Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare – Details, episodes & analysis

Microvessels are a crucial part of our body’s circulatory system. They're responsible for delivering the oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body and are often devastated by diseases like Diabetes and Alzheimer's. Dr. Peirce-Cottler develops computational models and combines them with wet lab experiments to study how tissues heal after injury and to develop therapies for inducing tissue regeneration.

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler the is Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering, with secondary appointments in the Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Virginia (UVA). In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into the history and future of microvascular research, the observed connection between Alzheimer's and diabetes, and the future healthcare applications of computational modeling.

Dr. Peirce-Cottler received Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from The Johns Hopkins University and her Ph.D. in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia. She has published over 125 peer reviewed papers and book chapters, is a fellow in both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows (AIMBE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). She was awarded the UVA School of Medicine’s Robert H. Kadner Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring. Her courses in cell and molecular physiology and computational systems bioengineering are foundational to the BME undergraduate and graduate studies at UVA.

Follow Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayn-peirce-cottler-a70993/

Check out Dr. Peirce-Cottler’s work: https://www.peircecottlerlab.com/

Recent publications from Shayn’s lab: https://www.peircecottlerlab.com/publications

Check out Dr. Shannon Barker's page: https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/shannon-barker

Read about combining synthetic biology, computational modeling, and machine learning to design and build tissues: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010701

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Investment is critical for advancing promising biomedical research out of the lab and into the hospital. Dr. Tom Skalak has worked widely on innovation ecosystems with the White House, U.S. Congress, and Fortune 500 CEOs and C-suites seeking cultures to advance creative ideation and implementation of innovations. He urges VCs to invest locally with research universities and shares his perspective of some of the most exciting, emerging fields of research.

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Tom Skalak joined the Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation in 2018 as Senior Advisor to Clara Wu Tsai and was previously the founding Executive Director of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group in Seattle, and Vice President for Research Emeritus at the University of Virginia. In these roles, Tom led creative synthesis of research and innovation programs spanning biosciences, environmental sustainability, physical sciences, engineering and technology, arts, design, entrepreneurship, and humanities. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into how small start-ups can grow and thrive in the competitive biomedical technology industry, innovative research in the discipline of protein design and the future applications, and the challenges in studying the emerging fields, human cognition and performance.

As Professor and Chair of Biomedical Engineering at UVAs, Tom’s original research included:

cardiovascular biomechanics, computational modeling, wound repair, and regenerative medicine, conducted with continuous NIH funding over 28 years. He is a past president of both the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He was the founder of the UVA-Coulter Foundation Translational Research Partnership and early-stage investment funds with corporate partners such as Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.

Follow Dr. Tom Skalak on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-skalak-81000611b/

Learn more about the Human Performance Alliance: https://humanperformancealliance.org/

Faculty profile: https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/thomas-c-skalak

The Wu Tsai Institute at Yale: https://wti.yale.edu/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Mark Hanson co-founded Heartbeat Health to make heart care more consistent and to ensure the patient gets the care when they need it, wherever they are. By transforming how heart care is delivered through technology, the Heartbeat Health team is accelerating access to quality cardiovascular care and improving patient outcomes. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we explore how telemedicine can be a solution to improving quality of care while also reducing cost and dive into how the healthcare industry is changing as more and more providers and insurers are adopting a value based care approach.

Mark Hanson is a co-founder, advisor, and former Chief Product and AI Officer at Heartbeat Health, a venture-backed healthcare technology startup focused on delivering tech-enabled cardiovascular care at scale, nationwide. Before starting Heartbeat Health, Mark also founded BeClose, a digital health company that utilized IoT devices and AI-powered services to promote healthy independent living at home, which was merged into Alarm.com, where he served as the head of platforms and health innovations during their IPO. He is a long-time board member of the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science Entrepreneurship Advisory Board, an Adjunct Associate Professor at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, and an angel investor and advisor to numerous health tech startups.

Follow Dr. Mark Hanson on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhanson/

X: https://x.com/mark_hanson

Learn more about Heartbeat Health: https://www.heartbeathealth.com/

Read the summary of “Impact of a Virtual Cardiology Program for Post-Discharge Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial:” https://www.heartbeathealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ACC23-3-pager.pdf

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Tissue engineering is an exciting field that promises to solve many health conditions, but there are several fundamental challenges that remain unsolved. Dr. Jennifer West is leading the field with research on novel techniques that promote vascularization (tissue blood supply) and mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering applications. Dr. West’s lab focuses on biomaterials, nanotechnology, and tissue engineering, applying engineering approaches to study biological problems and address unmet medical needs.

Most recently, she is also a co-founder of Nanospectra Biosciences, a company commercializing a cancer therapy using gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy. This unique, non-invasive technique is currently in human clinical trials. She is a uniquely prolific inventor, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and has over 19 patents that have been licensed to eight different companies and across multiple engineering disciplines.

As the Dean of the Engineering School at University of Virginia Dr. West is guiding the trajectory of instruction, research and entrepreneurship at the University. She has promoted collaboration between engineering and medicine, expanded the biomedical engineering faculty and fostered numerous cross-school research collaborations with over $23 million in external funding. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare, she shares her vision for engineering at UVA.

Follow Dr. West on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-west-a6107532/

Twitter: https://x.com/UVADeanJWest

Learn about Nanospectra Biosciences: https://nanospectra.com/

Learn about University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science: https://engineering.virginia.edu/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

The human voice box is a delicate, complex and highly specialized structure that enables the fine control and wondrous beauty of speech and song. When vocal cords are damaged, recovery and healing are difficult and lengthy. At UVA, Dr. James Daniero established the Interdisciplinary Voice and Swallowing Clinic, specializing in surgeries of the airways and the vocal cords. He met Dr. Donald Griffin, professor of Biomedical Engineering, and together they developed a plan to design new materials to rebuild tissue and accelerate wound healing in the airway and vocal cords. Together, they are laying down the groundwork for a first, in-human clinical trial for vocal cord reconstruction.

In this episode we learn about how biomaterials are engineered for tissue scaffolding in unique environments within our bodies and how these entrepreneurial professors are solving challenges inside and outside the research lab. Dr. Griffin and Dr. Daniero are exploring applications of biomaterial scaffolds for applications in cleft palate and intubation injuries, providing scaffolds for the patient’s own tissue to regrow naturally and permanently.

Dr. Daniero is the Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at UVA School of Medicine and a practicing head and neck surgeon at UVA Health. He also co-founded RefluxRaft, providing a supplement-based treatment for Acid Reflux. Dr. Daniero relentlessly pursues solving patient problems and materializing treatments through deep research and force of will.

Dr. Griffin is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Director of the BME Graduate Program. He is the co-founder of a growing biomaterials company, Tempo Therapeutics, which creates minimally invasive and precision engineered tissue scaffolds using proprietary designs of Microporous Annealed Particle Gels (MAPs).

Follow Dr. Jim Daniero's

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-daniero-45696b1b5/

UVA Health Profile: https://uvahealth.com/findadoctor/James-Daniero-1386817484

Learn more about RefluxRaft: https://refluxraft.com/

Follow Dr. Don Griffin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-griffin-b737a3155/

UVA BME profile: https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/donald-richieri-griffin

Learn more about Tempo Therapeutics: https://www.tempothera.com/technology/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Muscles play a pivotal role throughout our bodies, not just in our day-to-day functions but also as foundational elements in our journey towards healthy aging. At the forefront of exploring this intricate system is Dr. Silvia Blemker and her dedicated team at the M3 Lab at the University of Virginia. Their innovative approach weaves together advanced imaging, hands-on experimentation, and sophisticated computational methods to delve deep into the anatomy and mechanics of muscles, shedding light on various muscle-related diseases.

Through her venture, Springbok Analytics, Dr. Blemker is revolutionizing the way we understand muscle health. By harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and merging it with the precision of MRI technology, her team is crafting real-time, detailed models of muscles. This breakthrough initiative is not just about enhancing athletic performance or speeding up recovery but is also a key player in the prevention of muscle diseases.

In the latest installment of Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare, Dr. Blemker takes us on a journey through the evolution of Biomedical Engineering as a discipline. She shares her approach to leveraging AI to accelerate the pace of developing Springboks Analytics technologies for more applications. Dr. Blemker also introduces us to one of her groundbreaking projects, funded by the NIH, aimed at developing precise, sex-specific musculature models.This project promises to equip future researchers with robust tools for studying women's muscle systems with unparalleled accuracy, ensuring that gender disparities in medical research are addressed head-on.

Follow Dr. Blemker on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-blemker/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UvaM3Lab

M3 Lab: http://www.uvam3lab.com/

Learn about Springbok Analytics: https://www.springbokanalytics.com/

To enroll in the study for developing a computational method that will be able to accurately examine how sex differences in muscles and bones influence the lower limbs during movement reach out to Dr. Silvia Blemker at ssblemker@virginia.edu or fill out this form: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEFhlTljsxcAEUm

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

An in-depth discussion with Dr. Natasha Sheybani, who is pioneering the use of Focused Ultrasound (FUS) in precision cancer treatment at the University of Virginia. Dr. Sheybani's research focuses on enhancing immunotherapy for brain and breast cancers through innovative, non-invasive techniques. Her efforts to improve glioblastoma patient outcomes by overcoming major treatment barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, have earned her recognition by the Forbes 30 under 30 in Science Award and many others. This episode delves into the promising future of cancer care, highlighting the collaborative efforts and clinical trials underway at UVA that are bringing us closer to more effective, personalized cancer treatments.

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Follow Dr. Sheybani on Social Media:

Twitter: https://x.com/ndsheybani?s=20

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-sheybani-024439123/

Learn about the FUS Cancer Immunotherapy Center: https://med.virginia.edu/uva-focused-ultrasound-cancer-immunotherapy-center/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

In this episode we delve into the future of medicine with Dr. Nathan Price, Chief Science Officer at Thorne HealthTech and co-author of "The Age of Scientific Wellness." Dr. Price shares his visionary insights on the transformation of medicine through systems biology approaches, modeling and analytics, and practices centered in prevention. He shares how his research uses digital twins in predicting and preventing the progression of Alzheimer’s diseases and how other AI developments are impacting access to diagnosis and treatments.

Dr. Nathan Price highlights the transformative power of combining phenotyping and genotyping in research, allowing for a deeper understanding of disease progression and potential interventions long before symptoms appear. “You can look for what's different in individuals 20 years before the disease would be expected to emerge. What you find is that there are differences that are manifested in the blood in these dense data clouds. This longitudinal data is different as a function of differential risk for that disease.”

At University of Virginia Dr. Price evaluates and guides promising translational research projects through his role on the board of the Coulter Translational Research Center.

Follow Dr. Price on Social Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathandprice/

Twitter: https://x.com/ISBNathanPrice?s=20

Read his new book “The Age of Scientific Wellness: Why the Future of Medicine is Personalized, Predictive, Data Rich and In Your Hands

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674245945

Learn more about Thorne HealthTech: https://www.thorne.com/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

What is innovation and why is it important to teach in an engineering program? Innovation has been defined as increasing value, which is increasing the benefits to cost ratio. Because innovation can be an ambiguous concept, it is important to develop a framework to guide the process. Since 2006, Dr. DiMeo has been coaching, consulting, and training processes of innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurship for medical device innovation and healthcare impact.

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Dr. Andrew DiMeo is a health innovator, biomedical engineer, design philosopher, and social entrepreneur. He began his career in New York, working on movies and TV shows, most notably The Sopranos. He has a BS in Physics and PhD in Biomedical Engineering and has spent most of his career teaching and practicing health innovation. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into Dr. DiMeo’s time teaching biomedical entrepreneurship at UNC and NC State, the teaching methodology and the philosophy for creating successful translational research classes, a new framework to help organizations innovate, and the future of STEM careers and education.

Dr. DiMeo has served as a Team Lead in NIH Programs, including RADx, ITAP, Blueprint MedTech, HIV Point of Care Testing, and C3i. He was previously a Professor of the Practice at UNC & NC State for 12 years where his students started multiple startups including 410 Medical, Contour Surgical, Augment Medical, Novocor Medical Systems, and MEDIC. He was co-founder of Gilero, founder of the NC Medical Device Trade Organization, and founder of CanvasGT, a SaaS startup acquired by Greenlight Guru. Today, you can find him mentoring the next generation of social entrepreneurs, working on his new venture, Hangar Dreys - a co-working concept in Raleigh, NC focused on addressing the loneliness epidemic.

Follow Dr. Andrew DiMeo on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajdimeo/

IDEAL Biomedical Publication: https://medium.com/ideal-biomedical

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/andrewdimeo

Press Release about Springbok Analytics FDA approval:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/springbok-analytics-receives-fda-510k-clearance-for-muscleview-its-ai-muscle-health-analysis-from-a-rapid-mri-scan-302270603.html

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Genetic sequencing is the process of determining the exact order of the nucleotides in a DNA or RNA molecule. Sequencing provides the complete "blueprint" of an organism's genetic code, and it's a critical tool in genetics, molecular biology, and medical research. Dr. Jonathon Hill develops innovative genomic and bioinformatic methods for gene expression analysis which has tremendous applications in cancer, early detection of chronic diseases, and personalized medicine

Love this podcast? Write to us with ideas, feedback, and guest recommendations at biomedicalfrontiers@virginia.edu

Dr. Jonathon Hill is an Associate Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology at Brigham Young University and the Vice President of Science & Technology at Wasatch Biolabs. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers, we dive into the field of genetic sequencing and genomics, how Jonathon built a company from the foundation of a novel gene sequencing technique, his research into congenital heart defects, and the future of the epigenetics field.

He is a Fulbright Scholar and a BYU Early-Career Teaching Award recipient, having received his MS in Molecular Biology from the University of Colorado Health Science Center and a PhD in Genetics and Developmental Biology from Columbia University. His company Wasatch Biolabs is working to move epigenetics from the lab to the clinic and his lab at BYU researches the molecular genetics of congenital heart defects by studying development of hearts in embryos.

Follow Dr. Jonathon Hill on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathon-t-hill/

Check out Dr. Jonathon Hill’s work at Wasatch Biolabs: https://www.wasatchbiolabs.com/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research