AIMBE Distinguished Leadership Panel

April 11, 2016

AIMBE leadership panel On April 3rd and 4th, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) hosted its annual 2-day meeting in Washington, DC. This event represents one of the premiere conferences where the leaders in medical and biological engineering from academia, industry, and government gather for cutting-edge programming, social events, and a chance to welcome the newest AIMBE fellows. This year, AIMBE highlighted the Distinguished Leadership Panel featuring the country’s leading experts in the field to discuss AIMBE’s next 25 years. I was honored to be on the panel with a number of distinguished leaders in the field, including Dr. Robert Nerem, Dr. Nicholas Peppas, and Dr. Kenneth Lutchen. I spoke about the organization’s need to be leaders in diversity, advocacy, and the promotion of next-generation science. The event was incredibly rewarding.

2016 Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., Travel Fellowship

I am pleased to announce the winners of the first Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., Travel Fellowship are Julian Rose and Dwight Meggie, both from UConn, and Robert De Loera from University of Chicago. This fellowship will allow them to attend the annual meeting of the Society for Biomaterials, and to become members of the Society. The goal of this initiative is to stimulate/encourage underrepresented minorities to pursue a career in the field of biomaterials. I am honored that the Society for Biomaterials chose to endow and name this traveling fellowship after me. I and my team have been committed to increasing the numbers of underrepresented minority people in science and we will continue to work tirelessly in the regard. I applaud the Society for Biomaterials in endorsing and supporting this commitment.

Julian is a senior studying Biomedical Engineering. As a member of the Honors Program who is interested in health professions, Julian participates in the John and Valerie Rowe Health Professions Scholars Program. Dwight MeggieSince high school, Julian has conducted research in the Institute of Regenerative Engineering under the guidance and mentorship of Dr. Lakshmi Nair and me, gaining valuable experience creating nanofiber scaffolds for regeneration. Julian has joined the 2016 Teach For America Corps and plans to attain his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in order to become a professor and conduct neural regenerative engineering research.

Dwight is also a senior in the Biomedical Engineering program. He is a certified pharmacy technician and an ambassador for the Academic Center for Exploratory Students (ACES) where he mentors academically undecided students. With a passion to attend graduate school, Dwight participated in the McNair Fellows program where he gained valuable hands-on shadowing research experience. After this research experience, Dwight joined the Institute for Regenerative Engineering where he conducts research under the supervision and mentorship of Dr. Sangamesh Kumbar and me. His research entails enhancing the solubility of poorly soluble drugs using various techniques such as solid dispersion. Dwight plans on attending graduate school and ultimately transitioning to medical school.

Robert is a fourth year undergraduate at the University of Chicago majoring in the Biological Sciences with a specialization in immunology and minors in molecular engineering and statistics. His interests really revolve around translational research, and recently he’s become fascinated by the immune system and how we can take advantage of it in a variety of ways. Robert is currently working with Dr. Jeffrey Hubbell at the Institute for Molecular Engineering at University of Chicago, where his project is trying to induce antigen specific immunological tolerance by targeting antigens to the surface of red blood cells with a Fab antibody fragment and exploiting the tolerogenic nature of erythrocyte clearance.

Robert is fascinated by biotech startups. In the coming summer, Robert will be working at BioMotivr, a biotech accelerator company based in Cleveland, where he hopes to gain experience in the biotech startup scene. Robert plans to earn M.D. and Ph.D. degrees.

Congratulations, Julian, Robert, and Dwight!

CICATS’s Pipeline Programs

I am happy to report the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) has been successful in creating novel pipeline programs, including the M1 Mentoring Program and the Young Innovative Investigator Program (YIIP), which are increasing diversity among academic scientists and physicians. These programs also address health disparities with the goal of improving community health outcomes. On April 5, Dr. Linda Barry, assistant director of CICATS and director of the YIIP program, did a segment on Philadelphia’s WURD 900AM’s “The MOJO with Stephanie Renee.” During the interview, Dr. Barry shared details of the YIIP program for biomedical scientists, stressing the need for more students of color to pursue research to cure diseases rooted in the Black community. Listen to the full interview.

I strongly believe the YIIP program, coupled with the commitment and drive of our scholars, has provided them the opportunity to takes steps towards their futures becoming the next generation of scientists and physicians. We have announced a call for applications for YIIP Scholars for the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year. The submission deadline is Monday, April 25 with the selected YIIP Scholars being announced in early May. For more information about YIIP, please contact Lana Angelo, YIIP Program Coordinator at langelo@uchc.edu.

Healthcare and Science Stars of Tomorrow

April 8, 2016

On March 12th, I gave the keynote speech at the 4th Annual Healthcare and Science Stars of Tomorrow Career symposium sponsored by the T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society (TLJMS) at in Rivera Beach, FL. My talk focused on choosing careers in the various fields in healthcare and the sciences. This symposium attracted more than 800 ethnically diverse students from throughout Palm Beach County who came together with many healthcare and science professionals for career exploration. Thanks to Dr. Roger Duncan, TLJMS Board President, for inviting me. It was a great pleasure working with young people in Florida.

Convergence Workshop in Washington, DC

April 6, 2016

Convergence workshop in Washington, DC As part of the Convergence: The Future of Health Workshop, I contributed some remarks to the “Challenges in Funding Convergence” panel held in Washington DC on March 25th. During this section, I discussed about my experiences finding funding for engineering research in the biomedical sciences. I shared some success stories from individuals in the Institute for Regenerative Engineering which focused on how engineers and physicists receive funding from federal agencies, as well as how they were treated by peer review at federal funding sources. I also provided several recommendations as to how the funding and review system could be changed to better include engineers and physicists who conduct convergence research.

My mentor, Dr. Robert Langer of MIT, started the session with some information about funding sources for convergent biomedical research with an emphasis on engineers, and also recalled his efforts funding his research over the years.

Thanks to Dr. Kate Stoll, Senior Policy Advisor of MIT’s Washington office, for inviting me.

Kavli Distinguished Lectureship in Materials Science

I was honored to present the 2016 Fred Kavli Distinguished Lectureship in Materials Science and plenary speech at the Material Research Society (MRS) meeting in Phoenix, AZ. My talk, “Regenerative Engineering—Convergence Built Upon Materials Science,” highlighted the importance of convergence research as illustrated by some of our latest research on the HEAL Project. Many thanks to the MRS for inviting me to speak. I also want to thank the Kavli Foundation for supporting the lectureship.

During the meeting, I also gave a brief interview with MRS TV, below:

Honored to Speak at Carnegie Mellon University

March 18, 2016

On March 1st, it was a privilege to speak at Carnegie Mellon University as part of the Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series. My talk, “Regenerative Engineering: The Future of Tissue Regeneration,” highlighted the importance of convergence research as illustrated by some of our latest work on the HEAL Project. I also discussed the important role of biomaterials in regenerative engineering. I am so grateful to both the Biomedical Engineering department and the university for inviting me to speak. Thanks to Kathy Samuels who coordinated my visit and to all in attendance!

The 100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut 2015

It was truly an honor to have been recognized by the NAACP, an organization that has been at the forefront of the fight for equality in our country. The Connecticut chapter of the NAACP has been honoring the state’s most influential blacks since 2009. The ceremony was held in Stamford during the 50th NAACP State. The event’s keynote speaker was U.S. Congressman Elijah Cummings. I am honored to be named on a list alongside so many distinguished and accomplished men and women. I will continue working to make a difference in the lives of African Americans in the areas of education, health disparities, and other issues.

Dr. Lakshmi Nair Receives New Grant Award

March 14, 2016

Congratulations to Dr. Nair of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering. In collaboration with Dr. Regina Landesberg of the Department of Craniofacial Sciences at UConn Health, she has received one of seven Research and Education Funding awards from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation. The Foundation supports novel research on maxillofacial surgery. Dr. Nair and Dr. Landesberg’s project focuses on the development of injectable platelet rich plasma delivery systems for craniofacial tissue regeneration. Congratulations to both of them on funding for this exciting project.

Prism

March 11, 2016

I am very honored to have been featured in “Grow Your Own” in the December 2015 issue of Prism magazine. I had the pleasure of discussing the HEAL Project with Prism’s team. Please check out the article at http://www.asee-prism.org/up-close-dec-3/.

Prism is the American Society for Engineering Education’s award-winning publication. The popular magazine covers engineering in higher education throughout the United States. The magazine is read reaches engineering faculty members, administrators, and students in all disciplines of engineering. Thank you to Mary Lord, the deputy editor of Prism as well as Prism’s editorial team for featuring me.