Research that could aid soldiers with IED injuries supported with $1 million DoD grant  

In the past two years, BMES member Matt Reilly has created a model for optic nerve trauma, which is a common injury for soldiers hit by IEDs. He just received a $1 million grant from the Department of Defense to develop the research, according to a University of Texas at San Antonio article.

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Johns Hopkins researchers improve methodology for predicting disease-enabling genetic mutations        

Johns Hopkins? Researchers around the world have sequenced the genomes of patients suffering from common, multi-gene diseases, looking for common mutations in their control regions, according to a university article.

Binghamton researchers investigate how ingesting nanoparticles influences health 

Mass General team develops bioengineered forelimb

 
A team of Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has made the first steps towards development of bioartificial replacement limbs suitable for transplantation, the hospital announced recently.   

In their report, which has been published online in the journal Biomaterials, the researchers describe using an experimental approach previously used to build bioartificial organs to engineer rat forelimbs with functioning vascular and muscle tissue, according to the announcement. They also provided evidence that the same approach could be applied to the limbs of primates.   

In a New Scientist article about the research, BMES member Daniel Weiss said, "This is science fiction coming to life." Weiss is a Professor of Medicine, University of Vermont's Pulmonary Medicine Department of Medicine. 

Pun named Outstanding Faculty Mentor at U of Washington   

The University of Washington Department of Bioengineering recently awarded its BIOE Awards and BMES member Suzie H. Pun was among the awardees.   

The selection of winners was based upon the strength of the nominations received, which were submitted by faculty, students and staff throughout the department, according to the university. The BIOE Awards honor the outstanding contributions the awardees have made towards the department's mission and vision and their positive impact upon the departmental community.   

Elliott receives national awards for research, mentoring in biomedical engineering   

Dawn Elliott, chair of biomedical engineering at the University of Delaware, was recently awarded the Van C. Mow Medal for contributions to the field of bioengineering from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), according to a University of Delaware article.  Intervertebral discs are the spine's shock absorbers. With age, they undergo progressive and irreversible degenerative changes that often lead to low back pain, the article states.    

Surgical treatment options for this condition are extremely limited and they don't restore disc function, so there is tremendous interest in new treatments such as surgical repair and tissue engineering.   

Elliott, a Biomedical Engineering Society member, has been studying the biomechanical function of intervertebral discs and other orthopedic soft tissues for the past 20 years using mathematical models, mechanical tests and advanced imaging technologies.