.
Three UW Bioengineering students receive 2020 Fulbright awards
UW Bioengineering undergraduates Sarah Slack and Vidhi Singh, and Ph.D. student Hannah VanBenschoten, were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year.
Alyssa Taylor Honored with 2020 UW Distinguished Teaching Award
UW Bioengineering Senior Lecturer Alyssa Taylor has received a 2020 UW Distinguished Teaching Award, which recognizes UW faculty for outstanding dedication and innovations in teaching, mentoring and service to others.
Herbert Sauro, David Baker, Dayong Gao Elected to AIMBE
UW professors and bioengineering faculty Herbert Sauro, David Baker and Dayong Gao have been named fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Humans of BioE: Joaquin Batista
Joaquin Batista is a graduate student in the Masters of Applied Bioengineering (MAB) program [...]
UW Bioengineering’s Parker Ruth Named a 2020 Goldwater Scholar
UW Bioengineering senior Parker Ruth is one of three students from the University of Washington and among 396 nationwide to be named Goldwater Scholars for 2020.
Humans of BioE: Hannah Redden
Hannah Redden is a senior in the Department of Bioengineering and Department of Biochemistry, [...]
Seven Bioengineering Students in 2020 Husky 100
The UW recognized seven students from the Department of Bioengineering for the 2020 Husky 100, an honor awarded to extraordinary juniors, seniors and graduate students who are making meaningful contributions at the University of Washington and beyond. Undergraduates Anna Craig, Sofia Jepson, Amanda An Nguyen, Parker Ruth, Vidhi Singh and Eric Yang, and Ph.D. student Trey Pichon Students are among 100 students selected.
Students Recognize BioE Faculty with FACET Awards
Three UW Bioengineering core faculty members are being honored by the 2020 Faculty Appreciation for Career Education & Training (FACET) Awards program for positively impacting their students' career and professional development.
2020 BIOENGINEERING CAPSTONE SYMPOSIUM:
ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR LIFE AND HEALTH June 1, 2020 2:30 - 4:00 P.M. Please RSVP [...]
BioE Alumna’s Nanodropper Startup Gets Boost from Accelerator Program
Nanodropper, a company co-founded by UW Bioengineering alumna Mackenzie Andrews, MS ’19, has completed this year’s Jones + Foster Accelerator program and received $25,000 in seed funding.
Adjunct Faculty David Baker Elected to AIMBE
David Baker, professor in biochemistry and adjunct professor in bioengineering, has been elected as a [...]
BioE Alumna’s Nanodropper Startup Gets Boost from Accelerator Program
Nanodropper, a company co-founded by University of Washington Bioengineering alumna Mackenzie Andrews, MS ’19, has completed this year’s Jones + Foster Accelerator program and received $25,000 in seed funding.
Concentric wins Second Place Prize at 2020 Health Innovation Challenge
A team from UW Bioengineering took home the second place prize at the 2020 Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge (HIC) March 5 on the UW Seattle campus. Concentric, a team of students in the Master’s of Applied Bioengineering program, won for their low-cost, portable screening device for corneal disease.
UW Bioengineering Summer Camp Open to High School Students: Apply Now
The 2020 University of Washington Bioengineering Summer Camp, held July 6-10 in Seattle, features hands-on activities to explore careers in bioengineering. High school students, apply now!