Engaging Biomedical Engineering in Health Disparities Challenges

Health Disparities (HD) are community-based, biomedical challenges in need of innovative contributions from Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields. Surprisingly, STEM professionals demonstrate a persistent lack of HD awareness and/or engagement in both research and educational activities. This project introduced Health Disparities (HD) as technical challenges to incoming undergraduates in order to elevate engineering awareness of HD. The objective was to advance STEM-based, HD literacy and outreach to young cohorts of engineers. Engineering students were introduced to HD challenges in technical and societal contexts as part of Engineering 101 courses. Findings demonstrate that student comprehension of HD challenges increased via joint study of rising health care costs, engineering ethics and growth of biomedical-related engineering areas

Microfluidic Devices in Biotechnology

This lecture/laboratory course focuses on the fundamentals of modern microfluidic devices with applications to biomedical measurements. Students will review fundamental properties of microfluidic systems including the effects of viscous flow, heat transfer, and electromagnetic phenomena on biological systems. Multiple laboratory modules will expose students to photolithographic and surface treatment techniques required for device development. An end of term project will require students to analyze designs of upcoming biomedical inventions and present their critiques via written report and oral presentation

AAAS Lecture Series on Women in Science and Engineering

The winning essay for a Travel Award from the American Association for the Advancement in Science Women Lecture Series. http://ehrweb.aaas.org/womeninscience/essays/vazquez.ht

Bitten by the Science Bug (NYCSeF 2011)

The invited keynote address to the participants of the final round of the 2011 New York City Science and Engineering Fair (NYCSeF) at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)

Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

An overview of the field of biomedical engineering designed to acquaint the students with its interdisciplinary nature; research areas presented by the biomedical engineering faculty

CUNY Summer Stem Institute: Experimental Research in Engineering for High School Students

Summer HS students were engaged in hands-on experimental research in engineering laboratories in mentorship with CCNY Engineering Undergraduate Researchers. This course was part of the Summer STEM Institute directed by Dr. Joe Barba and Mr. Otto Marte

Engineering and Perception

An introductory seminar to High School and Freshman-Level Undergraduates that describes how several Biomedical Engineering innovations have been motivated by our senses of sight, sound, smell, taste and touch

Migration and Invasion of Brain Tumors

Recent advances in molecular biology have led to new insights in the development, growth and infiltrative behaviors of primary brain tumors (Demuth and Berens, 2004; Huse and Holland, 2010; Johnson et al., 2009; Kanu et al., 2009). These tumors are derived from various brain cell lineages and have been historically classified on the basis of morphological and, more recently, immunohistochemical features with less emphasis on their underlying molecular pathogenesis (Huse and Holland, 2010). The detailed molecular characterization of brain tumors has laid the groundwork for augmentation of standard treatment with patient-specific designed targeted therapies (Johnson et al., 2009; Kanu et al., 2009). Nevertheless, these tumors are extremely aggressive in their infiltration of brain tissue (Altman et al., 2007; Hensel et al., 1998; Yamahara et al., 2010), as well as in their metastasis outside of brain (Algra et al., 1992). Further, it now appears that the physiological conditions of the normal brain itself constitute a biological environment conducive to the uncontrolled dissemination of primary tumors (Bellail et al., 2004; Sontheimer, 2004). This review surveys the latest research on the invasive behavior of two major types of primary brain tumors: gliomas and medulloblastomas - the most common tumors diagnosed within adult and pediatric brain, respectively (Rickert and Paulus, 2001). The material has been divided into five sections: i) Characteristics of malignant brain tumors; ii) Mechanisms of tumor cell migration; iii) Models for the study of brain tumor invasion in vivo and ex vivo; iv) Models for the study of brain tumor invasion in vitro; and v) Future prospects of anti-invasive brain tumor therapy

A model microfluidics-based system for the human and mouse retina.

The application of microfluidics technologies to the study of retinal function and response holds great promise for development of new and improved treatments for patients with degenerative retinal diseases. Restoration of vision via retinal transplantation therapy has been severely limited by the low numbers of motile cells observed post transplantation. Using modern soft lithographic techniques, we have developed the μRetina, a novel and convenient biomimetic microfluidics device capable of examing the migratory behavior of retinal lineage cells within biomimetic geometries of the human and mouse retina. Coupled computer simulations and experimental validations were used to characterize and confirm the formation of chemical concentration gradients within the μRetina, while real-time images within the device captured radial and theta cell migration in response to concentration gradients of stromal derived factor (SDF-1), a known chemoattractant. Our data underscore how the μRetina can be used to examine the concentration-dependent migration of retinal progenitors in order to enhance current therapies, as well as develop novel migration-targeted treatments