Spring

Alaa Ahmed's neural control of movement research featured in Sports Illustrated podcast

Anonymous — Wed, 11 May 2022 18:18:30 +0000

Alaa Ahmed's neural control of movement research featured in Sports Illustrated podcast Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/11/2022 - 12:18

The yips has been described as a wiring problem in the brain. But what is a wiring problem in the brain? Host Justin Su’a talks with Professor Alaa Ahmed on how her cutting edge work focuses on the neural control of movement, or how the brain controls the body.

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Congrats to the spring 2022 biomedical engineering graduates

Anonymous — Tue, 03 May 2022 21:02:58 +0000

Congrats to the spring 2022 biomedical engineering graduates Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/03/2022 - 15:02

Rachel Leuthauser

Eight graduate students are graduating from the Biomedical Engineering Program in spring 2022. This is the second group of graduate students to earn degrees from the program since it was created in 2019.

Two of the students are graduating with their doctoral degree, while the six others have earned a master's degree. Read more about some of those biomedical engineering graduates, their research interests and plans for after graduation. The Biomedical Engineering Program is excited to see how each of these graduates will improve medical care and society in the future.

Eight graduate students are graduating from the Biomedical Engineering Program this spring. Two have earned their doctoral degrees and six have earned master's degrees.

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Two biomedical engineering students earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 20:58:57 +0000

Two biomedical engineering students earn NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/08/2022 - 14:58

Rachel Leuthauser

The National Science Foundation has awarded two graduate students in the Biomedical Engineering Program with Graduate Research Fellowships, a signal of the innovative and impactful research they will conduct in the years ahead.

The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes students pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution.

GRFP is the oldest graduate fellowship program of its kind. NSF fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts in their future academic and professional careers who contribute significantly to research and teaching.

First-year PhD students Juliet Heye and Payton Martinez were awarded the five-year fellowship, which recognizes outstanding graduate students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

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Student Spotlight: Nicole Gunderson

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:13:24 +0000

Student Spotlight: Nicole Gunderson Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/28/2022 - 14:13

Rachel Leuthauser

Nicole Gunderson is a junior in the Biomedical Engineering Program who is studying human-robot interactions for applications in surgical robots. She is currently conducting research about the development of a novel-path planning algorithm for autonomous vehicles.

Nicole Gunderson, BME Junior

What brought you to the University of Colorado Boulder and attracted you to the BME program?

When I was applying to universities, it was important to me that I ended up at a research institution. I was interested in participating in research as an undergraduate to learn what fields I am passionate about within biomedical engineering, which is an incredibly multidisciplinary area of study. Additionally, it was important to me to go to a school that allowed me to cultivate a community within my field. Engineering is a difficult and rigorous field, and it was important to me that the school I chose promotes an uplifting environment - somewhere it isn’t uncommon to see people laughing and smiling in the Engineering Center.

When I began the process of choosing my major in high school, I was fully planning to follow the pre-med track to become a doctor. However, in the last few years of school, I became involved in a robotics team, as well as a science fair where I developed an assistive technology device. Participating in these opportunities made me realize that I wanted a multidisciplinary education, where I would be able to explore my interests in both medicine as well as robotics and mechanical engineering. Although I originally enrolled at CU Boulder as a Chemical and Biological Engineering major, when Biomedical Engineering became available my sophomore year, I switched in almost immediately, knowing that it would give me the multidisciplinary education I was looking for.

Tell us about the research you have been a part of on campus.

I currently conduct research for the Autonomous Robotics and Perception Group within the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory. My work centers around the development of a novel-path planning algorithm for the deployment of autonomous vehicles in human populated environments. Through this laboratory I also developed a communication beacon deployment mechanism and other electromechanical components to assist in the development of a subterranean robotic system for the DARPA Subterranean Final Competition. This project addressed creating accurate odometry and maps in visually degraded environments.

I have also conducted research for the Interactive Robotics and Novel Technologies Laboratory, where I developed a product that explores the relationship between ferrofluid and electromagnets for applications as an assistive technology 'braille tablet' for the visually impaired. I believe that participating in research has been the most influential and beneficial experience I have had so far in my educational career. The opportunity to apply my coursework to the areas of study I am passionate about and hope to pursue in the future has been a truly incredible experience. Additionally, the professors and graduate students I have worked alongside have always been consistently willing to stick their necks out for me, as well as many other undergraduate students that they have worked alongside. The support of the research community has allowed me to achieve so many opportunities that seemed unattainable before getting involved.

DARPA Subterranean Competition

How would you like your work to help society?

The reason I want to pursue a career in this field is because I believe that developing accessible and individualized treatment through the advancement of medical technology is the best way to provide everyone the dignified treatment they deserve. Working within biomedical engineering has been incredible as it has shown me a variety of ways to better patients' lives. No two of my colleagues are interested in the exact same area of work, and yet we all have the same goal of improving treatment methodologies through the advancement of biomedical knowledge.

Where do you see yourself next? What life goals are you pursuing?

I am currently considering either continuing my education through a graduate degree in robotics or a human robot interaction related field, or moving directly into an industry position within these fields.

What’s your favorite part about being a Buff?

I am an out-of-state student from the Seattle area. I moved to Colorado without knowing a single person here and only having visited once. I had heard so many horror stories about having a difficult adjustment period going to college out of state. While it was a tough transition at first, I have been able to develop such a home here. This school is truly so welcoming, with an insane amount of tight knit communities and opportunities for involvement. CU Boulder has pushed me to better myself in so many ways and I feel lucky to have found a school that proved my anxieties about college wrong.

Nicole Gunderson is a junior in the Biomedical Engineering Program who is studying human-robot interactions for applications in surgical robots. She is currently conducting research on the development of a novel-path planning algorithm for autonomous vehicles.

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CU Boulder researching ways to improve astronaut safety during future Moon landings

Anonymous — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

CU Boulder researching ways to improve astronaut safety during future Moon landings Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/28/2022 - 00:00

Torin Clark has landed a major grant from NASA to investigate ways to help protect astronaut safety and performance during lunar landings for upcoming Artemis Moon missions.

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Computer-simulated heart flow model could help treat pediatric heart disease patients

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 19:37:28 +0000

Computer-simulated heart flow model could help treat pediatric heart disease patients Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/09/2022 - 12:37

Rachel Leuthauser

Research from a collaborative team of biomedical engineers, physicians and scientists could enable significant advances for the 40,000 pediatric congenital heart disease patients (CHD) born each year.

Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering Professor Debanjan Mukherjee is among the researchers working to develop a computer-simulated model that shows the dynamics of a CHD patient’s blood flow using 3D Rotational Angiography (RA) images.

Professor Debanjan Mukherjee

“These patients are amongst the most vulnerable and sensitive populations,” Mukherjee said. “Even small advancements in their care and treatment outcomes can go a long way in improving their quality of life as they grow older. This remains the dream for our team.”

The project, titled “Computational fluid dynamic assessment of patients with congenital heart disease from 3D rotational angiography obtained in the catheterization laboratory,” was recently awarded a Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Pilot Grant in collaboration with Dr. Jenny Zablah at Children’s Hospital of Colorado.

The focus of the research, the 3D RA, is a catheter-based local angiogram, or scan of blood flow through veins and arteries, that provides real-time pressure and flow measurements alongside imaging. It is a highly beneficial yet substantially underexplored imaging option.

“Development of high-resolution, in-silico models will enable surgeons to perform hemodynamic analysis prior to a surgical procedure for CHD,” Mukherjee said. “The models will facilitate optimal surgical planning and identify indications for interventions.”

Advancing these computer-simulated models will also eliminate the need for additional imaging such as CT or MRI scans, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Mukherjee said those procedures can also introduce these young patients to more radiation and contrast.

In-silico hemodynamic model based directly off of 3D RA images.

The new research will eliminate those additional imaging complexities and facilitate rapid, pre-surgical planning for future pediatric CHD patients.

The team will also address a lack of proper validation in past computer-simulated models. They plan to integrate the computerized blood flow model with space-time varying flow data from 4D flow MRI imaging to validate their predictions.

“We remain enthusiastic at the prospect of translating our engineering-based modeling approaches to the realm of patient care,” Mukherjee said. “The role that our work, when translated into clinical care, can play for the lives of these children, is the central driving force for all of us.”

The multidisciplinary team of engineers and physicians joining Mukherjee and Zablah for this collaboration include Dr. Michael Shorofsky and Dr. Gareth Morgan from Children’s Hospital of Colorado Heart Institute and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Header image: The team's prelimary work to develop model using 3D Rotational Angiography images.

Research from Professor Debanjan Mukherjee and a collaborative team of biomedical engineers, physicians and researchers could enable significant advances for the 40,000 pediatric congenital heart disease patients (CHD) born each year.

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NSF: Engineers examine the mechanical forces that influence cell development

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Jan 2022 16:30:45 +0000

NSF: Engineers examine the mechanical forces that influence cell development Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/20/2022 - 09:30

Engineers at the University of Colorado Boulder and Purdue University, funded in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation, explored how mechanical forces guide the early cell development of organisms.

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Video: Emergent behavior in fire ants

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 17:17:59 +0000

Video: Emergent behavior in fire ants Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 01/06/2022 - 10:17

Studying emergent behavior has long fascinated engineers, and researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have uncovered a distinct behavior in colonies of fire ants cooperating in flood situations.

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C&EN: Using magnetic cubes as microbots

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 20:21:15 +0000

C&EN: Using magnetic cubes as microbots Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 01/03/2022 - 13:21

At the 2021 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, North Carolina State University researchers outlined their work on janus cubes—polymer microparticles coated with metal on one side that can be used in drug delivery, in cell measurement or as miniature actuators. Professor Wyatt Shields participated in the research as a post-doctoral fellow at NCSU.

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Ferguson, Borden earn AB Nexus grants to partner with CU Anschutz

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Ferguson, Borden earn AB Nexus grants to partner with CU Anschutz Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 06/01/2021 - 00:00

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