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Graduating undergraduate student Gabriella Erich receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Research Award

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:20:41 +0000

Graduating undergraduate student Gabriella Erich receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Research Award Alexander Jame… Mon, 12/16/2024 - 10:20

Alexander Servantez

Gabriella Erich, a biomedical engineering (BME) student graduating this fall, has been selected to receive the CU ��«��Ƶ College of Engineering and Applied Science 2024 Outstanding Research Award.

This award is given to undergraduate students who demonstrate research excellence that is both interdisciplinary and impactful. Erich is the fourth BME student to win the award since the young program’s conception in 2018. But her journey to this award was a little different.

The unique, early journey

Gabriella Erich, a graduating BME student and winner of the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Research Award.

Growing up in both ��«��Ƶ and Los Angeles, Erich had two passions: space and medicine.

“When I was a kid, I had a NASA astronaut suit in my room,” Erich said. “But I also loved my chemistry classes, my biology classes and I always wanted to be a doctor.”

As college inched closer, Erich was unsure what degree path to pursue. The decision was difficult but she eventually chose the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the ��«��Ƶ.

Erich enjoyed aerospace engineering. But she quickly discovered that she wasn’t feeling passion and she needed a change. She had also been dealing with some bad news from back home: Two of her uncles had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

“Their diagnosis really sparked my passion again. I knew I wanted to switch over to biomedical engineering and assist in the research to help treat the disease and save lives in the future,” Erich said. “It was a tough transition, but it was incredibly worth it.”

Erich began taking BME courses during her fourth semester at CU ��«��Ƶ. One of them was an introductory course with Professor Mark Borden, where she first carved out her niche in the world of biomedical research.

“I remember when Dr. Borden talked about the microbubbles that he and his students worked with in his lab,” she said. “I really had no clue what they were, but I realized his research was something I was interested in. When I saw his graduate students present it again in a different class, I decided it was something I was going to pursue.”

In the next year, Erich applied to the Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) and was accepted into the Borden Research Lab.

“It was daunting at first,” Erich said. “I really wanted to make sure I impressed them. Once I got into the lab, I showed that I can ask questions and learn quickly. It became a pretty seamless transition after that.”

The award-winning research

Erich conducted multiple independent studies during her time in the Borden lab. Each of them analyzed endoskeletal droplets, exoskeletal droplets and their response to a phase transition phenomenon called acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV).

Erich (right) and another student collaborating in the Borden lab.

ADV occurs when liquid droplets are vaporized under ultrasound. This technique is often used to explore more precise imaging and drug delivery solutions. But endoskeletal droplets are more complex; they contain an internal solid hydrocarbon structure that allows researchers to control their stability and vaporizability.

Using ultrasound, Erich developed a testing setup using a research ultrasound transducer to study the endoskeletal droplets and their behavior under ADV. This novel research yielded results that mark the first formal characterization of endoskeletal droplets with this phenomenon.

With more analysis and improvement to the test setup, Erich believes this work can possibly help engineers and scientists discover a safer, more cost-effective method of drug delivery and treating brain-related diseases.

“There are cures for cancer like radiation and chemotherapy,” she said. “But there are problems with those. Ultrasound is noninvasive, so using these droplets could be a safer and cheaper way to deliver this type of care.”

In October, Erich was invited to present her findings at the Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting. She is currently working on another independent study, this time analyzing the effects of ADV on exoskeletal droplets that have external solid structures. For this research, Erich is developing an electronic setup to alter more parameters using both a transmit and a receive transducer.

“It’s a similar principle as my past studies,” Erich said. “We want to see when this droplet vaporizes under ultrasound. But we want to alter a few more parameters such as pulse length, pulse repetition frequency, and mechanical index to see the effect of those on the droplets as well.”

The lasting impact

Erich during her time as an Engineering Ambassador, sharing her knowledge and love for research with prospective students and families.

Erich has proved her worth as a researcher and community member in other areas, too. This past summer, she worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developing magnetic nanoparticles for use as contrast agents in a low-field magnetic resonance imaging system (MRI). She has also served as an Engineering Ambassador, sharing her path and passion for research with prospective students and families.

Most of all, Erich hopes her college journey will inspire future undergraduates to find their passion in research. Especially those who come from a unique path, just as she did.

“I come from a non-STEM family, and I started in aerospace. I never thought I would ever have this opportunity,” she said. “I’m grateful to have been a part of this program, and I am honored to be given this award.”

The achievement of the Outstanding Research Award will be recognized at the College of Engineering and Applied Science Graduation Ceremony on Dec. 19, 2024. Erich hopes to return to CU ��«��Ƶ as a graduate student in fall 2025 or use her research knowledge to work in medical imaging.

Gabriella Erich, a graduating student in biomedical engineering has been selected to receive the CU ��«��Ƶ College of Engineering and Applied Science 2024 Outstanding Research Award. Her novel research marks the first formal characterization of endoskeletal droplets under acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV).

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Recent PhD graduate Payton Martinez receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award

Alexander James Servantez — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 16:47:29 +0000

Recent PhD graduate Payton Martinez receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award Alexander Jame… Mon, 12/16/2024 - 09:47

Alexander Servantez

Payton Martinez, a recent biomedical engineering (BME) PhD graduate, has been selected to receive the CU ��«��Ƶ College of Engineering and Applied Science 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award.

This award is given annually to a doctoral research student completing their PhD degree requirements whose written dissertation demonstrates outstanding quality, research excellence and topical importance.

Growing up in the Denver area, Martinez would often take apart electronic devices to study their mechanisms and understand how they worked. He said he loved math, science and working with his hands.

Payton Martinez, recent PhD graduate in biomedical engineering and winner of the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award.

As Martinez became older, he took a sharp interest in medical technology and neuroscience. He began to notice family members going in and out of the hospital for various illnesses, and he wondered about the risks associated with the treatments they were being given.

“I realized that I wanted to use engineering to focus on something valuable,” Martinez said. “Not an item or a product like a television. Something valuable like the lives of humans or even animals.”

Martinez attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering. He was then introduced to the Borden Research Lab, led by Professor Mark A. Borden at the ��«��Ƶ.

Here, he was able to continue his studies in CU ��«��Ƶ’s BME graduate program and quench the thirst for all his curiosities at once: medicine, technology and neuroscience.

Martinez’ dissertation is titled “Improving the Treatment of DMG Using Focused Ultrasound and Microbubbles Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening.” The research explores how ultrasound and microbubbles can potentially work in tandem to effectively deliver drugs to the brain and treat neurological diseases in the future.

According to Martinez, neurological disorders were the second leading cause of death in 2016. This is not because our drugs and therapeutic treatments are ineffective. Instead, Martinez argues we need to improve drug delivery methods in order to reach these brain-related illnesses.

“Many pharmaceutical companies have developed drugs over the years that work super well when you have the drug and cell right next to each other,” Martinez said. “But our brains have a blood-brain barrier that prevents these effective drugs from getting past and attacking the cell.

“The big issue when it comes to neurological diseases and brain cancer is taking the drugs and figuring out a way to deliver them to humans.”

During his time in the Borden lab, Martinez focused specifically on diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a brain tumor located in the pons region of the brain that primarily affects children.

This rare form of cancer is unique. While some cancerous tumors have a slightly leaky or porous blood-brain barrier, allowing certain drug treatments to pass, the DIPG blood-brain barrier is fully intact. This makes the cancer almost impossible to treat in any way that is both safe and cost-effective.

“Using the technology we developed in the Borden lab, we were able to pass through the blood-brain barrier and reduce the tumor size in mice,” Martinez said. “Of course, this is on a much smaller scale than treating humans. But overall, we were able to increase the survival of these tumor-bearing mice.”

Martinez looks to expand on this research even further in the future. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University using ultrasound and microbubbles to possibly treat other neurological ailments as well. His goal is to remain in academia and eventually start his own lab where he can continue to push the limits of his research and discoveries.

The achievement of this award will be recognized at the College of Engineering and Applied Science Graduation Ceremony on December 19, 2024.

More than anything, Martinez wants to give thanks.

“I’m extremely grateful to receive this award, and I am thankful for my advisor, Mark Borden, for nominating me,” Martinez said. “Thank you to everyone who helped me along the way. A lot of my journey was learning from experts and mentors and it’s extremely impacted what I know and have done today.”

Payton Martinez, a recent PhD graduate in biomedical engineering has been selected to receive the CU ��«��Ƶ College of Engineering and Applied Science 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award. His research explores how ultrasound and microbubbles can potentially work in tandem to effectively deliver drugs to the brain and treat neurological diseases in the future.

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Two BME graduate students bring home scholarships from Innovate-A-Thon Prosthetics event

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:10:58 +0000

Two BME graduate students bring home scholarships from Innovate-A-Thon Prosthetics event Alexander Jame… Fri, 11/08/2024 - 16:10

Alexander Servantez

Two biomedical engineering graduate students were invited to participate in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

Master’s students Sahana Balaji and Sophia Ramsey represented the ��«��Ƶ in the two-week hybrid event, sponsored by nonprofit organization Education2Success. They competed with and against students from Boise State University to design above-the-knee prosthetic solutions for citizens in Tanzania.

Balaji and her team took home the top prize: a $600 scholarship for each team member. She also said the competition was a great opportunity to showcase and develop her innovation prowess in front of a panel of industry professionals and entrepreneurs.

Sahana Balaji, BME master's student and member of the winning team in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

“My background is very computational, specifically on women’s health. I didn’t have the same experience with computer-aided design as the others in the competition, so I kept on questioning whether or not I’m cut out for this,” she said. “In the end, I learned a lot and I proved that my background can come in handy.”

According to Steven Szymeczek, director of the Innovate-A-Thon, the competition is judged on both the prosthetic technology and a business model that is creative and feasible. It also needs to be economically sustainable and relevant to Tanzanian culture.

Balaji’s group designed a flexible, ball-jointed prosthetic leg with a 135-degree range of motion. It grants Tanzanian users peak mobility to perform all cultural activities without any risks of wear-and-tear.

Their design also featured a simple approach, relying on interchangeable parts rather than cutting-edge technology. Balaji said this strategy allowed them to account for users who lack the resources and money to replace their prosthetic device or visit a clinic if things did go awry.

“We could have implemented electronics into our prosthetic,” Balaji said. “But do Tanzanian people have the budget, time or means to fix those parts if there were problems?

“Ultimately, we decided to implement locally sourced material. We used tools and parts that you could find in a hardware store, so that users can fix the device themselves and have time to visit the clinic within their own schedules for any other major issues.”

Sophia Ramsey, BME master's student and participant in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

The approach ended up putting them over the top, said Szymeczek. But the scoring was very close. Each team presented models so innovative and thoughtful that there was nearly a three-way tie for first place. Szymeczek said it was one of the most competitive iterations of the Innovate-A-Thon to date.

“Sometimes it varies between the best scores and the lowest scores,” he said. “These scores were very close, and it’s a testament to all the background and expertise they showed and learned during this program.”

Among the teams just short of first place was Sophia Ramsey’s. Although the BME MS student was unable to take home the top prize, her participation alone scored her a $500 scholarship. And just like Balaji, she said the experience and connection held the true value.

“The program really gives you a good snapshot of what it’s like to be an engineer in the field with tight deadlines and a team to collaborate with,” Ramsey said. “I’m also getting set up with some of the industry professionals who judged and advised this competition to explore some future career opportunities.”

This iteration of the Innovate-A-Thon was the first to feature students from CU ��«��Ƶ. Szymeczek says their team will launch more competitions in the future, and they hope to see more students take advantage of this opportunity.

Two biomedical engineering master's students brought home scholarships for their exceptional prosthetic designs in the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

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A sketch of the winning prosthetic design that earned BME graduate student Sahana Balaji and her team $600 scholarships at the October Innovate-A-Thon competition.

Biomedical engineering’s Career Symposium returns for its third year

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 20:10:17 +0000

Biomedical engineering’s Career Symposium returns for its third year Alexander Jame… Fri, 10/11/2024 - 14:10

Alexander Servantez

More than 160 CU ��«��Ƶ students put on their best business attire on Monday for the third annual Biomedical Engineering Career Symposium. Their mission? Go toe-to-toe with the workforce.

The symposium, organized by the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and run by students, provided an opportunity for students to connect and learn from various company representatives in the med-tech industry. It featured company information sessions, company tabling, product demonstrations, and one-on-one meetings with experienced industry professionals.

Fourteen companies and organizations, including CONMED, Medtronic and others, were in attendance to recruit some of ��«��Ƶ’s finest aspiring biomedical engineers. In past years, students have received job and internship opportunities with the help of the symposium. At the very least, students walked away with valuable insight into the diverse career paths the industry has to offer.

This year’s iteration of the event looked a little different. Students were required to attend a ProReady workshop in order to register for the symposium. Designed by Engineering Career Services, the ProReady initiative supports student career development, and these workshops helped prepare students to speak to company representatives in a professional setting.

“Last year, we had companies telling us that students were struggling to interact with representatives,” said Vivian Shi, a third-year student and BMES Career Symposium Committee member. “This year, our biggest focus was changing that, and I think we did a good job."

A BME student chats with a company representative at the 2024 BME Career Symposium.

Many of the students in attendance echoed some of those same sentiments. BME senior Christian Moon, who has been to multiple career symposiums, saw first hand how the workshop and symposium has affected his comfortability and confidence.

“Being able to practice interviews is nice,” Moon said. “It can be awkward to talk to people and talk about yourself. But it’s good practice and useful when interacting with people who are actually in the industry.”

Putting together an event like this is no easy task. On top of their own individual coursework, the BMES Career Symposium Committee spent long, tireless nights bringing the ballroom to life for their fellow BME classmates.

Clare Keeler, BMES Career Symposium committee chair, recalled the extensive planning involved, including difficulties wrangling commitments from companies or finding the perfect room arrangement. However, seeing vibrant and life-changing relationships being built during the event made all their hard work worth it.

“Overall, it makes me very happy that I was able to provide this experience for other students. It was a really long process dating back to April. My goal was to expand the symposium, and it just feels amazing seeing it come to life,” Keeler said.

Some company representatives gave their praise for this year’s symposium, including CONMED representative and former CU ��«��Ƶ alumna Mia Fox.

Fox co-founded the BME Career Symposium and was a part of the BME program’s first graduating class in 2023. She knows first hand just how difficult coordinating this event can be, and she was proud of the committee for building on the legacy her class started during her time on campus.

“The committee has done a good job taking feedback from both students and company representatives,” Fox said. “They ran with that and they did a really good job.

“This event is unique. It’s different. It’s run by students, for students. I hope everyone continues to see the importance in that going forward.”

More than 160 of CU ��«��Ƶ's finest Biomedical Engineering students attended the third annual Career Symposium in search of post-college opportunities.

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Three male BME students talking to a male company representative at the 2024 BME Career Symposium.

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Three current BME students talking to a company representative at the 2024 BME Career Symposium.

Celebrating our Native American and Indigenous Communities

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Celebrating our Native American and Indigenous Communities Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/01/2023 - 00:00

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LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate program welcomes 12 students

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 17:26:31 +0000

LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate program welcomes 12 students Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/17/2023 - 11:26

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CU Engineering offers debt-free degrees for first-gen Colorado students

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 21:09:05 +0000

CU Engineering offers debt-free degrees for first-gen Colorado students Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/24/2023 - 15:09

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First-ever class in biomedical engineering at CU ��«��Ƶ graduates this spring

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2023 22:25:04 +0000

First-ever class in biomedical engineering at CU ��«��Ƶ graduates this spring Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/25/2023 - 16:25

Michael Lock Swingen

The first-ever graduating class in biomedical engineering at CU ��«��Ƶ received their diplomas this spring, marking a significant achievement not only for the students but for the program as well.

The graduation ceremony was held in the Byron R. White Club in Folsom Stadium on May 11. The event was packed with family and friends of the 14 undergraduates and one Master of Science student.

Photos of the full ceremony are available on Flickr.

In his opening remarks, Program Director Mark Borden said that he had been dreaming of this day for years and that it exceeded his expectations. He also highlighted the tight bond the small group of students formed with each other over the past four years.

Biomedical engineering is a highly interdisciplinary discipline that lies at the interface of medicine, biology and engineering. Most of the equipment in hospitals and clinics is designed, built and tested by biomedical engineers. They also generate new biomimetic engineering designs in fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

The program has proven popular with a diverse group of students – this year’s undergraduate class was 71% women, representing the highest percentage of women graduates of any academic program in the college.

“Electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, physicians and biologists all realized they held the pieces of a larger puzzle that promised to help and improve the lives of millions of people,” graduating senior Quinn Beato said in his address during the ceremony. “Together, these connections charted a new map to explore biomedical applications.”

The journey wasn’t always easy for the first-ever graduating class, graduating senior Catalina Bastias Diaz shared in her remarks. There were no practice exams, study guides or fixed curriculum. Some of the classes were entirely new, like biomaterials and biotransport.

But at the same time, the students got to know their professors outside the classroom, had the opportunity to give back to the program by being course assistants and engage with medical companies at a level that other majors don’t get the chance to.

After graduation, many of the students plan to go into industry, where they will work on designing and manufacturing cutting-edge medical devices. Others plan to further their knowledge in engineering in graduate school, while others plan to pursue medical school.

“As biomedical engineers, we have the unique ability to change lives for the better,” Diaz said. “Through our innovative work, we can improve patient outcomes, advance medical technology, and make a real difference in the world.”

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Video: Celebrating the strength of our community during Women's History Month

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 15:19:56 +0000

Video: Celebrating the strength of our community during Women's History Month Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/09/2022 - 08:19

The future of engineering at CU ��«��Ƶ is one of inclusivity, diversity and resilience. BME professor Juliet Gopinath and undergraduate student Sacha Ramirez are among the woman featured as we celebrated Women's History Month and strive to create an equitable future for all.

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One of BME's first graduates reflects on how the program strengthened his resume

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 17:20:47 +0000

One of BME's first graduates reflects on how the program strengthened his resume Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/07/2021 - 11:20

Rachel Leuthauser

John Myers (MBioEngr’21) was the first student to graduate from the Biomedical Engineering Program with a thesis-based master’s degree. Now, he has a more competitive edge as he plans his future education and career.

John Myers (MBioEngr'21)

If it wasn’t for the COVID-19 pandemic, John Myers may have never ended up at the ��«��Ƶ.

After receiving his master’s degree in biochemistry from Oxford University in 2020, Myers thought he would either continue his education or get a job. Opportunities continuously fell through because of the pandemic, until Myers connected with the director of the Biomedical Engineering Program at CU ��«��Ƶ, Professor Mark Borden.

“I found out about the program and Professor Borden from my father,” Myers explained. “While I was writing up my thesis last year, my parents were trying to help me find opportunities for the following year. My father works at CU, which is part of why he suggested the program to me, to be closer to family during the pandemic.”

Myers’ father, Professor Chris Myers, knows the success of the College of Engineering and Applied Science well. He is currently the chair of the Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering Department at CU ��«��Ƶ.

Myers said his father encouraged him to get in contact with Borden. Following a discussion with Borden and biomedical engineering Professor Corey Neu, Myers decided to apply. Upon his acceptance, Myers became one of the first people to enroll in the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program.

“John was the first MS thesis student,” Borden said. “That requires a formal research component with a written thesis, in addition to the coursework.”

Myers focused his research on the effectiveness of ultrasound contrast agents. He said the Biomedical Engineering Program’s curriculum had a great impact on his understanding in that area of study.

John Myers exploring Colorado.

“In the sense of what courses I could sign up for, it was quite a great experience,” Myers said. “Coming off an education in both the United States and England, I had some background missing in biomedical imaging. The good thing about being in the Biomedical Engineering Program at CU ��«��Ƶ was that there were opportunities to try to fill in some of those gaps.”

Myers took classes in life sciences and electrical engineering to broaden his perspective. He said adding these subjects to his resume makes him more competitive when applying to PhD programs or jobs.

“I still don't have a physics degree for example, but I have a much broader background in some of the abilities that someone with a physics degree might have, especially in my area of interest,” Myers explained.

With his second master’s degree and an abundance of new knowledge in-hand, Myers said he is now looking for a doctorate position or a job in research.

“My dream kind of position would be to just to find a group I enjoy working for,” Myers said. “That’s the most important bit, to be able to have a good working relationship with whomever you have to work for.”

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Students

Graduating undergraduate student Gabriella Erich receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Research Award

The unique, early journey

The award-winning research

The lasting impact

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Recent PhD graduate Payton Martinez receives the CEAS 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award

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Two BME graduate students bring home scholarships from Innovate-A-Thon Prosthetics event

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Biomedical engineering’s Career Symposium returns for its third year

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Celebrating our Native American and Indigenous Communities

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LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate program welcomes 12 students

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CU Engineering offers debt-free degrees for first-gen Colorado students

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First-ever class in biomedical engineering at CU ��«����Ƶ graduates this spring

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Video: Celebrating the strength of our community during Women's History Month

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One of BME's first graduates reflects on how the program strengthened his resume

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First-ever class in biomedical engineering at CU ��«��Ƶ graduates this spring