UW Bioengineering eNews | Fall/Winter 2017
In this issue: Anniversary Update | Faculty Awards & Honors | Featured Publications | Trainee [...]
New endowed scholarship established in honor of revered BioE administrator
This year, an anonymous UW Bioengineering alumna generously donated the required funding to establish a new endowed scholarship in honor of Kelli Jayn Nichols. Nichols served the BioE department from October 2000, until her retirement in June 2016 as Director of Academic Services.
Thomas Horbett receives 2018 Society for Biomaterials Founder’s Award
As a founding member of BioE's biomaterials research group, Professor Emeritus Thomas Horbett's work advanced the fields of protein adsorption and surface science.
Ph.D. student Charles Roco advances single-cell RNA sequencing with NIH, Fred Hutch grants
With Split-Pool Ligation-based Transcriptome sequencing, or SPLiT-seq, Charles Roco aims to address the affordability, accessibility and scalability of current single-cell RNA sequencing techniques.
Nuttada Panpradist presents OLA-SIMPLE HIV drug resistance test in South Africa
UW BioE Ph.D. candidate Nuttada Panpradist recently traveled to South Africa to present at the XXVI Internal Workshop on HIV Drug Resistance and Treatment Strategies. The workshop, held Nov. 6-8, invited 200 delegates from around the world to discuss the causes, spread and burden of HIV drug resistance in low- and middle-income countries.
HuskyADAPT: Toying with Accessibility
BioE students seek to increase access to accessible play through toy adaptation for children with disabilities, and foster knowledge of the benefit inclusive design can have on communities.
Ph.D. grad David Younger aims to improve drug safety with synthetic sex in yeast
Beyond its humble role in baking bread and brewing beer, yeast has helped scientists establish modern understanding of cell biology and genetics. And now, yeast may lead the way to safer drugs. A team of UW synthetic biologist led by BioE Ph.D. grad David Younger has reprogrammed yeast's mating habits to create a sophisticated drug testing platform.
Senior fellows Ryan Nagao and Mary Wallingford receive NIH K99/R00 grants
Dr. Nagao pursues development of a framework for studying renal vascular disease by creating a model of the renal microvasculature environment. Dr. Wallingford investigates placental phosphate transport, a phenomenon essential to cellular energetics, growth and bone biology.
Fall 2017 Scholarship & Fellowship Roundup
The following students have received local, national and international scholarships and fellowships for the 2017-18 [...]
University of Washington iGEM team wins silver at international competition
In early November, the University of Washington’s student-led undergraduate iGEM team won the silver medal [...]
Michael Regnier: From champion weightlighter to research heavyweight
Michael Regnier, the Washington Research Foundation Endowed Professor in Bioengineering and adjunct faculty in physiology and biophysics at UW, once had his sights set on the '88 Olympics — but decided instead to focus on researching diseases of the muscles, and developing therapies that improve human health.
BioEngage welcomes Founding Members Just Biotherapeutics and NanoString Technologies, Inc.
BioEngage offers industry partners opportunities to attend events, recruit students, and collaborate on design and research projects to accelerate technology development. BioEngage’s Founding Member program enables companies to build a lasting relationship with BioE.
Hao Yuan Kueh named co-recipient of Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative’s Human Cell Atlas pilot project grant
The Human Cell Atlas aims to map and characterize every cell in the human body to advance knowledge of how physiological systems work together. Drs. Kueh and Vaughan will use their award to develop methods to measure epigenetic states in single cells using advanced imaging techniques.
Andre Berndt named Allen Institute for Brain Science 2017 Next Generation Leader
The Allen Institute Next Generation Leaders program recognizes the outstanding contributions of early-career investigators, and facilitates their professional development by providing members formal and informal opportunities to serve as scientific advisors to Allen Institute scientists.
UW Bioengineering welcomes new peer advisor Jenny Ferina
UW Bioengineering welcomes B.S. Bioengineering student Jenny Ferina into her new role as an undergraduate [...]
Innovation & Impact | 2016-17 BioE eNews Year in Review
In this issue: Anniversary Update | Research News | Faculty Awards and Honors | Trainee [...]
Daniel Chiu named co-recipient of NIH High-Risk, High-Reward grant
Daniel Chiu, UW joint professor of chemistry and bioengineering, along with UW Chemistry Assistant Professor Joshua Vaughan, seeks to develop radical new technologies for high-resolution mapping of brain tissue.
2017 Faculty Promotions: Albert Folch, Xiaohu Gao, Wendy Thomas, Deok-Ho Kim, Anthony Convertine
The faculty promoted for the 2017-18 academic year demonstrate the department's strength in diverse areas of research, including disease diagnostics and therapeutics, regenerative medicine and protein engineering.
Jennifer Davis, Hao Yuan Kueh, Alec Smith receive 2017 UW ISCRM Tietze Scientist Research Awards
Assistant Professors Jennifer Davis and Hao Yuan Kueh have received $50,000 John H. Tietze Stem Cell Scientist Awards, designed to help propel novel stem cell and regenerative medicine to competitiveness for external funding. Acting Instructor Alec Smith has received the Jaconette L. Tietze Young Scientist Ressearch Award, which offers $25,000 to senior postdoctoral fellows nearing independence, or early stage junior faculty.
BioE and ChemE faculty team receives College of Engineering Strategic Instruction Initiative award
BioE/ChemE's team will launch an interdepartmental health engineering course for first year direct to college (DTC) students that explores multidisciplinary engineering approaches to improving and promoting human health.
Engineered human liver tissue “seeds” blossom after transplant, offer an alternative strategy to organ transplantation
Researchers discovered that a "seed" of human liver and supporting cells "blossomed" to 50 times its original size in mice. The work could lead to clinical solutions for organ disease and failure, and serve as an alternative to whole organ transplant.
B.S. alumna Jasmine Fuerte-Stone receives Washington State Opportunity Scholarship/Infectious Disease Research Institute internship
2017 B.S. Bioengineering graduate Jasmine Fuerte-Stone is among four UW students to receive internships through a partnership with the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship and the Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI).
UW Bioengineering ranked fifth among biomedical engineering programs by Global Ranking of Academic Subjects
UW Bioengineering is among several UW departments ranked in the world's top 10 in their respective fields in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects list for 2017.
Gao lab discovers that material from shellfish dramatically enhances bioassays, medical tests
Xiaohu Gao and other UW researchers have discovered a simple way to increase the accuracy of commonly used diagnostic tests. By adding polydopamine — a material first isolated from shellfish — the team was able to increase the sensitivity of these common bioassays such as ELISA, micrarrays, FISH and immunohistochemistry imaging, by as many as 100 to 1,000 times.
Nuttada Panpradist receives Graduate Discovery Fellowship
Fourth year UW Bioengineering Ph.D. student Nuttada Panpradist of Associate Professor Barry Lutz's lab has received a 2017 UW Medicine Graduate Discovery Fellowship to work with Dr. Shirit Einav of Stanford University. The experience will allow Nuttada to further pursue development and translation of diagnostic technologies.
50 years of engineering better health for a boundless future
The 2017-2018 academic year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of UW’s Center for Bioengineering and the 20th anniversary of the creation of the UW Department of Bioengineering, a department jointly operated by the UW School of Medicine and College of Engineering.
David Castner receives 2017 European Conference on Applications of Surface and Interface Analysis Award
David Castner is recognized for his outstanding scientific achievements and contributions to the study, analysis and understanding of biological and biomedical interfaces.
Deok-Ho Kim featured in 2017 Chemical Communications Emerging Investigators issue
Assistant Professor Deok-Ho Kim has been featured in the 2017 Emerging Investigators Issue of Chemical Communications, a journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In Micro- and nano-patterned conductive graphene-PEG hybrid scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering, Dr. Kim and colleagues demonstrate a method for producing cardiac tissue scaffolds with anisotropic electroconductive properties using PEG-graphene substrates.
Journal Biointerphases recognizes David Castner, celebrates Buddy Ratner’s 70th birthday
The journal Biointerphases recognizes David Castner's scholarly, editorial contributions; celebrates Buddy Ratner's 70th birthday
Alyssa Taylor Honored June 6 with Award for Excellence in Science Education
UW Bioengineering Senior Lecturer Alyssa Taylor received the 2017 Award for Excellence in Science Education from the Seattle Association for Women in Science (AWIS) June 6 at a banquet in Seattle.
Molly Mollica, BioE Ph.D. Student, Wins Husky Seed Funds for Toy ADAPT Project
Molly Mollica, a Ph.D. student in the UW Bioengineering department, was one of three UW students to win funding from the Husky Seed Fund for 2017-2018. She will use the funds for her Husky ADAPT project, which adapts toys for children with disabilities.
Ph.D. student Zheng Li wins “People’s Choice Award” in UW’s Three-Minute Thesis Competition
Zheng Li, a UW Bioengineering doctoral student, won the “People’s Choice Award” in the UW’s first-ever Three-Minute Thesis competition May 15.
Eric Chudler’s BrainWorks Wins 2017 Northwest Emmy Award
UW Bioengineering’s Eric Chudler and his UW team won a 2017 Northwest Regional Emmy Award for the program, “BrainWorks: Exercise and the Brain.”
UW Bioengineering eNews – Spring/Summer 2017
In this issue: Innovation and Impact | Trainee Highlights | Alumni Highlights | Community Highlights | Featured Publications Have [...]
Bioengineering’s Jasmine Fuerte-Stone one of first three STARS graduates
UW Bioengineering’s Jasmine Fuerte-Stone is one of the first three STARS students graduating with engineering degrees. She completed the five-year program in just four years.
UW BioE forms group to explore global health research opportunities
UW Bioengineering seeks to create global health learning and research partnerships in developing countries. Fact-finding visits include Bangladesh, Peru and Nepal.
“Humans of BioE” team shares student stories about the BioE experience
Seniors Erin Ichinotsubo, Brianna McIntosh and Nina Reese started their storytelling project to help prospective undergraduates discover opportunities in BioE and learn about life in the major. They also sought to celebrate the accomplishments and showcase the department's diversity.
Seniors’ video project documents discovery, innovation in BioE research
For their honors service project, seniors Calysta Yan and Guanyou Lin teamed up to produce videos about BioE’s research themes. They were driven by a common goal: they wanted to help undergraduates explore and learn how to get involved in research.
Two BioE-related teams take prizes at 2017 UW Business Plan Competition
Two UW Bioengineering-affiliated teams won prizes at the 2017 UW Business Plan Competition May 25, including Best Innovation/Technology Idea Prize for A-Alpha Bio.
Humans of BioE: Richard Zong
Richard Zong discusses his research in ultrasound and involvement in Bioengage.
Celina Gunnarsson receives 2017 UW President’s Medal, College of Engineering Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence
Celina, a senior in Assistant Professor Ying Zheng's lab, is developing a tool that can help researchers understand blood brain barrier dysfunction in cerebral malaria, and has co-created a curriculum that focuses on the interplay of ethics and diversity in undergraduate engineering education.
Ph.D. students Alissa Bleem and Hannah Frizzell receive NSF GROW fellowships
The GROW program expands opportunities for US graduate students to engage in international research collaboration, and is open only to active awardees of the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Alissa will travel to Denmark and Hannah is headed to Australia.
Humans of BioE: Uyen Tran
Uyen Tran discusses her path from business to BioE, discovering her love for computational research and plans for the future.
Alumni Anna Blakney, Abbi Helfer, Emily Krogstad and Lael Wentland advance bioengineering worldwide with Whitaker awards
UW Bioengineering alumni Anna Blakney, Abbi Helfer, Emily Krogstad and Lael Wentland received Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program awards in 2016 to pursue independent research projects abroad. They talk about their experiences researching and living in England, Australia, South Africa and Vietnam.
Finding what feeds the heart: Rong Tian interviewed for Circulation Research
Rong Tian, joint UW professor of anesthesiology/pain medicine and bioengineering, was interviewed for an article appearing in the May 12 issue of Circulation Research. Dr. Tian directs UW Medicine's Mitochondria and Metabolism Research Center, and investigates the role of mitochondria and pathogenesis in cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Bioengineers participate in Husky Hope Walk
UW Bioengineering students, faculty and staff participated in the Husky Hope and Help (H3) Walk on [...]
Humans of BioE: Moritz Lange
Moritz Lange discusses his extracurricular work with UW Dream Project, Tau Beta Pi, and Bioengineers without Borders.
Senior Fellows Heather Gustafson and Meredith Redd receive Whitaker International Scholar Awards
The Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program promotes the professional development of superb leaders in biomedical engineering who will advance the profession through an international outlook. Both senior fellows will travel to Australia - Dr. Gustafson to Melbourne, and Dr. Redd to Brisbane.
Humans of BioE: Julio Pineda
Julio discusses his decision to double major in bioengineering and math and his passion for teaching and mentoring others.
Ph.D. student Rahil Jain investigates “smart” solutions for diagnostics, home electronics
In Associate Professor Barry Lutz's lab, electrical engineering Ph.D. student Rahil Jain investigates ways smartphones can advance disease diagnostics technologies. To satisfy his entrepreneurial drive outside the lab, he works to develop “smart home” consumer electronics.