Pioneer A WALLACE H. COULTER PRODUCTION

DR. BROCK WESTER, Georgia Tech and Emory School of Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. class of 2010, can name myriad positions under his belt: former SGA graduate student body president, co-founder of NanoGrip Technologies Inc. that specializes in product development and prototyping), software engineering consultant, and now, a senior professional staff member of Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Lab (APL). Looking back, Wester can attest to an impressive collection of jobs, one he can attribute to his experiences at Georgia Tech. Currently at Johns Hopkins, Wester is involved in a variety of biomedical related projects including "blast and biomechanical injury studies, software and hardware development for motorized upper-extremity prosthetics, and rapid design and construction of microsystem and MEMS [(microelectromechanical system)] technologies."

by Christine Hangby Christine Hangby Christine Hangby Christine HangUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

Alumni SpotlightAlumni SpotlightAlumni SpotlightAlumni Spotlight

Continued on page 3333

Brock WesterBrock WesterBrock WesterBrock Wester

List of BME-related

organizations to get involved

with at Georgia Tech

How to prepare

a design for

manufacturing

Dr. Brock Wester currently conducts research at John Hopkins University with a focus in motorized prosthetics.

(Photo: Dr. Brock Wester)

THE GLOBAL RESEARCH PROGRAM (GBR) is a new initiative to create a foundation of cultured scholars with a broad worldview of research. This summer, the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University welcomed select BME undergraduates from Peking University (PKU), situated in China, and Khalifa University, situated in United Arab Emirates. These international students were given a chance to conduct research in a lab of their interest under the direct supervision of world-renowned faculty at Georgia Tech and Emory. Research assistants, mainly GT and Emory BME undergraduates, graciously volunteered to mentor the students every step of the way. Enas Azhari, a sophomore at Khalifa University, worked in Dr. Barbara Boyan's lab. During the course of three weeks in the lab, she was able to...

Weaving the Web to International EducationWeaving the Web to International EducationWeaving the Web to International EducationWeaving the Web to International Education

by Nithya Paranthamanby Nithya Paranthamanby Nithya Paranthamanby Nithya ParanthamanUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

The Peking UniversityThe Peking UniversityThe Peking UniversityThe Peking University----Khalifa University Exchange ProgramKhalifa University Exchange ProgramKhalifa University Exchange ProgramKhalifa University Exchange Program

VOLUME VII ISSUE 1

AUG/SEPT 2012

PIONEER.GATECH.EDU

Insights from Dr. Josiah Wilcox, CSO of

Medtronic Cardiovascular, on the BME

curriculum and the medical device industry

GUIDE

Continued on page 11111111

Students from both Peking University and Khalifa University took part in the first research exchange program hosted by both Georgia Tech and Emory.

(Photo: Dr. Changhui Li, visiting faculty from Peking University)

SPOTLIGHT DESIGN

PioneerPioneerPioneerPioneer Established 2007

From the Editor in Chief

CLASS SPOTLIGHT......CLASS SPOTLIGHT......CLASS SPOTLIGHT......CLASS SPOTLIGHT..........4444 Notorious 10s (2210, 3110, 3610)

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENUNDERGRADUATE STUDENUNDERGRADUATE STUDENUNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPOTLIGHTT SPOTLIGHTT SPOTLIGHTT SPOTLIGHT........5555 Binbin Chen

RECENT PUBLICATIONS.......RECENT PUBLICATIONS.......RECENT PUBLICATIONS.......RECENT PUBLICATIONS...................................6666

BME ADVISORY BOARD PBME ADVISORY BOARD PBME ADVISORY BOARD PBME ADVISORY BOARD PROFILE..ROFILE..ROFILE..ROFILE..........7777 Dr. Josiah Wilcox, Coronary and Renal Denervation CSO of

Medtronic Cardiovascular

BMEBMEBMEBME----RELATED ORGANIZARELATED ORGANIZARELATED ORGANIZARELATED ORGANIZATIONS GUIDE...TIONS GUIDE...TIONS GUIDE...TIONS GUIDE...................8888

BMES ANNUAL MEETING 2012.....BMES ANNUAL MEETING 2012.....BMES ANNUAL MEETING 2012.....BMES ANNUAL MEETING 2012.......10..10..10..10 Integrating Academics, Industry, and Translation:

From Discovery to Implementation

DESIGN TOOLBOX........DESIGN TOOLBOX........DESIGN TOOLBOX........DESIGN TOOLBOX........12121212 Preparing a Design for CNC Machining or Manual Milling

INSIDE:PIONEER

Hello and welcome to a new semester at Tech! Pioneer is excited for a fresh new start and for the stories it has lined up for this coming year. As you read through our pages, you will notice that there is something for everyone to enjoy. For those of you coming back, we give you the scoop on the unknowns of future BME classes that await you, exciting opportunities with the National BMES Conference hosted by our very own school in conjunction with Emory, as well as an inside look with some important members who have a significant impact on our community. For those of you who are new to Georgia Techs biotechnology community, we welcome you and have readily included guides to help you navigate your way through. Gradually, you will discover the ins and outs, as well as the quirks of our community. And in no time at all, you will be soon be leaving your mark in our dynamic and collective culture that is the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. Also at this time, Pioneer is excited to accept new members into our growing staff. If you are interested and have a background in writing, photography, graphic design, or web development, feel free to visit thepioneer.gatech.edu/join-us for more details or e-mail us at thepioneer@gatech.edu for any questions or concerns. Again, we welcome you to a brand new start at Tech and wish you best of luck with this upcoming coming year! For more updates and news, feel free to like us on facebook at facebook.com/gtpioneer or follow us on twitter at twitter.com/PioneerGT. Sincerely, Virginia Lin

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Virginia LinVirginia LinVirginia LinVirginia Lin

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

FACULTY SPONSOR

OPERATIONS

SECRETARY

TREASURER

PUBLIC RELATIONS

WEBMASTERS

STAFF WRITERS

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Spring and Summer 2012 PHD Graduates This past spring and summer, the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory University and Georgia Tech released another group of graduate students into the world to start a new chapter of their lives. Pioneer would like to congratulate the following students on their recent graduation and wish them luck with their future endeavors!

May 2012May 2012May 2012May 2012 Casey Holliday Ankeny, PhD Casey Holliday Ankeny, PhD Casey Holliday Ankeny, PhD Casey Holliday Ankeny, PhD ---- BMEBMEBMEBME Advisor: Dr. Robert Nerem July 2012July 2012July 2012July 2012 Hajira Ahmad, PhD Hajira Ahmad, PhD Hajira Ahmad, PhD Hajira Ahmad, PhD ---- BMEBMEBMEBME Advisor: Dr. Athanassios Sambanis Christopher Hermann, PhD Christopher Hermann, PhD Christopher Hermann, PhD Christopher Hermann, PhD ---- BIOEBIOEBIOEBIOE Advisor: Dr. Barbara Boyan Christopher Lee, PhD Christopher Lee, PhD Christopher Lee, PhD Christopher Lee, PhD ---- BMEBMEBMEBME Advisor: Dr. Barbara Boyan Aaron Lifland, PhD Aaron Lifland, PhD Aaron Lifland, PhD Aaron Lifland, PhD ---- BMEBMEBMEBME Advisor: Dr. Philip Santangelo Jeremy Lim, PhD Jeremy Lim, PhD Jeremy Lim, PhD Jeremy Lim, PhD ---- BMEBMEBMEBME Advisor: Dr. Johnna Temenoff

Steven Harris, PhD Steven Harris, PhD Steven Harris, PhD Steven Harris, PhD ---- BMEBMEBMEBME (MD/PhD Candidate at Emory) Advisor: Dr. Xiaoping Hu Frank Lin, PhD Frank Lin, PhD Frank Lin, PhD Frank Lin, PhD ---- BIOEBIOEBIOEBIOE Advisor: Dr. Robert Liu Risa Lin, PhD Risa Lin, PhD Risa Lin, PhD Risa Lin, PhD ---- BIOEBIOEBIOEBIOE Advisor: Dr. Robert Butera Jaemin Shin, PhD Jaemin Shin, PhD Jaemin Shin, PhD Jaemin Shin, PhD ---- BIOEBIOEBIOEBIOE Advisor: Dr. Xiaoping Hu Weiwei Yin, PhD Weiwei Yin, PhD Weiwei Yin, PhD Weiwei Yin, PhD ---- BIOEBIOEBIOEBIOE Advisor: Dr. Eberhard Voit

He also works with John Hopkins Medical Institution (JHMI) as a APL project manager on a collaborative pre-clinical study, which involves a motorized prosthetic arm controlled by the patients brain. According to Wester, "Weve been getting exciting results that someday will dramatically improve prosthetics control for upper-and lower-arm amputees and those with quadriplegia." As someone who prefers working on multiple projects rather than focusing on a single project, which he realized in grad school, Wester not only appreciates the many roles of his occupation, but finds this work important in his "career and skillset development." In addition, his job melds his passion of industry work in the area of concept or production and research, which also helped him choose his career path at Johns Hopkins. Although Wester feels acclimated to his new setting in Baltimore, he recalls fondly of his alma mater. From his speech at the 239th Commencement Ceremony at Georgia Tech on May 2011, Wester reflected, "Tech is a place of possibility and accomplishment...I had

gotten so used to this superb culture of can do that I didnt fully realize what we had here until I left to start working in January, and I have to say, I still havent gotten used to it." For current students at Georgia Tech, he believes that research experience is an important option that students should take advantage of, especially for those who plan on pursuing industry work or academia. He emphasized that research opportunities and networking in student groups could lead to future research collaboration or even help with landing a job" Outside of lab, Wester enjoys going on trips, taking part in outreach activities in the area of STEM educationhe was even awarded APL's highest honor for outreach, and playing beach volleyball. Although he does miss Atlanta (such as the food industry which he admits exceeds Baltimore's, and Tech's CRC), he is happy to have a job in which his "efforts make a real impact." Asked where he sees himself in five years, Wester responds, I plan to continue research and project management, and eventually move into p r o g r a m m a n a g e m e n t i n t h e neuroscience space, but in general just hope to make a difference .

Alumni SpotlightAlumni SpotlightAlumni SpotlightAlumni Spotlight

Continued from page 1Continued from page 1Continued from page 1Continued from page 1

THERE IS A SMALL GROUP of classes in every curriculum for any major at any school that is commonly referred as weed-out courses. The undergraduate Biomedical Engineering program at the Wallace H. Coulter Department at Georgia Tech and Emory University has a handful of notoriously challenging courses, particularly BMED 2210 (Conservation Principles in Biomedical Engineering), 3110 (Quantitative Engineering Physiology Lab I), and 3610 (Quantitative Engineering Physiology II). These three courses have earned reputations as the most frustrating, rigorous, and terrifying courses that undergraduates in the Coulter Department must face. Both students and faculty have weighed in on why students perceive these courses as intimidating, how to overcome the challenges presented, what to take away from the courses, and how they may be improved. BMED 2210, Conservation Principles in Biomedical Engineering, is the Coulter Departments version of introductory Chemical Engineering with a heavy emphasis on mass and energy transfer problem solving. The course was initially developed by Dr. Joseph Le D o u x , A s s o c i a t e C h a i r f o r Undergraduate Studies & Associate Professor in the Coulter Department, as

BMED 3200, a three-hour primer on biological thermodynamics. The original 3200 course, which required exposure to differential equations, was recognized as too ambitious and was sized down to BMED 2200, eventually to BMED 2210. Despite these changes, Le Doux says the class has always been a struggle for people, but the general flavor [] has always been the same: to teach people how to think like an engineer and use basic tools to solve structured problems. Le Doux, however, has some valuable words of advice on how to succeed in the course. He says that students should study the material three days in advance, especially for a test. He encourages students to actively read the text while working out each example problem. In fact, it is good pract ice for students to quiz themselves, be analytical about where and why they fail, and plan out ways to address their weaknesses. For students who still struggle, Le Doux suggests developing better metacognition. He describes this as thinking about learning, how learning occurs, and how effective different methods are. To prosper, students must be their own toughest critics, thoroughly examining their successes and failures and thinking more critically and analytically

about learning. BMED 311 0 and 361 0, the Quantitative Engineering Physiology Labs, have gained notoriety in their heavy focus on independent learning and open ended problem sets. The two courses began as supplemental instructional labs. Dr. Esfandiar Behravesh, Instructional Lab Director in the Coulter Department and professor for both classes, explains that the old labs ran much like traditional biology labs where students would learn common lab protocol. The BME department has since developed a problem and project based approach along with a mixture of physiology, biology, and engineering. Behravesh explains that the primary roles of BMED 3110 and 3610 are to help students reinforce what has been taught in the lecture based courses and to not teach you a whole lot of new things, but try to incorporate [key concepts] in a hands-on way. He also stresses that these labs leave the bulk of the learning up to the students, allowing them to generally function autonomously while completing labs or pursuing independent projects. To be successful , Behravesh highly recommends students to plan ahead, explaining that if [they] plan it, Ill help [them] implement it. For freshmen,

Class SpotlightClass SpotlightClass SpotlightClass Spotlight

by Robert Joungby Robert Joungby Robert Joungby Robert JoungUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

Notorious 10s (2210, 3110, 3610)Notorious 10s (2210, 3110, 3610)Notorious 10s (2210, 3110, 3610)Notorious 10s (2210, 3110, 3610)

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Students are performing experiments during the lab sessions of BMED 3110 and BMED 3610. (Photo: Hyunjun Fred Woo)

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sophomores, and early juniors, Behravesh says to figure out what is supposed to be learned in the class at the end of the day, make sure its actually learned, and be honest to yourself and others about whether its been accomplished. Persevering through the biomedical engineering curriculum is challenging, and BMED 2210, 3110, and 3610 exemplify the difficulties inherent in

d e v e l o p i n g t h e c o n c e p t u a l understanding and utilization of physics, chemistry, biology, physiology, and engineering in the context of real world problems. Behravesh points out that learning how to figure out what is important is part of what BME is all about because nobody can know everything. He hopes that the professors are encouraging students to dig deeper into each subject.

The Notorious 10s will always be infamous; they are courses that challenge students by forcing them to adopt novel approaches and methods of thinking. However difficult, these courses are still instrumental in the s t u d e n t s t r a n s f o r m a t i o n i n t o biomedical engineers.

ONE OF THE NATIONS most prestigious awards for undergraduates is the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Each year, this $7,500 scholarship is awarded to exceptional students actively involved in research in the sciences, math, or engineering fields. Among the awardees for 2012 is Binbin Chen, a senior Biomedical Engineer in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. A humble Chen says he was relieved not to have wasted the recommendation spot for Georgia Tech, as each university is allowed to nominate only four candidates for the s c h o l a r s h ip . C h e n s a c a d e m i c achievement does not stop here; this past summer, Chen was awarded a NIH summer fellowship, where he interned at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. For the past three years, Chen has been heavily involved with research at Georgia Tech. As a research assistant in the Platt Lab, he worked on an independent project involving cathepsin activities for early cancer diagnosis. He then published his first-author paper of his work in the Journal of Translational Medicine. Chen later started a project with Shereka Baton, a BME PhD student from Dr. Gilda Barabinos lab, to investigate bone destruction in sickle cell disease patients. Throughout his experience in the lab, he realized that breakthroughs in scientific studies offer potential towards improving human lifestyles, which gives research and dev elopm ent m ean ing to him. Furthermore, Chen had the opportunity, through the Clinical Observation and Design Experience class, to observe both the engineering and medical aspects of an architectural problem in the emergency department of a

hospital. Under the guidance of Professor Jeremy Ackerman, Chen learned how to integrate engineering methods and clinical thinking, and devised a possible solution to the real-life issue. As a result of these experiences, he hopes to interlink research in medicine by getting an MD/PhD, a degree devoted to helping people live happier, easier lives. Aside from his experiences at Georgia Tech, Chen also encountered a more personal side of medicine at a very young age. He lost both his grandfathers to cancer before he was even three years old. This was particularly difficult to deal with as a child when other kids at school asked him about his grandfathers. His goals became further

unambiguous after volunteering in the cancer center of Grady, where he had many conversations with cancer patients and recognized the current lack of effective cancer treatments. Thus with an MD/PHD, Chen hopes to be an oncologist working in both the clinic and research lab to promote better translational research for cancer treatment. Chens drive for excellence in academics stems from his simple desire to help people. He believes that it is everyones responsibility to think about what we can do for this society, as there will always be space for us to go above and beyond and make this world a better place to live.

Undergraduate Student SpotlightUndergraduate Student SpotlightUndergraduate Student SpotlightUndergraduate Student Spotlight

by Nithya Paranthamanby Nithya Paranthamanby Nithya Paranthamanby Nithya ParanthamanUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

Binbin ChenBinbin ChenBinbin ChenBinbin Chen

Binbin Chen, a Goldwater Scholar, presents at many conferences and poster sessions such as this one in the BMES Conference last year.

(Photo: Virginia Lin)

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Recent Publications Journal Article Title Authors

ACS Nano Quantum dot-fluorescent protein FRET probes for sensing intracellular pH

Dennis AM, Rhee WJ, Sotto D, Dublin SN, Bao G.

ACS Nano Ultrahigh sensitive piezotronic strain sensors based on a ZnSnO3 nanowire/microwire.

Wu JM, Chen CY, Zhang Y, Chen KH, Yang Y, Hu Y, He JH, Wang ZL.

Applied Optics Angle-resolved reflectance of obliquely aligned silver nanorods. Wang XJ, Abell JL, Zhao YP, Zhang ZM.

Biomacromolecules Synergistic activity of v3 integrins and the elastin binding protein enhance cell-matrix interactions on bioactive hydrogel surfaces.

Patel D, Vandromme SE, Reid ME, Taite LJ.

Biomacromolecules Anti-invasive adjuvant therapy with imipramine blue enhances chemotherapeutic efficacy against glioma.

Munson JM, Fried L, Rowson SA, Bonner MY, Karumbaiah L, Diaz B, Courtneidge SA, Knaus UG, Brat DJ, Arbiser JL, Bellamkonda RV.

Journal of Biomechanics In-vivo transducer to measure dynamic mitral annular forces. Siefert AW, Jimenez JH, West DS, Koomalsingh KJ, Gorman RC, Gorman JH 3rd, Yoganathan AP.

Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part B. Applied Biomaterials

A review of polyvinyl alcohol and its uses in cartilage and orthopedic applications.

Baker MI, Walsh SP, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD.

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

Osteoblast maturation and new bone formation in response to titanium implant surface features are reduced with age.

Olivares-Navarrete R, Raines AL, Hyzy SL, Park JH, Hutton DL, Cochran DL, Boyan BD, Schwartz Z.

Journal of Neurophysiology Stance-phase force on the opposite limb dictates swing-phase afferent presynaptic inhibition during locomotion

Hayes HB, Chang YH, Hochman S.

Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Effects of resveratrol on enrichment of adipose-derived stem cells and their differentiation to osteoblasts in two-and three-dimensional cultures.

Erdman CP, Dosier CR, Olivares-Navarrete R, Baile C, Guldberg RE, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Manifestation and post hoc correction of gradient cross-term artifacts in DTI.

Nair G, Hu XP.

Medical Physics Quantitative cone-beam CT imaging in radiation therapy using planning CT as a prior: first patient studies.

Niu T, Al-Basheer A, Zhu L.

Nano Letters An integrated power pack of dye-sensitized solar cell and Li battery based on double-sided TiO2 nanotube arrays.

Guo W, Xue X, Wang S, Lin C, Wang ZL.

Nature Methods Faster STORM using compressed sensing. Zhu L, Zhang W, Elnatan D, Huang B.

NeuroImage Quantitative assessment of a framework for creating anatomical brain networks via global tractography.

Li L, Rilling JK, Preuss TM, Glasser MF, Damen FW, Hu X.

PLoS Computational Biology Optimization of muscle activity for task-level goals predicts complex changes in limb forces across biomechanical contexts.

McKay JL, Ting LH.

PLoS Genetics Polyglutamine toxicity is controlled by prion composition and gene dosage in yeast.

Gong H, Romanova NV, Allen KD, Chandramowlishwaran P, Gokhale K, Newnam GP, Mieczkowski P, Sherman MY, Chernoff YO.

PLoS One Laterally orienting C. elegans using geometry at microscale for high-throughput visual screens in neurodegeneration and neuronal development studies.

Cceres Ide C, Valmas N, Hilliard MA, Lu H.

Procedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America

Phage-based molecular probes that discriminate force-induced structural states of fibronectin in vivo.

Cao L, Zeller MK, Fiore VF, Strane P, Bermudez H, Barker TH.

The Journal of Steriod Biochemstry and Molecular Biology

Phospholipase A(2) activating protein is required for 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) dependent rapid activation of protein kinase C via Pdia3.

Doroudi M, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD.

Tissue Engineering. Part A. Three-Dimensional In Vitro Tri-Culture Platform to Investigate Effects of Crosstalk Between Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Osteoblasts, and Adipocytes.

Hammoudi TM, Rivet CA, Kemp ML, Lu H, Temenoff JS.

TWICE A YEAR, the members of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Advisory Board visit Georgia Tech and Emory University to attend the Advisory Board meeting. Sometimes, they sit in sone of the BME lectures, asking students questions, such as why they believe that our BME undergraduate program is ranked No. 2 in the nation according to US News & World Report, and what changes can be made to further enhance the program. The people who make up the board are highly-accomplished individuals who listen and critique updates from our faculty regarding the curriculum, faculty-student interactions, and the department's agenda. One of the board members is Dr. Josiah N. Wilcox, Chief Scientific Officer in Coronary and Renal Denervation at Medtronic Cardiovascular. Since the start of his membership, he has communicated with other board members in order to increase program involvement and to voice their opinions about the status quo of the Coulter Department. Dr. Wilcox oversees the research and development process aimed at improving the current technologies of medical devices such as drug-eluting stents and angioplasty catheters. Befitting the role of an innovator in medical device research, Dr. Wilcox spends a lot of time talking to physicians in different parts of the world and seeks novel technologies to address the medical needs expressed by these physicians. Many years ago, Dr. Wilcox's research was rooted in cell biology and gene expressions in the brain, suggested by his Ph.D. in Neuroendocrinology from Rutgers University. During his postdoctoral fellowship at what is now the New York Presbyterian Hospital, he studied in situ hybridizationa technique used to look at single cell gene expression in tissues. He then took a job at a biotech company called Genentech and conducted a series of research studies to look at local gene expression in the setting of atherosclerosis, vascular disease, and angioplasty. Dr. Wilcox's research career was further enriched with his appointment at Emory University as Professor of Internal Medicine in Cardiology, Hematology/Oncology, and Pathology. As a researcher, he was closely tied to internationally-recognized research programs in the areas of vascular biology, cardiovascular disease, angioplasty restenosis, and vascular brachytherapy. After his 14-year tenure at Emory, he was then offered a position to lead an innovation research group at Medtronic to compete in the drug-eluting stents market. Within his first year, he helped develop the Resolute drug-eluting stent, which has shown success results abroad and has been just recently approved by the FDA in the United States. With his distinguished role and background in medical device development processes at Medtronic, Dr. Wilcox agreed to serve on the BME Advisory Board. Now as the Board Chair, he encourages board members to engage in interactions with the students; some of his suggestions include providing career-related discussions and setting examples for the students to emulate. When asked to evaluate the impact of BME on the field that he works in, Dr. Wilcox provided an anecdote. When he joined Medtronic, the stent division was originally inundated with mechanical engineers. When Cordis, a competing

company, proved to the world in 2002 that a anti-proliferation drug delivering stent can reduce the risk of restenosis from 25% to 4%, Medtronic realized that it fell behind in this new market of drug-eluting stents. Soon afterwards, cell biologists, polymer scientists, and analytic chemists were added to the division to formulate an interdisciplinary approach to the problem. Now this example provides a framework for problem solving in BME, showing that a common problem that many engineers face nowadays is that they cannot expect to solve problems without consultation from biologists, and vice versa. Hence, a successful union between biology and engineering is imperative and is emphasized in the curriculum. Dr. Wilcox shared his vision on the future of BME. He believes that feedback from physicians is very important for the product development process in medical devices. And the lives of many are contingent upon technological innovation to improve patient care. With this vision, Dr. Wilcox strives to engender an environment at Georgia Tech and Emory University, where BMEs are built up with extraordinary communication skills.

BME Advisory Board ProfileBME Advisory Board ProfileBME Advisory Board ProfileBME Advisory Board Profile

by Jaemin Sungby Jaemin Sungby Jaemin Sungby Jaemin SungUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

Dr. Josiah Wilcox. Coronary and Renal Denervation CSO at Medtronic CardiovascularDr. Josiah Wilcox. Coronary and Renal Denervation CSO at Medtronic CardiovascularDr. Josiah Wilcox. Coronary and Renal Denervation CSO at Medtronic CardiovascularDr. Josiah Wilcox. Coronary and Renal Denervation CSO at Medtronic Cardiovascular

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Dr. Josiah N. Wilcox is the Coronary and Renal Denervation CSO of Medtronic Cardiovascular

(Photo: Jacob Khouri)

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1. Overview1. Overview1. Overview1. Overview 2. Key Activities2. Key Activities2. Key Activities2. Key Activities

Alpha Eta Mu Beta Alpha Eta Mu Beta Alpha Eta Mu Beta Alpha Eta Mu Beta (AEMB)(AEMB)(AEMB)(AEMB)

AEMB serves as Georgia Techs chapter of the National Biomedical Engineering Honor Society and provides a community for high achieving Biomedical Engineering students with a diverse set of goals.

Registration advising seminars Community service opportunities Mentor & Mentee Program (BMES and BBUGS included)

Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)Society (BMES)Society (BMES)Society (BMES)

BMES works to promote Biomedical Engineering awareness and its utilization by introducing students to professions and resources of Biomedical Engineering.

Information sessions by guest speakers (BME deparment chair, etc.) Industry talks Social events Philanthropy events Mentor & Mentee Program (BBUGS and AEMB members included)

Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Student Advisory Board Student Advisory Board Student Advisory Board Student Advisory Board (BmedSAB)(BmedSAB)(BmedSAB)(BmedSAB)

BmedSAB serves as a liaison between the students and administration in the BME department on the overall planning, implementation, and evaluation of the BME program.

BME Connections Poster Session Town Hall meetings Unofficial Course Guide Faculty committees

Biomedical Research Biomedical Research Biomedical Research Biomedical Research and Opportunities and Opportunities and Opportunities and Opportunities Society (BROS)Society (BROS)Society (BROS)Society (BROS)

BROS advocates involvement in Biomedical Engineering related research, gives members opportunities to present their research, and fosters a deeper understanding of the field and what Georgia Tech does for it.

Resume workshops Talks by distinguished faculty Q&A sessions by upperclassmen involved in research Graduate school preparation seminars

Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Georgia Tech Neuroscience Club Neuroscience Club Neuroscience Club Neuroscience Club (GTNeuro)(GTNeuro)(GTNeuro)(GTNeuro)

GTNeuro serves to support students in careers relating to neuroscience, neuroengineering, and neurobiotechnology.

Guest Speaker Series Volunteer Events Job and Internship Opportunities Discussion Events Research Events and Conferences Neuroscience Seminars Socials

Medical Device Medical Device Medical Device Medical Device Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship Association of Georgia Association of Georgia Association of Georgia Association of Georgia Tech (MDEA)Tech (MDEA)Tech (MDEA)Tech (MDEA)

MDEA works to create a community of students interested in healthcare and medical device entrepreneurship.

Business Strategy Workshops MDE (Medical Device Entreneurship) Speaker Series Design Workshops Networking Events MDE Ethics and Philosophy Seminar Series

PioneerPioneerPioneerPioneer Pioneer is the official newsletter for the biotechnology community, which serves as the connection between the students, faculty, and department collaborators.

Cover news around the biotechnology community Access to various biotechnology-related events for event coverage Staff socials and photoshoots

BME-Related Organization Guide

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3. Reasons to Join3. Reasons to Join3. Reasons to Join3. Reasons to Join 4. How to Get Involved4. How to Get Involved4. How to Get Involved4. How to Get Involved 5. How to Join5. How to Join5. How to Join5. How to Join

Meet faculty and advisors Join a close knit community of BME students aspiring to make a difference Excellent leadership and service opportunities

Members are required to attend monthly meetings to help plan and execute events.

Students who meet the academic requirements (top 1/5th junior, top 1/3 senior) to join Georgia Tech's AEMB will be invited once they reach junior or senior status.

Peer interaction and professional networking Leadership opportunities Involvement with the Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering community

Members can attend the general meetings and become involved by joining one of these committees: Industry Public Relations Social Education Fundraising Philanthropy

Dues to join the local chapter are $15/yr with an additional fee to the optional national chapter ($30/yr). Students can go to www.bmes.gatech.edu/join or one of the general meetings to join.

Network amongst the Biomedical Engineering community Utilize influence on the BME program through advising and implementing change to both academic and extracurricular aspects

Each member will have a specific role in the organization, as well as opportunities to facilitate collaboration with other BME organizations. Meetings are every other week on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

BmedSAB receives nominations each semester from the BMED 1300 facilitators. From there, the nominated students can go through the application and interview process to be selected to join the board.

Learn about new scholarship and internship opportunities Prepare for graduate school with resources provided Gain valuable knowledge about research done at Georgia Tech

Members can attain points by attending meetings and participating in extracurricular events. These points help out when running for executive board positions during elections held in the fall and spring. Meetings are held every Tuesday or Thursday of the week.

Students interested in joining can go to a meeting to fill out a membership form.

Get involved in the neuroscience community and research of Georgia Tech/Atlanta Have access to internships/jobs, and newsletter publications related to neurobiotechnology. Gain valuable insight into the field of neuroscience

Members can attend events, become a club officer, and sign up for a committee. Meetings are held at every event hosted by GTNeuro.

Dues to join are $15/semester. Students interested in joining can go to their site at gtneuro.net/?g=node/464.

Learn more about device design Network with medical device professionals and like-minded members Attend professional events relating to medical device entrepreneurship

Members can attend events, create a new committee, and enroll as an active member in a committee. Meetings are held once or twice a month.

Dues to join are $15/semester. Students interested in joining can go to their site at gtmedea.org/node/36.

Develop valuable communication skills (via writing and photography) Network with members of the Biotechnology community Gain valuable insight on the biotechnology community

Members will either write articles, design the newsletter, develop the site, or take photos for biotechnology related news. Meetings are every other Mondays.

Students can sign up at thepioneer.gatech.edu/join-us. Pioneer recruits at the beginning of every fall and spring semester through an interview process.

Related Organization Guide By: Virginia Lin

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THE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SOCIETY (BMES) serves to promote and disseminate Biomedical Engineering (BME) knowledge and its utilization by introducing students to the profession and to the roles in and obligations of the field. Dr. Gilda Barabino, Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory, is the incoming President of the national BMES chapter and will start her two year term at the conclusion of the upcoming annual BMES meeting in Atlanta this year. It is the pinnacle meeting of BME departments all over the country and has continually been growing in attendance over the past few years. The theme of this years meeting is Integrating Academics, Industry and Translation: From Discovery to Implementation. Thus, the meeting will serve as a venue for the intersection of research and industry. In a span of four days, it will feature parallel platform sessions, poster sessions from academia and industry, plenary sessions, and guest speakers, all designed for the spread of information between faculty, students, researchers, and industry. At the meeting, there will be ample opportunities for networking, featuring something for everyone. For undergraduate students, BME departments from across the country will have exhibits where representatives will provide information on the various research opportunities in their graduate programs. Plus, juried poster sessions will provide students an opportunity to showcase their research, where the best presentations will receive awards. The conference will also host tables for BMES student chapters around the nation to network amongst each other. For the industry minded students, there will be a career fair, as well as career development and resume writing workshops. Similarly, for graduate and post-doctoral students, the meeting will feature a Coach Workshop, which will provide information pertaining to career development, interviewing for faculty positions, as well as grant and resume writing. At the Meet the Candidate

Session, post-doctoral students will have a chance to present posters to representatives from schools who are looking to hire faculty. Likewise, there will be a Coulter College for faculty, which will provide information on translation and commercialization of research into practical applications. A particular highlight of the meeting will be the symposium, which will provide information on the translation of research from the bench to the industry and from the industry to patient care and diagnostics. Programming includes various tracks such as biomedical imaging and optics, cardiovascular and respiratory engineering, cellular and molecular engineering, biomaterials, stem cell engineering, tissue engineering, as well as how translation of research occurs within each of these tracks. Besides these information sessions, the meeting will provide ample opportunities for participants to network socially. The major social event, BASH, will be hosted at the Georgia Aquarium for members to meet and greet. In addition, many programs are planned throughout the conference to honor the works of minorities and women in the BME field. This includes the various networking luncheons, such as the Celebration of Minorities in BME Luncheon and the Women in BMES Luncheon as well as the BMES Diversity Award and Lecture. The incoming BMES President and Georgia Tech faculty member, Dr. Gilda Barabino, received the award back in 2010. This year, the BMES conference will be held October 24-27 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Faculty, undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows working in and interested in BME are all invited to register for the conference and attend. More information on the meeting can be found on the website at: www.bmes.org/aws/BMES/pt/sp/meetings. For questions pertaining to technical content and program organization, please contact the program chair, Dr. Julia Babensee, or the conference chair, Dr. Hanjoong Jo

BMES Annual Meeting 2012BMES Annual Meeting 2012BMES Annual Meeting 2012BMES Annual Meeting 2012

by Hifza Sakhiby Hifza Sakhiby Hifza Sakhiby Hifza SakhiUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

Integrating Academics, Industry, and Translation: From Discovery to ImplementationIntegrating Academics, Industry, and Translation: From Discovery to ImplementationIntegrating Academics, Industry, and Translation: From Discovery to ImplementationIntegrating Academics, Industry, and Translation: From Discovery to Implementation

The corners, thus, will have a radius of the cutter being used. To get square surfaces inside a pocket, relief is added to the corners by extending one of the edges by at least half the diameter of the cutter.

Angled vertical surfaces cannot be cut without a special setup. The part or the cutting head must be angled, or a

special expensive angle cutter may be used. In general, one should avoid angled z-axis surfaces.

Radiused inside (

calendar

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August August August August

29

Graduate and Postdoc (GaP) Seminar SeriesGraduate and Postdoc (GaP) Seminar SeriesGraduate and Postdoc (GaP) Seminar SeriesGraduate and Postdoc (GaP) Seminar Series

Brian Wile

12pm IBB 1128

30

Bioengineering Seminar SeriesBioengineering Seminar SeriesBioengineering Seminar SeriesBioengineering Seminar Series

Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Fibrosis: The Fibroblast in Focus

James Hagood University of California San Diego

11-12pm IBB 1128

SeptemberSeptemberSeptemberSeptember

5

GaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar Series

Zihao Zhang and Marina Piccinelli

12pm IBB 1128

6

Diversity Networking Social and ReceptionDiversity Networking Social and ReceptionDiversity Networking Social and ReceptionDiversity Networking Social and Reception

4-6pm Academy of Medicine

11

Breakfast Club Seminar SeriesBreakfast Club Seminar SeriesBreakfast Club Seminar SeriesBreakfast Club Seminar Series Microscale Ultrasound Systems for Minimally Invasive Imaging in the Heart

F. Levent Degertekin - School of Mechanical Engineering

8:30-9:30am

12

GaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar Series

Melissa Li and Nassir Mokarram

12-1pm IBB 1128

Things I Wish I Knew as a FreshmanThings I Wish I Knew as a FreshmanThings I Wish I Knew as a FreshmanThings I Wish I Knew as a Freshman

5-6pm Bill Moore Student Success Center

13

Petit Institute Distinguished LecturePetit Institute Distinguished LecturePetit Institute Distinguished LecturePetit Institute Distinguished Lecture

Biomaterials to Program Cells in situ

David J. Mooney - Harvard University

11am Petit Institute Atrium

Biotechnology Career FairBiotechnology Career FairBiotechnology Career FairBiotechnology Career Fair

1-5pm MS&E Building

19

GaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar SeriesGaP Seminar Series

Renee Cottie and Nicholas Parnell

12pm IBB 1128

20

Bioengineering Seminar SeriesBioengineering Seminar SeriesBioengineering Seminar SeriesBioengineering Seminar Series

Cheng Dong Penn State University

11am IBB 1128

25

Young Innovators in Biomedical EngineeringYoung Innovators in Biomedical EngineeringYoung Innovators in Biomedical EngineeringYoung Innovators in Biomedical Engineering

Michael Smith - Boston University

11pm Whitaker 1103

learn the basics of cell culture, dissections, and orthopedic implants. Furthermore, Azhari had the opportunity to work with costly surface characterization equipment, such as the scanning electron microscope and the atomic force microscope. Like Azhari, the other exchange students were immersed in advanced facilities, motivating them to voluntarily give up their free time to work extra hours in their respective labs. Although, each student experienced different research environments, they all agreed on one thing; the response from the lab faculty and mentors was overwhelming. Azhari said, I'll never forget the people I met in Boyan's lab, they all were very helpful and explained what they were doing very clearly to me. I really appreciate their effort especially my mentors, Alice Cheng. Alice Cheng is a first year graduate student in Dr. Barbara Boyan's lab. She agreed that not only was this program beneficial for the mentees, but for the mentors as well. Cheng says, Participating in this program was a great experience for me; I was able to make a friend and possible future research collaborator. The success of the GBR has sparked future collaborations and expansion of this once non-existent opportunity. Dr. Changhui Li, visiting faculty from PKU, has observed tremendous growth in the students. Although their time in the labs was short, this type of exposure to such groundbreaking research fosters an endless amount of skills to complement the academic achievement of each student. As a professor, Li views the BME program at Georgia Tech and Emory as a platform for the BME program at Peking University. He plans to implement what he has learned during his stay to his

classrooms at PKU, in hopes to advance the curriculum there and encourage incoming undergraduates to join the BME department. Apart from academics, the students were able to enjoy a range of attractions Atlanta has to offer. Some of their favorite moments included spending a day tasting an assortment of Coca-Cola products at the Coca-Cola factory and watching the July Fourth fireworks show at Centennial Park. Despite the initial complications that come with any new program, the success of this collaborative effort surpassed all expectations and may be on its way to becoming a reoccurring exchange program.

WeavingWeavingWeavingWeaving the Web the Web the Web the Web Continued from page 1Continued from page 1Continued from page 1Continued from page 1

ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS among engineering students, or anyone inexperienced with manufacturing, is the idea that a computer-aided design (CAD) model of a part represents a finished design. There is more to design than just a CAD model, and listed are a few elements students should consider when planning a part. 1. Time Before students invest any of their own time, and that of teammates, shop mentors, and instructors, they should evaluate whether the component can be made in the time allotted. Sometimes the best design is one which eliminates the necessity to build. Students should also have realistic output expectations. For an experienced machinist, it is reasonable to assume that only one or two parts can be made per day. If students do not have a fully planned and documented design with the tools organized and material on hand, then accurate time estimates cannot be made. 2. Objectives and Constraints After making the decision to invest their time and resources into making a part, students should plan to use their resources effectively. As taught in BMED 2300 Problems in Biomedical Engineering II and BMED 4600/4601 - Senior Design Project I/II, students should outline their objectives, goals to achieve, and constraints, limiting variables. Here are some examples of each. Objectives:

Part must hold 250 mL of mildly corrosive fluid

Part must be complete by the end of next week

Part must incorporate a pressure release valve, which has a NPT fitting

Constraints

Shop is only available when the shop keepers or key holders are there.

Part must be made using tools available in the shop

Part must be designed to be feasible to machine using the chosen method (ProtoTRAK, etc.)

3. Fixturing Fixturing or workholding is the art of providing a stable, known location for a part prior to machining. Ninety percent of the

work going into even moderately complex machined parts is invested in developing reliable and effective fixturing techniques. Though in essence, fixturing is a constraint, failing to consider this important aspect of machining can lead to a parts demise. However, there are some techniques where fixturing is less critical. For example, if a part is made with a laser cutter, waterjet, or X-Acto knife, then it does not have to be clamped in a vise, simplifying production planning. By choosing alternate means, other constraints can be inevitablely imposed on the part and should be considered, such as the following:

Thin parts (> 1/8 in aluminum, or >1/4 in acrylic) are difficult to hold on to. Some workarounds include using an adhesive, vacuum, or tape to secure a part, but in general, parts of moderate thickness and reasonably strength are the easiest parts to make. However, parts should not be so thick as to require excessive machining time.

An ideal part to make on a mill is about half the size of a letter sheet of paper (under 5 on the short side), and about thick. Anything bigger than this will require a special fixture in order to hold a longer or wider part.

Long cutters (typically over 3x the diameter) will chatter or vibrate, leaving poor surface quality and loose tolerances.

If a part has two different sides, then students must plan on the method of flipping the part and maintain the reference points. This can be done using an edge finder to locate an edge, or a physical stop such as the edge of the vise. Its ideal to either plan for this or avoid such conditions.

Students should know which material to use as well as its machining characteristics. Some materials, including mild steel, titanium, and polyethylene, have characteristics which make them challenging to machine. In prototypes, aluminum should be used for metal parts, and acrylic when possible. Polycarbonate, though similar to acrylic in machining, is significantly stronger.

4. Form and Feasibility Finally, when students manufacture their parts, they need to consider the capabilities of the machines and plan accordingly.

A traditional cylindrical cutter used by milling machines is not capable of making sharp corners less than 180 degrees.

Design ToolboxDesign ToolboxDesign ToolboxDesign Toolbox

by Hifza Sakhiby Hifza Sakhiby Hifza Sakhiby Hifza SakhiUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter DepartmentUndergraduate Student in the Coulter Department

Preparing a Design for CNC Machining or Manual MillingPreparing a Design for CNC Machining or Manual MillingPreparing a Design for CNC Machining or Manual MillingPreparing a Design for CNC Machining or Manual Milling

(Photos: Fred Woo)

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