IU, Purdue Research Teams Award Pilot Funding Through Engineering in Medicine Collaboration

Research teams led by faculty at both Indiana University School of Medicine and the Purdue University College of Engineering were awarded pilot grants to fund joint research projects as part of a growing ecosystem of collaboration and integration between the two schools and to continue to build momentum for the planned institute for Engineering in Medicine.

The goal of these collaborative projects is to combine the nationally recognized expertise of two of the state's top academic research programs to develop novel technologies and approaches that will lead to innovative solutions for improved patient care.

The Engineering in Medicine pilot funding program is co-led by Tatiana Foroud, PhD, executive associate dean for research affairs, Distinguished Professor and August M. Watanabe Professor of Medical Research at IU School of Medicine, Julie Liu, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering (courtesy) and Craig Goergen, Director of Clinical Programs and Leslie A. Geddes Professor of Biomedical Engineering.

This year's inaugural pilot grant program focused on funding research projects related to cardiovascular health, cancer diagnosis and treatment, musculoskeletal health, otolaryngology and pediatric medicine. The program will provide $50,000 for the first year of each pilot project, with the opportunity to obtain a second year of support. Funded projects were selected by a committee of IU and Purdue faculty.

2024 Engineering in Medicine Pilot Projects

• "Microvasculature Changes Associated with Vaso-Occlusive Crises in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Young Kim, PhD, professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Ying Wang, PhD, assistant professor of Anesthesia in the School of Medicine, Indiana University
• "Feasibility of Interstitial Cortisol Biosensing for Depression Treatment Monitoring"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Jacqueline Linnes, PhD, professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Susan Conroy, PhD, assistant professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine, Indiana University
• "Portable Microneedle-Integrated Ozone Delivery System for the Treatment of Chronic and Infected Wounds"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Rahim Rahimi, PhD, assistant professor of Materials Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Mithun Sinha, PhD, assistant professor of Surgery in the School of Medicine, Indiana University
• "Spotlight on Human Olfaction: Novel In Vivo Diagnostics"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Yunjie Tong, PhD, professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Vijay Ramakrishnan, PhD, professor of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery in the School of Medicine, Indiana University
• "At-Home Multiplexed Detection of Respiratory Pathogens"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Mohit Verma, PhD, professor in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Ryan Relich, PhD, professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine in the School of Medicine, Indiana University

2023 Engineering in Medicine Pilot Projects

• "Design of bioengineered, genetically corrected human airway stem cells for treatment for primary ciliary dyskinesia"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Sherry Voytik Harbin, PhD, professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Benjamin Gaston, MD, professor of pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
• "A bio-based sealant for minimally invasive suture-less repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Julie C. Liu, PhD, associate professor of chemical engineering and biomedical engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Jonathan Y. Ting, MD, MBA, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, IU School of Medicine
    • Abigail Cox, DVM, PhD, associate professor of veterinary anatomic pathology, Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine
• "Novel engineering approaches to explore biological connections between inflammation and hydration in estrogen-deficiency bone fragility"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Corinne E. Metzger, PhD, assistant research professor of anatomy, cell biology and physiology, IU School of Medicine
    • Rachel K. Surowiec, PhD, assistant professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
• "Examining immune dysfunction and restoration in perinatal HIV by ex vivo and computational methods"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Elsje Pienaar, PhD, assistant professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Alka Khaitan, MD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics and Ryan White Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health fellowship program director, IU School of Medicine
• "Expanding life-saving dialysis capabilities for critically ill children in low- and middle-income countries: Innovation of a neonatal peritoneal dialysis catheter"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Danielle Soranno, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    • Hyowon Lee, PhD, associate professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
    • Aaron Lottes, PhD, MBA, associate professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
• "Elucidating the pathological role of myofibroblasts in dystrophin-deficient cardiac disease progression using high frequency 4D ultrasound"
  • Principal investigators:
    • Steven S. Welc, PhD, assistant professor of anatomy, cell biology and physiology and Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health investigator, IU School of Medicine
    • Larry W. Markham, MD, Phillip Murray Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, IU School of Medicine, and division chief for pediatric cardiology, Riley Hospital for Children, IU Health
    • Craig J. Goergen, PhD, Leslie A. Geddes Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and director of clinical programs in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue College of Engineering