Class of 2020 MS & PhD Thesis Titles

Master's Thesis
		Identifying Neurophysiological Biomarkers Derived From fNIRS To Quantify Cognitive Workload During a UAS Mission
		Investigating Eye Tracking Features in a Machine Learning Classifier To Assess Cognitive Workload During Simulation Based Training
		3D-Printing at the Point-of-Care: Patient-Specific PEKK Ankle Fusion Implants for Diabetic Patients
		Development of Finite Element Models of Maternal Pelvis, Fetus and Brachial Plexus
		Using Supramolecular Chemistry To Develop Injectable Hydrogel Composites for Multi-Drug Delivery
		Design of “Armored” Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Prolonged Drug Circulation via Complement Pathway Attenuation
		Aqueous CdSe Quantum Dot Molecular Beacon for RNA Detection
		Exploring Biokinetics of Metal-Ion Release in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Modeling Approach
		Characterizing Aware and Unaware Vehicle Occupant Responses During Sled-Simulated Evasive Swerving: The Effect of Age and Maneuver Duration
		Developing Mutant KRAS Targeted Vaccines for Pancreatic Cancer Interception
		Combining Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) Models in the Context of Cellular Aging Mechanisms
		Mitochondrial Sequencing and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Combination: A Promising Technique To Effectively Understand the Cell Dynamics in Breast Cancer
		Hydrogel Scaffold for Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Spinal Cord Injuries
		Evaluation of Cognitive Function Using Time-Domain Optical Neuroimaging
		Prediction of ADHD in Adolescents Utilizing fMRI-Based Individual Cortical Thickness Measurements
		Development of a Finite Element Model of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spine with Ribs for Idiopathic Early Onset Scoliosis (EOS)
		Acoustic Coupling Pads for the Control of Ultrasound Neuromodulation Exposure
		Development and Characterization of Covalently Crosslinked Hydrogels for Use in Geometrically Tunable Blood Shunts
		Local Delivery of Polycations From a Hydrogel Scaffold for Treating Spinal Cord Injury
		A Pipeline for the Creation of Biophysically Realistic Multicompartment Models of Drosophila Melanogaster Descending Neurons (MDN)
		Implementation of a Home-Use Virtual Environment Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) for People with ALS Using Different Facial Stimuli
		Quantifying Lung, Diaphragm, and Thoracospinal Radiographic Parameters to Predict Lung Volume and Function in Pediatric Normative and Early Onset Scoliosis Subjects
	Simeon Kofman, Master’s Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Liang Oscar Qiang, MD, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy Drexel University College of Medicine Fred Allen, PhD Teaching Professor Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Development of a Next Generation Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived CNS Model for the Study of Tauopathy
	Emma Katherine MacNeil, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Kurtulus Izzetoglu, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Investigating the Performance of Sensor-driven Biometrics in the Assessment of Cognitive Workload
	Pratishtha Guckhool, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Catherine von Reyn, PhD Assistant Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	The Role of DIPs and Dprs in Synaptic Connection Specificity
	Jillian Clare Saunders, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Catherine von Reyn, PhD Assistant Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Denise Garcia, PhD Associate Professor Department of Biology College of Arts and Sciences Drexel University	Identification of Astrocyte Subtypes in the Drosophila Melanogaster Visual System
	Joy Anita Iaconianni, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Sriram Balasubramanian, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Anita Singh, PhD Chair of Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering School of Engineering Widener University	Mathematical Dynamic Modeling (MADYMO) of Shoulder Dystocia and Delivery Maneuvers
	Victor Mishin, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Christopher B. Rodell, PhD Assistant Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Amy L. Throckmorton, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Photoresponsive Hydrogels Enable Geometrically Tunable Blood Shunts for Pediatric Use
	Virginia Orozco, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Sriram Balasubramanian, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Anita Singh, PhD Chair of Biomedical Engineering Associate Professor Department of Biomedical Engineering School of Engineering Widener University	Investigating Biomechanical Properties and Structural Changes Post-Stretch in Neonatal Brachial Plexus
	Alison Kane, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Janarthanan (Janar) Sathananthan, BHB, MBChB, MPH, FRACP Interventional and Structural Cardiologist University of British Columbia (UBC) St Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital Amy Throckmorton, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Exploring the Responses of Acute Aortic Regurgitation (AR) Through the Design of a Novel Benchtop Physiological Model Benchtop physiological modeling using a flow loop is a necessary requirement for medical device manufacturers both for the development and the commercial approval of devices. Custom models are frequently created to meet these needs regarding specific anatomical and hemodynamic parameters required to the test cardiovascular devices. Since response to aortic regurgitation (AR) in humans cannot be ethically studied, animal models can be used as a surrogate; however, the expense of these models raises a need for a benchtop model capable of mimicking specific responses. This custom model has been designed for an end user to respond appropriately to acute AR while remaining compliant with certain standards governing traditional benchtop testers.
	Kevt’her Hoxha, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Lin Han, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Poroelasticity of Fibrocartilage is Governed by the Collagen Fibrillar Structure and Proteoglycan Content of the Extracellular Matrix The synovial joint of the knee is essential for shock absorption and joint lubrication during locomotion. For high frequency activities, such as running and jumping, the shock absorption function is governed by the fluid flow-induced poroelasticity of cartilage, in which, the interstitial fluid pressurization arises due to the densely packed, highly negatively charged aggrecan in the cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM). The meniscus acts as a key functional unit of the knee joint, enhancing congruency, providing direct load transmission to cartilage, and increasing joint stability.
	Aakankschit Nandkeolyar, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Hasan Ayaz, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	A Computational Approach To Explore the Link Between Serum Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes in Psoriasis Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disease that affects nearly 2% of the world’s population. It is characterized by the formation of red plaques on the skin. Such plaques can cause irritation and pain to patients, not to mention the plaques are a major source of anxiety related to appearance for patients, making psoriasis a disease with high morbidity. While there are currently no cures for psoriasis, anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals can be used to treat psoriasis by reducing the severity of the symptoms. The efficacy of treatments for psoriasis is measured by improvement in clinical outcomes, the most popular of which is Psoriasis Area Severity Index Score (PASI). These scores are provided by a dermatologist to quantify the severity of psoriasis in a patient. Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) is a new field in the area of computational disease modeling that allows for quantification and prediction of disease serum biomarkers in virtual patient models. Such prediction can potentially be correlated with clinical outcomes, such as PASI scores, to allow a scientist to predict clinical outcomes in virtual patients. The current study proposes the use of machine learning algorithms to bridge the gap between QSP simulation data for serum biomarkers and clinical outcome measures to predict PASI scores post-treatment to potentially reduce cost and time for clinical trials.
	Kimtee Dahari Ramsagur, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Kurtulus Izzetoglu, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Personalized Rebreathing Device for Hypercapnia Administration Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is the ability of cerebral vessels to dilate or constrict in response to vasoactive challenges. CVR has been shown to be an important biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring neurological disorders. Assessment of CVR commonly requires a hypercapnic challenge, which is the elevation of the partial arterial carbon dioxide (CO2) level or end-tidal CO2 level (EtCO2). Current methods used to induce hypercapnia consist of breath holding, fractional inspired CO2, or sequential gas delivery. Limitations of the existing systems are that they are either not portable, require manual operations, take a long time to set-up, or do not induce an accurate and precise hypercapnic stimulus. Therefore, there is a need to develop a personalized, portable, and automated gas delivery system that induces hypercapnia in a controlled manner.
	Raj Patel, MS Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Margaret A. Wheatley, PhD John M. Reid Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Development of a Co-loaded Lonidamine and Paclitaxel Ultrasound Contrast Agent for Treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Tumors Multi-drug resistance (MDR) is a condition often found in breast cancer that significantly reduces the efficacy of chemotherapy. Many factors contribute to this, including tumor hypoxia, which further serves to increase the resistance of tumors to radiotherapy. Combination therapy has been shown to be effective at reversing the effects of MDR through the combined effects of various therapeutics targeting different mechanisms of the tumor. One such combination involves the co-delivery of lonidamine (LND) and paclitaxel (PTX), which has shown greater efficiency in treating and reversing MDR tumors than the delivery of single drug alone. Multimodal therapy takes this principle a step further, and employs combinations of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and phototherapy to treat cancer, and has shown greater survival rates in patients than monomodal therapy alone. Currently, our group has developed a LND loaded D-α-Tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) and sorbitan monostearate surfactant stabilized microbubble (LND-SE61 MBs) with an oxygen core for the application of sensitizing hypoxic tumors to radiotherapy. This MB also doubles as an ultrasound contrast agent (UCA), allowing for enhanced ultrasound imaging. The aim of this proof-of-principle study was to further leverage the LND-SE61 MB to include PTX within its surfactant shell in an effort to expand its capability to treat MDR tumors using chemotherapy, as well as to make the tumor more sensitive to radiotherapy, through a multimodal approach.
	Marina Korinne Lilieholm, MS Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD Professor Department of Pharmacology and Physiology College of Medicine Drexel University	Fabrication of a Novel Filtration Device for Circulating Tumor Cells More than 90% of cancer-related deaths are caused by metastasis, which is caused by circulating tumor cells (CTCs). CTCs are shed by the primary tumor, enter the systemic blood circulation before lodging in distant organs, where they seed secondary colonies. Of all tumor cells that disseminate, only a few possess the genetic profile to initiate colonization. Enumeration and molecular analysis of these rare cell populations collected through liquid biopsy possesses inherent clinical relevance and yields insight into the biology of metastasis. However, enrichment of CTCs from whole blood is encumbered by their rarity (approximately 1 CTC for every 105 to 106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)) and limited to antibody-dependent and independent capture techniques. Antibody-independent methods are preferred because they capture CTCs in an unbiased fashion; however, these methods deliver excessively diluted cell suspensions, with a few hundred cells in five to ten mL of fluid. Recovery of these cells by centrifugation is lengthy, induces cell damage, is overall incompatible with systematic investigation and has so far prevented full integration of CTC analysis into clinical practice. For these reasons, over the last two decades, CTCs evaluation has been dominated by antibody-dependent staining on chip, significantly limiting our breadth of knowledge. Herein we describe the design and production of a device capable of collecting CTCs from diluted suspensions and re-eluting them into a 10-fold smaller volume, thus allowing to bridge the technological gap between CTC capture from blood and downstream molecular analyses.
	Roze Alzabey, MS Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Catherine von Reyn, PhD Assistant Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	A Comparison of Drosophila Melanogaster RNA-seq Data Sets RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has been established as a high throughput sequencing method that provides gene expression profiling. However, with the vast amount of data generated through RNA-seq, it remains a challenge to extract meaningful interpretations of the data. In addition, RNA-seq library preparation requires multiple steps, and there remains to be differences in techniques at various levels of the process, and a lack of standardized methods to compare across different datasets.
	Andrew G. Dai, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Hasan Ayaz, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	NeuroHub Fog: Wireless Network Time Synchronization Device for Multimodal Brain Imaging and Hyperscanning Research Brain computer interfaces have a variety of applications including but not limited to neuroscience, engineering, computer science, psychology, and rehabilitation. With a wide range of disciplines and advancing technologies, there is a growing interest, especially in using multiple systems concurrently in multimodal/hybrid configurations to extract complimentary aspects of brain activity, and in measuring multiple brains using hyperscanning configurations to investigate brain activities in social interactions. The use of functional neuroimaging in brain computer interface protocols such as functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) require precise time synchronized transmission of experimental events and acquired data for proper analysis and interpretation. A scalable, portable device that can act as a bridge between multiple monitoring systems with different communication protocols is required for ensuring practicality of these experimental setups. A challenge is presented with the complexity of having multiple brain and body sensors and providing a proper timing of event markers and data acquisition. The original NeuroHub device, developed at Drexel University, offered time synchronization capabilities through four serial ports, a TTL port, and a parallel port. The following generation of NeuroHub was designed as a modular expansion to the original device in order to offer wireless communications to accommodate for modern computing systems with more complex options.
	Christian D’Andrea, Master’s Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Sriram Balasubramanian, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems	Prediction of Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering Outcomes with Patient-Specific Finite Element (FE) Modeling Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is a 3-D spine and ribcage deformity that develops during the adolescent growth spurt. This condition affects 2-4% of the adolescent population in the United States and can cause detrimental effects in terms of cardiopulmonary function and movement range. When curvature continues to increase in severity despite conservative treatments such as bracing, surgical intervention is required. Posterior spinal fusion is the current standard for severe AIS correction, but this approach uses a rigid construct which suppresses growth after surgery. Anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) addresses this limitation through growth friendly correction, where a flexible instrumentation construct provides partial correction through surgery and further correction by altering growth rates within vertebrae.
	Shubhra Rastogi, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Li-Hsin (Leo) Han, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics College of Engineering Drexel University	Towards a Comprehensive Solution to Cartilage Repair: Combining Mechanotransduction with Drug Delivery An estimated 10% of the global population over the age of 60 have significant clinical problems that may be attributed to osteoarthritis. Current clinical solutions alleviate common symptoms; nothing on the market today addresses treatment of osteoarthritis itself. Regeneration of cartilage tissue lost in osteoarthritis is extremely challenging due to an innate lack of blood vessels, lymphatics and nerves. Tissue engineering may provide alternative solutions by developing biomimetic tissue substitutes. The goal of this project is to investigate how combination of biomechanical and biochemical properties can be used to create a pro-chondrogenic microenvironment, by means of controlled mechanotransduction and drug-delivery.
	Radhika Gangakhedkar, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Sriram Balasubramanian, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Investigating the Electrophysiological Response of Brachial Plexus Nerves When Subjected to Stretch Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) has been a prominent challenge in obstetrics with reported incidence of 1 to 4 per 1,000 childbirths in the United States. NBPP occurs due to overstretching of the brachial plexus (BP) during complicated birthing scenarios resulting in functional disability of the upper limb. No data exists on functional responses of BP nerves acutely post-stretch.
	Nhat Duong, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Michael Xie, PhD Supervisory Bioinformatics Scientist Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)	Automated Genomic Wide Variants Analysis and Reporting Pipeline The field of bioinformatics contains many pipelines for different purposes. These pipelines are often for data processing, which are used to process raw files into ready to be analyzed files. Despite availability of many different pipelines, the process of going from processed files to analysis the data and making a report from the results are still largely done manually. Among different data analyses, a commonly used analysis applicable across a variety of data is the genetic/mutation load analysis on cohort data (cases vs. controls groups). It is thus desirable to produce a fully automated and flexible pipeline capable of going from the variant discovery VCF file and BED file all the way to a final interactive report file which can be presented to clinicians or principle investigators.
	Paul M. DeSantis, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Michele Marcolongo, PhD Department Head and Professor Department of Materials Science and Engineering College of Engineering Drexel University	UV-Assisted Functionalization of 3D-Printed PEEK for Use in Spinal Fusion Cages Treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration involves the complete removal of the disc and the fusion of two adjacent vertebrae via a biocompatible implant. The implant must be capable of both supporting the mechanical forces experienced by the spine, as well as promoting bone growth. Polyetheretherketone, or 'PEEK,' has been shown to perform well in spinal fusion surgeries, but can face challenges with osseointegration as it is highly hydrophobic. Post-processing techniques have been considered as a method to improve the osseointegration of PEEK spinal cages, with ultraviolet (UV) light assisted functionalization being one possible method. The addition of calcium phosphate to bone scaffolds has been shown to increase osseointegration due to similarities to hydroxyapatite, a major inorganic component of bone. We investigated the use of UV-assisted functionalization to add a calcium phosphate layer to PEEK samples in order to improve osseointegration.
	Danika Meldrum, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Alisa Morss Clyne, PhD Research Associate Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics College of Engineering Drexel University	eNOS O-GlcNAcylation in Endothelial Cell Dysfunction: The Restorative Effects of Fluvastatin Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) increases pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular afterload, which eventually results in right heart failure. In PAH, endothelial cells (EC) are dysfunctional through both decreased nitric oxide (NO) production and increased glucose metabolism. However, neither the cause for PAH-related EC dysfunction nor effective treatments are known. We hypothesized that increased EC glucose metabolism would increase endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) O-GlcNAcylation, which has been shown to decrease eNOS phosphorylation at Ser1177 and consequently decrease NO bioavailability. We further hypothesized that statins, which are known for decreasing lipids but also decreased EC glucose metabolism, would decrease eNOS O-GlcNAcylation and restore eNOS phosphorylation and NO bioavailability.
	Rebecca L. Kitchmire, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Steven M. Kurtz, PhD Research Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	The Design of an Apparatus for Creating a Model Drug Eluting Stent (DES) Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common form of cardiovascular disease in the United States. Drug eluting stents (DESs) are a commonly used medical device in the treatment of CAD. However, the polymer coatings that are applied to these stents for drug release over an extended period can cause an inflammatory response at the implantation site. To counteract this, many researchers are seeking new polymer coatings by fabricating DESs at a laboratory level. These fabrication processes are inconsistent across research facilities and could benefit from a well-defined processing procedure for DES fabrication.
	Bhavani Singh, Master's Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Kara Spiller, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Altering Metabolism Repolarizes Pro-Inflammatory Human Macrophages Macrophages, the primary innate immune cells of the body, regulate wound healing by switching between M1 and M2 phenotypes in order to kill bacteria, clear apoptotic cell debris, stimulate angiogenesis, and deposit functional extracellular matrix. However, a number of pathologies are characterized by macrophages that are stalled in a M1 state, and there is a need for biomaterials that can decrease M1 macrophage behavior. Previous research found that administration of unsaturated fatty acids, glycolysis inhibitors, and glutamate metabolism inhibitors decrease inflammatory gene and protein expression. Also, it has been shown that M1 macrophages primarily rely on glycolysis for energy, while M2 macrophages rely on oxidative phosphorylation. Because of this, the objective for this study was to design a metabolism-altering biomaterial to repolarize macrophages from an M1 phenotype. This was done in two phases, which were designing experiments to find the optimal combination of 6-Diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), Quercetin (Que), and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to decrease M1 behavior and creating a liposome drug-delivery system to encapsulate the optimal concentration. The effects of these drugs and liposomes were characterized by protein secretion, metabolism, and viability assays.

PhD Thesis
		Characterization of Genomic Regions for Improved Reference Genomes Using Optical Mapping (OM) and Sequencing Technologies
		Development and Clinical Application of an Arduino-based Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)
		Regulatory Roles of Fibril-Forming Collagens in Cartilaginous Tissue Biomechanics and Mechanobiology
	Debra V. Klopfenstein, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Will Dampier, PhD Assistant Professor Department of Microbiology and Immunology College of Medicine Drexel University	Protein-coding Hotspots in the Human Genome: Annotation, Significance, and Their Conservation in Animal Models Uncovering understudied genes that are not yet associated with disease, but that have common functions with nearby genes that are not in the same gene family, can lead towards further understanding of these molecular mechanisms and may reveal novel drug targets. Previous studies of utilizing population genetics approaches did not focus on the chromosomal topology of a large number of major diseases on the human genome.
	Sevi Berna Kocagoz, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Steven M. Kurtz, PhD Research Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Investigation of Modular Taper Material and Design Factors That Affect Mechanically-Assisted Crevice Corrosion at the Femoral Head-Stem Interfaces in Total Hip Arthroplasties Modularity in total hip arthroplasty (THA) designs allows intraoperative flexibility for the surgeon to adapt leg length and femoral offset to the individual anatomy and gives the option to keep a well-fixed femoral stem and revise femoral head and acetabulum, as needed. The clinical use of these designs led to increased reports of adverse local tissue reactions (ALTRs) to the release of metallic material, and corrosion at the modular tapers became a clinical concern. Taper corrosion poses a clinical risk for all components that employ any modular connection. There is a need to systematically investigate the factors that increase the risk of taper corrosion.
		Roles of Type V Collagen in the Joint Development and Osteoarthritis of Temporomandibular Joint
	Charles G. Ang, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Irwin Chaiken, PhD Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology College of Medicine Drexel University Ken Barbee, PhD Professor, Senior Associate Dean, and Associate Dean for Research School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Cell Surface Env Transformation and Membrane Disruption by HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors This work examined transformations of the HIV-1 fusion protein Env and its anchoring membrane that can be subverted by lytic entry inhibitors to inactivate Env on viruses and cells. Two entry inhibitors were investigated: KR13 and MDAVEI. KR13 is a chemically synthesized peptide triazole thiol (PTT) comprised of a CD4 binding site pharmacophore linked to a disulfide-targeting thiol, while MDAVEI is a chimeric recombinant protein containing a gp120-glycan-binding lectin linked to Trp3, a gp41-binding fragment of Env’s membrane proximal external region (MPER). Both inhibitors have previously been shown to cause virus lysis, indicating that they can trigger membrane disruption. Env-presenting cells were selected for these experiments to facilitate mechanistic studies and provide preliminary data for further cell-based studies.
	Cara Esposito, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Jaydev Dave, PhD Associate Professor of Radiology Sidney Kimmel Medical College Thomas Jefferson University Peter Lewin, PhD Richard B. Beard Distinguished University Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Noninvasive Intracardiac Pressure Estimation Utilizing Subharmonic Aided Pressure Estimation (SHAPE) Echocardiography utilizes ultrasound waves to examine functionality of the heart. The application of echocardiographic techniques for the assessment of cardiac function is limited due to the inability to measure intracardiac pressures. Pressure measurements within the chambers of the heart yield critical information for diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases. The current procedure used to measure intracardiac pressures, cardiac catheterization, is invasive and expensive. The mean hospital charge is $57,494, for diagnostic and interventional treatment. The American Heart Association’s Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2018 Update reports that 113 million Americans (over the age of 18) suffer from high blood pressure and approximately 46% do not have their high blood pressure under control, meaning these Americans may need to undergo a cardiac catheterization procedure to investigate the cause of their cardiac problems. The increased risk and cost associated with this diagnostic procedure highlights the need for a noninvasive alternative.
	Harutyun (Harut) Sarkisyan, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Amy Throckmorton, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Integrated Switchable Ventricular Assist Devices (VADs) for Pediatric Patients Thousands of children are born each year with significant cardiac defects that result in the development of heart disease and ultimately premature congestive heart failure (CHF). In addition, hundreds of children are exposed to viruses and bacteria that attack the heart muscle, causing myocarditis or cardiomyopathy that leads to CHF. The current treatment paradigm involves pharmacologic agents to mitigate symptoms and slow the progression to failure.
	Jason Sedlak, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Alisa Morss Clyne, PhD Associate Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics College of Engineering Drexel University Amy Throckmorton, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	A Modified Parallel Plate Flow Chamber to Study Local Endothelial Response to Recirculating Disturbed Flow Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world, including the stiffening of artery walls known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis develops at arterial sites where endothelial cells (ECs) are exposed to low time-averaged hemodynamic shear stress, particularly in regions of recirculating disturbed flow. While the effects of disturbed hemodynamics are greatly studied, the complexity of in vivo geometry and how the resulting spatial transitions between atheroprotective and atherogenic hemodynamics affect EC dysfunction are not as well understood. The core objective of this dissertation is to explore the association between local heterogeneity in blood flow and EC function, through functional phenotype assessment and correlation to computational fluid dynamics modelling of flow within a custom microfluidic device.
	Adrian Curtin, Dual PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University School of Biomedical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Advisors: Hasan Ayaz, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Shanbao Tong, PhD Professor School of Biomedical Engineering Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Jijun Wang, PhD Professor Shanghai Mental Health Center School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU)	Assessment of Cognition and Neuromodulation Using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy in Mental Health Prefrontal cortex activity can be effectively and routinely monitored using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive neuroimaging method that measures cortical hemodynamic responses through relative changes in the absorption of near-infrared light. fNIRS offers a number of advantages over other neuroimaging methodologies, particularly in outpatient environments, and in recent years has become an emerging tool in clinical psychiatry. As ongoing technological improvements make neuroimaging systems more practical, more reliable, and more affordable, fNIRS is poised to tackle long-standing challenges in psychiatric practice. Despite these advances, research is often restricted to the observation of individual phenomena which are rarely successfully translated into use in clinical settings. The goal of this thesis is to propose the use and application of fNIRS-based neuroimaging to characterize cognitive function in mental health patients and monitor their response to pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions. The platform introduced in this study offers potential new indices of patient status, treatment efficacy, and targets for novel treatment approaches.
	Amanda Sargent, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Hasan Ayaz, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Rajneesh Suri, PhD Vice Dean for Research and Strategic Partnerships LeBow College of Business Drexel University	Neural Assessment of Consumer Preferences for Food Products The application of neuroscience and neuroengineering methodologies to the study of product marketing is a new research area at the intersection of neuromarketing, neuroeconomics and consumer neuroscience. This emerging multidisciplinary field aims to better understand consumers and their interaction with products and services beyond the traditional self-report surveys and articulated responses from focus groups.
	Tony Yu, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Michele Marcolongo, PhD Department Head and Professor Department of Materials Science and Engineering Drexel University Christopher Li, PhD Professor Department of Materials Science and Engineering Drexel University	Chondroitin Sulfate Conjugated Nanofiber Shish Kebabs as Biomimetic Bone Templates Bone defects affect over 2.2 million people worldwide through diseases, injuries, aging, or the combination of these. The gold standards for bone defects are autografts harvested generally from the iliac crest or the hip bone of the patient. The use of autografts is limited and require additional surgery, which increases the risk of infection and donor site morbidity. Although there is no immune or compatibility issue, some autografts still fail due to non-union of bone and related complications. There is a medical need to synthesize polymeric bone grafts that can perform similarly if not better than bone autografts. To this end, we have previously fabricated a polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofiber shish kebab (NFSK) template as synthetic bone scaffolds via polymer crystallization of a block copolymer of PCL-b-PAA. The novelty of this work is the ability to control the mineral crystal orientation and spatial location on the nanofiber, which mimics the molecular structure of bone or mineralized collagen fibrils.
	John Stephen Malamon, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Andres Kriete, PhD Associate Dean for Academic Affairs School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Next-generation Sequence Data Analysis for Dissecting Molecular Mechanisms in Late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating and complex condition which presents one of the biggest healthcare challenges this country will face in the twenty-first century. Progress in understanding the many molecular mechanism and biological systems involved in LOAD is in part determined by our ability to fully integrate models that combine several modes of next-generation sequence (NGS) data to build comprehensive models and descriptions of the many genetic and regulatory factors influencing LOAD. With the increasing availability, variety, and quality of NGS data, we have the unique and exciting opportunity to test hypotheses concerning genetic risk factors, regulatory processes, compensatory mechanisms, etiology, and potential therapeutic targets. Also, to improve upon traditional functional association testing methods, we developed an entirely novel and extensible functional genomics framework called SECRETs for functional association hypothesis testing, robust variable importance detection, and flexible phenotype construction. SECRETs fill several critical gaps in functional genomics by reducing the number of functional associations and their p-values along with increasing biological precision and relevance.
	Camilla A. Nix, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Yinghui Zhong, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Long-Term Inhibition of Biofilm Formation on Silicone Urinary Catheters Utilizing Thin Film Coatings An indwelling urinary catheter is an implanted medical device used for urine collection from patients with limited mobility and/or urinary incontinence. A patient will receive a short-term catheter (less than 14 days) or a “chronic” catheter (greater than 30 days), depending on their medical need. Approximately 23% of hospitalized patients may require short or long-term use of a catheter during their hospital stay; however, the use of a catheter greatly increases patient morbidity because it increases the risk for the development of a urinary tract infection. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) was reported to occur in 50% of patients when the catheter is in operation for more than 5 days. For patients who require the use of a chronic catheter, up to 71% will develop a urinary tract infection, with the highest risk factor being the number of days the catheter is in place.
	Song Han, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisors: Wan Y. Shih, PhD Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Wei-Heng Shih, PhD Professor Department of Materials Science and Engineering Drexel University	Piezoelectric Plate Sensor for Isolation-free and Amplification-free Detection Through an Innovative Combustion-free Aqueous Materials Synthesis Route Piezoelectric plate sensor (PEPS) is a unique sensor platform developed in Shih and Shih laboratory capable of direct, in situ genetic detection with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) sensitivity and specificity but without the need of gene isolation or amplification. The heart of the PEPS technology is a highly piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)0.65-(PbTiO3)0.35 (PMN-PT) freestanding film. The difficulty and complexity of the synthesis processes for the lead magnesium niobate (PMN) power rendered PEPSs not reproducible.
	Eleanor Young, PhD Candidate School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University Advisor: Ming Xiao, PhD Associate Professor School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems Drexel University	Comprehensive Analysis of Subtelomeres by Genome Mapping and Sequencing Detailed comprehensive knowledge of the structures of individual long-range telomere-terminal haplotypes are needed to understand their impact on telomere function, and to delineate the population structure and evolution of subtelomere regions. However, the abundance of large evolutionarily recent segmental duplications and high levels of large structural variations have complicated both the mapping and sequence characterization of human subtelomere regions. Here, I use a highly automated whole genome mapping technology in nano-channel arrays to analyze large terminal human chromosome segments extending from chromosome-specific subtelomere sequences through subtelomeric repeat regions to terminal (TTAGGG)n repeat tracts. I analyzed 154 human genomes from 26 populations to present a comprehensive look at human subtelomere structure and variation. The results catalog many novel long-range subtelomere haplotypes and determine the frequencies and contexts of specific subtelomeric duplicons on each chromosome arm, helping to clarify the currently ambiguous nature of many specific subtelomere structures as represented in the current reference sequence (hg38). The organization and content of some duplicons in subtelomeres appear to show both chromosome arm and population-specific trends. Based upon these trends, I estimate a timeline for the spread of these duplication blocks.

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