BME Graduate Student, Carla Haslauer, Receives "Best Paper" award from NC State's Non-Wovens Cooperative Research Center's Industrial Advisory Board

BME Graduate Student, Carla Haslauer, won the "Best Paper" award at the May 2009 meeting of NC State's Non-Wovens Cooperative Research Center's (NCRC) Industrial Advisory Board (IAB).  Carla's NCRC project is lead by BME core faculty member Dr. Elizabeth Loboa and is titled "Hollow Fiber Nonwoven Structures with Interconnected Pore Configuration".  This award is made on the basis of voting by all 72 NCRC member companies.  Carla was among 4 finalists and tied for the highest number of votes from the IAB companies.  She will receive a plaque from the Chair of the Executive Committee at the next IAB meeting.  Let's all congratulate Carla for a great job.

Article: www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/5167437/    Video: www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/video/5169639/

Research Triangle Park, NC

Bioengineering students at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill unveiled projects designed to help patients in a show at Research Triangle Park this week.

NC State students began their projects by visiting and asking questions of clinicians at WakeMed.

"(They asked) What are your biggest problems? What takes you the most time? What costs you the most money? What gives you the biggest headache?" said Andrew Dimeo, a professor of biomedical design at NC State.

From students' research came Mr. Freeze, a training simulator for inducing hypothermia in sudden cardiac arrest patients. Another device helps elderly or disabled patients get safely into a bathtub. A different device lets patients slide from a mattress on a table into an MRI scanner, so no one needs to lift them.

The seniors work through the whole process of identifying a problem, designing a solution, building a prototype, testing and marketing. They must meet the federal Food and Drug Administration's quality regulations as if they were working for a real-world medical device company.

"Every year, they come up with something that we would have never suspected," Dimeo said.

WakeMed matches students teams with different departments and sponsors their projects. The hope, Dimeo said, is that each year there will be a few projects worthy of getting patents and developing further so they come into use for patients.

"It's just a real good opportunity for us to not only support work force development but to see life improve for our patients," said Susan Jackson, vice president and chief learning officer at WakeMed.

Reporter: Allen Mask, M.D. www.wral.com/rs/bio/1013384/

BME Undergraduates selected as finalists for the national Student Design Competition sponsored by RESNA

Two APPL/BME student groups have been selected as finalists for the national Student Design Competition sponsored by RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) for their senior design projects. Bo Xiao and Kevin D'Auria were selected for their project titled “Locker Assist Device;” A device to help a girl with Cerebral Palsy to transfer books in and out of her locker at middle school.  Frances Low was selected for her project titled “Custom Tricycle Braking System;” this is for a teenage girl with Cerebral Palsy who cannot access conventional hand brakes on her adult tricycle.  These modifications to the braking system allow her to independently control the brakes.  The students will receive a trip to the RESNA conference next month in New Orleans, where they will give both oral and poster presentations.  Final judging will take place during the conference, and 5 winning groups will be selected.  Since starting participation in 2002, APPL/BME undergraduate students have been very successful in this national competition.  These students have been selected as finalists for 7 out of the 8 years, and winners for 5 of those years.  Congratulations and good luck to Bo, Kevin, and Frances!

BME's Core Facility Managers, Stefan Ufer and Susan Bernacki, Receive Long Term Service Awards

BME's Biomedical Microsensors Laboratory (BMMSL) manager Stefan Ufer reaches his 10th year of service to North Carolina State University this spring; and BME's Cell Mechanics Laboratory (CML) Manager Dr. Susan Bernacki reaches her 5th year of service as well.  Achieving these milestones make Susan eligible to receive her 5-year service award and Stefan eligible to receive his 10-year service award from NC State. Stefan helped establish the BMMSL with BME Chair Dr. Troy Nagle originally in Electrical and Computer Engineering where it grew into a busy service center for the university and local industry; he then helped move this Clean Room space with BME to Burlington.  Dr. Bernacki helped establish the CML with BME core faculty Dr. Elizabeth Loboa where they do extensive training of and research with students; she also helped move this Clean Room space with BME to Burlington.  Please join me in thanking Stefan and Susan for their long, faithful, and valuable service to the University, Department, faculty, staff, and students.

BME Based Collaborative Group's Poster Wins First Prize in the Area of MR Spectroscopy at International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Conference

A group comprised of BME Core and affiliate faculty along with their Post Docs and graduate students won first prize for their co-authored poster in the area of Magnetic Resonance (MR) spectroscopy.  Project mentor Jeff Macdonald reports from six time zones away "This is a huge honor as this is the main international conference for MRI-based radiologists…with over 5,100 attendees."  The poster's presenter was laboratory technician Bryce Johnson.  The poster presented project results from a collaboration between BME faculty Mike Gamcsik, Haakil Lee, and Jeff Macdonald; and Cell and Dev. Biology faculty Dr. E. L. Homahomadav (who led a BME funded Research Initiation Project that helped support this group's success).  The poster is titled "Detection of serine isotopomers as a measure of mitochondrial function" and the full authorship is:  C.B. Johnson, A. Tikunov, P. Pediaditakis, D.A. Romney, E.L. Holmuhamedov, H. Lee, M.P. Gamcsik, and J.M. Macdonald.

BME congratulates this great interdisciplinary group's exceptional achievement!

BME Seniors Anna Godwin and Jennifer Puetzer Win College of Engineering Awards NC State Banquet

Two BME Senior Undergraduates were awarded College of Engineering Awards at the 2009 COE Awards Banquet.  The COE Award for Citizenship and Service went to Anna Godwin.  A COE Award for Scholarly Achievement went to Jennifer Puetzer.  Congratulations to BME’s outstanding student awardees!

BME Core Faculty Member, Dr. Caterina Gallippi, awarded the Center for Women's Health Research Award for Excellence

BME Core Faculty Member, Dr. Caterina Gallippi, was awarded the Center for Women's Health Research Award for Excellence at the 10th Annual Women's Health Research Conference.  The $2,000 award is to be used to further Dr. Gallippi's research and academic interests in the area of women's health.  The funds will be administered by UNC-Chapel Hill's Center for Women's Health Research.  Please join BME in applauding Caterina for receiving this prestigious award!

BME core faculty member, Dr. Elizabeth Loboa, Promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure

In recognition of her accomplishments in teaching and research, I am happy to announce that, effective August 16, 2009, BME core faculty member, Dr. Elizabeth Loboa, is being promoted to Associate Professor with tenure!  Please join me in saluting Elizabeth on achieving these important milestones and wish her success as she continues her progress towards promotion to the rank of Professor.  BME seconds NC State Chancellor James Oblinger in congratulating Dr. Loboa “on this significant professional recognition” and in looking forward to her “continued contributions to NC State.”

Three BME Graduate Students Receive NSF Fellowships!

Congratulations to BME's three Graduate Student NSF Fellows:

Josephine Bodle (Advisor: Elizabeth Loboa)
Ryan Gessner (Advisor: Paul Dayton)
Amy West (Advisor: Richard Goldberg)

For 2009, 950 GRFP Fellowships were awarded and the Joint Department at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University is well represented among our peers in Engineering - Bioengineering and Biomedical.  Josie, Ryan, and Amy will begin their 2nd year in the joint program in 2009-2010.  All three students attended the Finding Funding Workshops held as part of BME Orientation at the beginning of the Fall 2008 semester.  Many thanks to GRFP recipient Matt Berginski who headed up the student- led workshop as well as current NSF Fellows Carla Haslauer and Meghan Hegarty  and others in the joint department who provided their assistance to the awardees. We look forward to the excellent research to follow!