News
CELL-MET Featured in NSF Article: “Biofabricating human tissues enhanced through use of gallium”
The manufacturing technique known as 3D printing, now being used everywhere, from aircraft manufacturers to public libraries, has never been more affordable or accessible. Biomedical engineering has particularly benefited from 3D printing as prosthetic devices can be produced and tested more rapidly than ever before. However, 3D printing still faces challenges when printing living tissues, partly due to their complexity and fragility.
Professor Jerome Mertz’s Work Recognized in Tech Post and Science
Novel algorithm successfully improves microscopy resolution through pixel reassignment
Novel algorithm successfully improves microscopy resolution through pixel reassignment
Navigating Difficult Conversations with Dr. Becky Wai-Ling Packard
On September 26th, Dr. Joi Mondisa hosted a presentation by Dr. Becky Wai-Ling Packard.
Dr. Packard is a Professor of Psychology and Education at Mount Holyoke and has over two decades of experience in leadership and team training. This talk was full of valuable scientifically-backed, actionable strategies to have more productive conversations with co-workers, mentors, and mentees.
Missed the talk but want to learn more? Watch it here!
FIU’s Lihua Lou named Early Career Stop Heart Disease Researcher of the Year
There are only so many ways to heal a broken heart, at least medically speaking. But thanks to new research, a promising treatment may be on the way.
Just ask FIU postdoctoral researcher Lihua Lou, who has been named the 2023 Early Career Stop Heart Disease Researcher of the Year by the Florida Heart Research Foundation. She is conducting research as part of an international team called CELL-MET to see how lab-made patches of tissue could repair damaged heart muscles.
CELL-MET is the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center in Cellular Metamaterials, led by Boston University. FIU and the University of Michigan are major team members.
“It is my true honor to be recognized as this year’s Early Career Stop Heart Disease Researcher,” Lihua said. “I am incredibly proud to be a member of this research team conducting interdisciplinary research to find an innovative treatment for heart disease.”
One person dies every 33 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One of the main barriers to fighting heart disease is that damaged heart muscle tissue does not regenerate easily on its own. The CELL-MET team’s idea to overcome this obstacle is to replace damaged cells using a patch made of lab-made cardiac tissue which, when placed onto a damaged heart, could infuse healthy cells into an injured area.
Lou is specifically researching the patch’s ability to resist deformation under stress and its other mechanical and material characteristics. She works alongside FIU Distinguished University Professor Arvind Agarwal, a co-principal investigator of the team.
“I am incredibly proud to see Dr. Lou acknowledged by the Florida Heart Foundation,” Agarwal said. “This award is a testament to her outstanding work ethic, team-first mentality and exceptional research abilities.”
With the award, Lou looks to develop a ‘golden standard’ for the mechanical properties of bioengineered cardiac tissue – a reference guide when creating heart bandages in the future. She will also work to create specialized equipment for measuring this data for cardiac tissue and similar tissues.
“Dr. Lou's groundbreaking work and her unwavering dedication to addressing the challenges of heart disease positioned her as an exemplary candidate for our award,” said the Florida Heart Research Foundation’s Medical Advisory Committee in a joint statement. “Her contributions extend beyond her research endeavors. Dr. Lou’s active involvement in cross-institutional projects, including collaborations with various universities, showcases her commitment to collaborative scientific advancement.”
“Additionally, Dr. Lou's mentorship of aspiring researchers and her prolific publication record of 22 journal papers underline her dedication to fostering scientific growth.”
Prior to FIU, Lou obtained a Master’s degree in textiles science and engineering, where she researched nanomaterials. She later earned a Ph.D. in environmental science, where she studied toxicology and how materials interact with the human body. She connects the dots across disciplines in her research today.
Other institutions involved in the research at CELL-MET include include Brown University, CNEA (Argentina), Columbia University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Fort Valley State University, Harvard Medical School, National University of Ireland, NHS College, North Carolina State University, Queen’s University Belfast (Northern Ireland) and the Wyss Institute.
PUMPed for Stat Madness
The mini-PUMP is a project led by Dr. Christos Michas, a CELL-MET trainee alumnus, and enabled by many CELL-MET collaborations. It is a microscale replica of a heart chamber poised to change the future of medicine and organ engineering. The mini-PUMP – made from nanoengineered parts and human heart tissue - can help scientists better understand the human heart and the effects of drugs on it. It also lays critical groundwork for developing rejection-resistant organs. This week, it was selected as one of just 64 projects to compete in Stat Madness, a six-round, bracket-style competition. In this first round of voting, which ends March 7, our CELL-MET team is up against a pig to human heart transplant.
Let’s all take two minutes to show them some support and help them advance to the next round. Here’s how you do it:
Front row: Christos Michas
Photo by Jackie Ricciardi
FOLLOW this link
CREATE an account (just needs email, screen name, and password!)
CLICK “vote”
SCROLL to Matchup 23
VOTE for Heart on a Chip
SHARE with friends!
Stat Madness is designed to bring attention to innovative, groundbreaking science so let’s help our team get the recognition they deserve!
Professor Christopher Chen Elected National Academy of Inventors Fellow
Professor Christopher Chen was elected a National Academy of Inventors Fellow for his outstanding contributions to innovation and for his work on inventions on patents. Read more
Professor Kimani Toussaint and Team Featured in Boston Globe for Developing an Improved Blood-Oxygen Detector
Professor Kimani Toussaint and his team featured in Boston Globe for developing an improved blood-oxygen detector . Read more
The Quest for a Heart Attack Cure
“Our dream is to build a cure for heart attacks,” says David Bishop, a materials scientist and director of CELL-MET.
Read about the astounding progress coming out of the NSF CELL-MET ERC. Read more
Growing Tissue and Engineers
A new article was published about the CELL-MET ERC summer programs which has broadened the pipeline of research engineers. Read more
New Miniature Heart Could Help Speed Heart Disease Cures
The interdisciplinary team at CELL-MET engineered a tiny living heart replica, nicknamed the miniPUMP. While no bigger than a US postage stamp, this device packs a punch. The team says the innovation will allow them to better analyze the impact of heart disease, and test the potential effectiveness and side effects of new treatments. Read more