2016-2017 Academic Year in Review

THE FISCHELL DEPARTMENT RESEARCHERS DEVELOP BLOOD TEST TO space. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a semi-permeable barrier made from astrocytes could be affecting tumor cell
OF BIOENGINEERING HELP DOCTORS DIAGNOSE SCHIZOPHRENIA up of brain endothelial cells that line the blood vessels in the brain.This behavior directly or through modifications to
barrier plays a critical role in protecting the brain from foreign substances their extracellular matrix, said BIOE graduate
Established in 2006
Researchers from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) and Baltimore (UMB) in the blood, while allowing essential nutrients to reach the brain. Unfortu- student Marina Shumakovich, first author on
campuses have developed a blood test that could help doctors more quickly diagnose schizo- nately, the BBB is so effective that it also hinders the delivery of potentially the paper. Understanding these mechanisms,
phrenia and other disorders. Their study, Redox Probing for Chemical Information of Oxidative life-saving therapeutics to the brain. such as examining the role of astrocyte-secreted
Stress, was recently published in the journal Analytical Chemistry. matrix metalloproteinases enzymes that
To understand why breast tumor cells can overcome this barrier while degrade the extracellular matrix and are
We hope our new technique will allow a more rapid detection and intervention for schizo- many targeted treatments cannot Stroka and researchers from her Cell secreted by astrocytes brings us closer
phrenia, and ultimately lead to better outcomes, said Gregory Payne, one and Microenvironment Engineering Lab looked to study astrocytes, one of to understanding cancer metastasis to the
of the authors and a joint professor with UMDs Fischell Department of the most abundant cell types found in the brain. Astrocytes play a key role brain and thus potentially developing
Bioengineering (BIOE) and the Institute for Bioscience and Biotech- in supporting the BBB and brain homeostasis, but recent research indicates new targets for therapeutics.
nology Research (IBBR). that they are also linked to brain metastasis and tumor cell survival across
the BBB. In fact, Stroka and her team have found that biochemical cues Moving forward, Stroka and her lab
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe mental disorder that affects approx- from astrocytes actually increase the speed of breast tumor cell migration group aim to further explore how
Research Expenditures by Sponsor for by changing their shape. biochemical cues from astrocytes
imately 1 percent of the U.S. adult population and influences how
2016-2017: can change the extracellular matrix
a person thinks, feels, and behaves. The onset of symptoms usually
Even more, the research group discovered that when they applied the same in such a way that impacts tumor DR. KIMBERLY STROKA
begins between ages 16 and 30. Symptoms can range from
National Institute of Standards and visual and auditory hallucinations and movement disorders to biochemical cues directly to the extracellular matrix the collection of cell migration. One way they hope
Technology difficulty beginning and sustaining activities. proteins and carbohydrates that surrounds the cells there was an even to do this is by developing a BBB-on-a-chip model that will allow them
greater increase in tumor cell velocity. to accurately mimic the brain endothelial layer such that they can use
$3.22 million engineering strategies to inform development of regenerative therapies for
Currently, diagnosing schizophrenia and similar disorders
requires a thorough psychological evaluation and These findings are significant because they show that biochemical cues diseases.
Nonprofit & Individual Gifts
a comprehensive medical exam to rule out other
$2.19 million conditions. A patient may be evaluated for six months
or more before receiving a diagnosis and beginning JEWELL LAB DEVELOPS NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO DRIVE NEXT-GENERATION
National Science Foundation treatment, particularly if he or she shows only early signs
of the disorder. THERAPIES FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
$1.91 million
Recent studies have indicated that patient outcomes Researchers in BIOE associate professor Christopher Jewells laboratory reveal that changing the way myelin
National Institutes of Health DR. GREGORY PAYNE
could be improved if the time elapsed between the are using quantum dots tiny semiconductor particles commonly used is processed and presented to the
$1.59 million onset of symptoms and the initiation of treatment is much shorter. For this reason, researchers in nanotechnology to decipher the features needed to design specific immune system can drive tolerance
believe a chemical test that could detect oxidative stress in the blooda state commonly and effective therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune instead of inflammation. Knowing
Designated Research Initiative Fund linked with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorderscould be invaluable in helping to diseases.Their findings were published earlier this year as the cover story this, Jewell teamed up with Dr. Igor
diagnose schizophrenia more quickly. of Advanced Functional Materials. Medintz and his colleagues at the
$1.21 million
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to
The UMD and UMB team, led by research associate Eunkyoung Kim, used a discovery-driven In MS, the immune system incorrectly recognizes components of the develop a precision system that uses
Department of Defense approach based on the assumptions that chemical biomarkers relating to oxidative stress could central nervous system, causing inflammation and destruction of myelin, quantum dots to control how many
$876,000 be found in blood, and that they could be measured by common electrochemical instruments. the fatty substance that surrounds and protects nerve fibers.When this self-antigens are displayed on each
happens, nerve fibers and cells are damaged, leading to loss of motor dot. One reason Jewell and his team
Food and Drug Administration Building on an understanding of how foods are tested for antioxidants, an iridium salt was used function and other complications. Symptoms of MS can vary greatly from looked to quantum dots is because
to probe blood serum samples for detectable optical and electrochemical signals that indicate patient to patient, but can produce extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, and they are uniform and very small,
$443,000 oxidative stress in the body. The promising initial tests have shown that various biological spasticity, and significant pain. allowing efficient draining through
reductants can be detected, including glutathione, the most prominent antioxidant in the body. lymphatic vessels and accumulation
State
One promising strategy to overcome these hurdles is generation of what in the lymph nodes.
$431,000 are known as regulatory T cells (TREGS), the type of white blood cells
responsible for turning off immune responses in the body.These cells Quantum dots are also fluorescent, which allows real-time tracking in
Industry STROKA LAB DRAWS NEW CONNECTIONS BETWEEN are capable of restraining the inflammatory response against myelin that cells and animals.The team hypothesized that, by using quantum dots
$411,000
BRAIN ENVIRONMENT, BREAST CANCER METASTASIS occurs in MS, while keeping healthy functions of the immune system displaying defined densities of myelin peptides, they could reveal how the
intact. number or density of peptides alters the processing and trafficking of the
Members of assistant professor Kimberly Strokas lab have discovered a connection between peptide and, in turn, promotes TREGS that control the disease.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
biochemical cues from cells in the brain environment and breast tumor cell migration. Their In the human body, the immune system uses antigens molecules
$194,000 findings, published in Astrocytes from the brain microenvironment alter migration and morphology of that are present on all cells and vary according to the type of cell to One of our exciting findings is that tolerance and elimination of
metastatic breast cancer cells in the FASEB Journal, point to key factors that cause breast cancer to distinguish self-cells from foreign cells. Because the immune system paralysis in a pre-clinical mouse model was much better when myelin
metastasize to the brain. recognizes specific types of antigens as those displayed by human cells, peptides were displayed on many quantum dots at a low density of 25
it can quickly activate an immune response once it detects foreign per dot, instead of fewer quantum dots displaying the same number of
TOTAL: $12.5 MILLION Metastasis to the brain is one of the most deadly aspects of breast cancer, and it often leads substance, such as bacteria, toxins, or a virus. Recent studies focused on peptides but at a high density of 65 per dot, Jewell said. Developing
to a poor prognosis for patients, said Stroka, an alumna of the department (Ph.D. 11). specific MS treatments have revealed that the development of inflamma- specific knowledge or design guidelines such as these might enable more
When tumor cells travel from the breast to the brain, they get transported through the tion or tolerance against self-molecules is influenced by the concentra- selective and effective therapies to treat MS and other diseases.
bloodstream. Once they enter the brain, they need to travel out of the bloodstream into the tion and form of antigens reaching the tissues that coordinate immune
brain environment, commonly referred to as brain tissue. But, there is still so little researchers function namely, lymph nodes and the spleen. Even more, new studies
know about how and why tumor cells cross what is known as the blood-brain barrier to enter this
LEARN MORE BY FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER DR. CHRISTOPHER JEWELL ALSO RECEIVED THE 2017 CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING EDITORS CHOICE AWARD,
AND INSTAGRAM: @UMDBIOE AND WAS NAMED ONE OF SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINES ASSOCIATE SCIENTIFIC ADVISERS FOR 2017-2018.
Continued on next page
 BIOE SPINOUT DEVELOPING PEDIATRIC CANCER DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM TO better fight diseases such as cancer or to guide inflammatory responses to promote wound healing.

PREVENT HEARING LOSS FROM CHEMOTHERAPY Applying their methodology, the team demonstrated the ability to control gene expression to induce the movement of bacteria known as
bacterial swimming and to build a cellular information relay in which one group of bacteria interprets the electronic signal and passes the
Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) spinout Otomagnetics from cisplatin information to another group to change its gene expression.
recently announced the development of a magnetic drug delivery regimens, and
system to enable prevention of a major side effect of chemotherapy in magnetic delivery The teams circuit relies on redox signaling processes prevalent in most biological systems, including the human body. Redox processes are
children hearing loss. Earlier this year, the company was awarded a of newly-emerging involved in protecting the body from oxidative damage, such as when a person is exposed to bright sunlight. Like our bodies, bacteria have
$2.3 million Fast Track National Institutes of Health (NIH) National therapies could adapted ways to escape oxidative damage, Bentley said. Our team has engineered bacterial cells to instead interpret the oxygen signaling
Cancer Institute (NCI) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) provide an even processes, and we have developed a genetic circuit that relies on the associated molecular cues for actuating a programmed response.
contract to support these efforts. greater benefit.
Furthermore, topical
We are honored and excited to be working closely with the National and non-invasive
Institutes of Health to address a pressing clinical need, said BIOE and magnetic delivery
Institute of Systems Research (ISR) professor Benjamin Shapiro, the of a small dose of an
companys president and CEO. There should not have to be a choice otoprotective drug
between effective chemo and lifelong hearing loss. Our technology to the cochlea would
has the potential to allow treatment by chemotherapy without the not interfere with
attendant risk of hearing loss. the intended systemic anti-tumor action of the chemotherapy.

The company was launched out of Dr. Shapiros UMD laboratory,
through collaborations with ISR associate research scientist Didier
Depireux, and with co-founders Dr. Irving Weinberg and David Beylin.
Platin-based chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin and carboplatin, can
cause significant hearing loss, particularly in children. This can have a
dramatic impact on subsequent quality of life and lead to substantial
cognitive and speech development deficits in pediatric cases.
To address this, Otomagnetics drug delivery technique enables
application of a topical therapy to the ears cochlea to prevent damage
that could be caused by toxins, such as cisplatin. Pre-clinical studies
have shown that magnetic delivery even of a common off-the-shelf
anti-inflammatory steroid can substantially reduce hearing loss
Otomagnetics device acts like a syringe that uses non-invasive
magnetic forces instead of a needle to safely and effectively deliver
therapy to hard-to-reach targets. The company plans to use funding
support to progress the delivery system through Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) milestones, in order to reach patients.
In addition to preventing hearing loss in chemotherapy patients,
Otomagnetics is developing magnetic delivery to reach middle ear
and eye targets, to enable treatment of other conditions. Additional
support for Otomagnetics efforts has been provided by the Action on
Hearing Loss, TEDCO, BioMaryland, the National Institutes of Health,
AngelMD (a physician-backed investment group), and the National
Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation.
John T. Consoli / University of Maryland

RESEARCHERS CREATE ELECTROGENETIC DEVICE FOR ACTIVATING GENE
EXPRESSION VIA ELECTRODES
Researchers are working to develop an electrogenetic device to direct
gene expression, an achievement that holds promise for controlling
biological systems and could help shape the future of biosensors, as well
as wearable and possibly implantable bio-hybrid devices.
The team, led by William Bentley, UMD Distinguished University
Professor and director of the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical
Devices, is using redox biomolecules tiny cellular messengers that are
vital to the health of all body cells to carry electronic information
to engineered bacterial cells. To do this, the group has developed
a patent-pending electrogenetic device that uses an electrode and
engineered cells to control how and when genes are expressed from a
synthetic gene circuit.
Researchers have long used microelectronic devices embedded with
biological components, such as high throughput DNA sequencing
technologies, to interrogate biology, but such devices have the potential
to do much more perhaps even allow scientists to control biology,
Bentley said.
Previously, Bentleys team took a first step by developing a
methodology to load and control enzymes onto microelectronic chips
by modulating natural redox molecules located between the enzymes
and the electrode. Building on this, the team is now modulating redox
molecules in order to link electrode-actuated signals to cells specifically
engineered to respond by activating gene expression. This methodology
could open doors for scientists looking to drive intricate biological
behaviors such as by controlling biofilms or even producing
therapeutics in microdevices.
Expanding on previous applications of electrogenetic devices in
synthetic biology, Bentley, along with fellow Fischell Department of
Bioengineering professor Gregory Payne, and the research team have
demonstrated that small molecules offer a wide repertoire for molecular
communication. As noted in the groups Nature Communications paper
published earlier this year, once scientists gain the ability to measure,
disrupt, or enhance these biomolecular signals, they will be well-posi-
tioned to develop advanced technologies to study and manipulate the
biological environment.
Electronics have transformed the way we live our lives, and there
have been increasing efforts to connect devices to biology, such as
with glucometers or fitness trackers that access biological information,
Payne said. But, there are far fewer examples of electronics communi-
cating in the other direction to provide the cues that guide biological
responses. Such capabilities could offer the potential to apply devices to
Continued on next page
FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING LEADS NIH-FUNDED
CENTER FOR ENGINEERING COMPLEX TISSUES
The Fischell Department of Bioengineering announced earlier this
year that it will lead a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded
Biomedical Technology Resource Center (BTRC) aimed at advancing
techniques to create complex tissues and parts for the body, such as for
organs and bone. The NIH awarded a $6.25 million grant to the newly
established Center for Engineering Complex Tissues (CECT), for
which Rice University and the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative
Medicine (WFIRM) will serve as key partners.
For years, tissue engineers have worked to improve quality of life
for millions impacted by illness or trauma, said John P. Fisher, CECT
director and Fischell Family Distinguished Professor and Chair of
UMDs Fischell Department of Bioengineering. By bringing together
experts in bioengineering, biomaterials, and additive manufacturing,
CECT will serve a critical role in fostering the kind of technological
advancement that has the potential to transform how bones, tissue, and
organs are repaired or replaced.
Alongside Fisher, Rice University Louis Calder Professor of Bioengi-
neering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Antonios Mikos
will serve as the centers associate director. Anthony Atala, WFIRM
director, and James Yoo, WFIRM associate director, will serve as
co-principal investigators. Curt Civin, director of the Center for Stem
Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Maryland
School of Medicine in Baltimore will also provide collaborative support
as part of the MPowering the State partnership between the University
of Maryland, College Park and Baltimore campuses.
Building on the groups longstanding bioengineering, biomaterials, and
additive manufacturing expertise, the center will serve as a national hub
for transforming current tissue engineering and 3D printing technolo-
gies into new and improved platforms for everyday uses in regenerative
medicine.
At the core of CECTs research capabilities are three technology
research and development projects that will promote development
across three main biological systems: stem cell culture (UMD),
fabrication of cellular constructs (WFIRM), and construction of
heterogeneous tissue scaffolds (Rice). Additionally, CECT will oversee
six collaborative projects, six service projects, and multiple training
programs to foster expert collaboration for the advancement of tissue
engineering.
LEARN MORE BY VISITING WWW.CECT.UMD.EDU
 NEW MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUE SHEDS LIGHT ON HOW CELLS
SENSE ENVIRONMENT
Assistant professor Giuliano Scarcelli is collaborating
with researchers from the United Kingdom who have
developed a new microscopy method that could
revolutionize scientists understanding of how cells
find their way through the body.
The research, published in Nature Cell
Biology, is led by Malte Gather, a
professor with the School of Physics
and Astronomy at the University
of St. Andrews, United Kingdom,
and a long-time collaborator with
Scarcelli and fellow researchers in
the fields of optics and biophysics.
The new microscopy method,
DR. GIULIANO SCARCELLI
Elastic Resonator Interference
Stress Microscopy (ERISM), images the extremely weak mechanical
forces that living cells apply when they move, divide, and probe their
environment. Forces exerted by cells are fundamental for many physio-
logical processes including locomotion such as during immune
DUNCAN AWARDED BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND CAREER AWARD
FOR PULMONARY DISEASE RESEARCH
Newly appointed Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE)
assistant professor Gregg Duncan was named one of 12 recipients of the
2017 Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) Career Award at the Scientific
Interface.
This prestigious award is intended to foster the early career
development of researchers in the U.S. or Canada who have transi-
tioned or are transitioning from collegiate work in the physical,
mathematical, computational sciences or engineering into postdoctoral
work in the biological sciences. The BWF Career Award provides
$500,000 over five years to bridge advanced postdoctoral training and
their first faculty service.
Duncan was recognized for his research on microscale airway surface
liquid interactions and their role in lung health.
One of the many ways the human body protects against infection by
inhaled viruses and bacteria is through the generation and movement
of mucus from the lung airways to the throat. Unfortunately, this
movement referred to as MCC is impaired in individuals with
lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD), and cystic fibrosis.This impairment can lead to the deterioration
of lung function and susceptibility to infections.
Still, the reason for these disease symptoms is unclear, in part, due to
limitations of current measurement techniques used to analyze MCC.
Recognizing this, Duncan is working to develop new measure-
ments that will resolve the primary components of the lung airways
responsible for maintaining MCC on a microscopic scale. His hope
response or tumor metastasis cell growth, wound healing, and tissue
formation and repair. As such, researchers have long sought a method
for monitoring these forces in a robust and non-disruptive manner.
Our microscopy records very high color resolution images of the
light reflected by a thin and soft probe, Gather said. From these
images, we then create a highly accurate map of the thickness of the
probe with mind-blowing precision of one-billionth part of a meter.
If cells apply forces to the probe, the probe thickness changes locally,
thus providing information about the position and magnitude of the
applied forces. Although researchers have recorded forces applied by
cells before, our interface-based approach gives an unprecedented
resolution and, in addition, provides an internal reference that makes
our technique extremely robust and relatively easy to use.
According to a recent press release issued by St. Andrews, this
robustness means that measuring cell forces could soon become a
tool in clinical diagnostics, through which doctors could complement
existing techniques to assess the invasiveness of cancer.
is that this will provide a more accurate and complete picture of the
process.
Mucus in the lung is designed to trap any disease-causing particulate
where it is subsequently cleared by the motion
of densely packed cilia on the airway surface,
Duncan explained. Our research team will
develop nanoparticle-based imaging tools to
carefully interrogate how mucus and cilia
interact in order to identify what disrupts
mucus clearance in patients with these
diseases.
If successful, Duncan believes this
new sensitive method to examine
lung health could lead to the
development of better therapies
for patients with these diseases,
and resulting health benefits.
The support of the BWF will
allow me to perform founda-
tional studies forming the DR. GREGG DUNCAN
basis of my research program
with the goal of providing a new perspective on pulmonary disease
onset and progression, he said.
Duncan, who specializes in nanodiagnostics, nanotherapeutics,
biological fluids and interfaces, and lung diseases, officially joined the
Fischell Department of Bioengineering in summer 2017.
BIOE GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDED LEMELSON-MIT STUDENT PRIZE
Ph.D. student Lisa Tostanoski won a $15,000 Lemelson-MIT Student
Prize for efforts to develop two novel biomaterials-based strategies
to combat multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases.
Tostanoski, a researcher in BIOE assistant professor Christopher Jewells
lab, is the first University of Maryland student to win the prestigious prize.
Recently, scientists have explored the potential to use vaccine-like
therapies to treat autoimmunity. Such techniques aim to specifically
control the attack of self-molecules like myelin in multiple sclerosis
while leaving the rest of the immune system intact. In MS, the immune
system incorrectly recognizes myelin that insulates and protects nerves
fibers in the brain. Immune cells enter the brain and attack, leading to
slow loss of motor function and other complications. Current therapies
for MS work by decreasing the activity of the immune system; but, they
do so in a broadly-suppressive way that often leaves patients vulnerable
to infection.
In search of a solution, researchers like Tostanoski are working to
develop new strategies that enable control over combinations and doses
of therapies that reach particular tissues in the body.
Tostanoskis first project applies a targeted injection technique to
deposit degradable polymer carriers loaded with the desired
therapeutic cargos directly in lymph nodes, the tissues that coordinate
the bodys immune responses. These particles slowly degrade in the
lymph nodes, releasing signals that program cells not to attack self
tissues. Instead, these cues aim to expand regulatory immune cells that
could then leave the lymph nodes and move to the brain and spinal
THE PH.D. PROGRAM
75 students enrolled
3.52 average GPA for admitted students
162 average GRE Q for admitted students
40% newly enrolled were women
To apply for a graduate application fee waiver:
go.umd.edu/2017waiver
cord to control inflammation and disease. The research team, which
joins together the Jewell Lab and the immunology lab of Dr. Jonathan
Bromberg at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, is
currently working to understand the mechanism as well as the transla-
tional potential to other disease models. Their findings were recently
highlighted in the journal Cell Reports.
In the second approach, Tostanoski and fellow researchers use
specialized technology to create immune polyelectrolyte multilayers
(iPEMs) built entirely from immune signals. These iPEMs are
self-assembled on particle templates during production. Then, the
templates are dissolved to leave hollow capsules that consist only of the
immune cues the lab wants to deliver, eliminating the need for carrier
components. University of Maryland School of Medicine Professor
of Neurology Walter Royal and members of his lab collaborated with
Tostanoski and Jewell to conduct pilot studies investigating how iPEMs
interact with samples from human MS patients. Findings from these
studies were published in ACS Nano.
Tostanoski, Jewell, and the research team have shown that this approach
controls inflammation in samples from human multiple sclerosis
patients, and eliminates disease in mouse models of multiple sclerosis.
This cutting-edge technique mimics useful features of biomaterial
therapeutics such as co-delivery, targeting, and cargo protection
but is much simpler because no carrier components are needed. Even
more, this feature also eliminates the risk of activating the immune
system in the unintended or unexpected ways sometimes associated
with synthetic materials.
In addition to the Ph.D., Fischell Department of Bioengineering
program degree options include a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)
degree, Graduate Certificate in Bioengineering, Doctor of
Medicine/Master of Science (M.D./M.S.), and a Doctor of
Medicine/Doctor of Philosophy (M.D./Ph.D.).
For more information:
www.bioe.umd.edu/graduate
 GEL-E ANNOUNCES $3.1 MILLION IN PRIVATE FINANCING
gel-e Inc., a startup company launched by Fischell Department of
Bioengineering alumnus Matthew Dowling (Ph.D. 10), announced
that it has raised $3.1 million in private financing, led by early-stage
investment funds and life science investors.
The announced financing will allow gel-e to expand its initial U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory clearance for the
management of bleeding wounds including vascular access sites
(Vascular gel-e) to a broader hemostatic product line for the
treatment of external wounds.
gel-e specializes in developing a broad range of advanced hemostatic
and wound treatment products, including bandages for the treatment
of routine cuts and scrapes, foams, putties for traumatic and military
injuries, and surgical gels and powders.
gel-es objective is to build products that stop bleeding rapidly and
reliably in a variety of clinical settings, regardless of the patients
coagulation state, Dowling said. Even routine bleeding from
common lacerations, such as cuts and nicks from shaving, is becoming
problematic given the meteoric rise in the use of blood-thinning
medications throughout the world.
As a student in UMD Department of Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering (ChBE) professor Srinivasa Raghavans Complex Fluids
and Nanomaterials Lab, Dowling co-created a fast-acting, blood-clot-
ting bandage. This patented, life-saving technology is based on modified
chitosan, a biopolymer derived from chitin, which is found in the
exoskeletons of shrimp, crabs, and other crustaceans. Chitosan is a
unique natural material because it is biocompatible, anti-microbial, and
ALUM NAMED TO FORBES 30 UNDER 30: HEALTHCARE LIST
Adam Behrens (Ph.D. 15) was named to Forbes prestigious 30 Under
30: Healthcare list for 2017 in recognition of his recent efforts to
advance the development of vaccines and diagnostic testing.
Being selected for Forbes 30 Under 30 is really an amazing honor, Council on Graduate Schools
Behrens said. The recognition equally speaks to the great people that I
have worked with and the opportunities they have afforded me.
Throughout his undergraduate and graduate years of study at the Clark
School, Behrens worked towards developing a hemostatic (blood-clotting)
gel designed to quickly stop hemorrhaging, and a low-cost alternative
or adjuvant to sutures for use in a surgical setting. Today, Behrens
is a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys
Langer Lab, which focuses on the interface of biotechnology and
materials science.
Forbes noted that Behrens is taking on germs in the developing world
with two projects: an effort to make vaccines that dont require refrig-
eration, and a push to develop diagnostic tests that can detect infectious
diseases at patients bedsides.
THE NEW HOME OF THE FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING, A. JAMES CLARK HALL,
FEATURES FIVE MEETING SPACES FOR STUDENT STARTUPS.
highly durable under a wide range of environmental conditions.
When applied to wounds, the bandage quickly creates a three-dimen-
sional nanoscale mesh that coagulates blood and stops hemorrhaging.
Despite its effective bonds with tissue, the bandage is gentle enough to
be removed from
a patient without
causing further
injury. The pad is
designed to be used
by surgeons, soldiers,
first responders,
or even unskilled
helpers in locations
ranging from the
operating room to
the battlefield.
In 2015, the FDA
cleared gel-es
vascular access
hemostat for sale, UNDERGRADS DEVELOP DEVELOP TOOLS TO DIAGNOSE ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
paving the way for the company to commercialize additional, unique BEFORE PATIENTS SHOW SYMPTOMS
products based on the same technology. Today, gel-e boasts a product
line featuring next-generation vascular access hemostats, as well
as bandages and flowable gels to treat nuisance bleeds and chronic
A team of seven undergraduates earned the top prize in this years diagnose Alzheimers disease. Such methods are expensive and, at times,
wounds.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Design by Biomedical Undergrad- invasive, so many patients are diagnosed based only on their symptoms.
uate Teams (DEBUT) challenge for their efforts to develop low-cost
tools to diagnose Alzheimers disease before patients show symptoms. It can take up to two years after clinical symptoms arise for patients to
LEARN MORE BY VISITING WWW.GEL-E.CO receive a proper diagnosis, and by then, he or she may have already seen
Alzheimers disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United significant progression of the disease, Patel said. To address this, our
States, costing the nation close to $259 billion this year, said BIOE technique allows us to characterize an Alzheimers patients brainwave
undergraduate and the teams captain Dhruv Patel, citing data from using a variety of mathematical analytical tools and compare it with a
the Alzheimers Association. Diagnosing the disease early on allows healthy patients brainwave to create a machine-learning model that
patients to open up treatment options, manage the disease properly, and can then accurately predict the probability of the patient having the
slow its progression. disease.
Behrens, a Clark School Future
Faculty Fellow, was recently The cross-disciplinary UMD team, known as Synapto, will use the Organized by the UMD student chapter of the Biomedical
awarded an honorable mention $20,000 in their development of a portable electroencephalogram Engineering Society, Synaptos team members are: BIOE students
in the competition for the 2016 (EEG) that uses a headset designed and manufactured by OpenBCI David Boegner, Megha Guggari, Chris Look (a computer science
and a new software analysis tool to detect Alzheimers disease before double-major), Anoop Patel, and Dhruv Patel; and Department of
(CGS) ProQuest Distin- a patient displays clinical symptoms. The device exploits changes Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering students Megan Forte and
guished Dissertation Award in observed in the brainwaves of Alzheimers patients in response to special Brianna Sheard. The groups participation in the competition was led,
Mathematics, Physical Sciences, auditory tones. The team, which recently filed for a company LLC in in part, by the Biomedical Engineering Society-UMD executive board
and Engineering. Behrens disser- Maryland, believes their work could help make dementia diagnosis and supported by faculty advisor Steven Jay, a BIOE assistant professor.
tation, Polymeric Materials for more quantitative, more systematic, and less costly allowing doctors to Bill Idsardi, chair of UMDs Department of Linguistics, provided the
Hemostatic and Surgical Sealant use it at regular check-ups. initial hardware that helped accelerate the project.
Applications placed in the top
three from more than 45 disser- Today, PET scans, MRIs, and spinal taps are most commonly used to
tations from institutions across
the United States and Canada
to be recognized by a panel of
THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
judges from the graduate dean
community with expertise in the STEM fields. 438 students enrolled The undergraduate program of the Fischell Department of Bioengineer-
4.47 average GPA for admitted students ing is founded in biology, driven by human health issues, and emphasizes
innovation. Our objective is to merge the principles and applications
760: Math SAT, 75th percentile
embedded in engineering with the sciences of biology, medicine, and health.
690: Math SAT, 25th percentile
60% newly enrolled were women For more information:
www.bioe.umd.edu/undergraduate
 FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING ANNOUNCES SIX NEW FACULTY
The Fischell Department of Bioengineering announced six additions
to its faculty this year: assistant professor Gregg Duncan (beginning
August 2017), professor Xiaoming (Shawn) He (beginning December
2017), assistant professor Huang-Chiao (Joe) Huang (beginning
January 2018), University of Maryland Vice President for Research and
Professor Laurie Locascio (beginning October 2017), research professor
Zhongjun Wu, and professor Li-Qun Zhang (beginning May 2017).
Assistant Professor Gregg Duncan specializes in nanodiagnostics,
nanotherapeutics, complex biological fluids and interfaces, and
pulmonary diseases. His current research focuses on using nanoparticles
as diagnostic probes to monitor changes in the biophysical properties
of airway mucus from individuals with cystic fibrosis lung disease. He is
developing an inhaled viral gene delivery system as a means to correct
the genetic defect that causes cystic fibrosis.
Professor Xiaoming (Shawn) He focuses much of his research on
micro/nanotechnology, cancer theranostics, and tissue regeneration. His
most recent work has centered on developing bioinspired micro and
nanoscale biomaterials and devices to engineer normal stem cells for
tissue regeneration, target cancer stem cells for cancer theranostics, and
prepare cells/tissues/organs for cryogenic and ambient-temperature
banking.
Assistant Professor Huang-Chiao (Joe) Huang specializes in organic
and inorganic photoactivatable nanoparticles, nanotechnology-enabled
drug delivery, mechanism-based combination treatment regimens,
photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and photoimmunother-
apy. His recent work focuses on establishing the concept of a mutually
reinforcing combination therapy, based on two or more cooperative
regimens directed against non-overlapping molecular targets, such that
each component overcomes the others resistance pathways to reinforce
the benefits of each modality.
GREGG DUNCAN XIAOMING HE HUANG-CHIAO
HUANG
The Fischell Department of Bioengineering is home to 21 state-of-the-
art labs, including Immune Engineering, Vascular Pharmacoengineering
and Biotherapeutics, Biomolecular and Metabolic Engineering, Tissue
Engineering, and Nanoscale Interfacial Biology and Engineering.
University of Maryland Vice President for Research and Professor
Laurie Locascio specializes in bioengineering, toxicology, and analytical
chemistry. She has extensive experience leading federal research
programs and laboratories, and building strategic partnerships among
universities, industry, and government labs. Locascio previously worked
at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), rising
from a research biomedical engineer to senior leadership positions
including, most recently, acting principal deputy director and associate
director for laboratory programs, providing leadership and operational
guidance for NISTs seven scientific and mission-focused laboratories.
Research professor Zhongjun Wu is a tenured full professor of surgery
at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he is engaged
in the basic and applied research of cardiovascular and pulmonary
disease and the fundamental technical problems associated with
artificial and bio-hybrid organ development. His most recent research
projects include the use of ventricular assist devices in heart failure,
development of pediatric ventricular assist devices, development of
artificial pumping lungs, and computational design and modeling of
biomedical devices.
Professor Li-Qun Zhangs work focuses on developing single and
multi-joint intelligent rehabilitation robotics to diagnose, treat, and
evaluate neurological disorders and musculoskeletal injuries, investigate
reflex/non-reflex and dynamic/static factors contributing to impaired
motor control, and study injury and compensation mechanisms
of pathological knee conditions. His most recent work centers on
developing rehabilitation protocols and devices, and conducting clinical
trials on people with neurological disorders or musculoskeletal injuries.
a public research institution in the 21st century, will propel UMD and
LAURIE LOCASCIO ZHONGJUN WU LI-QUN ZHANG
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND ANNOUNCES UNPRECEDENTED INVESTMENT FROM
THE A. JAMES & ALICE B. CLARK FOUNDATION
On October 4th, the University of Maryland announced a transfor-
mative investment of $219,486,000 from the A. James & Alice B.
Clark Foundation. Building Together: An Investment for Maryland will
increase college access and affordability, inspire the next generation
of engineering leaders and spark innovations that tackle todays most
daunting problems.
This investment, the largest in UMD history and among the largest to
the A. James Clark School of Engineering to the forefront of education
and research by establishing and funding an array of need-based
scholarships, graduate fellowships, distinguished faculty chairs and
operational and capital projects.
This investment is historic in scope and transformational in impact,
and I do not say this lightly, University of Maryland President Wallace
D. Loh said. Access to higher education is essential, if we are to solve
John T. Consoli / University of Maryland
urgent national problems. Creating this path for the most promising
students in engineering and other fields may well prove to be Mr.
Clarks greatest legacy.
The gift was announced at an event with Loh, Pastrick, Maryland
Governor Larry Hogan, Mrs. Alice B. Clark, Clark Foundation
President Joe Del Guercio, Maryland Speaker of the House Michael
Busch, and Chancellor of the University System of Maryland Robert
Caret. More than 150 students who have received previous scholarships
from the Clark Foundation were also in attendance.
Access to an affordable college education to promising students has
guided the Clark familys longstanding investments. New scholarships
and fellowships made possible by this donation build on the Founda-
tionsand Mr. Clarksfundamental belief in connecting effort with
opportunity, by helping those who demonstrate determination and
perseverance.
LEARN MORE BY VISITING WWW.BUILDINGTOGETHER.UMD.EDU
A. JAMES CLARK HALL
OPENS NOVEMBER 10TH
The ceremonial opening of A. James Clark Hall, the new six-story
home of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering and the
Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, will take
place on Friday, November 10, 2017. The 184,000-square-foot
facility will spur the development of transformative engineering
and biomedical technologies to advance human health, and will
serve as the flagship of University of Maryland bioengineering
and a hub for new partnerships and collaborations throughout
the capital region. Clark Hall will add 38,000 square feet of new
department space for bioengineering, and feature 39,666 square
feet of lab space, including three bioimaging labs, a state-of-the-
art computational lab and the 240-seat Leidos Innovation Lab.
LEARN MORE BY VISITING GO.UMD.EDU/CLARKHALL
 2330 Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building
8228 Paint Branch Dr.
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-2835

The Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland

is the home of an emerging academic discipline, exciting interdisciplinary
degree programs, and faculty and students who want to make a
difference in human healthcare through education, research and
invention.

For more information about the department, please visit:

www.bioe.umd.edu

Follow us on Twitter: @UMDBIOE

FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING BY THE NUMBERS:

$12.5M in Research Expenditures in 2016-17 21 State-of-the-art Laboratories

184,000 Square-Foot Building Opening in 2017 21 Senior Capstone Projects in Spring 2017
38,000 Square Feet of New Department 3 NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Awards
Space with Opening of A. James Clark Hall (Dr. Steven Jay, Dr. Giuliano Scarcelli,
27 Invention Disclosures Filed in 2016-17 Dr. Huang-Chiao Huang)

22 Tenure/Tenure-Track Faculty 2 Burroughs Wellcome Career Award recipients

(Dr. Kimberly Stroka, Dr. Gregg Duncan)