March 6, 2017

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

Congratulations to four Hajim School students who finished first through third in the University’s fourth annual “America’s Got Regulatory Science Talent” competition, in which students present their ideas on how to better assess the safety, efficacy, and performance of FDA-regulated products. Bethany Lennox, a Center for Medical Technology & Innovation (CMTI) master’s student, took first place by proposing that clinical trial sponsors be required to provide a cover page describing the study, its purpose, and any results in plain language. CMTI master’s students Kerry Donnelly and Brittany Garrison took second place by proposing a streamlined system to identify the weakest component of 3-D printed personalized implants and print a duplicate of that “weak link” for destructive testing. Third place went to Solomon Abiola, a dual PhD predoctoral researcher in computer science and translational biomedical sciences, and his brother Simeon Abiola, a translational biomedical sciences graduate student, for proposing a computer expert system that would provide guidance on how to navigate the FDA approval process. You can read more here about their proposals and the competition.

Several biomedical engineering faculty members have received grants and other recognition recently. Associate professors Edward Brown and Catherine Kuo have received funding from the Department of Defense Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs to evaluate molecular mechanisms underlying the ability of an optical scattering phenomenon to predict metastatic outcome in patient samples. Professor Stephen McAleavey also received a grant from that office for his research project titled, “Assistive and Autonomous Breast Ultrasound Screening: Improving PPV and Reducing RSI.”

Professor Denise Hocking of the department’s graduate faculty and BME alumnus Daniel Roy (B.S. ’06, PhD ’12), now a scientist at KeraNetics, LLC, have received a patent for the use of recombinant fibronectin-based peptides for wound healing and tissue regeneration.

And Professor Hani Awad and Edward Schwarz, professor of orthopaedics and director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, are featured in a Democrat and Chronicle article about their work using 3-D printers and stem cells to create bone replacements for patients. Read more here.

Students seeking early admission to Digital Archaeology of Heritage Buildings of West Africa, this summer’s exciting new Ghana field school, are encouraged to contact Renato Perucchio by March 10. Final deadline is March 31. Read more here.

Asked about his favorite class at the University, Data Science master’s student Ulrik Soderstrom replied: “Last semester, Data Mining with Jiebo Luo (associate professor of computer science) was an excellent course. I think he does a good job of giving students a range of skills that go just in-depth enough and then allowing them a creative space for an open-ended project at the end.” Ulrik’s project determined the effects of industry-specific events—such as the impact of the presidential debates—on stock differences of companies like General Motors or Exxon. “That’s really rare in a lot of academics to get free rein like that and be responsible for your project,” Ulrik says. Read more here about his budding career in data science.

Our New York City Hajim Young Leadership Council (HYLC) members hosted a social gathering for alumni last Wednesday night that was a great success. More than 35 young Hajim alums gathered to network with one another.  To learn more about HYLC, please contact Derek Swanson.

Mark your calendar: the Center for Emerging and Innovative Sciences (CEIS) annual technology showcase will be 1 to 5 p.m. April 13 at the DoubleTree Hotel on Jefferson Avenue. This is a great opportunity for faculty and researchers in optics, imaging and photonics, energy and materials, biomedical technology, and IP to share your work with industry professionals — and perhaps discover an opportunity for future collaboration and technology transfer. You can register online.

Speaking of technology transfer, the Upstate New York I-Corps Node (UNY I-Corps) – a partnership of the University of Rochester, Cornell University, and Rochester Institute of Technology –  is eager to provide academic researchers with targeted curriculum and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. Registration is now open for short courses that take participants through the process of customer discovery and validating a business model. Each year, the UNY I-Corps Node will recommend 20 to 30 teams to receive up to $50,000 in NSF funding and other opportunities. Read more here.

A reminder to students, faculty, staff — please join us in the Hajim School’s Art of Science Competition, by submitting digital images, illustrations, posters, and videos that incorporate the imaginative use of science, art, and technology. Submissions will be accepted through March 31. Cash prizes of $500, $300, and $200 will be awarded, based on visual impact, effective communication, and freshness and originality. Click here for more details; contact Sandra Turner with questions and to submit an entry.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman