It is with profound sadness that the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems reports the passing of Calhoun Distinguished Professor Dov Jaron, one of the pioneers of biomedical engineering. Dr. Jaron passed away on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. 

Peter A. Lewin, PhD, Richard B. Beard Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, received the IEEE Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control (UFFC) Society 2024 Distinguished Service Award at the 2024 IEEE UFFC Joint Symposium, which was held September 22nd – 26th in Taipei, Taiwan.

Inspired by the legacy of the late John M. Reid, renowned co-inventor of the country’s first echocardiogram device, Drexel BIOMED faculty and their alumni protégés are steering ultrasound science deeper into the experimental domain of cancer, infection and wound treatment.

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2024 Graduate Award Winners

Mark E. Schafer, PhD, research professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, was named a Fellow of the Ultrasonic Industry Association (UIA) at its 52nd Annual Symposium, held in Dublin Ireland, April 8, 2024.

Hailee Mayer, PhD candidate (Advisor: P. Lewin), School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, won the new investigator session at UltraCon 2024, hosted by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).

Dr. Esra Dundar Aravacik is an Assistant Professor at Turkey’s Izmir Katip Çelebi University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Health Management, Health and Medical Law. 

Our ongoing collaborative DSI project (monitoring brain on the go during navigation in a botanical museum) was featured with a cover story in Chimes magazine that can be accessed online.

Read more about Dr. Kara Spiller's Remarkable Global Contributions: A Spotlight on Recent Achievements

Our ongoing collaborative DSI project (monitoring brain on the go during navigation in a botanical museum) was featured with a cover story in Chimes magazine that can be accessed online.

Congratulations to Professor Ozlem Yesil-Celiktas for receiving the Ege University’s “Science and Engineering” award. 

Professor Banu Onaral receives the 2023 TUSEB Special Award for her work in the fields of functional brain imaging and in recognition of major national and global initiatives that she spearheaded.

The Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Program was honored to host researchers from the Mansfield Foundation's Mansfield-PhRMA Research Scholars Program.

Jesse Mark, Pratusha Reddy, Dharmateja Varapula, and Chao Wang, all PhD candidates, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, each received the 2023 School of Biomed Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Jamie Mak presents at the 2022 International Virtual Exchange Conference in Valencia, Spain

BIOMED intern Elakiya Sivakumar, BS in Biomedical Engineering at SSN College of Engineering, India, launched "The Pneuma in Machines" blog.

BIOMED student Zack Goldblum, BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering, hosts "The BrainTech Podcast." The podcast started as a Brain|Technology Convergence course project offered by the Global Innovation Partnerships at BIOMED. 

Dr. Amy Throckmorton, associate professor and director of the BioCirc Research Laboratory in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching.

GIP Conversations are brief, heart-to-heart interviews with key players in the biomedical technology innovation ecosystem.

Dr. Andres Kriete, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, will co-organize a training course on Pharmaceutical R&D with the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professional Association – Greater Philadelphia Section (SAPA-GP), August 10, 2019 in Drexel University’s Bossone Research Center.

The amount is for the fourth year of a five-year $3 million NIH grant to develop a battery-powered applicator — as small and light as a watch — that is the first portable and potentially wearable device to heal wounds with low-frequency ultrasound.

Dr. Andres Kriete, associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, was appointed a member of the Drexel University steering committee in preparation of Drexel’s peer review in accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) in 2022.

A battery-powered applicator — as small and light as a watch — is the first portable device to heal chronic wounds with low-frequency ultrasound.

The U.S. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Science Prize for Innovation, Research, and Education (ASPIRE) Competition named Dr. Kara Spiller of Drexel University as the 2018 U.S. nominee to represent the United States for the APEC-wide ASPIRE Prize.

Dr. Peter A. Lewin, Richard B. Beard   Distinguished University Professor and Director,  Biomedical Ultrasound Research  and Education Center, was the recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Philadelphia Section 2018 Benjamin Franklin Key Award. The award recognizes   an electrical   engineer for outstanding technical innovation and technological   contributions that have had significant   practical applications. The award emphasizes technical innovation, such   as a system (design and application), a significant improvement to a system, or patents of clear technical and technological achievements, which demonstrate intellectual, industrial, economical, or human benefits. Dr. Lewin was awarded several patents in the field of ultrasound and has authored or co-authored over 250 scientific publications.

The Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Partnership is pleased to announce the following six projects have been awarded funding for 2017-18. The mission of the Coulter-Drexel Translational Research Partnership is to partner with Drexel University faculty to develop products that will save, extend, and improve the lives of patients suffering from any disease or condition. Since inception of the program in 2005 nearly 50 projects have received a total of $7.6 million in support.

Valerie Tutwiler, PhD candidate in BIOMED (Advisors: K. Spiller and J. Weisel, UPenn), received a prestigious American Heart Association (AHA) 2-year $52K Predoctoral Fellowship for her research titled, “Blood Clot Contraction: Relation to Cell Stiffness and Fibrinolysis.”

Adam Craig, PhD student in BIOMED (Advisor: U. Hershberg), received a $24K 1-year David L. Boren Fellowship for overseas study at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Boren Fellows represent a vital pool of highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. In exchange for funding, Boren Fellows commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.

Drs. Karen Moxon, professor and associate director for research in BIOMED (PI), and John Bethea (CoAS – Co-PI), received a 5-year mult-PI $3M NIH R01 grant for the project titled “Enhancing Supraspinal Plasticity to Improve Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury.” It is becoming increasingly evident that plasticity within supraspinal networks, induced by therapeutic interventions, is necessary for optimal recovery of function after spinal cord injury.

Chau Dang, undergraduate student in BIOMED, with a concentration in biomaterials and tissue engineering, received a 2016 Drexel University Cooperative Education Award for her co-op with Amicus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company where she examined the stability of a lipid molecule that's important in the study of Gaucher's disease, which affects many of the body’s organs and tissues.

Dr. Hasan Ayaz, research associate professor in BIOMED, co-authored an original research article titled "Into The Wild: Neuroergonomic Differentiation of Hand-Held and Augmented Reality Wearable Displays During Outdoor Navigation with Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy" that was accepted for publication in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (Co-authors: R. Mckendrick, R. Parasuraman, R. Murtza, A. Formwalt, W. Baccus, and M. Paczynski).

Dr. Margaret Wheatley, John M. Reid Professor in BIOMED, was quoted in an April 21, 2016 Philadelphia Inquirer story about her experience as a former postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Robert S. Langer, a drug delivery pioneer and recipient of the 2016 Franklin Medal in the Life Sciences.

Dr. Kara Spiller, assistant professor in BIOMED, was featured in a December 21, 2015 BillyPenn.com post as one of the most dynamic young STEM leaders in Philadelphia. The post mentions how Dr. Spiller and her team are designing unique drug delivery strategies that harness the body’s immune system to naturally promote tissue repair and regeneration.

Dr. Kurtulus Izzetoglu, research associate professor in BIOMED, was mentioned in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) magazine for his research in exploring human factors that may impact the safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace. Part of the team's research involves analyzing UAV control station design standards.

Drs. Donald McEachron, teaching professor in BIOMED, and Eugenia Ellis, associate professor in CoMAD, authored an article for the online magazine Disruptive Women in Health Care about growing older with the rhythms of life.

Nicholas Pashos alumnus in BIOMED (BS '11), is a biomedical engineer and Tulane University doctoral graduate and co-creator of the technology used in developing the "next step in breast reconstruction" for breast cancer survivors at his Tulane University spinoff, BioAesthetics, that was named winner of BioChallenge 2015, an annual pitch competition hosted by the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. The annual competition, now in its fourth year, is the city's primary showcase for promising local biotech startups.

Dr. Dov Jaron, Calhoun Distinguished Professor of Engineering in Medicine in BIOMED, received a medal of honor from the Polish Academy of Sciences Maciej Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering in recognition of his contributions to the field of biomedical engineering and the development of the Institute.

Drs. Wan Shih, associate professor in BIOMED, and Wei-Heng Shih (MSE), and their intelligent breast cancer detector research were cited in a November 20, 2015 Philadelphia Inquirer story on Drexel's partnering with investors to launch a $10 million fund to create firms from university projects. The article also mentions how their team is using intelligent sensors to instantly assess the thoroughness of a tumor removal and to test for common bacterial infections.

Jaydev Dave, alumnus in BIOMED (MS ’08 & PhD ’12), received a Certificate of Research Excellence from the American Heart Association (AHA) in recognition of his outstanding dedication and achievement in heart disease and stroke research, and specifically for the cardiac research that Dr. Dave had accomplished as a part of his PhD thesis and which will continue to be used in humans.

Dr. Andres Kriete, associate professor in BIOMED, chaired the 'Success in Academia' professional development conference that was co-sponsored by the Drexel University College of Medicine and held on October 30, 2015 in Behrakis Grand Hall, Drexel University. The conference featured nine highly accomplished speakers and panelists discussing academic career options and providing advice for graduate students, postdocs, and biomedical engineers and scientists. Attendees learned how to best position themselves for success in obtaining jobs in academic institutions, how to overcome obstacles and challenges, and gain important lab management skills. The event included breakout and panel sessions with options to learn about career building skills, negotiation tactics for faculty positions, or transitioning into academic careers from different job sectors. Following the sessions, a networking reception offered the opportunity for attendees to learn more about academic career choices by interacting with panelists in an informal setting.

Nutte Tarn Teraphongphom and Lauren Jablonowski, both PhD students in BIOMED (Advisor: M. Wheatley), published the article titled "Nanoparticle Loaded Polymeric Microbubbles as Contrast Agents for Multimodal Imaging" (Co-authors: (P. Chhour, J.R. Eisenbrey, P.C. Nah, W.R.T. Witschey, B. Opasanont, D.P. Cormode, and M.A. Wheatley) in the October 16, 2015 edition of the American Chemical Society's journal Langmuir.

Nohra Murad, BS/MS student in BIOMED (Advisor: A. Throckmorton), received the Steinbright Research Co-op Award for Fall/Winter Term 2015 in recognition of her exceptional effort in fulfilling the goals and ideals of cooperative education.

Lauren Jablonowski, PhD student in BIOMED (Advisor: M. Wheatley), was selected to give an oral presentation under the Drug Delivery track at the 2015 BMES Annual Meeting in Tampa, FL, October 7-10, 2015.

Dr. Margaret Wheatley, John M. Reid Professor in BIOMED, received a 1-year $100K W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Award for the project titled, “Creating a New Paradigm for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment.” The goal of this project is to design "stealth" microbubbles that evade the immune system and deliver gemcitabine from nanoparticles created in situ, directly to the tumor, thereby overcoming problems with dense tissue around tumors. Success could usher in a new era of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) treatment, bringing a population that is considered unresectable within reach of a cure.

Dr. Margaret Wheatley, John M. Reid Professor in BIOMED, and John Eisenbrey, alumnus in BIOMED (MS '09) and research assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University, received a 2-year $218K NIH National Cancer Institute grant for the project titled, “Oxygen Microbubbles for Overcoming Hypoxic Tumor Resistance to Radiotherapy."

Alper Bozkurt, alumnus in BIOMED (MS '04), assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at North Carolina State University, was named one of Popular Science’s "Brilliant 10" for his work establishing the foundations of the “Internet of bionic things” in areas ranging from human-animal communication to insect bio-bots to human health monitoring devices.

Drs. Amy Throckmorton, associate professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, and Ellen Bass, professor and head of the Department of Information Science, College of Computing & Informatics, received a Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grant for six doctoral students for 2015-2018: Drexel BIOMED Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Research Enterprise (iCARE) for Healthcare. Each fellowship recipient will receive a $34K stipend per academic year, in addition to $15.2K dedicated to tuition.

Kritika Katiyar, PhD candidate in BIOMED (Advisor: Y. Zhong), received a 3-year $90K NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke research fellowship for the project titled, "Mechanisms for Axonal Guidance Using Living Tissue Engineered Scaffolds."