Academics

TREND Center Academic Activities: The TREND Center has been quite active in its commitment to academic and research training of students at all levels. The Center has been particularly successful in attracting and retaining top quality graduate and undergraduate students to work on faculty-mentored research projects. TREND's interdisciplinary research programs serve as an excellent model for cross-campus collaboration, involving students and faculty from multiple departments (Biology, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Mathematics).

Student Awards, Presentations, Publications: During academic year 2008-2009, TREND research was featured in over 18 STUDENT POSTER PRESENTATIONS at various campus, regional, national and international conferences. In addition, individual distinctions and awards to TREND-associated students include:

· Undergraduate student Timothy Fox (Tsonis lab) won the Sigma Xi Award for Undergraduate Research.

· Undergraduate student Matthew Puccetti (Krane Lab) was awarded Learn, Lead, and Serve Program funding for the 2009-2010 academic year project entitled: “Frozen Frogs, Lunch Club, and Summer Camp: Integrating STEM Leadership, Service, and Research.” · Graduate student Venkateshwar Mutyam (Krane Lab), was awarded the 2009 Graduate Teaching Award of Excellence for Outstanding Teaching of Advanced Biology Laboratory (awarded by the UD Biology Department), and the 2009 John J. Comer Graduate Student Research Award of Excellence in the Biomedical Sciences (awarded by the UD Biology Department).

· Undergraduate honors student Sarah Oros (Singh Lab) was awarded the Szabo Endowment Grant for Summer Research (Summer, 2008). Oros was also the recipient of the Beta Beta Beta National Research Award (Fall 2008), for her research project “Drosophila model to study birth defects in the eye.” In addition to numerous campus awards, Oros also won the Fight for Sight Summer Undergraduate Research Award, for her project, “Understanding the genetic basis of Aniridia, a birth defect in the eye” (Summer, 2009). Oros’ work in the Singh laboratory resulted in an invitation to present a platform presentation, “Dorsal selector, pannier, interacts with the retinal determination gene network,” at the Ohio Miami Valley Neuroscience Day at Miami University (June, 2009).

· Graduate student Meghana Tare (Singh Lab), won several campus and regional awards for her TREND work, including: Best Biomedical Poster Award at Brother Joseph Stander Symposium (April, 2009), Sigma Xi Graduate Research Award for Excellence (April, 2009); and Best Poster Award on Neuroscience Day at Miami Valley Neuroscience Symposium, held at Miami University, OH (June, 2009).

Orthopedic surgical resident Todd Grebner, MD, of Grandview Medical Center (DC Hansen Lab, UDRI) was the recipient of the 2008 American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO) Scientific Paper First Place Award - General Orthopedics Category from the national accrediting body of osteopathic orthopedic residencies.

COURSES of INTEREST:

CME499/585 & BIO 596 Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems

Interdisciplinary Course (offered Winter 2009, 3 credit hours):

A team taught course in Biological Systems Engineering geared for upper level undergraduate and graduate students was offered by Dr. Robert Wilkens (CME) and Dr. Carissa Krane (BIO). The course covered the three core areas of Transport Phenomena (Momentum, Heat, and Mass) as applied to two key biological systems: the respiratory system and cardiovascular system. The learning outcomes supported cross-training of scientists in the language and mechanistic approaches employed by engineers, whereas engineering students were exposed to the terminology and scientific methods associated with physiological and biomedical processes. The design and implementation of the course is likely to serve as a model for the development of an interdisciplinary team-based curriculum in bioengineering. Enrollment for the first offering was 8 students. Educational grant support for the development of this course was partially funded through the LTC Innovations Grant Program.

BIO596-A- Translational Medicine (offered Fall 2009, 2 Credit Hours):

Medical and surgical case studies are the primary vehicle for developing problem solving skills with this course. Students will learn to identify and examine the key biologic, engineering and clinical elements of each case. Through independent and group activities, students will integrate their understanding of these elements to identify current barriers and future opportunities in regenerative medicine. As students progress through the course they will propose hypothetical directives and solutions to clinical problems presented in case studies. This course, taught by Adjunct Clinical Research Professor Robert Joseph, emphasizes respect of interdisciplinary perspective and expertise through group and independent assignments.

LINKS of INTEREST:

Biology Department

Graduate School