Category Archives: Texas Stem Cells

A bone marrow donor registry drive on Texas A&M Universitys campus brought more than 400 students to Duncan Dining Hall on Friday.

Participants swabbed their mouths to provide DNA samples and have their names added to Be the Matchs national bone marrow registry, which will help people in need of bone marrow connect with donors. The event was a collaborative effort between the A&M Corps of Cadets, the Kidz1stFund and Be the Match.

If anyone is matched, Community Engagement Representative for Be the Match Gulf Coast Benita Davis said they will need to have additional blood work done before donating.

A&M senior and Cadet 1st Lt. Mitchell Moore said his attendance on Friday was motivated in part by his interest in the medical field, since he is aiming to go to medical school.

Its minimum to no risk for you and not too much time, Moore said about donating. A small time on your part can make a huge difference and extend someones life by years.

A&M football coach Jimbo Fisher and Candi Fisher started Kidz1stFund in 2011 to raise money for research about fanconi anemia, which is a rare blood disorder that their teenage son was diagnosed with. Fisher stopped by Fridays event to speak with organizers and meet participants.

Its amazing how many great people there are in this world who are willing to help other people, Fisher said. These young men and women out here are actually saving lives.

Davis said donating is not as painful as many people often think, especially since about 80% of donations can be made with the nonsurgical method of giving peripheral blood stem cells. The other 20% of donations involve marrow being removed from the hip while the donor is asleep under general anesthesia. According to the Be the Match website, about one in 430 people on the registry end up donating.

The cadets in attendance on Friday were a reflection of who they are as people and students, according to Amy Thompson, assistant commandant, marketing and communications for the Corps of Cadets.

Selfless service is an A&M core value its also a core value for the Corps of Cadets, Thompson said. The commandant really supports and encourages cadets to seek out opportunities to be leaders in selfless service. This is one of those opportunities where we can do that on a very large scale and make a huge impact.

Corps Squadron 1 commander and A&M senior Jacob Svetz donated using stem cells about two years ago. He said he thinks everyone should sign up for the registry.

The few pin pricks that you get Its such a miniscule amount of pain compared to what that family and individual are suffering through, Svetz said. To put yourself into a position to be able to help that for me, it doesnt make sense not to.

Be the Match On Campus President and A&M senior Paige Boone said the organization hosts drives every month. The next one will be March 25 at A&Ms Rudder Plaza. Home swab kits are also an option. To get started, visit join.bethematch.org or text CORPS to 61474. Anyone ages 18 to 44 can participate.

Continued here:
Jimbo Fisher's Kidz1stFund, Aggie Corps of Cadets team up for Be the Match bone marrow donor registry drive - Bryan-College Station Eagle

Texas A&M researcher Dr. Yava Jones Hall was named to a list of 100 inspiring black scientists in the U.S.

Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences

Dr. Yava Jones-Hall, an associate professor in theDepartment of Veterinary Pathobiology (VTPB)at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), is leading in the field of veterinary medicine as the only veterinarian selected for CrossTalks list of100 inspiring black scientists in America.

CrossTalk is the official blog of Cell Press, a leading publisher of more than 50 scientific journals across the life, physical, earth and health sciences.

We are very happy to see one of our high-caliber faculty members being recognized for their outstanding work, said Carol A. Fierke, Texas A&M University provost and executive vice president.

Jones-Hall is joined on the list by scientists from African, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx and African-American backgrounds ranging from assistant professors to department heads at universities across the country.

It was surprising and amazing to be selected, especially being a veterinarian, Jones-Hall said. It was nice to see veterinary medicine represented.

The list of inspiring black scientists was created to encourage current and future generations of scientists and emphasize the importance of diversity in the field. CrossTalk clarified that while there are many more than 100 black scientists in the U.S. deserving of recognition, the list was created to provide an example of the impact black scientists can have on America.

Diversity drives excellence in everything that we do as a team, including biomedical education and research, saidDr. Ramesh Vemulapalli, VTPB department head. We are very proud to have Dr. Jones-Hall on our faculty. She is a great role model to minority students aspiring to pursue a career in veterinary medicine.

I definitely see diversity in veterinary medicine as an important concept, Jones-Hall said. The reality is, the world is not homogenous. We need our students to be exposed to working with different types of people to have cultural sensitivity and understand that not everybody is like you. Also, once you have diversity within any program, you get diverse ideas.

While earning her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, Jones-Hall was introduced to the field of patholog they, study of the causes and effects of disease. Once she saw how seamlessly pathology combines with collaborative research, she was hooked.

As a veterinary pathologist, Im trained to understand disease in any organ in a multitude of species, Jones-Hall said. Whatever field of research an investigators in, I help them figure out how best a pathologist can tease out the data for them to see whats happening and how best to frame the research.

Considering herself a veterinary detective, Jones-Hall helps researchers look at clues in cells and body tissues to find the best way for the research to progress. Working on a variety of research topics, and never knowing what will come through the door next, are what make the field of pathology so appealing to her.

Jones-Hall joined the CVM from the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine last August and, as the sirector of CVMs Histology Laboratory, began the project of creating a digital pathology program to increase the efficiency and accuracy of one of a pathologists typical jobs analyzing slides of cells to count those of the same kind.

Traditionally, pathologists would look at the slide under the microscope and give a subjective assessment of disease, Jones-Hall said. Digital pathology augments traditional pathology by allowing the pathologist to use computer-generated algorithms to assess disease. This gives objective, quantifiable, and repeatable results. Whereas it would take me weeks to look at hundreds of slides, I scan the slides to make a digital image and direct a computer program to find the cells of interest or disease state. Hundreds of slides can now be analyzed in hours instead of weeks.

Outside of the lab, Jones-Hall donates much of her spare time to volunteering for community outreach efforts and taking any opportunity she can to promote STEM careers, and specifically veterinary medicine, to disadvantaged youth.

She is also a member of Texas A&Ms STRIDE (Strategies and Tactics for Recruiting to Improve Diversity and Excellence) Committee, leading workshops for faculty members involved in faculty recruitment.

Diversity is important, in general, and its important to me, so Im willing to do more in order to improve the climate and increase everyones awareness she said.

Jones-Hall hopes that her recognition from CrossTalk can inspire others to spend their careers thinking not only of themselves, but also those who may not have had the same advantages.

The CVM is extremely proud of Dr. Jones-Hall for her accomplishments as an individual and as the only veterinarian to appear on the list of 100 inspiring black scientists, saidDr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. The work she does within and outside of the university will undoubtedly make a huge impact, both for the college and within the community, as she demonstrates the possibilities for budding scientists from all backgrounds.

See the rest here:
Texas A&M Researcher Named To National List Of Inspiring Black Scientists - Texas A&M University

Need motivation to get through another dreaded week at your soul-sucking job? Theres no shortage of cool stuff to do in Madison its just figuring out which cool stuff best suits you. Heres what Madison is doing this week.

Monday, March 2, The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (info)

Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is spreading in the United States, despite the presidents belief that its a hoax. But in China, the disease has already killed thousands. And to understand the virus, you need to understand where it began. Five UW professors will convene to discuss the ins and outs of the sociological and scientific effects of coronavirus on the country. And while were at it, a friendly reminder: wash your damn hands, people!

Tuesday, March 3, Buck and Honeys, Monona (info)

I know, I know. Dan Kelly sucks. But March 3 is my birthday. And there is nothing more I would like than for you to go and ask the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice to his face about those extreme, gross and wildly outdated views. If you cant make it, a nice consolation would be to vote for Jill Karofsky on April 7.

Tuesday, March 3, Central Library (info)

Back when I was playing team sports, I wasnt above seeking out some higher power to carry the squad to victory. The field hockey players of Quan Barrys novel We Ride Upon Sticks take it a step further, calling on dark magic to aid them. Though I suppose thats par for the course in Danvers, Mass., home of the 1692 witch trials. Barrys 1980s-set book draws on that history, as well as me-decade touchstones like Heathers to create this darkly comic story. Barry, whos also a UW professor, will be on hand to discuss her novel.

Tuesday through Thursday, March 3-5, Monona Terrace (info)

When it comes to cheese, Wisconsin does not fuck around. So it makes perfect sense that the World Cheese Championship would be held here in Madison. Cheesemakers from around the globe will gather in hopes of being named best in the world. There are over 3,500 submissions this year and no matter who wins, attendees will still get the chance to sample a whole lot of good cheese.

Wednesday, March 4, Shannon Hall at Memorial Union (info)

Im going to do my best to describe this because as weve covered here before, I am not the brightest when it comes to STEM. (Not for lack of trying, though! Nova is my friend.) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an award-winning 2010 book by Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of Lacks, a woman whose preserved cervical cancer cells posthumously contributed to numerous scientific advancements from the polio vaccine to the effect space travel has on human cells. Here, Skloot will discuss both her book and ethics in science in general. Knowledge is power!

Wednesday, March 4, Comedy on State (info)

And then there were five. After weeks of competition, the original field of 60+ local jokesmiths has been whittled down to Ton Johnson, Jackson Jones, Kayla Ruth, David Schendlinger and Jake Snell. These five comedic gladiators will battle for the title of funniest comic in town. Who will join the ranks of hilarious folks like past winners Johnny Walsh and Nick Hart?

Wednesday, March 4, Central Library (info)

Do you have a quote from a movie or TV show that youve co-opted into your everyday life? Ive got a few, but my most frequent is ordinary fuckin people from Repo Man. Its a catchall utterance for when the general public gets you down, something Harry Dean Stantons crusty character in the 80s punk cinema touchstone Repo Man would know all about. In this cult classic, Stanton plays a veteran repo guy who takes an aimless suburban punk (Emilio Estevez) under his wing. Its funny, freaky and boasts one of the best soundtracks in movie history, featuring Iggy Pop, Black Flag and Circle Jerks. Everyone needs to see this movie at least once.

Thursday, March 5, Communication (info)

I like my music how I like my coffee: dark, rich and filled with overcast progressive electronics. Given this, Kayo Dot should be my new favorite artist. The NYC-based act began as a sort of quasi-metal, but has experimented and blossomed so much that its hard to figure what exactly to call it other than very good. Support comes from fellow New York metal explorers Psalm Zero and Madison krautrock duo Telechrome.

Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7, Comedy on State (info)

Former SNL cast member Jay Pharoah is an incredible impressionist, but hes also an incredible stand-up, an animated force on stage with a gift for character work. The 32-year-old is a chameleon, able to shift between observational humor and celebrity imitations with the same ease as hed have tying his shoes. My personal favorite is his pitch-perfect take on his ex-SNL coworker John Mulaney. Pharoah has also appeared in films like Ride Along and Chris Rocks critically acclaimed 2014 directorial effort, Top Five.

Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7, The Marquee at Union South (info)

Ive been a member of the Bong Joon-ho hive for a while now The Host practically exploded my mind in school but Parasite entirely changes the conversation around the South Korean auteur. Bong has long been able to mix genre cinema with social commentary, but Parasite ratchets that up to an entirely new level. Without giving too much away, an extremely poor family (led by frequent Bong collaborator Song Kang-ho) gradually infiltrates an extremely rich family. And then about halfway through the film, things go extremely sideways. It also just picked up a bunch of Oscars, including Best Picture. And it absolutely, 100% deserves it. Its not only Bongs own masterpiece, but a cinematic marvel in general.

Thursday through Saturday, March 5-7, The Marquee at Union South (info)

Hayao Miyazaki is like Japans own Walt Disney, but without all the anti-semitism. The legendary animator makes fantastical, emotionally riveting films that burrow into your psyche. Theyre all good, but Spirited Away stands a cut above the rest. In it, a young girl accidentally stumbles into a spirit world and must work to both adapt to her new surroundings and find a way back to her family on the outside. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003, making it the first foreign-language film to ever win that particular trophy. Though if you ask me, every Miyazaki is Oscar-worthy.

Friday, March 6, High Noon Saloon (info)

If you yearn for the halcyon days of 1990s alternative, Bad Bad Hats is the perfect band for you. The Minneapolis trio is like Superchunk for a new generation, a pitch perfect mix of pop punks hooks and grungy guitars. And they play around these parts enough that Im going to go ahead and name them an honorary Madison band.

Friday, March 6, Memorial Union Rathskeller (info)

Pysch rock duo Dumbo Gets Mad may now call Los Angeles home, but theyre a long way from their actual homes. Luca Bergomi and Carlotta Menozzi hail from Italy and mix pop hooks with kaleidoscopic instrumentation, making it as easy to listen to as it is to get totally lost inside of. And thats the mark of psychedelia done well: music that practically envelops the listener. With Sea Moya, another set of European transplants who moved from Germany to Montreal in 2018.

Friday, March 6, Mickeys Tavern (info)

Looking for pure, unadulterated punk rock? Milwaukees beer soaked Sex Scenes have you covered. With a blistering pace and wild live show, the group is as loud and melodic as they are sweaty. And when you play as hard as Sex Scenes do, you get very sweaty. Local support comes from a pair of equally energetic Madison punx, Treatment and Black Cat.

Friday, March 6, Orpheum Theater (info)

For many comedians, keeping it clean would eliminate their entire act. But Nate Bargatze manages family-friendly material without losing any of its comedic edge. The Tennessee native is endlessly relatable, riffing on every minutiae in a way that everyone from cynical stand-up nerds and pearl-clutching grannies alike can LOL at. Case in point, hes received praise from the disparate likes of Jim Gaffigan and Marc Maron. His first one-hour special, The Tennesssee Kid, premiered on Netflix last year.

Saturday, March 7, Four Star Video Rental (info)

Theres something sweetly nostalgic about renting movies. It reminds me of going to Hollywood Video after school and checking out The Matrix for the 20th time. Those chain stores went to the great return box in the sky a long time ago. Here in Madison, Four Star Video Rental has long been the hub not just for movie borrowing, but for film appreciation in general. Now the local institution is celebrating its new West Gilman location with a party that will include two DJs and drinks. Be kind, unwind.

Saturday, March 7, Crystal Corner Bar (info)

If youre into psychedelics (specifically the music, but Im not one to judge),this show features some of the best jammers in the Madison area. The headliner Sweet Delta Dawn approaches the genre through the lens of heavy blues rock. Think Stevie Ray Vaughan by way of Phish. Featuring the eclectic and chaotic seven-piece White Bush Unicorn and high-energy rock outfit Magic Conch.

Saturday, March 7, The Winnebago (info)

Like any country singer worth their salt, Craig Gerdes is a road warrior. The Southern Illinois native has spent enough time on the road to call it a second home, gigging with everyone from Tyler Childers to Stainds Aaron Lewis. Along the way, hes honed an earthy, authentic sound thats got the power of an 18-wheeler. Yee and I cant stress this enough haw.

Sunday, March 8, High Noon Saloon (info)

Despite hailing from the middle of Texas, Summer Salt sound made for the beach. Their tunes combine breezy melodies with lush instrumentals and will have you yearning for the weather to stay above 50 degrees. They released their sophomore album, Honeyweed, in 2019. The warm retro-folkies of Okey Dokey and charming reverb-lovers Breakup Shoes will open.

Read more:
What to do in Madison: March 2-8, 2020 - The Bozho

Lance was diagnosed with cerebral palsy a year ago. His family hopes non-FDA approved stem cell treatment for the disease can help him walk and talk.

CAMP HILL, Pa. A family in Cumberland County has turned to stem cells to treat their two-year-old son diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The only problem: stem cell treatment for the disease hasn't been approved by the FDA.

The day he was born, when he wheeled him down the hall and he was only a pound, and I started to cry and said, will he live? And he said, of course Hes only small," said Danielle Maxwell, Lance's mom.

The words, "he's only small," are what Lance's mom and father Rob have lived by since the day he was born. The preemie, born three months early, has been through several surgeries and complications along the way. But, Lance has always been a fighter.

Lance fought so hard just to survive the beginning of life, and come home with us," said Danielle. "And he is just so happy and loving and amazing.

About a year ago, Lance was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Doctors told his family, he will never walk, talk or take care of himself.

We just dont believe that," said Danielle. "We dont.

Lance receives a lot of different therapies but, his parents did not want to just stop there.

We both overwhelmingly feel, he never gave up, he never gave up on us, he never gave up on himself," said Rob. "So, we owe it to him to give him the opportunity. Its really that simple, he deserves the opportunity."

Danielle began researching stem cell therapies, even speaking to doctors in countries overseas where treatment with stem cells is more readily accessible than in the U.S. The FDA has approved stem cell treatments for some conditions but not cerebral palsy. However, trials to determine the effectiveness of stem cell treatment for the disease are underway.

What weve seen is a small but real appearing improvement in motor function," said Doctor Charles Cox with University of Texas Health in Houston, began a trial in 2013 on the safety and effectiveness of banked cord blood or bone marrow stem cells in children with cerebral palsy, and is now just wrapping up the results from the trial.

The overall results of this study depend if youre a glass half full or half empty kind of person," said Dr. Cox. "It is not a compelling miraculous result. Its not, Oh my God, this child was treated and look at this profound benefit.'"

Because stem cell treatment for cerebral palsy is still in trial phases, it's not approved treatment by the FDA. However, the Maxwells did find a doctor in Harrisburg willing to transfer stem cells from a full-term baby's umbilical cord to Lance. But, since it isn't FDA approved, we were not allowed to be there to show Lance receiving the stem cells. The Maxwells are hopeful following this procedure Lance may someday walk and more importantly be able to communicate with them.

He wants to be involved," said Rob. "You can tell hes trying to communicate he just cant get over that hump. We believe stem cells could be that bridge to help him move a little faster.

Danielle says, it will take about six months to see if the stem cells will have any definitive benefits for Lance. But, already says she's seeing progress. She says Lance is not able to stand on his own.

Read this article:
Cumberland County family turns to non-FDA approved stem cell treatment to help two-year-old son with cerebral palsy - FOX43.com

St. Paul, MN, February 27, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Recombinetics (RCI) today announced a collaborative research project with University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) to identify key factors that improve the efficiency of generating interspecies chimera between pigs and humans. This near-term goal will benefit the long-term objective of advancing regenerative medicine through the reliable production of therapeutic human cells, tissues and organs using blastocyst complementation. This would create a more reliable supply of live-saving transplantable organs on demand that is not reliant on human donors.

This collaboration will leverage the expertise of RCI in producing inter-species chimeras, specifically using the blastocyst complementation method, where the host species is mutated to ablate a crucial organ or lineage, and the human donor cells are populating the missing niche. Our plan is to understand the relationship between human and pig cells through development and utilize gene editing to improve the survival, engraftment and differentiation of the donor human cells in the specific niche. These technologies could very well hold the crucial step that move us towards producing human components in bio-incubators.

Project efforts will be led by Ohad Gafni, Ph.D., RCIs Director of Stem Cell Technologies and Jun Wu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Scientists have struggled to produce inter species chimera due to poor survival and engraftment of the injected donor cells in the host environment. In this collaboration, we will combine in vitro and in vivo studies to enhance the efficiency of producing pig: human chimeras as a foundation for producing therapeutic human cells, tissues, and organs, says Dr. Gafni.

About RecombineticsFounded in 2008, Recombinetics (RCI) is producing gene-edited animals for biomedical and food production purposes and is generating commercial and collaborative revenues. RCIs technology platform supports three business lines: Acceligen (precision breeding to enhance health, well-being and productivity in food animals and aquaculture); Surrogen (gene-edited swine models of human diseases for biomedical research and pre-clinical trials by pharmaceutical and medical device companies); and Regenevida (development of human regenerative products including cells, tissues and organ products in swine models for exotransplantation to humans). Learn more at Recombinetics.com.

View original post here:
Recombinetics Announces Collaboration with University of Texas Southwestern to Advance Regenerative Medicine Through Therapeutic Cell, Tissue, and...

Biomedical researchers from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (TTUHSC El Paso) and The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) are collaborating to develop artificial mini-hearts using 3D bioprinting technology for space.

These heart-tissue structures will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to gain insight into how microgravity affects the function of the human heart, particularly in regards to the health condition known as cardiac atrophy.

The artificial mini-heart, otherwise known as a cardiac organoid, will be produced using a combination of human stem cells and 3D bioprinting. The project, which began in September 2019, will take course over the next three years. It is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the space stations U.S. National Laboratory.

TTUHSC El Paso faculty scientist Munmun Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., a researcher on the project, states:

Knowledge gathered from this study could be used to develop technologies and therapeutic strategies to better combat tissue atrophy experienced by astronauts, as well as open the door for improved treatments for people who suffer from serious heart issues due to illness.

How does microgravity affect our hearts?

Researchers taking part in the project are Dr. Chattopadhyay and UTEP biomedical engineer Binata Joddar, Ph.D. Dr. Chattopadhyay is an assistant professor in TTUHSC El Pasos Center of Emphasis in Diabetes and Metabolism, part of the Paul L. Foster School of Medicines Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine. Dr. Joddar is an assistant professor in the UTEP College of Engineering and leads research in the universitys Inspired Materials and Stem Cell-Based Tissue Engineering Laboratory.

Together, the researchers will collaborate to 3D bioprint small cardiac organoids using human stem cells. These heart-tissue structures will then be sent to the ISS, where they will be exposed to the near-weightless environment of the orbiting space station. The researchers hope that this will provide a better understanding of cardiac atrophy, which is a reduction and weakening of heart tissue, leading to difficulty pumping blood to the body. This condition commonly affects astronauts who spend long periods of time in microgravity, which causes significant problems as a weakened heart muscle can lead to symptoms such as fainting, irregular heartbeat, heart valve problems, and even heart failure.

Cardiac atrophy and a related condition, cardiac fibrosis, is a very big problem in our community. People suffering from diseases such as diabetes, muscular dystrophy and cancer, and conditions such as sepsis and congestive heart failure, often experience cardiac dysfunction and tissue damage, comments Dr. Chattopadhyay.

The first phase of the project will focus on research design. During this stage, taking place over the first year, Dr. Joddar will use 3D printing to fabricate the cardiac organoids. This will be achieved by coupling cardiac cells in physiological ratios to mimic heart tissue. Moving on to the second year, the researchers will be preparing the organoid payload for a rocket launch and mission in space. The third and final year of the project will center on analyzing the data from the experiment once the organoids have been returned to Earth.

Additionally, Dr. Chattopadhyay and Dr. Joddars project will provide an educational opportunity for the El Paso community. A workshop for K-12 students will be set up engaging young minds in the local area around the subject of tissue engineering, with focus placed on projects taking place on the space station. A seminar will also be provided for medical students, interns and residents to enable a discussion regarding the benefits and challenges of transitioning research from Earth-based laboratories into space.

3D bioprinting aboard the ISS

The TTUHSC El Paso and UTEP collaborative research project is one of just five research proposals selected by the NSF and ISS National Lab in 2019 as part of the organizations collaboration on tissue-engineering research funding. The NSF awarded Dr. Chattopadhyay $256,892 and Dr. Joddar $259,350 for their roles in the project.

A number of 3D bioprinting research projects have taken place aboard the ISS, as companies and organizations seek further understanding of how space flight affects astronauts.

For example, Russian bio-technical research laboratory 3D Bioprinting Solutions developed its Organ.Aut magnetic 3D bioprinter to study how living organisms are affected by long flights in outer space. In 2018, it was delivered to the ISS onboard the Soyuz MS-11 manned spacecraft following a previous failed launch from the Soyuz MS-10 spaceflight. In late 2019 it was announced that the company was able to 3D bioprint bone tissue in zero gravity aboard the ISS using the Organ.Aut. The experiment is part of a plan to create bone implants for astronaut transplantation during long-term interplanetary expeditions.

Additionally, the 3D BioFabrication Facility (BFF) bioprinter from nScrypt, a Florida-based 3D printing system manufacturer, and spaceflight equipment developer Techshot is also onboard the ISS. Delivered to the ISS aboard the SpaceX CRS-18 cargo mission in 2019, the system is capable of manufacturing human tissue in microgravity conditions. It was sent to the ISS in order to facilitate the production of self-supporting tissues that could lead to the development of therapeutic treatments.

Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter for the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit 3D Printing Jobs for a selection of roles in the industry.

Featured image shows the ISS Exterior. Photo via Roscosmos/ NASA/TTUHSC El Paso.

Read the original here:
El Paso scientists to deliver 3D bioprinted miniature hearts to the ISS - 3D Printing Industry

Schedule a Free Stem Cell Consultation to Find Out if This Advanced Treatment Can Help You

If chronic joint pain is limiting your daily routine or preventing you from activities you enjoy; regenerative medicinemay be the answer youve been looking for!

The pharmaceutical approach to these conditions is still not effective for some 20% to 40% of those suffering from arthritis or other degenerative joint conditions. According to the National Institute of Health, Stem Cell Therapy provides a promising alternative to surgery by promoting safe and natural healing. The less invasive approach Stem Cell Therapy offers attracts thousands each year.Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center is one of the few clinics in the country to offer Stem Cell Therapy. With convenient locations nearAustin, we are ready to get you back to the activity levels you desire.

Stem cells are found in all of us and play a key role in the bodys healing process. They lie latent in your body until they receive signals that the body has suffered an injury and then they follow your platelets to the injured site. Stem cells are able to transform into the same type of cell that was injured to promote healing. They are tasked to heal injured ligaments, tendons, tissues and bones. After an injury, or as a natural result of aging, the amount of stem cells needed in certain areas of the body declines. Stem Cell Therapy solves this problem by delivering a high concentration of stem cells into the injured area promoting natural healing.

The Stem Cell Therapy procedure is simple and takes just 15 minutes with pain relief in 24-48 hours. The therapy can be performed right in the Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Centeroffice and provides pain relief without the risks of surgery, general anesthesia, hospital stays or prolonged recovery. There is zero recovery time after Stem Cell Therapy. Most experience complete joint restoration of ligaments, tendons and cartilage in 28 days. Stem Cell Therapy is very safe and effective. The injections have been used over 10,000 times in the United States with no reported adverse side effects and have a 100% safety record in Europe with 100,000s of patients.

Stem cell treatment takes advantage of the bodys ability to repair itself. With Stem Cell Therapy, your Texas Spine and Sports Therapy CenterProvider will inject stem cells into your body. Similar to cortisone and steroid shots, stem-cell injections have anti-inflammatory properties, but offer far more benefits than those of standard injection therapies. While cortisone and other drugs only provide temporary pain relief, stem cells actually restore degenerated tissue while providing pain relief. The growth factors in Stem Cells may replace damaged cells in your body. Additionally, stem cell injections contain hyaluronic acid, which lubricates joints and tendons, easing the pain and helping restore mobility.

The Stem Cells can turn into any type of tissue found in joints other than nerve tissue. Depending on the different tissues that are damaged, the stem cells can turn into whatever your joint needs which can quite often be a combination of cartilage, ligament, tendon, bone or muscle. This is a curative treatment. You can literally grow new joints tissue. Once your joint is healed, it is healed. The oldest research to date shows that 100% of recipients who benefited from stem cell therapy were still pain free 4 years later. Stem Cell Therapy allows our state-of-the-art clinics across the Texas Hill Countryto treat and rehabilitate your pain and injuries without drugs or surgery.

Visit link:
Stem Cell Therapy for Joints & Spine in Austin Texas

EL PASO, Texas -- Biomedical research scientists from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and The University of Texas at El Paso are partnering up to send "artificial mini-hearts" to the International Space Station to better understand how microgravity affects the function of the human heart.

The three-year project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the space station's U.S. National Laboratory, brings together TTUHSC El Paso faculty scientist Munmun Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., and UTEP biomedical engineer Binata Joddar, Ph.D. The researchers will collaborate in their Earth-bound labs to create tiny (less than 1 millimeter thick) heart-tissue structures, known as cardiac organoids, using human stem cells and 3D bioprinting technology.

By exposing the organoids to the near-weightless environment of the orbiting space station, the researchers hope to gain a better understanding of a health condition known as cardiac atrophy, which is a reduction and weakening of heart tissue. Cardiac atrophy often affects astronauts who spend long periods of time in microgravity. A weakened heart muscle has difficulty pumping blood to the body, and can lead to problems such as fainting, irregular heartbeat, heart valve problems and even heart failure. Cardiac atrophy is also associated with chronic disease.

The first year of the project, which began in September, will focus on research design. During this phase, Dr. Joddar will use 3D printing to fabricate the cardiac organoids by coupling cardiac cells in physiological ratios to mimic heart tissue. The second year will be centered on preparing the organoid payload for a rocket launch and mission in space. The third and final year of the research will involve analyzing data from the experiment after the organoids are returned to Earth.

The project will also provide an educational opportunity for the El Paso community, with a workshop for K-12 students to learn about tissue engineering projects on the space station. It will also include a seminar for medical students, interns and residents about the benefits and challenges of transitioning research from Earth-based laboratories into space.

See the rest here:
El Paso scientists team up for heart research project at the International Space Station - KVIA El Paso

Following up on our first post in this year-end series that discussed medical device regulatory activities at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Mintz FDA teams second year-end post will provide an overview of 2019 with a focus on the drug, biologic, and regenerative medicine programs at the agency. In many ways, the past year could be called a business as usual year for the FDAs drugs and biologics centers in that they continued to make progress on all of large-scale programs and priorities initiated by former-Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who left the agency in April. FDA has been under the leadership of an Acting Commissioner since that time, although Texas radiation oncologist Dr. Stephen Hahn will be taking the reins soon following his confirmation by the full Senate in a 72-18 vote on December 12, 2019. (The Senate HELP Committee advanced the nominee on December 3, 2019; see our blog post just prior to that committee vote here.)

At the same time, however, the final months of 2019 have exposed several challenges for various FDA programs that operate under the extensive drug and biologic authorities contained in the Food Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), respectively. The agency will be forced to grapple with many of these issues directly and deliberately in 2020as a result of deadlines of the agencys own making as well as external pressures coming from other parts of D.C. and from the rapidly changing nature of the U.S. health care system.

Business as Usual When Getting New Drugs, Generic Drugs, and Biosimilars to Market and Promoting Competition under Various Action Plans But Challenges Are Emerging Related to Accelerated Approval and Breakthrough Products

According to data presented by the Office of New Drugs in early December (see ONDs slides here), FDA had another extremely productive year when it comes to its approval of new molecular entities that address a unique blend of therapeutic areas. The agency approved 45 new molecular entities in FY 2019 (October1, 2018 to September30, 2019), of which 71%, or 32 products, received priority review status and 23 were designated as orphan drugs intended to treat rare diseases. As OND emphasized in the presentation, several of those new product approvals are notable for their uniqueness and therefore, in the agencys view, 2019 reflects not only quantity but [also] quality. The OND presentation also highlights a significant amount of other information on new molecular entity approvals and may be of interest to those readers who want to take a deeper dive into the data.

In addition to advancing important new drugs and biologics to market, former Commissioner Gottlieb is well-known for having spearheaded to development of a Drug Competition Action Plan (DCAP) and a Biosimilars Action Plan (BAP) during his nearly two-year tenure as head of the agency. Some of our prior coverage of the DCAP and BAP is available here. In general terms, the DCAP encourages market competition for generic drugs and helps to bring greater efficiency and transparency to the generic drug review process; the BAP aims to achieve similar goals for biosimilar products as the agency continues its implementation of the 2010 Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA), including the critical drug-to-biologic transition that will occur by operation of law in March of 2020.

FDA continued to make progress on its various goals under these two initiatives during 2019. Some examples of this progress can be captured with these two data points:

With all of these wins, however, FDA still faces its fair share of challenges related to its expedited drug and biologic programs, especially as it appears to have accelerated its review of products intended for diseases with an unmet need to breakneck speed. Indeed, the OND presentation from early December also added that for FY 2020 and as of November 21, 2019, the agency had already approved 13 such drugs, suggesting that next year could be a record-breaking one in terms of innovative drug product approvals. A recent Bloomberg Law article (available here) used the phrase breakneck speed to describe the agencys actions in this space based on several recent FDA approvals of new molecular entities that have come months in advance of their assigned target dates. The Bloomberg Law article highlights that in response to FDAs speediness in reaching approval decisions on new drugs and biologics for diseases with unmet needs, patient advocates and, increasingly, insurers that have to pay for those treatments are starting to raise concerns that these products lack sufficient safety or effectiveness data.

Relatedly, there has been increasing pressure on FDA to remove certain accelerated approval drugs from the market following a failure by the drug product sponsor to confirm the efficacy or clinical benefits of the product in the required post-marketing confirmatory clinical trial. The most visible example of this regulatory challenge came in October 2019 when FDA convened an advisory committee to recommend whether it should withdraw accelerated approval from hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection (marketed under the brand name Makena for the prevention of preterm birth in pregnant women). FDAs Bone, Reproductive and Urologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9-7 to withdraw approval, with the dissenters favoring leaving Makena on the market while requiring the sponsor to conduct a new confirmatory trial. (Notably, no one voted for the option of leaving it on the market without requiring a new confirmatory trial.)Among the concerns of some members who voted to leave the product on the market with a new clinical trial obligation was that the drugs withdrawal would leave no safe treatment options for pregnant women at high risk of preterm birth. FDA will have to make a final decision regarding what to do about Makena in 2020, and it undoubtedly will face intense criticism (and potentially legal challenge) no matter what route it chooses to take for this public health quandary in which it finds itself.

In a similar vein, FDA official Dr. Richard Pazdur participated in a Senate briefing on December 10, 2019, in which he and other speakers defended the Breakthrough Therapy Designation program. FDA insisted again that the designation was intended to let the agency have earlier interactions with drug sponsorsand that it was not meant to be an early rating system for drugs or a signal of how they might do commercially. Given that the Breakthrough program was created in 2012 and is considered to be wildly successful, some speakers at the briefing expressed surprise that there was still any confusion about its purpose and function. Whether Congress picks up any of these emerging areas for consideration as part of FDAs 2022 user fee reauthorization packages remains to be seenas those negotiations will begin in earnest after the New Year, but the issues certainly are complex enough to allow for robust policy discussions to occur.

Finally, there are expected to be bumps in the road with the upcoming March 2020 transition of proteins previously approved under New Drug Applications (NDAs) to Biologics License Applications (BLAs)for which FDA only finalized its guidance for industry last year. The March 2020 transition date was established under the BPCIA and the agency does not have discretion in getting the transition done (only in how it handles the logistical and administrative issues created by transitioning approved products in this way). Check out our prior blog post on the final deemed to be a license transition guidance.

Business as Usual with the Rapid Pace of FDAs Issuance of Agency Guidance But Challenges Are Emerging Related to Judicial Deference to FDA Decision-Making

FDA guidance documents for all regulated product categories continued to be released on a regular basis this year, including several related to areas of agency priorities under the DCAP and BAP including the final biosimilar interchangeability guidance issued in May (see our blog post here) and a draft guidance on insulin interchangeability issued in November 2019. The latter also relates to the March 2020 NDA-to-BLA transition, as insulins are one of the largest class of products that will be transitioning into regulation as biologics, making them open to what is expected to be more efficient competition through the BPCIAs biosimilar pathway than what was possible in the past as insulin NDAs.

Despite the accelerated pace of the issuance of Agency guidance, however, FDA is beginning to face more challenges related to its decision-making and the scope of its exercise of agency discretion. In particular, a significant District Court for the District of Columbia ruling issued on December 6, 2019, Genus Medical Technologies, LLC v. FDA, provides hints of a potential shift in judicial deference to certain agency actions. The court vacated FDAs classification of a medical imaging liquid as a drug rather than as a device after determining that FDA did not have discretion to decide how to regulate a product merely because the definitions of drug and device overlap in the FD&C Act.

According to the district court judge, FDA was not interpreting the drug/device definitions in the statute properly, and Congress did not intend to allow the agency unfettered discretion to pick between the two categories. Rather, the court found that the text of the definitions are clear and do not create a gap or any ambiguity for FDA to fill with an exercise of agency discretion. This recently issued decision may indicate a potential shift in how courts are going to apply long-standing precedents related to judicial deference to agency decisions. If FDA decides to appeal the Genus ruling, it may end up at the Supreme Court as one of many expected challenges to the doctrines that established our current framework for judicial deference of an administrative agencys interpretation of an ambiguous statute.

Business as Usual with FDAs Comprehensive Regenerative Medicine Framework and Stepped up Enforcement Against Stem Cell Clinics Offering Unlawful Products But What Happens in November 2020 When the Enforcement Discretion Period Ends?

One of the first FDA press releases for 2019 was co-authored by former Commissioner Gottlieb and Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Director Peter Marks and was focused on the agencys new policies aiming to advance the development of safe and effective cell and gene therapies. In the press release, the agency leaders predicted that by 2020, FDA would receive more than 200 Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) for cell and gene therapies each year. The agency has continued to work diligently to increase its staff in CBER to conduct clinical reviews for such INDs and to try to keep pace with the industrys development of these innovative technologies.

As we discussed in our update on FDAs Comprehensive Regenerative Medicine Policy Framework earlier this year, the agency is prioritizing two parallel goals: (1) clarifying the regulatory criteria for product marketing and providing support and guidance to legitimate product developers; and (2) removing unapproved, unproven, and potentially unsafe products from the U.S. market. The second prong of this comprehensive plan for regenerative medicine products was the topic of one of Dr. Gottliebs very last statements as Commissioner before he left the agency, issued on April 3, 2019 in conjunction with CBER Director Dr. Marks, indicating how important this area is to the agencys current public health priorities.

In the April 2019 statement, Drs. Gottlieb and Marks acknowledged FDAs challenges and efforts to stop stem cell clinics and manufacturers from marketing unapproved products that put patients at risk, citing several Warning Letters issued to manufacturers that violated current good manufacturing practices (CGMPs) for human cells and tissue products. They noted that it was of particular concern given that the industry was nearly halfway through the period during which the FDA intends to exercise enforcement discretion for certain regenerative medicine products with respect to INDs and premarket approval requirements. Now that it is December 2019, that deadline is even closer with less than one year left. November 2020 is the end of the three-year period of enforcement discretion announced by FDA when it first articulated the policies and goals of this comprehensive framework in 2017. See our prior posts on the topic here and here.

Under the Comprehensive Regenerative Medicine Policy Framework, FDA appears to have stepped up the pace of issuing Warning and Untitled Letters to sellers of unapproved stem cell products during the second half of 2019. In conjunction with a Warning Letter issued on December 5, 2019 to two related companies for processing and marketing unapproved umbilical cord blood-derived cellular products, Dr. Marks of CBER reiterated the agencys concerns about safety and reminded the public of the upcoming compliance deadline: As evidenced by the number of actions that the agency has taken this month alone, there are still many companies that have failed to come into compliance with the [FD&C Act] and FDAs regulations.

Dr. Marks was referring to two Untitled Letters that were issued to stem cell product distributors on November 20 and November 25, 2019, respectively. The press release cited above also added that the agency had also recently sent 20 letters to manufacturers and health care providers noting that it has come to [FDAs] attention that they may be offering unapproved stem cell products, reiterating the FDAs compliance and enforcement policy.

FDA also prevailed this year in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Florida against a stem cell clinic charged with violating the FD&C Act and the PHS Act. In June 2019, the court held that the defendants adulterated and misbranded a stem cell drug product made from a patients adipose tissue without FDA approval and for significant deviations from CGMPs, issuing a permanent injunction as requested by the Department of Justice on FDAs behalf. The agencys statement on that important court win by the government is available here.

Lastly, on December 6, 2019, FDA issued a Public Safety Notification on Exosome Products. The safety notification informed the public of multiple recent reports of serious adverse events experienced by patients in Nebraska who were treated with unapproved products marketed as containing exosomes, which came to FDAs attention through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and others. There are currently no FDA-approved exosome products and, to be honest, we are not even sure what such a product would be since an exome consists of all the sequenced exons within a single human genome after the introns are removed. (So were the clinics administering complete exomes to patients? that seems unlikely.)But what we found noteworthy about this public safety notice is the forceful and direct language FDA used when describing the unscrupulous conduct of the sellers of these products:

Certain clinics across the country, including some that manufacture or market violative stem cell products, are now also offering exosome products to patients. They deceive patients with unsubstantiated claims about the potential for these products to prevent, treat or cure various diseases or conditions. They may claim that they these products do not fall under the regulatory provisions for drugs and biological products that is simply untrue. As a general matter, exosomes used to treat diseases and conditions in humans are regulated as drugs and biological products under the [PHS Act] and the [FD&C Act] and are subject to premarket review and approval requirements.

The clinics currently offering these products outside of FDAs review process are taking advantage of patients and flouting federal statutes and FDA regulations. This ultimately puts at risk the very patients that these clinics claim to want to help, by either delaying treatment with legitimate and scientifically sound treatment options, or worse, posing harm to patients, as evidenced by these recent reports of adverse events.

As we enter the final year of FDAs enforcement discretion period, perhaps these public notices and Warning/Untitled Letters will become even more frequent and the agency will become even more frustrated by the ongoing violations and medical practitioners who flout federal law. This area will see substantial activity in 2020 and we will be watching closely to see what changes, if anything, about FDAs approach in November when the deadline to come into compliance ends. Will there be widespread FBI raids on stem cell clinics engaged in this kind of bad behavior? Only time will tell.

Final Thoughts: A Few Other Business as Usual Activities in the Therapeutic Product Areas and Prescription Drug Advertising Enforcement

Although we have highlighted what we view as some important challenges for the FDA to address in the coming months, other areas continue to be business as usual without anything very new to report. FDA continues to invest significant resources into improving the quality of compounded drugs and ensuring compliance with Sections 503A and 503B of the FD&C Act. Drug compounding was another topic of one of Dr. Gottliebs very last statements as Commissioner on April 3, 2019, in which he laid out the 2019 compounding priorities that included maintaining quality manufacturing and compliance and regulating compounding from bulk drug substances.

Notwithstanding all the efforts by FDA and State regulators in this area over the past several years, the agency continues to see concerning activity when it comes to compounded drugs, such as problems related to the condition under which compounded sterile medicines are made, which raisesignificant risks to patients. As a result, FDA has made it an intense area of focus to take enforcement actions against compounders who fail to produce sterile drugs in compliance with the law. During the past year, for example, FDA has won at least four permanent injunctions against various compounders after the agency identified behavior that posed a significant risk to public health and safety.

In addition, in 2019 FDA also increased its activities towards reducing and mitigating the impact of drug shortages on the health care system. See our prior blog post on Drug Shortages.

Finally, after a fairly slow year of enforcement in the prescription drug advertising space, the last two months of 2019, at least as of December 12th, have given us three (!) letters two untitled and one warning from the FDAs Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP). Most interestingly, the Warning Letter issued on December 2, 2019 for omitting warnings about the most serious risks associated with [a medication-assisted treatment] drug from promotional materials was announced to the public via FDA press release, which is not a typical action for normal-course OPDP letters to industry. The drug in question, approved for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification, is associated with several significant risks including potential opioid overdose. Given the countrys public health emergency that is the opioid epidemic, FDA appears to have felt the need to make the deficiencies in the advertisement and those risks more widely publicized. So another thing we will be watching for in the New Year is whether this OPDP action represents the beginning of a new trend by the agency to publicize these Warning Letters more directly, or whether its advertising enforcement activities may be picking up due to industrys evolving approaches to promoting therapeutic products.

If you made it to the end of this post, thank you for reading our tome, and we hope you found it helpful and interesting! Stay tuned next week for our third and final FDA year-end blog post.

[View source.]

Read the rest here:
Drugs, Biologics, and Regenerative Medicine in 2019: A Successful Year Ends with Promise of a More Challenging 2020 - JD Supra

September 23, 2019

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is welcoming 15 new professors to the faculty for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson greeted returning and incoming faculty members during the annual Faculty Welcome Back reception, held this year at the Presidents Residence on September 18.

At the event, President Jackson explained that Rensselaer operates within an intellectual construct called The New Polytechnic, which comes from the Greek for skilled in many arts. Accordingly, two key tenets offer the structural underpinning for decisions made at the university.

First, we are collaborative and multidisciplinary, because the greatest opportunities and challenges cannot be addressed by even the most brilliant person working alone, nor by a single discipline, sector, nation, or generation. At Rensselaer, we unite a multiplicity of perspectives to do great work, Jackson said. The second factor that guides us is our focus on the most pressing global challenges surrounding our food, water, and energy supplies; our need for sustainable and resilient infrastructure, structures, and materials; human health and the mitigation of disease; national and global security; the allocation of valuable natural resources; and a changing climate.

Faculty joining Rensselaer during this academic year are:

Elizabeth Blaber, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, who investigates the role of gravity in regulating basic stem cell function using integrative physiology and molecular genomics approaches. At NASA, she worked to identify biological factors involved in the loss of stem cell functions in microgravity. She garnered significant grant funding for her research as well as won several awards, including the NASA Early Career Public Achievement Medal and the Thora W. Halstead Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research. Blaber received a bachelor of medical science (hons) in molecular biology and a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular genetics, from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Tianyi Chen, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, joins Rensselaer as part of the Rensselaer-IBM Artificial Intelligence Research Collaboration. His background spans areas from machine learning and artificial intelligence to optimization, signal processing, and wireless networking, with applications to edge computing for IoT, cloud and data centers, and smart grids. Chen received a B.Sc. in communication science and engineering (with honors) from Fudan University in China and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Minnesota.

Edwin Fohtung, associate professor of materials science and engineering, is an expert on the use of X-ray and neutron scattering methods to perform materials characterization at the molecular level aimed at understanding and quantifying structure-property relationships, as well as dynamics in advanced materials. His research focuses on developing and applying state-of-the-art Photon Science, such as coherent X-ray/optical scattering and imaging, and neutron techniques to probe emergent electronic and magnetic phases arising from competing/coupled charge-, spin-, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom in nanomaterials. Fohtung received a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in applied physics from the St. Petersburg State Polytechnic in Russia. In 2010, he earned a doctorate in physics and materials science from the Universitat Freiburg in Germany.

Fudong Han, Mukesh and Priti Chatter Career Development Assistant Professor, has performed exceptional work in the area of energy storage materials with applications to rechargeable batteries and fuel cells. He has published 55 peer-reviewed papers, in journals such as Nature Materials, Nature Energy, and Nanoletters, which are cited over 3,700 times with an H-index of 30 already. Han received B.S. and M.S. degrees in materials science and engineering from Shandong University and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Derya Malak, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering, addresses major challenges in wireless networks. She focuses on providing novel distributed caching and computation techniques (without onerous coordination across sources) for 5G networks by capturing the confluence of computing, communication, and storage. Malak received a B.S. in electrical and electronics engineering with a minor in physics from Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and an M.S. in the same field from Koc University in Istanbul, Turkey. She received a Ph.D. in 2017 in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Kristen Schell, assistant professor of industrial and systems engineering, concentrates on the interface of engineering, operations research, and economics, with focus on sustainability. Her work has concentrated on renewable energy penetration from the modeling, optimization, resiliency, and policy perspectives. Schell received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.S.E. in geography and environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University. In 2016, she received a dual Ph.D. degree in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University and the Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, in Portugal.

H. Keith Moo Young, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education, professor in civil and environmental engineering, is an expert in the area of solid and hazardous waste management, environmental containment, and remediation technologies. Moo-Young is a licensed Professional Engineer and is Board Certified in Environmental Engineering, which is the highest professional honor for a practicing environmental engineer. He was elected a fellow of National Academy of Inventors in 2017, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2013, and of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2012. Moo Young received a B.S. in civil engineering from Morgan State University in 1991, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Rensselaer in 1992 and 1995, respectively.

Lydia Manikonda, assistant professor of management, focuses on the areas of artificial intelligence (primarily automated planning) and machine learning, toward providing solutions to problems in real-world scenarios such as marketing, public health, and personal goals. Specifically, she builds intelligent systems to perform offline decision-making by utilizing the online footprints of individuals on social media. Dr. Manikonda earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Arizona State University. She received a bachelors (with honors) and a masters (with Thesis) degrees in computer science and engineering from the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H), India.

Gaetano Montelione, Constellation Professor in the Biocomputation and Bioinformatics Constellation, is an internationally recognized expert in structural genomics and protein NMR spectroscopy whose notable work includes elucidation of critical protein-protein interactions in cancer biology, and his key discoveries about the structure-function relationships of NS1 protein that form the basis for the use of live attenuated influenza vaccines in humans. For more than 16 years, he built and served as director of the NIH NIGMS Center for Structural Genomics at Rutgers. Montelione earned both bachelors and Ph.D. degrees in physical chemistry from Cornell University.

Trevor Rhone, assistant professor of physics, applied physics, and astronomy, concentrates on the interface of computational and experimental condensed matter physics. Rhone received his bachelors degree in physics from Macalester College. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Columbia University

Sasha Wagner, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences, focuses on several areas of environmental science, one of which looks at the innovative use of isotope ratios to trace the geochemical history using the nature of dissolved organic matter. Wagner earned a bachelors degree in biochemistry from University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. in environmental chemistry from Florida International University.

Billur Aksoy, assistant professor of economics, has earned several teaching awards for her teaching of Microeconomics, Econometrics, and Economic Data Analysis. Her publications include Measuring Trust: A Reinvestigation and Can I Rely on You? featured in Games. Aksoy received a B.A. in economics (summa cum laude) from Ankara University in Turkey, an M.S. in economics from the University of Southampton in the U.K., and a Ph.D. in economics from Texas A&M University.

Ian Chadd, assistant professor of economics, specializes in the fields of microeconomic theory, decision theory, and experimental economics. He is currently working that examines the consistencies and inconsistencies displayed by a deterministic Network Choice model and a proposed stochastic Random Network Choice model. Chadd received a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Wittenberg University in Germany and an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland-College Park.

Matthew Goodheart, assistant professor of arts, is a composer, improviser, and sound artist who. His teaching experience includes contemporary improvisation, multidimensional audio systems, music perception and cognition, and advanced chromatic harmony and post-tonal theory. Goodheart received a Ph.D. in music from the University of California at Berkeley.

Tomek Strzalkowski, professor of cognitive science, is an expert on artificial intelligence, computational linguistics and sociolinguistics, computational social science, and information retrieval. He is the author of five books and numerous book chapters, journal articles and technical papers. Strzalkowski received an M.Sc. in computer science from Warsaw University and a Ph.D. in computer science from Simon Fraser University.

Read the rest here:
Incoming Faculty Bring New Areas of Research to Rensselaer - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute