University of Michigan researchers aim to give stroke patients the ability to “speak” by detecting and interpreting brain signals.
Page No. 7
Page No. 29
U-M BME Startup Acquired in $2.25B Deal
HistoSonics, founded in 2009, announced a $2.25 billion acquisition by a consortium of top-tier investors
The new courses we offer reflect the evolving nature of the Biomedical Engineering field
See how BME faculty are integrating educational modules on AI into their lesson plans
Learn how a home-grown startup was sold for $2.25B
Read through all the names of our extraordinary Class of 2025. Congratulations, graduates!
Learn more about what some of our student organizations have been doing for the past year
Learn about this year’s BME Symposium with the Glenn V. Edmonson Lecture
the exciting collaborations happening at this event
Catch up with our outstanding alumni and learn who recieved the Alumni Merit Award
U-M accelerates interdisciplinary cystic fibrosis research, fostering collaboration, funding innovation, and training the next generation.
U-M study reveals how S. mutans outcompetes rivals, opening doors to new cavity prevention strategies.
12
Stopping MS Disease Progression
U-M team’s biomaterial scaffolds and nanoparticles reveal, target pivotal immune miscommunications in progressive multiple sclerosis.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Welcome to the Fall 2025 BME Innovations magazine.
As the University of Michigan Biomedical Engineering Department Chair, it is both a privilege and a pleasure to connect with you through the pages of our annual magazine. This publication serves as a vibrant testament to the creativity, dedication, and collaborative spirit of our U-M BME community— both on our campus and across the world.
Within this year’s issue, you’ll discover stories of pioneering research, transformative teaching, and inspiring partnerships. Feature articles highlight not just scientific innovations, but also the real-world impact these breakthroughs have: new diagnostic tools addressing unmet healthcare needs, lifesaving devices moving from trials to bedside, and the translation of rigorous research into public policy and patient care. The BME Department’s Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program, which is celebrating its 20th year, has been incubating biomedical innovations that have gone on to address some of society’s greatest clinical challenges.
As you read this year’s stories, I invite you to reflect on the significance of our discipline’s collective efforts. Research is more than the pursuit of new knowledge for its own sake; it is an act of service. Our commitment to changing the world is not a slogan—it is an unending pursuit. Our responsibility as researchers and educators is to harness the intersection of engineering and medicine to improve the quality of life for as many people as possible.
Whether you are across the street or across the globe, you are an essential part of our vibrant and impactful community. Thank you for your continued support, curiosity, and passion for discovery. Together, we are uniting to address challenges and advance both the frontiers of knowledge and the well-being of humanity.
With heartfelt gratitude, Go Blue!
14 Decoding Cellular Objectives
U-M’s SCOOTI tool reveals cells’ hidden goals, advancing drug discovery and cellular reprogramming.
Mary-Ann Mycek, Ph.D.
William and Valerie Hall Department Chair, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering
THE U-M COULTER TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM AT 20: PIONEERING IMPACT IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
In 2005, U-M took a bold step into uncharted territory when it was one of 10 initial universities to receive funds to launch its Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program—a step that would not only redefine the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Department, but also continue U-M’s global reputation in translating innovations “from bench to bedside.” Now, on the cusp of the program’s 20th anniversary, BME’s faculty, staff and alumni look back on the transformative power of the Coulter Foundation— and forward to a future shaped by its ongoing legacy.
A New Era: From Publishing Papers to Impacting Patients
The 1990s focus on “translational research” challenged academia to think beyond basic science, urging them to deliver products that would directly impact human health. That goal became reality at U-M with an initial $5-million grant from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation in 2005. The support wasn’t just financial: research teams consisting of both engineers and clinicians were coached through commercial development from the earliest stages. The impact was immediate and measurable—in the first five years, 19 projects were funded, spawning four startups and drawing $25 million in follow-on support.
“It allowed me to marry my two loves, industry and academics,” said former BME Chair Dr. Matthew O’Donnell, in a January 2018 BME website article. Dr. O’Donnell had been Chair at the time of the 2005 award announcement. “Especially for our junior faculty, to be exposed to a world where you don’t just write papers; you put out a device…that people will actually use in the clinic.”
An Inside Perspective: Doug Noll Remembers
Few have witnessed the evolution of U-M’s Coulter program more closely than BME Professor and former Chair, Doug Noll , who was interim Chair when the first research projects were launched in 2006. As he reflected, “We were starting from no program,
basically. The Office of Tech Transfer, what Innovation Partnerships was called at that point in time, had a number of programs, but nothing focused on our department.”
Instead, the program revealed that critical activities—such as market analysis, regulatory pathways, and intellectual property work—were often the “missing pieces that are necessary to commercialize” innovations. “These are things that the students may be interested in, but they’re not the things that you typically do in a Ph.D. program, where you’re focused on scientific innovations,” Dr. Noll added. “We evolved the program collaboratively with the Foundation, and the department and the Foundation were learning together as we moved forward.”
A Catalyst for Department Growth
The significance of the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program for a young U-M BME department cannot be overstated, according to Dr. Noll. “We were a small department at that time (in 2005),” he recalled. “There were about 10 or 11 primary faculty in the department. We were looking to grow, and the college wanted us to grow, so this was important for us. Externally it gave us a lot of visibility among other esteemed institutions—but it was also important internally within the university and the College of Engineering because it gave our department recognition that we could be a key contributor in this field.”
“At that point in time, we were mostly a graduate education focused department,” Dr. Noll added. “We were just starting the undergraduate program, but it was still pretty small, and we were trying to grow it. For us, Coulter was a big deal, because this was a high-profile victory for us.”
The Coulter program’s success helped fuel a $10-million endowment from the foundation in 2011—matched by $5 million from U-M’s College of Engineering and $5 million from the Medical School for a $20-million fund.
“By the time this endowment was awarded, we had received formal approval within the university to
BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
become a joint department,” said Dr. Noll, highlighting how Coulter not only anchored relationships between engineering and medicine, but also paved the way for other translational research programs at U-M, and returned the focus to the breadth and depth of biomedical engineering’s role in the university and the profession.
Highlighting the departmental and institutional growth, Dr. Noll acknowledged, “The Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program certainly was an important factor when drawing us into the Medical School.” Becoming a joint department integrated our department chair into the Medical School chair’s meetings and strategic planning activities, to allow for more regular interactions with medical school departments and faculty. It literally gave us a seat at the table. I think receiving the Coulter program support really helped us strengthen connections between Engineering and the Medical School.”
Measurable Impact on Patient Care
A benefit to teams going through the Coulter process is working with the Coulter Program Director, the Oversight Committee, Innovation Partnerships and other external partners to guide teams as they develop proposals and research plans. According to Tom Marten , Managing Director, Coulter Program, “The whole idea is to leverage Coulter funding to demonstrate incremental value and enable follow-onfunding from other sources within the university or as new company spinouts with grants and investor financing to continue development.”
In two decades, Coulter-funded projects at U-M have led to 20 exits–defined as licensing the intellectual property rights to existing revenue generating companies or to startups that raises angel or venture capital financing (metrics that were defined by the Coulter Foundation and part of the Endowment Agreement). BME’s Coulter program has also resulted in 6 FDA approvals, more than $650 million in external investment, and a range of technologies now benefitting
STORY
By
the Numbers
patients—including standouts such as the spin-off company, HistoSonics, which further developed and commercialized the non-thermal focused ultrasound for non-invasive precision surgery known as histotripsy.
“The most famous one that comes out of our program is HistoSonics, which has done extremely well,” Dr. Noll said. “Charles Cain (a now-deceased faculty member in whose lab Histotripsy was discovered and developed) had said that he didn’t know if this would have happened, or at least not as fast as it had, if the program had not supported some critical studies.”
Importantly, Coulter’s influence didn’t end with BME. Because of the project team structure that requires an engineer and a clinician, colleagues throughout the College of Engineering and the Medical School collaborate, bolstering the impact and reach of the program.
Looking to the Future
“The Coulter Program was really the first to recognize the potential for academia to spinout medical technology concepts that could move toward impacting patient care,” said Jonathan Fay , Clinical Associate Professor of Practice, Biomedical Engineering and Associate Chair for Translational Research. “The key was bringing in frameworks from industry on how to de-risk projects early from technological, market, and business points of view. The
Coulter Program has been a thought leader in university-based innovation. In 2005, many viewed university licensing and startups as a distraction. Now in 2025, playing an active role in creating societal and economic impact from our research discoveries is considered a central part of our mission. Experiences with the Coulter Program have been instrumental in informing what additional issues or gaps needed to be addressed to bridge from research to impact. The Michigan program in particular has been very innovative in exploring different models and stretching the boundaries of what can be done within the university. It really is an exciting time for medical innovation. Our knowledge of genetics, biologically based therapies, and neurology are combining with powerful technologies like AI, microrobotics, and neuro-prosethics. Programs like Coulter are so important for building the culture of doing great science that matters.”
“For two decades, the BME Department’s Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program has been a cornerstone of biomedical innovation and clinical translation, not only for faculty in the BME Department, but also for researchers across the University of Michigan - in the College of Engineering, the Medical School, Dentistry, Pharmacy, and so on,” noted Mary-Ann Mycek, the WIlliam and Valerie Hall Department Chair, Biomedical Engineering, and Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “We empower interdisciplinary teams of
researchers to transform biomedical discoveries into real-world solutions. Our program’s enduring impact is reflected not only in remarkable technologies that revolutionize clinical care, but also in fostering a culture of collaboration and entrepreneurship in biomedical engineering that benefits our students and faculty locally, as well as patients and communities worldwide.”
One example of a Coulter project with global reach is HistoSonics: On August 7, the company announced a management-led majority stake acquisition by a syndicate of globally recognized private and public investors. This acquisition values the company at approximately $2.25 billion, positioning it for accelerated growth of the Edison System across new clinical indications and global markets, enabling histotripsy to treat more patients. (Please read details about the HistoSonics announcement on page 29 of this magazine.)
Dr. Noll’s final reflection summarizes the core of Coulter’s story at U-M: “Translation of technology should help faculty keep their mind on the end goal of all that we do–which is to improve the health of people in the world.”
For more on the legacy and future of the U-M Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program, see the QR code at the top of this page.
Some quotes and background details originally appeared in a 2018 BME department story.
U-M BME AWARDS $1.4M IN FUNDING TO 13 MULTIDISCIPLINARY
TEAMS VIA THE COULTER
TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
Congratulations to the 13 teams who have been selected to receive FY26 funding through U-M BME’s Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program.
Established with a $20M endowment in 2005, the U-M BME Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program supports research directed at promising technologies within research laboratories that are progressing towards commercial development and clinical practice. Outcomes of previous Coulter funding and support include the formation of 6 FDA approvals, 20 exits and more than $650 million raised in angel or venture capital.
Project Title
“In this 20th anniversary year of U-M BME participating in the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program, we are proud to be able to continue to foster these initiatives,” said Mary-Ann Mycek, William and Valerie Hall Department Chair, Biomedical Engineering and Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “On behalf of the Coulter Program’s Oversight Committee, I am delighted to congratulate these teams of engineering and clinical investigators on receiving these awards in support of their translational research projects. The Oversight Committee selected an exciting portfolio of projects from across biomedical engineering research areas, and we look forward to impactful project
“Crossing Catheter for Chronic Deep Vein Interventions”
“Portable Histotripsy System for Non-invasive Treatment of Skin Tumors”
“A Chloride Sensor for Guiding Diuretic Therapy in Heart Failure Management”
“Telescoping Tibia and Talus Bone Drilling and Reaming Device for Total Ankle Arthroplasty”
“Dialy-SafeNeedle – The Smart Dialysis Needle That Converts Pain to Promise by Improving Cannulation and Reducing Infiltration”
“Transforming Deep Brain Stimulation Asleep Implantations: RealTime Functional Mapping and Lead Validation”
“Refining Transepidermal Water Loss For Food Anaphylaxis Detection And Prediction”
“Endovascular Vortex Ultrasound for Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism”
“Biotinylated Microparticles for Protection of Neural Stem Cell Transplants in Spinal Cord Injury”
“Totally Implantable Auditory Prostheses”
“Handheld Corneal Shadowgraphy Prototyping and Pre-Clinical Testing”
“Photoacoustic Imaging in Diagnosing Periodontitis and Dental Implants Inflammation”
“Optimizing Potency and Toxicity of Antimicrobial Combination Therapies using Mechanistic AI”
outcomes over the coming year.”
“The U-M BME Coulter Translational Research Program employs a proven model providing strategic planning support from the proposal stage through funding to foster translation of laboratory research towards commercial development with followon funding,” said Thomas Marten, Managing Director, Coulter Program, Biomedical Engineering. “The 13 projects selected for funding this year are wellpositioned to continue the success of the program and include a wide range of novel technologies positioned for development as drugs or medical devices.”
Principal Investigators
Albert Shih, PhD, Mechanical Engineering & Minhajuddin Khaja, MD, Radiology
Zhen Xu, PhD, Biomedical Engineering & Andrzej Dlugosz, MD , Internal Medicine Dermatology
Mark Burns, PhD, Chemical Engineering & Scott Hummel, MD, Cardiology
Albert Shih, PhD, Biomedical Engineering & David Walton, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery
Albert Shih, PhD, Biomedical Engineering & Karthik Ramani, MD, Internal Medicine Nephrology
Enrico Opri, PhD, Biomedical Engineering and Neurology & Daniel Leventhal, MD, PhD, Neurology
Xudong (Sherman) Fan, Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering & Charles Schuler, MD, Internal Medicine Allergy and Immunology
Chengzhi Shi, PhD, Mechanical Engineering & Andrea Obi, MD, Vascular Surgery
ENABLING STROKE VICTIMS TO “SPEAK”: $19M TOWARD BRAIN IMPLANTS TO BE BUILT AT U-M
STORY BY JIM LYNCH
A new collaboration between the University of Michigan and Stanford University aims to give stroke patients the ability to “speak” by detecting and interpreting brain signals, using the world’s smallest computers linked up to the world’s most biocompatible sensors.
The Marcus Foundation recently announced a $29.7 million grant that would benefit victims of aphasic stroke, who are often left struggling to communicate. According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the leading cause of disability in the US. The National Institutes of Health estimated over 1 million Americans have aphasia and there are over 210,000 new cases per year. Damage to the brain impacts their ability to listen, write, read and speak, yet they retain their ability to understand others’ speech.
U-M researchers Cindy Chestek and David Blaauw will lead the design and construction of an implantable, longterm brain computer interface (BCI). Meanwhile, at Stanford, researchers will work with people who have had a stroke that impaired their ability to speak. They will evaluate whether they can “decode” words from other parts of the brain that
were not affected by the stroke.
“The current electrode technology has been in use since the 1990s and it’s called the Utah array,” said Dr. Chestek, a U-M Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Robotics, and Neurosurgery. “It’s an implantable electrode that can last from one year to seven. But that’s not reliable enough for a medical treatment, and the device can also create a lot of scar tissue in the brain.
“David and I are going to build a much better device, which will consist of a lot of tiny devices.”
Specifically, they are building tiny carbon-based electrodes that will record signals from the brain’s temporal region, which handles auditory information and language, and is usually intact in patients with aphasia. The electrodes used to pick up those signals are made of carbon fiber and are smaller than capillaries, doing very little damage to the brain over time—even when large numbers of them are implanted. A small computer chip (smaller than a grain of rice) attached to each carbon fiber will transmit the neural signal to the outside
world.
“Our approach is completely wireless, and that distinguishes us from many of the interface technologies that are in the market right now,” said Dr. Blaauw, the Kensall D. Wise Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “By making it wireless and incredibly small, we’re making sure there’s little damage to the brain and it leaves the protective layer around the brain intact.”
Stanford’s work will be led by Jaimie Henderson, a professor of neurosurgery, and Frank Willett, an assistant professor of neurosurgery. The team ultimately plans to implant U-M’s devices into patients to restore speech.
“This research meets a critical gap as no existing therapies can restore speech in aphasic patients,” Dr. Henderson said. “We are embarking on something that has never been done before with this innovative project.”
Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, created The Marcus Foundation in 1989 to channel his philanthropic aims. Since that time, the foundation has issued more than 3,500 grants, backed by more than $2.7 billion in funding, to assist work in areas that include medical research, Jewish causes, free enterprise and veteran’s initiatives.
Last year, Forbes awarded Marcus and his wife, Billi Marcus, the publication’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy. Bernie Marcus passed away November 4, 2024.
“We are very excited to philanthropically launch this true ‘Dream Team’ in precision braincomputer interface research for aphasic stroke patients,” said Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, chief science officer at The Marcus Foundation. “As ambitious and ‘high risk’ as this academic R&D is, the ‘return’ in restoration of speech for those who have tragically lost it, exceeds any hyperbole as an advance in the neuroscientific care of stroke patients.”
A small computer chip (smaller than a grain of rice) attached to each carbon fiber will transmit the neural signal to the outside world.
NEW BME COURSES REFLECT EVOLVING PROFESSION
BIOMEDE 599-018: Special Topics in Immunoengineering
As the field of biomedical engineering continues to evolve, it is imperative for future engineers to grasp the complexities of the immune system to develop revolutionary therapeutics and diagnostics. BIOMEDE 599-018: Special Topics in Immunoengineering, an innovative course designed by BME Assistant Professors Maria Coronel and Aaron Morris, bridges immunology and engineering, offering graduate students and upper-level undergraduates an opportunity to learn the fundamentals of harnessing the power of the immune system for medical advancements.
Drs. Coronel and Morris developed the class to address an area of increasing interest. “We wanted to bring in a course that could bridge engineering principles and materials with the field of immunology,” says Dr. Coronel. “It’s about understanding how the immune system communicates and setting rules to manipulate it, either ex vivo or in vivo, for various diseases.”
ENGR100 Section 520: Engineering Wellness
This section provides an innovative angle on engineering education by integrating biomedical engineering with wellness strategies. Set to be offered again this coming fall after its inaugural run in Fall 2023, the course provides students with tools and strategies to change the narrative from “surviving” engineering education to “thriving” in it.
Studies of engineering students reveal engineering education to be a high-stress environment that hinders retention, persistence, and learning. The overall goal of this project is to offer a course and related curricular resources designed for adaptation at other institutions and even across STEM disciplines.
“This class is truly unique in our BME community because it fuses technology and wellness,” said Karin Jensen, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “Students are not just learning how sensors in devices like an Apple Watch work; they’re also understanding how these technologies measure vital health metrics such as heart rate and sleep quality, and how to then implement these wellness strategies into their own lives.”
SCAN FOR FULL STORY:
AARON MORRIS, PH.D.
MARIA CORONEL, PH.D.
SCAN FOR FULL STORY:
KARIN JENSEN, PH.D.
U-M BIOMEDE 487: A.I. in BME
AI and machine learning algorithms have had a significant impact on biomedical science in the past decade. AI algorithms can learn patterns from biomedical data sets to provide actionable insights on disease diagnosis or treatment.
The intention behind launching BIOMEDE 487 was to offer a comprehensive introduction to the world of artificial intelligence within the biomedical engineering sphere. “The original idea was that I wanted to teach it for seniors, first-year graduate students, and Ph.D. students,” said Sriram Chandrasekaran , Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering.
BIOMEDE 599-015: Mechanobiology
This course blends a historical look at a quickly evolving yet relatively nascent field of science, fundamental concepts and techniques for students whose research involves mechanobiology, and more broadly, an open discussion on the caveats and failures of academic science as it stands today.
“The course is focused on the relatively nascent field studying how cells sense and respond to forces, but we also cover broader topics like the peer review process and academic fraud,” said Brendon Baker , Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “Whether it’s the tissue extracellular matrix they interact with or other cells, we approach learning about these topics the same way Ph.D. students and scientists would - by carefully reading, critiquing, and interpreting the primary literature.” Unlike typical survey courses, Dr. Baker’s class dives deep into seminal research papers spanning the evolution of mechanobiology over the last 25 years, from early foundational works to the latest applications geared towards disease treatments and regenerative therapies.
BIOMEDE 599: Applied Neural Control
This class focuses on innovation and engagement in the classroom, blending theory with practical experience. It provides graduate and upperclass undergraduate students with an opportunity to delve into the world of neurostimulation. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on experiments, and group collaborations, students can examine the processes behind neural and muscular control.
“I wanted this course to be a practical experience,” said Tim Bruns , Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “In BME 599, students not only learn about neurostimulation concepts, but also get to experience neurostimulation firsthand. They’re both the scientists and the subjects, feeling what it’s like to have electrical stimulation applied to them, and using that experience to understand the underlying physiology and potential therapeutic applications.”
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BRENDON BAKER, PH.D.
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UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF THE ORAL MICROBIOME TO PREVENT AND MANAGE DENTAL DISEASES
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
In a recently-released study led by Ryan Wyllie, Assistant Research Scientist, and Paul Jensen, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, researchers have unearthed crucial insights into the dynamics of the oral microbiome, which could significantly influence the future of dental health and shed light on how it affects a person’s overall health. The study was published in PNAS.
“As oral health goes, the identification of this system is important because it helps us understand the mechanisms by which Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) comes to dominate the tooth surface and bring about the formation of dental caries.”
The study focuses on how S. mutans, a bacterium present in everyone’s mouth, can sometimes dominate the oral environment through complex interactions.
S. mutans, a ubiquitous member of the human oral microbiome, becomes a dental villain when specific ecological shifts allow it to proliferate, producing a subclass of bacteriocins called lantibiotic mutacins—broad-spectrum antimicrobials—that aggressively
eliminate competition, enabling S. mutans to thrive and cause decay.
“There are a handful of bacteria that cause rapid acidification of your tooth surface when they come to dominate that microenvironment,” Dr. Wyllie said. “The buildup of acid is what ends up eroding your enamel and causing cavities.”
Dr. Wyllie noted that his team was interested in understanding the community-level changes that allow S. mutans to dominate the tooth surface. “That’s tricky because there are hundreds of different species of bacteria that make up the oral microbiome,” he added, “and they’re all interacting with one another. One of the major interaction mechanisms between the different bacterial species in the oral microbiome are small antimicrobial peptides called bacteriocins. Bacteria produce bacteriocins in an effort to kill off their ecological competition so they can acquire more resources and proliferate. The lantibiotic bacteriocins of S. mutans have been of considerable scientific interest for decades due to their broad spectrum of activity, but until now we didn’t understand the
regulatory mechanisms controlling their production.”
By understanding how the production of lantibiotic mutacins is controlled, researchers can gain better insight into how S. mutans comes to dominate the tooth surface, leading to the formation of cavities.
“In our paper, we discovered that there’s actually a new class of quorumsensing system, called MutRS, that controls the production of these antimicrobials,” Dr. Wyllie said. He explained that a quorum-sensing system is a way bacteria communicate with each other. Understanding this system opens avenues for potentially controlling the dominance of S. mutans by disrupting their quorum-sensing signals.
“Streptococci produce these tiny peptide pheromones and export them outside the cell. Nearby bacteria of the same species can then sense those pheromones and alter their behavior.
So when there’s a lot of S. mutans in a particular area, the concentration of the quorum-sensing pheromone will be high, and their collective behavior will be more aggressive than it would be if
A microporous scaffold implant can serve as a minimally invasive tool to accumulate cells, allowing for frequent biopsies without surgery.
There are a handful of bacteria that cause rapid acidification of your tooth surface when they come to dominate that microenvironment.”
-Ryan Wyllie, Assistant Research Scientist
there were only a few S. mutans and the concentration was low.”
The implications for oral and general health are significant. Wyllie suggests that by developing inhibitors that block quorum sensing, it might be possible to prevent S. mutans from dominating the oral microbiome, reducing cavity
formation. This approach offers a promising alternative to traditional dental treatments, which often focus on treating symptoms rather than preventing underlying microbial dynamics.
With these discoveries, the study represents a step in demystifying
the oral microbiome’s complex web of interactions and provides a foundation for future research aimed at developing targeted interventions to manipulate microbial behavior to prevent and manage dental diseases.
U-M RESEARCHERS COLLABORATE TO IDENTIFY NEW THERAPEUTICS IN MODELS OF PROGRESSIVE MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
A team of U-M researchers, led by Aaron Morris , Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, is using a transformative approach to understanding and treating Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
What I am most interested in as the takeaway from this work is using the scaffolds to monitor molecular changes in disease and as a diagnostic tool.”
-Aaron Morris, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
(PPMS), a relentless form of multiple sclerosis that affects approximately 15% of MS patients. The team seeks to understand the complexities of the disease at a molecular level. PPMS is notorious for its swift progression and lasting neurological
damage, leaving many patients in need of walking aids within just a decade of diagnosis. While Ocrelizumab, the first drug approved for PPMS in 2017, offers some hope by slowing disease progression, it doesn’t deliver full remission or reverse disabilities, and it carries risks of immunosuppression. Dr. Morris and his team are working to devise a more effective treatment by delving deeper into the disease’s cellular mechanisms. They hypothesize that the development of a surrogate inflamed tissue containing both immune and stromal compartments could help identify potential cellcell communication in PPMS that could be precisely targeted. Previous research has demonstrated the utility of implantable biomaterial scaffolds as a tool to understand dynamics in cell phenotype and regulation of both immune and stromal cells, particularly in the context of metastatic cancer.
“What I am most interested in as the takeaway from this work is using the scaffolds to monitor molecular changes in disease and as a diagnostic tool,” Dr. Morris said. These subcutaneously implantable porous biomaterials harbor both immune and stromal cells, mirroring the conditions within affected tissues
in the central nervous system.
Dr. Morris highlighted the key roles all team members play in collaboration and innovation, including the foundational work that co-corresponding author Lonnie Shea, Steven A. Goldstein Collegiate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, has led for decades. As the study combines expertise from neurology and biomedical engineering, supported by key contributors such as David Irani, Professor, Neurology; and Ph.D. students Laila Rad and Sydney Wheeler , it represents a strong foundation for future research.
The team leveraged scaffolds to study cellular communication and immune function, using singlecell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) to unravel the intricate dialogues among cells in diseased states. “We were really interested in how cells communicate with each other in disease,” Dr. Morris said. “And we could see that in disease, we had dysregulated signaling from groups of these chemokines.”
Chemokines, proteins pivotal in immune cell recruitment and communication, were found to have altered signaling in the MS-like condition, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
(EAE), in mice. Notably, regulatory T-cells (Tregs), crucial for moderating immune responses, showed reduced communication—a familiar story in autoimmune diseases.
Understanding these altered relationships led the team to a bold hypothesis: by targeting these dysregulated pathways, they could potentially mitigate disease progression. Dr. Shea’s work sparked the development of a novel nanoparticle therapy. These nanoparticles, crafted from poly(lactide-co-glycolide), were loaded with a disease-related antigen aimed at dampening unwanted
immune responses while enhancing Treg function.
“When we treated the mice before symptoms, it totally stopped the disease from happening at all,” Dr. Morris said, highlighting the need to target multiple pathways simultaneously. In more positive news, even symptomatic mice experienced reduced disease with this therapy, offering a glimpse of hope for one day translating these findings into human treatments.
Beyond PPMS, Dr. Morris envisions the biomaterial scaffolds as invaluable tools for broader immunological investigations. “My
hope is that as we move toward translating these technologies, we can learn more and more about human disease,” he said. “By providing an accessible means to study immune dynamics, these scaffolds could unlock new understandings not just in MS, but potentially in other autoimmune conditions.”
With these breakthroughs, the vision of an implant providing insights into human disease could one day become reality, paving the way toward more effective, targeted therapeutic interventions and a brighter future for those battling MS and other autoimmune disorders globally.
SCOOTI: UNLOCKING CELLULAR OBJECTIVES THROUGH MACHINE LEARNING
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
U-M BME researchers have developed an exciting new tool to decipher the objectives of cells. The researchers tried to answer a simple but elusive scientific question: “What is a cell trying to produce?”
The new tool, developed by Sriram Chandrasekaran, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, and his Ph.D. student Da-Wei Lin, is called SCOOTI (Single-cell Optimization Objective and Trade-off Inference).
SCOOTI uses snapshots of omics data and predicts the ultimate metabolic “destination.” This is analogous to taking a picture of traffic and figuring out where most drivers are heading. SCOOTI can improve our understanding of cellular objectives, with implications for drug development, cellular reprogramming, and bioengineering. At its core, SCOOTI leverages machine learning algorithms to infer the objectives of individual
cells by analyzing their metabolic and transcriptomic data.
“We’re trying to understand what cells want to do and what their objectives are,” Dr. Chandrasekaran explains. “By objectives, I mean that some cells, such as cancer cells or bacteria, want to proliferate and divide. But many other cells, such as stem cells or neurons, don’t rapidly proliferate—they perform other metabolic tasks.”
A fundamental challenge in computational biology drove the creation of SCOOTI. “One of the main goals in computational biology is to simulate entire cells and organisms,” Dr. Chandrasekaran notes.
“For simulations, you need something that you’re trying to optimize. If it’s bacteria, they normally try to maximize their growth. But if you’re trying to simulate liver or brain cells, those don’t divide quickly. We don’t know what
exactly they’re doing. We don’t know the simulation endpoints when creating a virtual model.”
To tackle this, his team at U-M BME developed SCOOTI to analyze the intricate “traffic patterns” of cellular metabolism. These patterns, much like the traffic flow in a city, reflect the pathways and interactions of various metabolites. “We use a metabolic network model, which is like the Google Maps of metabolism,” says Dr. Chandrasekaran. “Just like Google Maps gives you the connections between different landmarks or cities, this metabolic map has connections between different metabolites and what pathways connect those metabolites.”
In various test cases, SCOOTI correctly identified the objectives of cells that were either proliferating, quiescent (cell sleeping), or in specific phases of the cell
“
“A STRIKING OBSERVATION WE MADE WAS THAT CELLS CANNOT DO BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY. SO, IF A CELL IS TRYING TO GROW MORE, IT HAS LESS METABOLIC ENERGY TO FIGHT STRESS, BUT IF IT’S TRYING TO PRODUCE REDOX MOLECULES TO FIGHT STRESS, IT CAN’T GROW RAPIDLY. THESE ARE EXCLUSIVE—THE CELL CAN’T DO BOTH EFFECTIVELY.” — SRIRAM CHANDRASEKARAN, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
cycle. It also correctly recalled genes that were essential for carrying out these objectives.
SCOOTI was then applied to study embryogenesis—the developmental process where a zygote forms a complete organism. In collaboration with stem cell biologists Ling Zhang and Jin Zhang at Zhejiang University, they analyzed metabolic and transcriptomic data from individual cells at various stages of embryonic development.
The authors discovered a crucial trade-off in embryonic cells. “Some cells are trying to produce more biomass and divide rapidly. While some cells surprisingly seek to reduce stress by producing antioxidant molecules,” Dr. Chandrasekaran explains. Antioxidants fight reactive oxygen species and also act as signaling molecules within cells.
“A striking observation we made was that cells cannot do both simultaneously. So, if a cell is trying to grow more, it has less metabolic energy to fight stress, but if
it’s trying to produce redox molecules to fight stress, it can’t grow rapidly. These are exclusive—the cell can’t do both effectively.”
This discovery has significant implications for understanding cellular behavior in various contexts, from normal development to disease states. For instance, SCOOTI identified specific growth-related molecules (like cholesterol and phospholipids) and stressrelated molecules (such as glutathione) that cells
cell needs and is trying to produce,” Dr. Chandrasekaran explains. “In some cells, we found glutathione was an important molecule the cells are trying to produce. In other cells, it was growthrelated metabolites such as cholesterol.”
The insights gleaned from SCOOTI are not limited to academia—they hold real-world potential for therapeutic interventions and engineering applications.
“Once we know the cellular objectives, we can
“Just like Google Maps gives you the connections between different landmarks or cities, this metabolic map has connections between different metabolites and what pathways connect those metabolites.”
-Sriram Chandrasekaran, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
produce under different conditions. “SCOOTI can pinpoint which nutrients a
investigate if we can find ways to change these objectives,” Dr. Chandrasekaran says.
This could be incredibly impactful in cancer treatment, where understanding the growth objectives of cancer cells could lead to targeted therapies that exploit their specific metabolic weaknesses.
Moreover, SCOOTI’s applications extend to regenerative medicine and stem cell engineering. By identifying the distinct requirements of stem cells at various stages of development, researchers could tailor interventions to optimize cell growth and differentiation. “From a stem cell engineering point of view, if you can identify the distinct requirements for specific stem cells, then maybe we can help them grow and divide in a certain fashion,” Dr. Chandrasekaran notes.
Through SCOOTI, Dr. Sriram Chandrasekaran and his team are gaining a better understanding of the objectives of cells, opening opportunities to seek innovative therapeutic and engineering solutions.
VITAMIN A’S ROLE IN BOLSTERING LONGTERM STEM CELL HEALTH
U-M BME’s Carlos Aguilar, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, and his lab team are exploring research that could revolutionize the ways that science understands the connections between aging and muscle health. In a world facing a demographic shift toward an older population, Dr. Aguilar’s work on Vitamin A’s impact on skeletal muscle aging offers insight into simple ways people may be able to make health improvements in longevity and quality of life.
For Dr. Aguilar, the research began with a statistic: “Over the last hundred years, from 1950 to 2050, we’re going to see an approximate tripling of the number of people over the age of 65,” he noted. “That tripling presents significant challenges for healthcare, particularly in addressing the reduction in mobility and the increase in frailty that elderly people experience.”
This phenomenon is in part attributed to sarcopenia—age-associated loss of muscle mass and function. An integral part of Dr. Aguilar’s research focuses on skeletal muscle stem cells, the tissue’s intrinsic repair system. “As we age, impairments in these stem cells result into persistent tissue damage, and likely irreversible, structural and functional deficits,” Dr. Aguilar explained. In this research, a common dietary element–Vitamin A–takes center stage.
One potential source of the deleterious behavior that occurs in old age is lower vitamin consumption. Specifically, an underexplored vitamin that contributes to vision, immunity and skin is retinoic acid-induced signaling from Vitamin A, but its potential in skeletal muscle and stem cell aging was not fully understood. Dr. Aguilar
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
explained his team’s discovery. “We were fascinated with Vitamin A as “epidemiological studies have shown that regular diet supplemented with higher intake of antioxidant vitamins display improvements in health during aging. However, connecting functionality of adult stem cells with metabolite sensing pathways derived from vitamins in aging is underexplored,” he said.
Dr. Aguilar further describes: “We started by administering a Vitamin A-free
We’re developing targeted therapeutics to home in on muscle stem cells without affecting other cell types and tissues.”
-Carlos Aguilar, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
diet to young mice and found after two months, muscle stem cells from mice fed Vitamin-A free diet resembled features found in much older mice. Specifically, Vitamin-A seemed to support the activity of mitochondria and how these stem cells use energy.” This startling revelation drove Dr. Aguilar and his team to explore molecular mechanisms
of how Vitamin A made this impact in a short time. They focused on the cellular receptor for vitamin A, called STRA6, which was lost in old age and detected that delivering a small molecule cocktail to stimulate STRA6 and other vitamin A signaling targets resulted in better mitochondrial function and partial rejuvenation of old aged muscle stem cells.
The implications of Dr. Aguilar’s research suggest that modest dietary adjustments could result in positive change. “A balanced diet, rich in protein and vegetables, may help maintain muscle health,” Dr. Aguilar noted. Yet, he noted, “There’s no magic bullet; diet and exercise remain cornerstones of healthy aging.”
In the long-term, Dr. Aguilar said, “We’re developing targeted therapeutics to home in on muscle stem cells without affecting other cell types and tissues.” This targeted approach is crucial, considering skeletal muscle constitutes a significant portion of the human body.
As his lab explores these avenues, Dr. Aguilar appreciates the support and collaboration that fuels the research. Notably, he credited former student Paula Fraczek, a recent Ph.D. graduate whose work in this area helped bring discoveries to light, and acknowledges crucial funding from the National Science Foundation and the Hevolution Foundation.
In an era where the grocery store may offer as much promise as the pharmacy, Dr. Aguilar’s work blends modern science with advice that physicians have given for years—diets profoundly impact health. As populations age, insights into Vitamin A could serve as a helper to improve the aging process.
DR. CARLOS AGUILAR
DUAL GRANTS AWARDED TO MARIA CORONEL TO FUND PIONEERING DIABETES RESEARCH
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
U-M BME Assistant Professor Maria Coronel recently received two grants to support her promising research into Type 1 diabetes (T1D), a testament to the potential clinical impact of her work. Dr. Coronel is developing groundbreaking research that aims to improve and expand cell replacement therapies to combat T1D.
Dr. Coronel’s first honor comes in the form of a Career Development Award from the Breakthrough T1D (BT1D–formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). This is the major nonprofit foundation funding Type 1, or autoimmune, diabetes research in the country, and is one of the most significant non-profit organizations worldwide focusing on T1D and autoimmune diabetes research, according to Dr. Coronel. This five-year award empowers the pursuit of novel, non-invasive methods to enhance cell replacement therapies and is based on non-invasive longitudinal monitoring of oxygen at the implant side as a means to examine engraftment or the survival and function of the cells over time.
“We have engineered nanoprobes capable of sensing oxygen in vivo , allowing us to monitor vascular remodeling non-invasively,” explained Dr. Coronel. “By understanding how transplanted beta cells fare over time, we aim to develop predictive algorithms to improve engraftment outcomes.”
Dr. Coronel’s research focuses on the use of innovative nanotechnology, specifically designed to track how oxygen levels influence the viability and functionality of transplanted beta cells. This work paves the way toward understanding the complex biological cues necessary for successful engraftment and long-term survival of both primary and stem cell-derived
beta cells.
“Our ultimate goal is to perform this kind of monitoring as a predictive tool to support new immunotherapies,” Dr. Coronel said, highlighting the potential of her work to validate existing cell therapies and provide crucial insights into mitigating the disease’s autoimmune impacts.
“It’s always an honor to receive any award, but I think a career development award from BT1D highlights the importance of the research and what we’re doing,” Dr. Coronel said. “Because
We’re developing nanoparticles capable of carrying proteins that interact with the immune system in innovative ways.”
-Maria Coronel, Assistant Professor,
Biomedical Engineering
they have a big portfolio of people who are focused on diabetes research, they choose the types of projects that they think could have the biggest impact in the clinic at some point. Being recognized as a career awardee for them highlights the translational potential of the research that we do.”
In addition to the BT1D award, Dr. Coronel has also been recognized by the Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation, which is a nonprofit and
educational foundation committed to the treatment and prevention of both Type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This one-year, seed-funding grant supports high-risk, high-reward research aimed at eliminating the need for chronic immunosuppression in T1D treatment. Dr. Coronel’s groundbreaking work explores using nanomaterials to deliver immunomodulatory ligands as a means of preventing cell rejection.
“We’re developing nanoparticles capable of carrying proteins that interact with the immune system in innovative ways,” Dr. Coronel explained. “This research examines how the immune system perceives these materials and how we can enhance the immune response to immunomodulatory proteins in a cost-effective and novel manner.”
The dual grants underscore how these complementary projects address critical challenges in beta cell transplantation. While oxygensensing capabilities offer a means to evaluate and enhance cell engraftment success, nanoparticle-facilitated immunomodulation aims to mitigate an ever-present barrier—immune rejection.
“Both projects work toward making beta cell replacement an accessible cure or therapy for all those with T1D,” said Dr. Coronel. “Addressing these challenges opens up opportunities for more patients to benefit from such transformative therapies.”
DR. MARIA CORONEL
U-M BME FACULTY PIONEER ONLINE
EDUCATIONAL MODULES ON AI FOUNDATIONS
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
Through an innovative initiative that U-M Biomedical Engineering is developing, new online educational modules focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are set to transform the learning landscape for students and professionals. These modules aim to
AI tools won’t replace BME professionals. Instead, they empower us to tackle problems with new perspectives.”
-Anne Draelos, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics
integrate evolving technology with practical biomedical applications, merging technology with education to prepare students for the future of a technologically changing world. The development of these online learning modules marks
the first step in a broader vision to create a comprehensive educational program focused on AI in BME.
“This project began as a small, reusable step toward a potential AI-focused master’s program,” said Sriram Chandrasekaran, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “We wanted to develop online modules that offer flexibility across different courses and focus on core AI fundamentals essential for our students.”
The modules range from foundational lessons, such as linear algebra and statistics, to more complex AI model-building techniques. Crucially, they are designed not just as a theoretical series, but as practical, handson experience. “We aim to bridge the gap between concept and application, making these modules particularly relevant for BME data,” emphasized Anne Draelos, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics. “This focus on immediate applicability sets our offering apart from typical online lectures.”
Zhongming Liu , Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Associate Department Chair of Graduate Programs, echoed the importance of providing a problemdriven approach in the modules. “Teaching subjects like linear algebra
in isolation can feel dry,” he said. “By starting with a real-world problem, students can see how the math and the algorithms we teach apply directly to the solutions.”
The modules are crafted to address a variety of BME-specific challenges, such as applications in neuroscience, imaging, genomics, and beyond. “For example, our introductory courses include diverse AI applications from genomics to health records, showing students the wide-ranging impact of AI in BME,” explained Dr. Chandrasekaran.
One significant aspect of this initiative is its adaptability across different student educational backgrounds. As Dr. Draelos noted, “We assume very little initial knowledge for the basic modules, making them accessible to a broad range of students.” This inclusivity ensures students from varied backgrounds, whether deeply familiar with biology, coding, or just venturing into AI, can benefit from knowledgesharing as they build their expertise.
The future application of these modules holds even more promise. New modules can be developed and recorded as AI and machine learning technology evolves, allowing faculty to address emerging trends without skipping a beat. While currently available online for public use, there are potential plans for more formalized, course-focused offerings,
possibly even as formal degree-guided coursework. As Dr. Chandrasekaran noted, “We’re exploring the potential for a certificate program where alumni and working professionals could update their skills at their own pace.”
This collaborative effort has already piqued interest beyond campus. “A BME External Advisory Board member expressed interest in sharing our modules with their employees,” Dr. Liu remarked, hinting at the broader applicability and recognition of the modules’ value in industry and professional settings.
The faculty acknowledges the challenges posed by rapidly evolving AI technologies, especially with tools such as ChatGPT becoming prevalent in educational contexts. “There’s a philosophical debate on how much students should use AI tools like ChatGPT to complete coursework,” said Dr. Chandrasekaran. “While these tools offer great potential, understanding the fundamentals is key to using them effectively.”
As this educational initiative evolves, the collaborative efforts of BME faculty are positioned not only to enhance BME’s academic framework,
but also to foster a community of learners adept in AI and machine learning and their vast applications in biomedical engineering. As Dr. Draelos noted, “AI tools won’t replace BME professionals. Instead, they empower us to tackle problems with new perspectives,” she said. “The modules can offer the fundamentals, but each biomedical challenge is unique. It requires someone who deeply understands both the biomedical and AI information, and can draw upon their experience and knowledge to find a solution.”
DR. SRIRAM CHANDRASEKARAN
DR. ANNE DRAELOS
DR. ZHONGMING LIU
BUILDING COMMUNITY AROUND CYSTIC FIBROSIS RESEARCH AT U-M
Representatives from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) recently visited U-M to review progress toward establishing a CF research community at U-M and to help U-M investigators prepare for a larger center grant submission to the foundation in February 2026. This visit was a follow up to a $500K Program Development Award the U-M CF team currently has from the CFF, which was awarded last August. The award is intended to support the development of a CF basic research community and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations.
Alex Piotrowski-Daspit, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Internal Medicine—Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, is the principal investigator on the award and noted the strides being made in CF research. The $500K award, which provides for $250,000 in direct costs annually for two years, is being put to vital use. “It includes funds for community events, an annual retreat, a seminar series, and seed funding for pilot experiments,” she said. The visit from the CFF was a testament to the rapid progress U-M has made since the award’s inception in August.
“We’ve started a ‘CF at UM’ seminar series and had an initial round of seed-funding applications, which supported several interdisciplinary U-M faculty collaborations,” Dr. PiotrowskiDaspit said. “We’ve funded five awardees who presented their progress during the visit”:
• Yan Zhang, Associate Professor, Biological Chemistry, who is developing new gene-editing technologies
• Guizhi (Julian) Zhu, Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, who is developing novel pulmonary circRNA therapeutics
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
for CF.
• Jie Xu, Research Associate Professor, Internal Medicine, who is evaluating the pharmacokinetics of novel Selective SGLT-1 Inhibitors for adjunctive therapy for Cystic Fibrosis associated metabolic diseases.
• Ashlee Brunaugh, Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, who is studying the impacts of CF airway mucus on therapeutic delivery.
• Shijing Jia, Associate Professor, Internal Medicine—Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, who is phenotyping type 2 inflammation in people with CF.
The CF initiative has drawn participants from nine different units across campus, highlighting U-M’s strength in both engineering and medicine. The cross-campus collaboration underscores the university’s unique capability to lead a project uniting a variety of research specialities.
The CFF representatives “were impressed by how much we’ve done in such a short time,” Dr. PiotrowskiDaspit said. Meeting presenters included experts from the U-M Pediatric CF Center, U-M Pediatric Pulmonology, U-M Adult Pulmonary & Critical Care Division, and U-M Adult CF Clinic, as well as U-M Innovation Partnerships.
The more extensive grant submission to the foundation will support U-M’s CF research community’s ultimate goal: to be part of what the CFF terms their research development program—a broader initiative supporting facilities and infrastructure.
“I am excited about this initiative because it really aligns well with my professional and research goals,” Dr. Piotrowski-Daspit said. “My lab is focused on developing delivery vehicles for different CF therapies.
We have another CFFgrant that highlights U-M’s unique strengths—a collaboration with Michelle Hastings, Pfizer Upjohn Research Professor, Pharmacology & Medicinal Chemistry, Director, M-RNA Therapeutics, and Rachel Niederer, Assistant Professor, Biological Chemistry—focused on novel RNA therapeutics.”
Looking forward, Dr. PiotrowskiDaspit envisions an education core aimed at supporting trainees in the field. “We’re offering travel awards to the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference and planning professional development opportunities,” she noted.
“Traveling to conferences is always a great opportunity for trainees to showcase their research, receive feedback, and expand their professional networks. We also anticipate developing technical training resources for experimental assays related to CF research. Our immediate goal is to establish a website, within the U-M framework, to serve as a central resource for collaboration.” To demonstrate the institutional synergies, Dr. Piotrowski-Daspit noted that an early open-house event drew over 30 faculty members, including center directors and other leadership, to brainstorm future directions.
“The gene for CF was actually discovered here at Michigan by Francis Collins, MD, Ph.D., (a former Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and a former Director of the National Institutes of Health). Bringing this CF initiative and basic research community back to U-M really helps us come full circle,” Dr. PiotrowskiDaspit noted.
“This CF initiative is a great opportunity for U-M, and we’re looking to expanding and including more members of the U-M BME community into our work,” she added. “We already have more than 30 U-M faculty members who are part of this initiative and who are enthusiastic about our potential for growth.”
WELCOMING CHIMA MADUKA TO MICHIGAN BME
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
U-M BME welcomes Chima Maduka DVM, Ph.D., to our faculty as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Maduka joins us from the University of Colorado— Boulder, where, as an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellow, he developed biomaterial platforms for drug delivery after a heart attack (myocardial infarction).
Dr. Maduka’s journey to Michigan is rooted in diverse, interdisciplinary academic pursuits. He earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) with Distinction from the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. from nearby Michigan State University, where he introduced a tissue engineering paradigm, revealing
how immunometabolism fundamentally drives adverse, chronic inflammation from biomaterials and how this can be leveraged for pro-regenerative outcomes.
“I’m truly thrilled to join the BME community at Michigan,” Dr. Maduka said. “It’s a phenomenal opportunity to extend interdisciplinary research and innovation at the intersection of immunometabolism, drug delivery and chronic inflammatory diseases, especially the different phenotypes of heart failure. At Michigan, I’m excited to leverage existing partnerships and build new collaborative networks to push the boundaries of our understanding of heart failure and other chronic conditions.”
U-M BME welcomes Eric Hald, Ph.D., back to our faculty roster. Dr. Hald, now a Lecturer LEO III, not only comes with a wealth of global experience, but also with a heartfelt connection to Ann Arbor, having previously served as an Instructional Fellow in the department from 2017 to 2019. His academic journey started at the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned his B.S., and continued through the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities for his Ph.D.
Reflecting on his initial time in Michigan BME, Dr. Hald reminisced about his year in Ann Arbor. “It was great to prove that all these assumptions I had about the community and the program were true,” he said. “Michigan is top-notch, and the people really make it a special place to be.” His return marks the culmination of several years
My unique clinical background will be leveraged to provide students with essential exposure to such engineerclinician interactions, inspiring them toward excellence.”
-Chima Maduka, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
RETURNING TO ROOTS: ERIC HALD REJOINS U-M BME
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
abroad, during which he spearheaded the establishment of the Biomedical Engineering program at Shantou University in China.
This transition comes at a fortuitous time for Dr. Hald, who had harbored aspirations of returning to an American university. “Coming back is both a personal and professional milestone,” he said, adding that he is “ready to embrace the evolving dynamics of U.S. academia.” With awareness of the differences among students globally, he anticipates adjusting his teaching techniques and is enthusiastic about providing new learning experiences. Navigating his faculty position based in China while teaching online living in the United States during the Covid pandemic demonstrates Dr. Hald’s ability to pivot instruction methods and
adapt to changing situations. Flexibility and adaptability are skills that will also serve students well throughout their professional careers.
Dr. Hald’s pedagogical approach has been significantly shaped by his international experience, particularly with capstone projects. During his time at Shantou University, where there are more individually-focused senior theses, he further realized the critical importance of team-based learning in engineering education. “That missing piece drives my passion for reintegrating with team-based capstone design projects at Michigan,” Dr. Hald said, eager to incorporate his insight into enhancing the senior design courses he will be instructing.
CHIMA MADUKA, DVM, PH.D.
ERIC HALD PH.D.
KEVIN C. ZHOU , PH.D.
U-M BME recently welcomed Kevin C. Zhou, Ph.D., who joined U-M BME in March 2025 as an Assistant Professor. His ultimate goal is to help spark a revolution in high-throughput optical imaging systems by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into imaging instrumentation development.
As Dr. Zhou settles into his new role, his vision is clear: To develop imaging systems that break conventional boundaries, by offering high resolution, large fields of view, high speed, and 3D capabilities in a single platform.
REVOLUTIONIZING IMAGING WITH AI: WELCOMING KEVIN C. ZHOU TO U-M BME
These are attributes that traditional microscopes–even the most advanced ones–find challenging to achieve simultaneously.
One of Dr. Zhou’s bold initiatives involves reimagining imaging systems from scratch.“Overcoming the throughput limitations of conventional imaging systems requires a complete overhaul of the design,” he explained. “What I envision is something fundamentally different from what we currently consider as a microscope.”
Dr. Zhou believes that the solution
U-M BME WELCOMES DR. JOYCE YAN-RAN WANG AS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
U-M BME is thrilled to welcome Joyce Yan-Ran Wang, Ph.D., as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Wang will lead pioneering research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare, tackling some of the most pressing challenges in understanding complex human diseases and advancing health equity.
“There are so many collaborative opportunities at Michigan, and I know this is the ideal place for me to build independent research in AI, machine learning, and healthcare,” she said.
Dr. Wang’s work focuses on developing innovative medical solutions and advancing precision medicine through the application of AI and machine learning. At Michigan, she looks forward to collaborating with faculty across Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine, including the Rogel Cancer Center and the Frankel Cardiovascular Center.
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
will involve computational imaging, whereby the computer software and imaging hardware work together to form the desired image. “Both the optical imaging instrumentation and the algorithms need to be scaled up–advances in neither alone will be enough to achieve our goals in high-throughput imaging.”
Her research spans multiple domains in automated diagnostics and AI-driven precision medicine, with particular emphasis on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurological disorders.
“I am especially interested in using AI and machine learning to drive novel healthcare solutions and better understand complex human diseases,” she explained.
Beyond applying existing AI techniques, Dr. Wang is committed to advancing machine learning methods tailored to the unique challenges of the medical domain—particularly in longitudinal medical imaging.
“When a cancer patient undergoes multiple diagnostic scans, we lack algorithms that can effectively jointly analyze these longitudinal images,” she noted.
JOYCE YAN-RAN WANG , PH.D.
I am especially interested in using AI and machine learning to drive novel healthcare solutions and better understand complex human diseases.”
-Dr. Joyce Yan-Ran Wang, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
IMPROVING BME STUDENT SERVICES WITH A FOCUS ON HOLISTIC STUDENT SUPPORT
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
In a growing department like U-M BME, the demand for specialized student support services has never been more vital. BME’s enrollment growth calls for a more robust and reimagined BME Student Services Team structure to cater to the diverse needs of students. With new members and a clear vision, the team aims to transform student services into a seamless, one-stop shop for academic advising and career support.
New Faces, New Roles
“The expansion of our team is all about providing better service for our students,” said Dani Koel, BME Student Services Manager, who joined the team in September 2024. “We’re positioned to provide more enhanced opportunities for advising and student support.”
The Student Services Team now includes:
• Dani Koel, Student Services Manager
• Karen Gates , BME Student Career Planning and Alumni Engagement Coordinator
• Maria Steele, Graduate Coordinator for BME’s Ph.D. Program
• Tara McQueen , Academic Advisor–BME’s Sequential UndergraduateGraduate Students (SUGS) Program & Master’s Program
• Frankie Quasarano ,BME Undergraduate Academic and PreHealth Advisor
• Chris Mueller, BME Student Services Assistant
“The relatively recent additions of Chris and Frankie, along with moving Karen into the Student Services Team, have brought fresh perspectives to our group, with each staff member contributing unique strengths that complement the existing team members,” Koel said. “Chris, who started in May 2024, has taken on curriculum management, ensuring smooth course planning and registration processes. His technical expertise is invaluable,
particularly when it comes to handling overrides and behind-the-scenes tasks that help keep the academic wheels turning,” Koel added.
“Frankie, who joined in March 2025, is set to address the increasing advising needs from growing enrollments,” Koel added. “Beyond advising BME undergraduates, Frankie’s role extends into pre-health advising for the entire College of Engineering—a longawaited service enhancement. Prehealth advising tailored for engineering students is something we’ve needed, and Frankie is the perfect fit to provide it,” said Koel.
Meanwhile, Karen Gates, who has been in BME for several years, is the
Our main goal is to make our Student Services Team the best in the College of Engineering.”
- Karen Gates
Student
Career Planning
and
Alumni Engagement Coordinator
latest addition to the Student Services Team. “Karen’s role seamlessly connects students with career opportunities and alumni networks,” Koel said. With Karen in the picture, the Student Services Team assists students from orientation, to graduation and beyond. Karen’s expertise in engaging alumni and understanding the professional landscape is crucial for guiding students in their transition from academia to their careers,” Koel said.
“The new team structure offers a more integrated approach to supporting BME students by combining expertise across various domains,” Gates added.
“This enables us to create tailored resources that address academic and career needs. By collaborating closely with each other and student support colleagues across campus, we can better bolster students’ future goals and success. Furthermore, by highlighting relevant extracurricular activities and student organizations, we assist students in building networks, gaining leadership experience, hands-on learning, and cultivating well-being, all of which are integral to their long-term success in both the professional world and their personal growth.”
The Peer Advisor Program and Its Crucial Role
The BME peer advisor program, an important facet of Student Services, continues to enrich the student experience by providing a peer-to-peer perspective for prospective and current students. Koel explained: “We’re looking at ways to integrate peer advisors more structurally, ensuring they maintain regular communication and provide insights during student tours and shadowing opportunities.” This initiative not only helps new students transition into BME, but also fosters a community of support and shared experiences while they’re pursuing their education with us.”
A Vision for the Future
With new team members and a unified mission, the Student Services Team is positioned to enhance the student experience in U-M BME. “The Biomedical Engineering major is now the 9th most popular major on the entire U-M Ann Arbor campus,” said Mary-Ann Mycek, William and Valerie Hall Department Chair and Professor, Biomedical Engineering. “Providing outstanding support for our 800+ students across all our BME educational programs – including undergraduate, Master’s, and doctoral degree programs – is an essential part of BME’s core mission.”
“I’m excited to connect with students early in their career exploration and
readiness journey to enhance their internship and job search strategies, prepare strong resumes and CVs, and identify relevant extracurricular activities and organizations,” Gates said. “I want to support them throughout the process, not just near the completion of their studies. The job market is highly competitive and ever-changing. They must start preparing for this as part of their educational experience from the outset and adjust as needed.”
“Our main goal is to make our Student Services Team the best in the College of Engineering,” she added. “We’re committed to delivering topnotch advisory experiences that prepare students for their future endeavors.” In coming months, the team will focus on more closely aligning all facets of student
support, from undergraduate admissions and advising to career services. Over the summer, the expanded team strategized and streamlined processes, defining clear paths for student success and academic excellence. The team has already created a new Canvas resource page and updated their student newsletter look, cadence and content.
Quasarano, who joined the Student Services team this spring, noted that the new group structure provides students with professionals specializing in specific areas. “We can truly focus on the role and responsibility we were tasked to handle when hired,” he said. “As a higher-ed professional, it’s encouraging to see this kind of thoughtful approach to structuring a team to maximize its size and impact for student success.”
BME’s Student Services Team is ready to offer advising and career-planning support.
Conclusion
U-M’s BME department is working toward a new benchmark in serving its students. “These changes are about empowering our students and staff,” said Koel. “This transformation in our department is not just about surviving the surge in student numbers; it’s about thriving and setting our students on a path to serve humanity through their studies and research.” With this proactive approach, U-M BME reaffirms its commitment to being a department in service—dedicated to nurturing talent and making impactful advancements in the field of biomedical engineering.
FACULTY AWARDS
Carlos Aguilar
• Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists
Cindy Chestek
• Michigan Biosciences Faculty Award Recognition (MBioFAR)
Maria Coronel
• U-M Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Innovator Award
• Career Development Award from the Breakthrough T1D
• Atlas of Inspiring Hispanic/Latinx Scientists
Jonathan Fay
• Monroe-Brown Foundation Service Excellence Award from the College of Engineering
Karin Jensen
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
• North Campus Deans’ MLK Spirit Award for Mentoring and Inspiration
• Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Instructional Team Award from the College of Engineering
Jiahe Li
• 2024 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Deepak Nagrath
• BME Rogel Scholar Award
• Named Metabolic Transcriptome Leader for the Multi-Institutional Center for Transcriptional Medicine
• BME Departmental Faculty Award from the College of Engineering
Alexandra S. Piotrowski-Daspit
• Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation Faculty Starter Grant Center for Transcriptional Medicine
Andrew Putnam
• John F. Ullrich Education Excellence Award from the College of Engineering
Lonnie Shea
• Stephen S. Attwood Award from the College of Engineering
Jan Stegemann
• 2025 Rackham Master’s Mentoring Award
Xueding Wang
• Endowment for Basic Sciences (EBS) Teaching Award from the Medical School
Zhen Xu
• IEE Carl Hellmuth Hertz Ultrasonics Award
• Li Ka Shing Endowed Professorship
• Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
• Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
STAFF AWARDS
College of Engineering Staff Incentive Program Awardees:
Julie De Filippo Tony Martin
BME Outstanding Core Staff:
Ali Von Au Douglas
Michele Santillan
Vicki Schiano Allie Tharp
U-M Excellence in Research Safety Award: Colleen Flanagan
Endowment for Basic Sciences (EBS) Research Staff Award:
Miriam Stevens
PAUL JENSEN PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Paul Jensen has been promoted to Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, with tenure, CoE and the Medical School, and Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, without tenure, CoE, effective September 1, 2025.
STUDENT AWARDS
Mia Bonini
• Functional Imaging and Modeling of the Heart (FIMH) 2025 Conference Early-Career Scholarship Award
Andrea Jacobson
• 2024 Derek Tat Memorial Award
Karen Jin
• Distinguished Achievement Undergraduate Award from the College of Engineering
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) Award
Eileen Johnson
• Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Instructional Team Award from the College of Engineering
Lauren Madden
• Rackham Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award
Mary Dickenson
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Award
Firaol Midekssa
• Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship
Minal Nenwani
• Rackham International Student Fellowship
Miya Paserba
• Richard F. and Eleanor A. Towner Prize for Distinguished Academic Achievement from the College of Engineering
• Sister Mary Ambrosia Fitzgerald Mentorship Award of the Willie Hobbs Moore Awards, hosted by U-M’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE)
Rebecca Pereles
• Fundamental Science Award from Michigan Engineering 3-Minute Thesis Event
Vasu Rao
• Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening Graduate Education Fellowship Grant
Emily Thomas
• Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship — Team or Group Awards —
Intero Biosystems
• Grand Prize and others at Rice Business Plan Competition
Glenn V. Edmonson Scholarship for BME Graduate Students:
• Lillian Holman (MSE SUGS)
• Ryan Kozak (AMPED SUGS)
• Zhanpeng Xu (PhD)
• Atticus McCoy (PhD)
Michigan Synthetic Biology Team :
• International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Silver Medal
• Serving the Common Good Award from the College of Engineering
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and VentureWell Office of AIDS Research (OAR) HIV/AIDS Prize ($15,000) in the 2025 DEBUT Challenge:
• SafeSpike, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
• Team Captain: Kian Weihrauch
• Team Members: Saif Alesawy, Nicholas Chan, Merrilees Craig, Sarah Horst, and Liam Smith
• Faculty Sponsor: Melissa Wrobel
Karen Jin
Eileen Johnson
Miya Paserba
Michigan Synthetic Biology Team
U-M’S ZHEN XU, HISTOTRIPSY CO-INVENTOR, HONORED WITH ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP FROM LI KA SHING FOUNDATION
STORY BY JIM LYNCH
Zhen Xu, a University of Michigan pioneer in developing the tumordestroying histotripsy treatment, will expand her partnership with the Hong Kong-based Li Ka-Shing Foundation (LKSF) through a new $2.5 million endowed professorship.
It’s a partnership designed to be the means to an end—of cancer.
In March, Dr. Xu was honored with a Li Ka Shing Endowed Professorship of Biomedical Engineering at U-M. Foundation leaders want to continue and deepen their support of histotripsy at the place where it was invented. A ceremony was held to mark the occasion at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Endowed professorships are funded by donors and provide additional resources to acknowledge outstanding research, teaching and service. They are among the highest honors Michigan Engineering can award a faculty member. Mr. Li Kashing, a famed philanthropist, and Solina Chau, the foundation’s director, met with Dr. Xu, a U-M professor of biomedical engineering, in Hong Kong as a new histotripsy device was delivered to a local hospital.
“When we shared the potential of this precise, targeted, effective and painless option for combating cancer with Mr. Li Ka-Shing, his response was straightforward and resolute,” said, Chau. “He said ‘This is truly incredible. We should support its research and treatment services wherever possible, and please expedite it.’”
Histotripsy uses precisely-targeted ultrasound pulses to break down targeted tissues such as tumors, leaving miniscule harmless debris that can be absorbed by the body. It’s an alternative treatment for cancers that comes without the risks of surgery and the taxing side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.
Years of research collaboration between Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine have helped push histotripsy out of the lab and into the mainstream. The technology is currently being used to treat patients with liver tumors, and human trials are now
underway for patients with kidney and pancreatic tumors.
Histotripsy has been commercialized by U-M startup HistoSonics, co-founded by Dr. Xu and a group of university engineers and doctors in 2009. And histrotripsy’s potential has amassed an ever-growing group of supporters.
“This has been an amazing journey so far, and it’s the result of the work of so many people,” Dr. Xu said. “There have been nearly a hundred people here at U-M that we’ve worked with directly or indirectly, and HistoSonics now employs almost 200 people. And now we have people like Mr. Li Ka-Shing and Ms. Solina Chau supporting us along with other donors.
“I used to tell people it takes a village, but that’s not enough. It takes an army.”
Li Ka-shing, Chau and the foundation are no strangers to U-M, having now given nearly $10 million to projects at the College of Engineering and Michigan Medicine. Those include:
• The University of Michigan/Shantou University Instructional Postdoctoral Program, established in 2017.
The program allowed biomedical engineering postdocs to spend a year training at U-M, and then spend the following year in China teaching at Shantou University, which was founded by Mr. Li Ka-Shing in 1981.
• A $5 million renovation of 12,000 square feet of space in the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Biomedical Engineering Building in 2019 for state-of-the-art design and prototyping spaces.
LKSF officials expanded their current relationship with Michigan Medicine as well. The foundation donated $4 million that will fund a new endowed research professorship and new research in liver cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Li Ka Shing Foundation for their steadfast support of our programs,” said Karen A. Thole, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering and a professor of mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. “Together, through this
invaluable partnership, we are turning the promise of transforming the lives of patients and their families around the globe into a tangible reality.”
Dr. Xu’s journey toward histotripsy began as she worked toward her master’s (2003) and doctorate (2005) degrees at U-M in biomedical engineering. She worked with the late Charles Cain (Ph.D. EE ’72), a distinguished BME professor and a founder of the U-M Biomedical Engineering Department.
Cain devoted much of his career attempting to use soundwaves as a “knife-less surgical approach” for treating all manner of maladies. Xu’s work in the lab helped make that vision a reality.
“It’s taken over 20 years to realize histotripsy’s potential in routine clinical care and it’s humbling to represent a technology that is changing the paradigm in cancer care and likely human health on a larger scale,” said Mike Blue, HistoSonics’ CEO and president. “Demand from patients, physician users, and hospital systems across the country is a testament to the magnitude of Zhen’s invention.
“In addition, the recognition of histotripsy’s profound importance from the Li Ka Shing Foundation has accelerated adoption and access to patients in need across the globe, for which we are very grateful.”
The endowed professorship reflects both the excellence and impact of Professor Xu’s research, as well as the potential of histotripsy to significantly improve patients’ lives worldwide.”
-Mary-Ann Mycek, William and Valerie Hall Department Chair and Professor,
Biomedical Engineering
HISTOSONICS ANNOUNCES
$2.25B ACQUISITION BY CONSORTIUM OF TOP-TIER INVESTORS
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
On August 7, U-M startup HistoSonics announced a management-led majority stake acquisition by a syndicate of globally recognized private and public investors. This acquisition values the company at approximately $2.25 billion, positioning it for accelerated growth of the Edison System across new clinical indications and global markets. The company is redefining cancer treatment with its non-invasive tumor-destroying Edison Histotripsy System.
“We are so proud of what HistoSonics has accomplished, which continues to address our society‘s needs in cancer treatment. This is an important illustration of what can be achieved when we begin with basic research and foster strong collaborations with Michigan Medicine,” said Karen A. Thole, Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.
The idea behind HistoSonics’ technology began decades ago at U-M in the Biomedical Engineering Department. In 2001, Zhen Xu, a co-inventor of the treatment HistoSonics uses to kill liver tumors with focused ultrasound—called histotripsy—was a Ph.D. student in the lab of the late BME Professor Charles Cain. The treatment was invented in his lab during that time. Dr. Xu is now the Li Ka Shing Endowed Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Professor, Radiology, and Neurosurgery. A team of U-M researchers, led by Professors Cain and Xu, along with Timothy Hall, Jonathan Sukovich, J. Brian Fowlkes and William Woodruff Roberts from Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine, invented and developed histotripsy.
In its early years, HistoSonics received support from the U-M Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program (see articles on page 4-6 of this magazine for more details about the Coulter Program), which specializes in helping researchers develop and commercialize healthcare products. The program provided consulting help and $300,000 for early testing. Later, U-M’s Innovation Partnerships guided the research team through applying for patents and launching HistoSonics in 2009.
HistoSonics also recently received the Startup Innovator Award at the 2025 National Venture Capital Association Awards Dinner. This prestigious award honors startups making significant contributions to society. The award is one of the highest national honors a startup can receive.
Zhen Xu tries out the ceremonial chair that comes with her new title.
BACHELOR’S DEGREES CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 BME GRADUATES!
Adesola
MASTER’S DEGREES
PH.D. DEGREES
BUILDING BRIDGES: HOW U-M BME’S GRADUATE STUDENT COUNCIL FOSTERS COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
U-M BME’s Graduate Student Council (GSC) serves as a source of student community, support, and innovation. The GSC, which for the 2024-25 school year was led by Ph.D. students Brooke Smiley and Samantha Schwartz , is dedicated to enhancing the graduate experience through a variety of activities designed to unite students and bolster their academic and personal growth.
“The goal we have is to foster a community within our department, specifically for the graduate students,” said Smiley. “We want to give them spaces to come together for fun activities, while also being involved in recruitment and orientation events to integrate new students into our community.”
The GSC’s influence is felt throughout the department, particularly during
significant events, such as Ph.D. recruitment and orientation days. These opportunities allow prospective students to meet current members and gain insights into life at Michigan BME. “We provide a space for students to talk with other students about academic or non-academic matters and to get advice from each other,” Smiley added. This peer-to-peer support system has been instrumental in creating a welcoming environment for newcomers.
The GSC’s mission doesn’t stop at fun social events and academic networking. The group is structured to include three distinct committees: Social, Academic, and Wellness. The Social Committee organizes an array of events, such as board game nights, tailgates, and skating outings, designed to break the ice and foster friendships.
Meanwhile, the Academic Committee focuses on supporting scholarly pursuits of BME students. “We organize events such as the Qualifying Exam prep nights, writing hours, and workshops on useful tools like GitHub,” said Schwartz. “These events equip students with the
skills and confidence they need to succeed.”
Recognizing the importance of mental health, the Wellness Committee provides events focusing on relaxation and cultural appreciation, from de-stress activities to cultural celebrations that welcome all members of the graduate community to share their respective traditions.
Community engagement extends beyond campus borders, with the Academic Committee building on outreach efforts. “One of our cochairs is very involved in outreach,” Schwartz added, “and has been working on volunteering initiatives with local elementary and high schools.”
COLLABORATION, INNOVATION LEAD TO SUCCESS AT IGEM FOR THE MICHIGAN SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY TEAM
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
From researching the effects of dioxane on Ann Arbor’s water supply to developing targeted pharmaceutical delivery methods to enhance drug efficacy, the Michigan Synthetic Biology Team (MSBT) is a student organization that collaborates on complex research to introduce participants to biomedical engineering’s real-world challenges.
MSBT has been making significant strides in bringing synthetic biology solutions to pressing environmental and health issues. Last October, their hard work was recognized on the international stage at the prestigious International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, in Paris, France, where the team earned nominations for the Best Sustainable Development Project out of over 400 global submissions and secured a silver prize for their groundbreaking research. The team also received the Serving the Common Good Award from the College of Engineering in 2025.
Led by a team of undergraduate students, the MSBT focused on a project to address 1,4-dioxane contamination, an urgent environmental concern affecting Ann Arbor’s water supply. “We competed at iGEM in October and were nominated for the Best Sustainable Development Project,” Aditi Ganesan, who co-led the human practices component of the project with Grace Lombardo, said. Lombardo emphasized the importance of community engagement. “One thing we excelled at was human practices—reaching out to the community and gathering feedback on how our project could impact people around us,” she explained. This process included surveys and interviews with local residents and consultations with experts, such as leaders at the Coalition for Action on Remediation of Dioxane, to ensure the team’s approach resonated with real-world needs.
Modeling lead Noah Black highlighted the international
experience of sharing the team’s project as a significant reward in being an MSBT member. “We put in all this work over the course of the year, and at the end, we get to go to Paris and present our results at iGEM,” he said. “It’s awesome to speak with teams from India, China, France, and the UK and interact with students I otherwise never would have had the opportunity to meet if not for this program.”
U-M BMES STUDENT CHAPTER CHAMPIONS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
U-M’s Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) hosted a wide variety of events designed to support students both academically and socially, while fostering a strong sense of community within the department.
On the professional development front, BMES delivered practical opportunities for members to prepare for the next stage of their careers, including the ‘How-To-Career Fair’ and ‘Interview Skills’ workshops. Students also received targeted advice during the Ph.D. Application Review Session. The chapter connected members with promising graduate and industry opportunities, highlighted by the SUGS Luncheon, UChicago Molecular Engineering Information Session, and alumni/professional talks featuring representatives from leading companies such as Medtronic.
Technical skill-building remained a top priority. Throughout the year, the chapter hosted hands-on workshops in Fusion 360 CAD design, 3D printing, mammalian cell culture, and wet lab techniques, ensuring that both newcomers and advanced students could engage with essential tools in biomedical engineering practice.
Recognizing the importance of work-life balance, BMES scheduled
social events, including a Halloween celebration, Lego Building Social, Wellness Social, and Pi Day, which brought students together for relaxation and community building. Collaborations with other student organizations such as Phi Sigma Rho, Beta Mu, UrBME, and fellow BMES chapters around the country helped forge lasting connections across campus and throughout the student community.
Service and outreach also took center stage through activities such as Park Clean-Up Day, enabling students to have a tangible impact in the Ann Arbor community while fostering peer bonds. Looking ahead, BMES is committed to expanding these outreach efforts, with even more initiatives planned for the coming year.
BMES also connected undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni through signature events such as the Medtronic Luncheon and Career & Internship Presentation, which showcased the wide array of career pathways open to BME students and fostered unique networking and mentorship opportunities in an approachable setting.
The chapter looks forward to building on this momentum— empowering students academically and
professionally, nurturing a welcoming community, and increasing outreach in the months to come. Plans for the 20252026 academic year include:
• The reintroduction of monthly mass meetings to provide more consistent ways for students to remain engaged.
• More professional/career-focused events. Attendees can expect more resume workshops, opportunities to meet recruiters, networking opportunities and much more.
• Many more collaboration events with other U-M BME organizations, but also more events with other universities’ BMES student chapters outside of the national BMES conference in October.
• More free events and social opportunities open to everyone interested or engaged within the realm of BME.
M-HEAL’S STUDENTS DRIVE CHANGE THROUGH COMMITMENT TO SERVICE
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
Founded in 2006, M-HEAL (Michigan Health Engineered for All Lives) is a student organization at the University of Michigan that fosters interdisciplinary work in global health and design with underserved communities using humancentered design philosophy. Its mission is to use education, needs assessment, design innovation, and social entrepreneurship to improve access to health care in underserved communities.
The group envisions a world where every person has access to appropriate, affordable, and highquality health care. Team members value collaboration, cultural sensitivity, equity, innovation, interdisciplinarity, and socially-
engaged design.
M-HEAL is completely student run, and includes more than 250 students ranging over several academic disciplines. Members are dedicated to working on 12 projects, where they connect directly with communities across the globe in order to understand their needs and find innovative solutions catered specifically to them. They value sustainability, and their projects are all long term endeavors with the intention of creating a significant impact on the accessibility of healthcare worldwide. BME students comprise about 45 percent of the team, which includes engineering and non-engineering students.
INNOVATING MEDICINE WITH SLING HEALTH
Sling Health is a national, student-run incubator that brings together engineering, medical, business, and arts and sciences students to invent novel devices and software applications targeting unmet clinical needs. University of Michigan’s Sling Health chapter is one of eight chapters nationwide striving to make medical entrepreneurship more attainable for students and physicians. Many of their teams from past years continue to develop their technologies, and in the last academic year, they had 3 teams pitch at the national pitch competition where they won third place!
Some projects that are recruiting this year include The Neonatal Asphyxia Project, CSF Global, Project Brevara, Project MESA, PeriOperative, and many others!
To become involved with M-HEAL as a student, please see QR code.
Those interested in M-HEAL can also contact the student chapter and/or recruiting leader via these emails: mheal-contact@umich.edu or abhro@umich.edu.
PLEASE WELCOME BME’S
NEW STAFF MEMBERS
KAREN GARRETT, ACADEMIC HR SPECIALIST
Karen Garrett supports faculty and academic affairs in all aspects of human resource management. Her responsibilities include a variety of tasks focused on the annual faculty search, managing the annual promotion and tenure process, supporting the department HR and leadership with the sabbatical process, modified duties requests, and joint and courtesy appointment requests. She has a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University in secondary education in English, literature and communication. Karen previously supported faculty in the Dean’s Office in the U-M Medical School for 17 years.
EVAN MURPHY, RESEARCH ADMINISTRATOR SENIOR
Evan Murphy graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a Master’s from the University of Arizona. He brings more than 6 years of U-M-extensive research administration experience, managing multimillion dollar projects with DoE, DoD, DARPA, NIH, NSF, various private foundations and internal projects both in pre- and post-award management. Evan’s research management began as a Program Coordinator at the Digital Islamic Studies Curriculum coordinating a Mellon Foundation-funded distanceeducation program across eight Big Ten universities in collaboration with faculty, administrators, and support staff in 2018. He then took on an Research Administrator Intermediate II role in LSA Finance, starting in 2021.
ALEXIS (JODY) O’NEILL, FACILITIES ASSISTANT
Jody O’Neill is a BME facilities professional. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Linguistics and TESOL, Jody brings a strong background in cross-cultural communication and language education. Previous experiences living and working in Mexico, Jamaica, South Korea, and Italy have fostered a global perspective and an appreciation for diverse cultures. Committed to supporting a positive and inclusive departmental environment, Jody values collaboration and community engagement.
FRANKIE QUASARANO, UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ADVISOR
Frankie Quasarano has joined the BME Student Services Team as the new Undergraduate Academic and Pre-Health Advisor. He earned his Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2021 and has since gained extensive academic advising experience at U-M. He began as an academic advisor in the Comprehensive Studies Program and, as of November 2023, had been serving as an Academic Advisor at the Engineering Advising Center. Frankie partners with Allie Tharp as a BME Undergraduate Advisor and will offer Pre-Health advising to the entire College of Engineering.
ALAN J. HUNT MEMORIAL LECTURE SCHEDULED
FOR NOVEMBER 7
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
Sridevi Sarma, Ph.D. , Vice Dean for Graduate Education, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Computational Medicine, and PI of Neuromedical Control Systems Group, Johns Hopkins University, will be the 2025 featured Alan J. Hunt Memorial Lecturer.
Dr. Sarma received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department at MIT.
Dr. Sarma is a Professor in the Institute for Computational Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, at Johns Hopkins University. Her research includes modeling, estimation and control of neural systems using electrical stimulation to better diagnose and treat neurological disorders. She is PI for NeuroTech Harbor, an NIH-funded BluePrint Hub for NeuroTechnologies and recently won an NIH Research Investigator Award (R35) that supports her translational research in epilepsy for 8 years. She is a recipient of the the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Careers at the Scientific Interface Award, the Krishna Kumar New Investigator Award from the North American Neuromodulation Society, a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and
Engineers and the Whiting School of Engineering Robert B. Pond Excellence in Teaching Award..
The Alan J. Hunt Memorial Lecture was endowed in 2013, established in loving memory of Alan by his family, friends and numerous colleagues in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Professor Hunt was a truly talented and inspiring teacher. He helped to design a modern biomedical engineering curriculum with a strong focus on principles of cellular and molecular engineering. He served as a caring and supportive mentor to 10 Ph.D. students who have gone on to distinguished careers in academia and industry. Each year, this generous gift from his family enables the Department to bring to campus a distinguished scholar, who represents the intellectual standard achieved by Alan. Contributions to the Alan J. Hunt Memorial Lecture Endowed Fund may be made online at: https:// giving.umich.edu/basket/fund/796858
MICHIGAN RESEARCH
ARTIFICIAL OVARY
In a recent feature, Michigan Research explored how researchers are building a first-of-its-kind artificial ovary— giving hope to young survivors who lost the chance to grow, develop or have children. Powered by breakthroughs in single-cell biology and cross-campus collaboration, this innovation could transform reproductive medicine forever.
Ariella Shikanov, Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Obstetrics and Gynecology, was highlighted in this video:
MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE ATTEND
BME SYMPOSIUM WITH GLENN V. EDMONSON LECTURE
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
More than 200 people attended the BME Symposium with Glenn V. Edmonson Lecture on May 13. The annual event featured George Em Karniadakis, Ph.D., the Charles Pitts Robinson and John Palmer Barstow Professor of Applied Mathematics, Brown University, highlighting machine learning.
The Biomedical Engineering Symposium is intended to build the BME community across campus.
The Glenn V. Edmonson Lecture honors the legacy of the first graduate chair of the Biomedical Engineering program.
These events provide a forum for BME faculty and students campus-
wide along with our collaborators to present current research progress and discuss future research opportunities at the interface of engineering and medicine.
More than 65 students presented their poster research, and four students highlighted their research during oral presentations.
Congratulations to oral presentation winner Delaney Sinko and the four poster presentation winners: Wutt Hmone Thin Kyi, Despina Pavlidis, Hanna Kim and Nina Treacher. Hanna Kim and Brooke Smiley won raffled bingo swag bags.
Thanks to the generosity of the Edmonson Family, including Mrs.
Trenna Ruffner and her sister, Rebecca Palmer , BME recently awarded scholarships to four exceptional students, from senior undergraduate students through Ph.D. students. These awards recognize excellence in the classroom, research, and service, including recipients who have authored papers and led research projects. The BME community submitted 101 nominations for 59 students. Congratulations to the following BME students who received the Edmonson Scholarship: Lillian Holman, Ryan Kozak, Atticus McCoy and Zhanpeng Xu
George Em Karniadakis, Ph.D. poses for a photo with the Glenn V. Edmonson Lecture plaque.
BME SUMMER WORKSHOPS @ MICHIGAN HIGHLIGHT THE ‘FUTURE OF NEUROTECHNOLOGY’
This year’s BME Summer Workshops @ Michigan focused on the “Future of Neurotechnology,” bringing together leading researchers, clinicians, and students to discuss emerging tools and approaches shaping the future of brain research and innovation. This two-day immersive workshop explored the frontiers of neurotechnology, where innovative engineering meets transformative neuroscience by highlighting transformative developments in researchers’ understanding of brain connectivity, decoding, and modulation, focusing on advancing the promise of precision neuromodulation, brain-machine interfaces, and data-driven neurological therapies.
Anne Draelos , Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, and Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics; Enrico Opri, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Neurology, and Matthew Willsey, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery and Biomedical Engineering, were the faculty leaders of this year’s sessions.
“BME summer workshops offer a valuable forum for exploring rapidly evolving research areas with significant societal implications,” Dr. Draelos said. “Neurotechnology is a prime example, and we benefited enormously from discussing future possibilities across differing viewpoints.”
“This workshop was a great journey on the current and future perspectives on neurotechnology, and reminded
me how powerful it is when engineers, neuroscientists, and clinicians at all stages come together around a shared vision,” Dr. Opri said.
“I truly enjoyed gaining insights from leading BCI researchers and felt energized by the enthusiasm of students who attended,” Dr. Willsey added.
Featuring four focused scientific sessions on Neural Interfaces, Neuroprosthetic Applications, Computational Approaches, and Network Dynamics and Neuromodulation, the event included multiple panel discussions on Pioneering the Future
of Brain Innovation, with highlights on envisioning the next decade of brain research. Attendees enjoyed an interactive poster session, sponsored by the Neural Engineering Training Program (NETP), which showcased ongoing work from trainees and faculty. It was led by NETP Trainees Emily Bence , MS, and Chinwendu Nwokeabia, MS. This year’s student winners were Jake Joseph, Liam Matthews and Jacky Tian.
The event also featured a new session: a student-focused hackathon, which encouraged hands-on collaboration and rapid prototyping developed around
“BME Summer Workshops @ Michigan offer a valuable forum for exploring rapidly evolving research areas with significant societal implications.”
- Anne Draelos, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, and Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics
neurotechnology-themed challenges. Students gathered into teams and worked to solve a research question of their choosing based on the data they were given. “This is the first time we did this activity as part of the workshop,” said Anjali Shankar , MS Research Associate, Hackathon Event Organizer. “All we provided were two data sets and helpful starter code, but the rest was up to them. We were just honestly excited to see what the students came up with,” she added. Judges scored teams on several criteria, including scientific impact, effort and execution, and communication. This year’s winners were Owen MacKenzie, Liam Matthews, Prateek Pinchi and Lucy Liu.
“For those who have less experience, the hackathon was a great opportunity for students to be empowered to try new things that may or may not work in practice,” said Dr. Draelos. “We want students to possibly use Generative AI when coding, and this might be their first exposure to it in a casual way.”
“It’s important for these students to enjoy bonding and to have a networking opportunity with science as the foundation for that,” added Dr. Opri. “The collaboration with people from different backgrounds in an informal forum allows participants to feel less bound by conventional expectations, so students are more likely to try new things that go beyond their comfort zone. That’s how discoveries are made.”
“It’s been a really amazing conference with great speakers,” said graduate student MacKenzie, “Having the hackathon, too, was a great addition because it allowed us to practice implementing some of the ideas firsthand that we discussed during the other parts of the session.”
“I think it’s a wonderful way for the community to come together because you’re normally very busy doing your own thing, and very rarely do we get to see other people’s work, so it’s great for PIs, graduate students and everyone to come together have conversations about our research,” added BME graduate student Zan Huang.
This year’s event included a student hackathon.
BME ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: THE MICHIGAN BIOMEDICAL VENTURE FUND NURTURES MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY STARTUPS
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
The Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund (MBVF) is advancing biomedical engineering by helping turn revolutionary ideas born in research labs into real-world applications that have the potential to transform patient care around the world.
The MBVF supports pioneering life science startups emerging from U-M, spanning novel therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune diseases, medical devices targeting heart disease and pulmonary embolism, and health IT solutions advancing precision medicine through genomic data. The program is powered by the collaborative efforts of the U-M Medical School’s Fast Forward Medical Innovation (FFMI) program and Michigan Engineering’s Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE). The core of the fund has centered on startups with U-M intellectual property. At the helm of this effort is MBVF Manager and U-M BME alumnus John Seamans (BME, MS 2004). Seamans, who carved his path in the medtech world through both large corporations and
“startups, found a new calling in venture capital. “Working with a portfolio of companies and helping them succeed on a larger scale was what attracted me to venture capital,” Seamans said. “I realized that the innovation pipeline from research to tangible medical solutions needed more hands-on support, investment, and industry connections – this fund provides just that.”
“The process of building up the medtech sector in Michigan is aspirational because we have some of the ingredients: a worldclass hospital system, incredible research infrastructure generating new breakthroughs, and a pipeline of amazing talent,” Seamans noted, “but the local bio/med industry is still emerging. To be able to play a role in helping to build up that sector around an institution I love is a worthwhile mission. I have the privilege to work with amazingly bright researchers and dynamic entrepreneurs – and help them build a company and product from their research. This helps
“YOU CAN ALMOST THINK OF BUILDING A STARTUP LIKE TENDING A GARDEN. YOU NEED THE RIGHT SOIL – A FERTILE MARKET AND ECOSYSTEM WITH TALENT. YOU NEED STEADY WATERING OF INVESTMENT CAPITAL. YOU NEED THE RIGHT FERTILIZER – MENTORSHIP, CONNECTIONS, TECHNICAL EXPERTISE. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU NEED A GARDENER: FOUNDING LEADERSHIP WITH THE VISION, GRIT, AND ADAPTABILITY TO NURTURE THE VENTURE.” — JOHN SEAMANS, MANAGER OF THE MICHIGAN BIOMEDICAL VENTURE FUND (MBVF)
U-M’s research scale up to impact thousands or millions of patients.”
Established in 2017, the MBVF developed thanks to the vision and generosity of the Monroe Brown Foundation. Seamans described the fund as “venture philanthropy,” a unique blend of high-risk investments aimed at both medical advancement and regional economic development. The fund is “evergreen,” meaning investment returns are reinvested. When a company succeeds – for example, MBVF portfolio company Parabricks was acquired by nVidia –those returns are redeployed into new startups, creating a virtuous cycle. Crucially, the fund revolves around U-M intellectual property, with an expanding reach that now includes alumni startups. The fund collaborates with many groups across campus, including Innovation Partnerships (formerly Tech Transfer), which has an incredible team working on IP, licensing, venture creation, and mentoring to guide projects through
company formation and early fundraising.
“The MBVF has invested in 21 companies so far, with over $40 invested downstream for each $1 of early MBVF investment and over $500M in investment raised across the portfolio. Each venture is a testament to the power of collaboration – researchers, physicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts working together to advance a novel idea into real-world clinical impact,” Seamans said.
The fund also works with promising student teams through groups including Nucleate, Sling Health, and the Center for Surgical Innovation, providing resources, mentorship, and connections that can be difficult to find. “We’ve opened pathways for students through initiatives at CFE as well as our venture fellowship program that tap into Ph.D, MD, and MBA students,” Seamans said. Programs like these provide hands-on experience in venture capital and startups.
SCAN FOR FULL STORY:
CO-OP EXPERIENCE OFFERS U-M
BME STUDENT VALUABLE INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
In a world where classroom learning meets real-world application, U-M BME student Ella Schmidt recently completed a co-op experience that helped her achieve professional and personal growth.
During a recent interview, Schmidt shared details about her journey from Ann Arbor to Cincinnati, where she worked as a development quality co-op at Johnson & Johnson (J&J) during the Winter 2025 semester.
“The whole experience was awesome–I loved it,“ she said. “I was fortunate to be placed with great groups–both the co-op group and my job team. Professionally, I learned so much.”
For Schmidt, the duration of the co-op allowed her to transcend typical intern responsibilities and integrate fully with her team. “Usually by the end of a three-month internship, you are only starting to understand the bigger picture,” she said. “That last month of the co-op made me feel like I was another employee,“ she noted. “That extra fourth month was remarkably beneficial.” The co-op experience allowed Schmidt not only to perform assigned tasks, but also to
contribute meaningfully to her projects through in-depth group participation. Schmidt’s role required her to dive deeply into data analysis, focusing on quality deliverables alongside the design and research and development teams. “When I joined, we were having issues with a test,” she said. Schmidt’s ability to summarize and analyze the
goes into a patient and has a camera on the end, allowing a surgeon to see inside the patient‘s body,“ Schmidt explained. Her task was not only technically challenging, but also critical in advancing minimally invasive surgical procedures.
For students contemplating their own co-op experiences, Schmidt offers encouragement to explore this opportunity: “I would highly, highly recommend it,” she said. “Being a coop automatically helps your resume stand out. It‘s incredibly beneficial, both professionally and socially,“ she emphasized. Schmidt’s experience highlights the importance of networking and immersing oneself in the co-op community. With 25 to 26 fellow co-ops in her cohort, the group bonded and helped each other navigate their new
door could open. “There‘s a hope for job offers, and networking within the company was a substantial focus,“ she said, but noted there are no guarantees that the offer of a full-time position will come after a co-op position. She added, though, that networking was strongly encouraged, and she estimated that she engaged in more than 30 informal meetings with employees in various roles at J&J.
Looking ahead, Schmidt is considering whether to apply for another co-op or an internship. “Interning and doing co-ops is an amazing chance to try something different within your field,“ she said, highlighting the diverse experiences these roles offer. Though she is eager to graduate on time with her class, the prospect of taking on a rotational position after graduation to explore various roles is also a possibility.
data proved insightful to her team‘s decision-making processes to resolve issues. The second mail project on which she worked focused on making sure her team was on track to meet the deadlines surrounding their design review.
Schmidt was part of a project involving laparoscopes—key instruments in J&J‘s surgical system. “It’s a device that
workplace environment. “We were doing things together almost every weekend,“ she said, noting that the group activities made the move to Cincinnati less isolating. “Starting a co-op can be a bit intimidating if you have to move someplace where you don’t know anyone,” she added.
As her co-op concluded, Schmidt reflected on the potential career paths this
“A co-op is a great way to just try out something that you‘re unsure about, versus committing to a full-time role right out of college, especially if you‘re unsure about precisely what you want to do,” Schmidt said. “I feel like it’s a lot harder to jump into, and then maybe get out of, a full-time job after graduation, when you might be tied to greater responsibilities and completely on your own.”
“I would definitely advise everyone to try to do a coop if possible,“ she added, highlighting not just the learning aspects, but also the lasting connections and career development foundations such experiences can provide.
U-M BME Ph.D. student Madeline Eiken is launching her entrepreneurial startup, Intero Biosystems, with a goal of streamlining drug development.
Eiken, Intero’s co-founder Charlie Childs, Ph.D., and Ross MBA student Don Sobell received the Grand Prize at the Rice University Business Plan Competition from April 10-12 in Houston. This event, which is billed as the “world’s largest and richest intercollegiate student startup competition,” serves as a launching pad for student ventures, connecting them with top-tier venture capitalists. Eiken, Childs, and Sobell also placed first among the top ten teams during the weekend of March 28-30 at Baylor’s New Venture Competition in Waco, Texas, and received first place at the Heartland Challenge, in addition to the Investor Roundtable and Most Investable Company awards.
Eiken’s entrepreneurial venture wasn’t something she initially planned. “I always knew I wanted to be in industry rather than academia,” she said. “But starting a company during my Ph.D. was more of a ‘right-place, right-time
situation’.” This serendipitous journey evolved when Intero cofounder Childs introduced a novel intestinal organoid model that complemented Eiken’s engineering background and experiential foundation from a previous startup. Leveraging the breadth of expertise at U-M, Eiken and Childs are working in tandem with Dr. Jason Spence. Dr. Spence is the H. Marvin Pollard Professor of Gastrointestinal Sciences, and Professor of Internal Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, and Biomedical Engineering. His lab focuses on stem cell biology, regenerative medicine and disease modeling, ultimately generating tissue for replacement therapies and discovering novel in vitro methods to model and study human development and disease.
Dr. Spence explained that Intero Biosystems has the potential to be a game-changer in the biomedical engineering field because it “uses stem cells to create life-like miniature intestines that possess almost all the cell types found in the human intestine,” he said. “The complexity of these mini-intestines is unparalleled, and uniquely
positions us to understand how new drugs influence gut physiology and disease, are absorbed or cause toxic side effects.” This breakthrough technology holds the potential to transform assessments of human GI side effects, commonly observed in various medications, including chemotherapy agents and everyday, over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin.
Dr. Spence added that it has been “very exciting” to witness the birth and growth of Intero Biosystems from a research idea into a fullfledged company. “To see this idea blossom into a solid concept, and to start the company, was a new experience and an exciting adventure for all of us,” he said. “There has been a huge learning curve to understand the businessside of science, and every day brings new challenges and new opportunities to grow and learn professionally. It is fast paced, high pressure, scary at times, and has been a lot of fun! As a scientific mentor, I have been so proud and impressed – but not surprised – by Madeline and Charlie’s passion, drive, and tireless dedication to making Intero Biosystems a success.”
2025 U-M BME ALUMNI MERIT AWARD HONORS DR. HUBERT LIM
STORY BY MICHELE SANTILLAN
Hubert H. Lim (MSE, ‘02, Ph.D. ‘05) is the distinguished recipient of the 2025 BME Alumni Merit Award, recognizing his transformative contributions to neurotechnology, hearing and tinnitus solutions, innovative whole-person
health interventions, and leadership in MedTech entrepreneurial translation.
A leading scientist and innovator, Dr. Lim’s journey reflects the interdisciplinary spirit and collaboration that define Michigan BME. Currently Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Otolaryngology at the University of Minnesota, and Director of the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center, Dr. Lim is internationally known for bridging the boundaries among engineering, medicine, and commercialization.
“There’s no doubt that Michigan was the catalyst for my career,” Dr. Lim said. “The exposure to forefront neurotechnology, the supportive collegial environment, and the breadth of mentorship I received—all of that shaped who I am as a scientist.”
Softer Skills: The Michigan Difference
In addition to technical excellence, Dr. Lim credits Michigan for teaching him the value of collaboration, humility, and open-mindedness–and having fun. “The neurotechnology community there was special—people were humble, supportive, excited to work together. It was never cutthroat,” Dr. Lim noted. “Those relationships, the ability to team up across disciplines, that positive energy—those skills have been just as important to my success.”
He also fondly recalls hands-on learning at the old Kresge Institute by the U-M medical campus—“I was in the OR with clinicians my first year and late night experiments with a diverse group of technical, scientific and clinical colleagues that led to invigorating and creative discussions and ideas,” he said. “That cross-training primed me for a career bridging engineering and medicine.”
CONNECT WITH US!
Alumni who would like to share their success stories with students and our broader community are invited to contact Karen Gates , our Student Career Planning and Alumni Engagement Coordinator, at kagates@umich.edu Karen organizes The BME Exchange and other department activities to connect students with the professional world.
And there’s a unique perk about Michigan: “Football. I’m still a fan!” he added with a laugh. “It helped that the house I lived in was right near the football stadium and became the spot where tons of bright minds came to hang out for fun and brainstorm cool ideas.”
A Vision for Preventative, Personalized Health
Today, Dr. Lim is most excited about the potential of holistic health. “If we intervene earlier—by tracking sleep, stress, diet, activity—we can prevent many conditions rather than just treat late-stage disease,” he says. “With approaches like ultrasound stimulation of the spleen and certain types of cells, we let the body reset itself, gently. But we also need to address the root causes— sometimes tiny changes in daily habits make all the difference.”
He has recently integrated music therapy, meditation, and stress reduction into his lab’s treatment protocols, using technology to both monitor and support lifestyle interventions—completing the circle, in a way, to his musical upbringing.
Legacy and Impact
For Dr. Lim, receiving the Alumni Merit Award is personal and profound. “My Michigan experience is close to my heart. I still visit regularly—my wife’s from Michigan—and I remain inspired by the excellence, the camaraderie, and the spirit of impact that shaped me there. It’s a true honor to be recognized by the place that launched my journey.”
CORE FACULTY
CORE FACULTY
ASSOCIATE FACULTY
Gorav Ailawadi, M.B.A., M.D.
Helen F. and Marvin M. Kirsh Professor & Chair, Cardiac Surgery Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Ellen Arruda, Ph.D.
Tim Manganello / BorgWarner Department Chair
Maria Comninou Collegiate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Daniel Beard, Ph.D.
Carl J. Wiggers Collegiate Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology Professor, Molecular & Integrative Physiology Professor, Internal Medicine Professor, Emergency Medicine Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Omer Berenfeld, Ph.D. Professor, Internal Medicine Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Paul Cederna, M.D.
Robert Oneal Collegiate Professor of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Luyun Chen, Ph.D.
Associate Research Scientist, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Associate Research Scientist, Biomedical Engineering
Rhima Coleman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Mario Fabiilli, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Radiology Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Jeffrey Fessler, Ph.D.
William L. Root Distinguished University Professor of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Radiology
J. Brian Fowlkes, Ph.D. Professor, Radiology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Deanna Gates, Ph.D. Professor of Kinesiology Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Robotics
Karl Grosh, Ph.D. Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Vikas Gulani, M.D., Ph.D.
Fred Jenner Hodges Professor and Chair, Radiology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Luis Hernandez-Garcia, Ph.D.
Research Professor, Radiology Research Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Alfred Hero, Ph.D.
John H. Holland Distinguished University Professor of Electrical and Engineering and Computer Science
R. Jamison and Betty Williams Professor of Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Statistics
Jane Huggins, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Research Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Mohammed Islam, Ph.D. Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Karl Jepsen, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Jacqueline Jeruss, Ph.D., M.D.
Alfred E. Chang M.D. Research Professor of Surgical Oncology
Associate Dean for Regulatory Affairs Professor, Surgery Professor, Pathology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Megan Killian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Associate Professor, Molecular and Integrative Physiology Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Kathleen Klinich, Ph.D.
Research Scientist, UMTRI Biosciences Research Scientist, Biomedical Engineering
Kenneth Kozloff, Ph.D.
Steven A. Goldstein Ph.D. Collegiate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Professor, Kinesiology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Oliver Kripfgans, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Radiology Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Chandramouli Krishnan, Ph.D.
Joerg Lahann, Ph.D.
Wolfgang Pauli Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Lisa Larkin, Ph.D.
Professor, Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Research Professor, Institute of Gerontology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Sasha Cai Lesher-Pérez, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Changyang Linghu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Allen Liu, Ph.D.
Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Biophysics
Gary Luker, M.D.
Reed Dunnick Research Professor of Radiology
Professor of Biomedical Engineering Professor, Radiology Professor, Microbiology and Immunology
Peter Ma, Ph.D.
Richard H. Kingery Endowed Collegiate Professor, Biologic and Materials Sciences, School of Dentistry
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Geeta Mehta, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
James Moon, Ph.D.
J. G. Searle Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Sunitha Nagrath, Ph.D.
Dwight F. Benton Professor of Chemical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Jon-Fredrik Nielsen , Ph.D.
Associate Research Scientist, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science As of August 21,
Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Professor of Biomedical Engineering Professor of Physical Therapy, U of M Flint
Research Associate Professor, Functional MRI Lab
Research Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Parag Patil, Ph.D., M.D.
Associate Professor, Neurosurgery Associate Professor, Anesthesiology Associate Professor, Neurology Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Scott Peltier, Ph.D. Research Scientist, Radiology Professor of Internal Medicine Research Scientist, Biomedical Engineering
Steven Schwendeman, Ph.D. Ara G. Paul Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Nicole Seiberlich, Ph.D. Professor, Radiology Professor, Internal Medicine Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Albert Shih, Ph.D. Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering Research Professor, Institute of Gerontology
Jae-Won Shin, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Dentistry
Jason R. Spence, Ph.D. H. Marvin Pollard Collegiate Professor of Gastroenterology Professor, Internal Medicine Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
William Stacey, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Neurology Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Muneesh Tewari, Ph.D., M.D.
Ray and Ruth Anderson-Laurence M Sprague Memorial Research Professor Professor, Internal Medicine Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Greg Thurber, Ph.D. Professor, Chemical Engineering Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Thomas Wang, M.D., Ph.D. H. Marvin Pollard Collegiate Professor of Endoscopy Research Professor, Internal Medicine Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Kevin R. Ward, M.D. Professor, Emergency Medicine Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Matthew Willsey, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Guan (Gary) Xu, PhD.
Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Euisik Yoon, Ph.D.
William G. Dow Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Professor, Biomedical Engineering Professor, Mechanical Engineering
AFFILIATE FACULTY
Omar Ahmed, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Psychology
Ryan Bailey, Ph.D.
Robert A. Gregg Professor, Department of Chemistry
James Balter, Ph.D.
Allen S. Lichter M.D. Professor of Radiation Oncology
Marco C. Bottino, D.D.S., MSc., Ph.D. Professor, Department of Cariology Professor, Restorative Sciences Professor, Endodontics
David T. Burke, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Human Genetics
Yue Cao, Ph.D. Professor, Radiation Oncology Professor, Radiology
Jiande Chen, Ph.D. Professor, Internal Medicine
Timothy Chupp, Ph.D. Professor, Physics
Rodney C. Daniels, M.D. Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics
Joseph Decker, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Dentistry
Kamran Diba, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Anesthesiology
Mark Draelos, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Robotics Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Renny Franceschi, Ph.D. Professor, Dentistry Professor, Biological Chemistry
Jianping Fu, Ph.D. Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Cell & Developmental Biology
Shinichi Fukuhara, M.D.
G. Michael Deeb, M.D. and Nancy Deeb Research Professor, Cardiac Surgery Clinical Associate Professor, Cardiac Surgery
Craig Galbán, Ph.D. Professor, Radiology
Lana Garmire, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics Associate Professor, Biostatistics
Robert Gregg IV, Ph.D. Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor, Robotics
Hitinder Gurm, M.D. Professor, Internal Medicine Chief Medical Officer, Health System
Jesse Hamilton, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Radiology
Kurt Hankenson, D.V.M, Ph.D. Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery Professor, Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Diane Harper, M.D. Professor, Family Medicine Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor, LSA Women’s and Gender Studies
Idse Heemskerk, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology Associate Professor, Biophysics
Ansel Hillmer, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Radiology
Todd Hollan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery
Anthony Hudetz, Ph.D. Professor, Anesthesiology
Richard Hughes, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery Associate Professor, Industrial & Operations Engineering
Yun Jiang, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Radiology Associate Professor, Nursing
Ajit Joglekar, Ph.D. Professor, Cellular and Developmental Biology Professor, Biophysics
Darnell Kaigler, Jr., D.D.S., Ph.D. Associate Professor, Periodontics Associate Professor, Oral Medicine
Kimberlee Kearfott, Sc.D. Professor, Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences Professor, Radiology
Stephen Kemp, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Surgery
Jinsang Kim, Ph.D.
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering Professor, Chemistry
Nicholas Kotov, Ph.D. Professor, Chemical Engineering Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Ronald Larson, Ph.D.
George Granger Brown Professor of Chemical Engineering
A.H. White Distinguished University Professor of Chemical Engineering Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Christian Lastoskie, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Daniel Leventhal, M.D., Ph.D. Clinical Associate Professor, Neurology
Xiaoxia Lin, Ph.D. Professor, Chemical Engineering
David Lipps, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Kinesiology
Isabelle Lombaert, M.S., Ph.D. Associate Professor, Biologic and Materials Sciences
Pedro Lowenstein, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Neurosurgery
Richard Schneider Collegiate Professor of Neurosurgery Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Anahita Mehta, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Edgar Meyhofer, Ph.D. Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Jouha Min, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Stephanie Moon, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Human Genetics
Sungmin Nam, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Jacques Nor, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D.
Donald A. Kerr Professor, Dentistry Professor, Otolaryngology
Gabe Eston Owens, M.D., Ph.D. Clinical Professor, Pediatric Cardiology
Joseph Potkay, Ph.D. Research Associate Professor, Surgery
Indika Rajapakse, Ph.D. Professor, Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics Professor, Mathematics
Arvind Rao, Ph.D. Professor, Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics Professor, Radiation Oncology Professor, Biostatistics
William W. Roberts, M.D. Professor, Urology
Gideon Rothschild, M.D. Associate Professor, Psychology Adjunct Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
Anna Schwendeman, Ph.D. Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering
Chengzhi Shi, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Kathleen Sienko, Ph.D. Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Tomer Stern, M.S., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Biologic and Materials Sciences & Prosthodontics
Peter Tessier, Ph.D.
Albert M. Mattocks Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering
J. Scott VanEpps, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine Associate Professor, Macromolecular Science and Engineering
Angela Violi, Ph.D. Professor, Chemical Engineering Professor, Mechanical Engineering Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Henry Wang, Ph.D. Professor, Chemical Engineering
Zhong Wang, Ph.D. Professor, Cardiac Surgery
Brendon Watson, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Psychiatry
Pamela Wong, Ph.D. Research Associate Professor, Internal Medicine
Yang Xiao, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pathology
Swathi Yadlapalli, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Bo Yang, M.D., Ph.D.
Frankel Research Professor of Aortic Surgery
J Maxwell Chamberlain M.D. Collegiate Professor, Cardiac Surgery
Qiong Yang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biophysics Associate Professor, Physics Associate Professor, Cell and Developmental Biology
Bing Ye, Ph.D.
Burton L. Baker Collegiate Professor of the Life Sciences, Research Professor, Life Sciences Institute and Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Ron Zernicke, D.Sc., Ph.D. Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery Professor, Kinesiology
Guizhi Zhu, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Pharmacy
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Celebrating our History...
Michigan Medicine marks 175 years since the U-M Medical School opened in 1850, growing from a single building into a topranked academic health system known for medical innovation, discovery, and equitable education.
