Research

UK College of Engineering Hosting Biomedical Research Day

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 13, 2015) – Exhibiting the convergence of medicine, biology and engineering to deliver health care solutions, and as part of the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) 10th Annual Spring Conference, the UK College of Engineering will host its Biomedical Research Day Wednesday, March 25, at the Lexington Convention Center.

"Biomedical engineering is an important and growing research area for our college," said John Walz, dean of the College of Engineering. "Each of our departments has faculty working on biomedical-related problems, so it is also highly interdisciplinary."

"The CCTS Spring Conference offers a great opportunity to showcase the College of Engineering biomedical research activities," said David Puleo, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. "The college has a history of collaboration, dating back to the 1950s, in which engineering principles are directed at problems in human health. These activities ultimately led to establishment of the Center for Biomedical Engineering (the forerunner to the department) 30 years ago this summer. We appreciate this occasion for the student, postdoctoral, and faculty investigators from the college to present their ongoing research projects." 

The event will feature Peter Ma, the Richard H Kingery Endowed Collegiate Professor at the University of Michigan, as the keynote speaker. Ma, a professor in the departments of biologic and materials sciences, biomedical engineering, and materials science and engineering, will deliver his lecture, "Engineering 3D Microenvironments for Regeneration,” at 1:30 p.m.

Ma is a worldwide expert in the design and testing of multiscaled biomimetic materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Named one of the Top 100 materials scientists in the world (2000-2010) by Thomson Reuters in 2011, Ma is an inventor of 28 U.S. patents and patent applications, has published more than 200 articles and has received numerous awards.

In his presentation, Ma will describe biomaterials engineering strategies for creating niches in which cells are directed to differentiate and generate functional tissues. 

Following Ma's lecture, three biomedical engineering experts from the UK College of Engineering will present their research from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Brad Berron, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, will present, “Selective Cellular Encapsulation for High Purity Cell Populations.” Berron will describe an entirely new approach to cellular sorting based on the selective deposition of a protective coating on a cell and the destruction of all unprotected cells.

Guoqiang Yu, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, will present, “Near-infrared Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy and Tomography of Deep Tissue

Hemodynamics and Metabolism.” Yu will review the development history of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), NIR diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS), and the combination of NIRS and DCS, and recent applications in animals and humans.

Todd Hastings, associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will present, "An Optical Intraocular Pressure Monitoring System for Improved Glaucoma Management.” Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a primary cause, risk factor and treated parameter for glaucoma. However, infrequent IOP measurements in an ophthalmologist’s office remain insufficient to fully manage the disease. Hastings will present an implantable optical IOP sensor that enables long-term monitoring while reducing size, complexity and risk compared to electronic sensors currently under development. 

A poster session, including the student poster competition, will follow the research presentations from 3:30-5:30 p.m.

For more information about the CCTS 10th Annual Spring Conference, visit http://www.ccts.uky.edu/ccts/node/551.

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu