Abstract: Translational engineering bridges fundamental discovery and clinical impact by transforming enabling technologies into therapies that address unmet medical needs. In this presentation, I will highlight three translational platforms from our laboratory that exemplify this approach. First, oxygen gas-entrapping materials (O-GEMs) are engineered to locally reverse tissue hypoxia and enhance the efficacy of radiation and immunotherapies. Second, tardigrade-inspired mRNA therapeutics leverage biomolecular stabilization strategies to enable radioprotection of normal tissues commonly damaged during cancer therapy. Third, the DRIFT device is an intravesical drug-delivery system designed to improve the patient experience during treatment for high-risk non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Together, these projects illustrate how materials science, device engineering, and clinical insight can be integrated to accelerate translation from bench to bedside.

Biography: James Byrne, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in Biomedical Engineering and Radiation Oncology at the University of Iowa. He is a physician-engineer whose research focuses on the development of novel biomaterials and therapeutic devices to modulate the tumor microenvironment and enhance responses to cancer therapy. His work includes gas-entrapping materials for controlled delivery of oxygen and carbon monoxide, mRNA therapeutics, and device-based technologies. He is a recipient of the NIH New Innovator Award (DP2), NCI K08, V Scholar Award from the V Foundation, and the Catalyst Award from the Falk Medical Research Trust.

~ BME Host: Craig Goergen 

Students registered for the seminar are expected to attend in person. 

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Meeting ID: 211 123 896 292 8

Passcode: Uh9qs2pf

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