1:30pm on Thursday, May 15 @ Ryan Hall Room 4003, Evanston Campus

In-Person Only, Refreshments Provided

Prof. Kamm is the Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor of Biological and Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

With our aging population, neurodegenerative diseases are on the rise, far outpacing increases in other common diseases. Recent advances from the pharmaceutical industry have produced new drugs capable of reducing the rate of decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease with many more in the drug development pipeline. This, combined with improved understanding of the factors that influence a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, has given rise to increased interest both in the delivery of drugs to the brain and their efficacy in alleviating symptoms or preventing disease progression. Innovative in vitro platforms are needed to explore novel modalities of drug delivery to the brain and enable pharmaceutical companies to screen for new therapeutics. In this presentation, neurovascular models will be presented that recapitulate in vivo morphology and function and can be used both to quantify transport across the blood-brain barrier and replicate their effects in models of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases.

About Roger Kamm

Professor Kamm began his career at Northwestern University earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He subsequently earned both a master’s and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Since 1978, he has been a professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Professor Kamm was one of the founding members of the Biological Engineering Department when it was created in 1998. Kamm’s research focuses on problems at the interface of biology and mechanics, formerly in cell and molecular mechanics, and now in complex in vitro systems. Current interests are in developing models of healthy and diseased organ function using microfluidic technologies, with a focus on vascularization, cancer and neurological disease. Kamm is a member of the National Academies of Medicine and Engineering. He is co-founder of AIM Biotech, a manufacturer of microfluidic systems for 3D culture.

"Seeing the Unseen Using Molecular Fingerprints"

ABSTRACT:
Spectrochemical imaging, using intrinsic fingerprint spectroscopic signals from molecules as a contrast mechanism, opens a new window for understanding life at the molecular level and also enables molecule-based precision diagnosis of diseases. Yet, the intrinsic spectroscopic signal, especially the vibrational signals from chemical bonds, is weaker than the fluorescence signal from a dye by many orders of magnitude. Detecting such weak signal from a tight focus (i.e., a small volume of ~1 femtoliter) under a microscope is extremely challenging and was considered nearly impossible. Ji-Xin Cheng devoted his career to overcoming such daunting barrier through developing advanced chemical microscopes over the past 25 years. In this lecture, Cheng will tell his journey of serendipity-driven innovation, scientific discovery, clinical translation, and entrepreneurship in the growing field of chemical imaging, with a focus on the invention of vibrational photothermal microscopy.

BIO:

Ji-Xin Cheng attended University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) from 1989 to 1994. From 1994 to 1998, he carried out his PhD study on bond-selective chemistry at USTC. As a graduate student, he worked as a research assistant at Universite Paris-sud (France) on vibrational spectroscopy and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) on quantum dynamics theory. After postdoctoral training on ultrafast spectroscopy in 1999 at HKUST, he joined Sunney Xie’s group at Harvard University as a postdoc from 2000 to 2003, where he focused on the development of CARS microscopy that allows high-speed vibrational imaging. Cheng joined Purdue University in 2003 as Assistant Professor in Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry, promoted to Associate Professor in 2009 and Full Professor in 2013. He joined Boston University as the Inaugural Theodore Moustakas Chair Professor in Photonics and Optoelectronics in summer 2017. Cheng devoted his research career to chasing a far-reaching goal – harnessing intrinsic molecular signatures for label-free imaging, molecule-based diagnosis, and drug-free treatment.

Scholarship: Professor Cheng is authored in 350 peer-reviewed publications with an h-index of 105 (Google Scholar), holder of >40 patents. Cheng’s research has been supported by >50 grants, ~50 million ($) funding, from federal agencies including NIH, NSF, DoD, DoE and private foundations including Chan-Zuckerburg Initiative and Keck Foundation.

Entrepreneurship: In 2014, Professor Cheng co-founded Vibronix Inc which is devoted to vibration-based imaging technologies and medical device innovations. In 2019, Professor Cheng co-founded Pulsethera aiming to kill superbugs by photolysis of intrinsic chromophores. Professor Cheng is the Scientific Advisor of Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp in Santa Barbara and of Axorus in Paris. Chemical microscopes based on his innovations (e.g., mIRage by Photothermal Spec Corp) are installed and used in many countries worldwide.

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Collaborative Pathways: Educating Emerging Biomedical Innovators

Abstract:

Biomedical engineering exists at the intersection of engineering, biology and medicine. Its inherently multidisciplinary nature makes collaborative work critical for driving biomedical innovation and solving complex problems. Experiential learning plays a foundational role in biomedical engineering education by bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application, particularly through the design of solutions for critical gaps in clinical care. Hands on experiences, such as clinical immersion, industry partnerships, and team-based design projects enable students to develop technical expertise, interdisciplinary collaboration skills and an understanding of the healthcare innovation process. With the support of a distributed innovation pipeline that fosters collaboration between medical and engineering students to identify clinical opportunities, develop and validate solutions, and assess market potential, students benefit from structured support that strengthens their ability to generate intellectual property and advance innovations towards commercialization. Drawing from her experiences as an engineer, Dr. Kotche will highlight how she creates hands-on learning environments that challenge students to solve real-world problems and develop core competencies as they transition into their professional careers.

Bio:

Miiri Kotche is the Richard and Loan Hill Clinical Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Her work focuses on the scholarship of engineering education, with an emphasis on providing students with real-world experiences through hands-on projects, interdisciplinary programming, and immersive learning opportunities. Drawing from her industry background in product development, manufacturing, and operations, she brings practical insights to her roles as both educator and administrator. Miiri also serves as Director of the Innovation Medicine program, a co-curricular program that supports medical students interested in the intersection of healthcare delivery, innovation, and technology development. As Associate Dean, she oversees academic and student affairs for more than 5,000 undergraduates in 13 degrees programs across 6 departments in UIC’s College of Engineering. Dr. Kotche is the 2024 recipient of the American Society for Engineering Education Theo C. Pilkington Award for outstanding education, leadership and research in biomedical engineering and a 2021 recipient of the UIC Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has been recognized as a Fellow of BMES and AIMBE, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, a “Notable Woman in STEM” by Crain's Chicago Business, a UIC Master Teaching Scholar, and College of Medicine Rising Star.

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McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

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