Tissue engineering is an exciting field that promises to solve many health conditions, but there are several fundamental challenges that remain unsolved. Dr. Jennifer West is leading the field with research on novel techniques that promote vascularization (tissue blood supply) and mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue engineering applications. Dr. West’s lab focuses on biomaterials, nanotechnology, and tissue engineering, applying engineering approaches to study biological problems and address unmet medical needs.

Most recently, she is also a co-founder of Nanospectra Biosciences, a company commercializing a cancer therapy using gold nanoparticles for photothermal therapy. This unique, non-invasive technique is currently in human clinical trials. She is a uniquely prolific inventor, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and has over 19 patents that have been licensed to eight different companies and across multiple engineering disciplines.

As the Dean of the Engineering School at University of Virginia Dr. West is guiding the trajectory of instruction, research and entrepreneurship at the University. She has promoted collaboration between engineering and medicine, expanded the biomedical engineering faculty and fostered numerous cross-school research collaborations with over $23 million in external funding. In this episode of Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare, she shares her vision for engineering at UVA.

Follow Dr. West on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-west-a6107532/

Twitter: https://x.com/UVADeanJWest

Learn about Nanospectra Biosciences: https://nanospectra.com/

Learn about University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science: https://engineering.virginia.edu/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter

The human voice box is a delicate, complex and highly specialized structure that enables the fine control and wondrous beauty of speech and song. When vocal cords are damaged, recovery and healing are difficult and lengthy. At UVA, Dr. James Daniero established the Interdisciplinary Voice and Swallowing Clinic, specializing in surgeries of the airways and the vocal cords. He met Dr. Donald Griffin, professor of Biomedical Engineering, and together they developed a plan to design new materials to rebuild tissue and accelerate wound healing in the airway and vocal cords. Together, they are laying down the groundwork for a first, in-human clinical trial for vocal cord reconstruction.

In this episode we learn about how biomaterials are engineered for tissue scaffolding in unique environments within our bodies and how these entrepreneurial professors are solving challenges inside and outside the research lab. Dr. Griffin and Dr. Daniero are exploring applications of biomaterial scaffolds for applications in cleft palate and intubation injuries, providing scaffolds for the patient’s own tissue to regrow naturally and permanently.

Dr. Daniero is the Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at UVA School of Medicine and a practicing head and neck surgeon at UVA Health. He also co-founded RefluxRaft, providing a supplement-based treatment for Acid Reflux. Dr. Daniero relentlessly pursues solving patient problems and materializing treatments through deep research and force of will.

Dr. Griffin is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and the Director of the BME Graduate Program. He is the co-founder of a growing biomaterials company, Tempo Therapeutics, which creates minimally invasive and precision engineered tissue scaffolds using proprietary designs of Microporous Annealed Particle Gels (MAPs).

Follow Dr. Jim Daniero's

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-daniero-45696b1b5/

UVA Health Profile: https://uvahealth.com/findadoctor/James-Daniero-1386817484

Learn more about RefluxRaft: https://refluxraft.com/

Follow Dr. Don Griffin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-griffin-b737a3155/

UVA BME profile: https://engineering.virginia.edu/faculty/donald-richieri-griffin

Learn more about Tempo Therapeutics: https://www.tempothera.com/technology/

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/centers-institutes/coulter-center-translational-research

Muscles play a pivotal role throughout our bodies, not just in our day-to-day functions but also as foundational elements in our journey towards healthy aging. At the forefront of exploring this intricate system is Dr. Silvia Blemker and her dedicated team at the M3 Lab at the University of Virginia. Their innovative approach weaves together advanced imaging, hands-on experimentation, and sophisticated computational methods to delve deep into the anatomy and mechanics of muscles, shedding light on various muscle-related diseases.

Through her venture, Springbok Analytics, Dr. Blemker is revolutionizing the way we understand muscle health. By harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and merging it with the precision of MRI technology, her team is crafting real-time, detailed models of muscles. This breakthrough initiative is not just about enhancing athletic performance or speeding up recovery but is also a key player in the prevention of muscle diseases.

In the latest installment of Biomedical Frontiers: Stories with Innovators in Healthcare, Dr. Blemker takes us on a journey through the evolution of Biomedical Engineering as a discipline. She shares her approach to leveraging AI to accelerate the pace of developing Springboks Analytics technologies for more applications. Dr. Blemker also introduces us to one of her groundbreaking projects, funded by the NIH, aimed at developing precise, sex-specific musculature models.This project promises to equip future researchers with robust tools for studying women's muscle systems with unparalleled accuracy, ensuring that gender disparities in medical research are addressed head-on.

Follow Dr. Blemker on Social Media

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-blemker/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UvaM3Lab

M3 Lab: http://www.uvam3lab.com/

Learn about Springbok Analytics: https://www.springbokanalytics.com/

To enroll in the study for developing a computational method that will be able to accurately examine how sex differences in muscles and bones influence the lower limbs during movement reach out to Dr. Silvia Blemker at ssblemker@virginia.edu or fill out this form: https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bEFhlTljsxcAEUm

Director & Host: Dasha Tyshlek, StratCraft, Inc. www.strat-craft.com

Executive Producer: David Chen, Managing Director & Instructor of Engineering Design, UVA

Senior Producer: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, UVA Coulter

Design Director: Carolyn Wagner, Inc. & Link: carolynwagnerinc.com

Produced on behalf of Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research at University of Virginia https://engineering.virginia.edu/research/centers-institutes/coulter