March 7, 2022

This illustration made the cover of Advanced Therapeutics in conjunction with a paper from the labs of Danielle Benoit, Rudi Fasan, and Benjamin Frisch describing progress in a new approach to destroying leukemic stem cells. (Illustration by Michael Osadciw/University of Rochester).

Dear members of the Hajim School community,

We have multiple examples of exciting research at the Hajim School to share in this issue.

The first is a collaboration involving the labs of Danielle Benoit, professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Materials Science Program, Rudi Fasan, the Andrew S. Kende Professor of Chemistry, and Benjamin Frisch, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and a Wilmot Cancer Institute investigator. They report progress in targeting and destroying leukemic stem cells with a modified form of micheliolide, a natural product found in plants of the magnolia family. Marian Ackun-Farmmer ’20 PhD, a former graduate student in Danielle’s lab and now a postdoc at the University of Maryland, is lead author of a paper in Advanced Therapeutics describing the research.

Micheliolide, part of the chemical arsenals that plants use to keep predators from chewing on their leaves, possesses cytotoxic activity against acute myeloid leukemia cells and leukemia stem cells. This activity was improved via modifications of the molecule by the team. The improved semi-synthetic micheliolide “analogs” were then packaged in polymeric nanoparticles designed to deliver the toxic chemical specifically to the bone marrow, without causing dangerous side effects to other organs.

There is still a lot of work to be done before the system can be tested in clinical trials, the researchers say. But the results to date demonstrate the importance of the University Research Award seed funding that made this project possible, and the advantage of having a Medical Center in such close proximity to the River Campus, enhancing opportunities for this kind of collaboration. Learn more.

 

PhD student Wei-Ching Lin using the microfluidic chamber devised by the lab of Jong-Hoon Nam. (Photo by J. Adam Fenster/University of Rochester)

Here’s another example: Will it ever be possible for hearing aids to compensate for hearing loss to the same degree that eyeglasses and contact lenses correct our vision? Despite recent advances in hearing aids, a frequent complaint among users is that the devices tend to amplify all the sounds around them, making it hard to distinguish what they want to hear from background noise.

Jong-Hoon Nam, a professor of both mechanical and biomedical engineering, believes a key part of the answer to the problem lies inside the cochlea of the inner ear. That’s where incoming sound waves trigger minute vibrations of sensory receptor cells in the inner ear. These mechanical vibrations are then converted into neurosignals that are delivered to the brain. “The mission of our laboratory is to explain the precise moment when that conversion happens,” says Jong-Hoon.

He and his team occupy a unique niche in the field. Jong-Hoon’s group images cochlear tissues in a specially designed microfluidic chamber, enabling his group to see what is happening at the cellular level. “We can provide further details that other researchers could not see,” he says. Other labs also tend to focus on either animal models or computer simulations. Jong-Hoon’s lab combines animal models and computer simulations. As a result, “we can be more confident in our findings; we can make new hypotheses that otherwise could not be tested,” he says.

The research is funded by a recently renewed National Institutes of Health grant, which will total $4 million though 2025, plus nearly $800,000 in National Science Foundation funding. Both grants have helped Jong-Hoon support seven mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering PhD students and allow him to hire three to four undergraduate research assistants each summer. Learn more.

UNDERGRAD RESEARCHERS RECOGNIZED

In addition, Befikadu Mekonnen ’22 of biomedical engineering and Evelyn Ferwalt ’23 of electrical and computer engineering have received the grand prize and a runner-up prize, respectively, in this year’s Research Initiative Awards, These awards, created by the Friends of University of Rochester Libraries, are given to students working on capstone or independent research projects or senior theses. The awards recognize excellence in the early phases of research, which includes working with faculty and librarians.

Befikadu, a research assistant in Danielle Benoit’s lab, received the grand prize of $1000 for his work on engineering nanoparticles that better elude the macrophages of our body’s immune system in order to deliver drugs to cancer tumors. “I’m incredibly grateful to Dr. Benoit and her team of postdocs and graduate students,” he says. “I consider myself extremely lucky to be surrounded by a team of researchers who are dedicated and share my passion for improving drug delivery.”

Evelyn’s runner-up prize of $500 recognizes her work with Jaime Cardenas, assistant professor of optics, on a project that aims to fuse a photonic integrated chip and an optical fiber, or otherwise demonstrate fiber-to-chip coupling, using only electric-arc methods. “I’ve found that research, in a way, is tracking down who can help you the most,” says Evelyn, “whether that’s a peer connection at a research symposium or the author of a frequently cited paper. In the end, it’s all people helping people, and I want to connect with others as much as I can, which is why I appreciate fiber optics in particular. Working on the technological heart of the internet is my way to help facilitate those relationships.” Learn more.

ART OF SCIENCE DEADLINE NEARS

We are getting down to the wire for the Art of Science Competition! Currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff at our University have until March 19 to submit photographs, illustrations, visualizations, renderings, and posters showing an artistic representation of science, technology, engineering, math, and sustainability themes. Use this online submission form. Cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250 will be awarded to winning student entries. All other entries will be eligible for a People’s Choice Award of $250. For inquiries, contact the project team at artofsciencecontest@gmail.com. Learn about last year’s winning entries here.

THREE MINUTE THESIS COMPETITION

Last year, Jeffrey Beard, a biomedical engineering PhD candidate, won this competition with an easy-to-understand description of the HIV viral load test that he’s developing.

Current Hajim School PhD candidates who have passed their qualifying exam or are in their third year of study or greater can register for this year’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Registration starts at 8 a.m. today and will continue through 4 p.m. this Friday, March 11. 3MT challenges doctoral students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. This is a great way to share your discoveries, practice your communications skills, meet other trainees, communicate the importance of your research to the broader community–and, like Jeffrey did, win up to $1,000 in travel awards.

Sub-heats will be held as a live event at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 22. The Final Competition, also a live event, will be at 4 p.m. April 6 in the Class of ’62 Auditorium (G-9425 at the Medical Center) with a reception to follow in Flaum Atrium. For more information, visit myhub.urmc.edu/3MT. To request accommodations, contact Jen_Prosceo@URMC.Rochester.edu at least three business days prior to the event.

ALUMNI UPDATE

Mechanical engineering alumnus Timothy Takahashi ’88 ’90 MS ’93 PhD, an aerospace engineering professor of practice at Arizona State University, is one of nine people recognized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics with the 2022 Sustained Service Award for his efforts with the organization. Timothy, who also has a law degree from Santa Clara University, previously worked as an engineer with Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Lockheed-Martin. While an undergraduate here, he was active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Baja SAE team.

Have a great week!

Your dean,
Wendi Heinzelman