Pitt and CMU Host Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference
The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University co-hosted the 47th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference on March 23-25, 2021. With the goal of sharing novel research and educational efforts and stimulating collaboration, the virtual event focused on "New Research Frontiers and Educational Landscapes in Biomedical Engineering" with six key themes:
- Neural Engineering
- Regenerative Engineering
- Biomaterials and Biocompatibility
- Computational Biology
- Medical Product (Biomedical Devices)
- Education in Biomedical Engineering
The three-day event featured an undergraduate design competition, faculty speakers, research and poster presentations, and a special panel discussion on education in biomedical engineering. Each day of the conference also included a keynote speech on a relevant topic.
March 23: Education – Ruth Ochia, Temple UniversityMarch 24: Neural Engineering – Brian Litt, University of PennsylvaniaMarch 25: Regenerative Engineering – Cato Laurencin, The University of Connecticut
“Pitt and CMU have established strong cross-institutional collaborations in biomedical engineering, so we were delighted to have an opportunity to co-host a conference that encourages and stimulates collaborations in the field,” said Sanjeev Shroff, Distinguished Professor and Gerald E. McGinnis Chair of Bioengineering at Pitt. “Though the virtual workspace is not ideal, it opened the conference to a wider audience, increasing attendance from individuals who otherwise might not have been able to travel to Pittsburgh. It was very satisfying to see this level of participation, especially by students, in this non-traditional format.”
The conference welcomed 818 registrants, reaching the maximum capacity of the virtual format days ahead of the event. Twenty-four podium presentations were delivered, and students, postdocs and faculty presented 170 posters in the two competitions.
Podium Presentation Winners
1st Place
Kalliope Roberts, Carnegie Mellon University“In Vivo Development and Testing of an Ambulatory Destination Therapy Low Coagulation ECMO System”
2nd Place
Quezia Lacerda, Thomas Jefferson University“Sterilization and Loading Approach to Deliver Oxygen Microbubbles to Hypoxic Tumors”
3rd Place
Lily Cordner et al., Worcester Polytechnic Institute“A preliminary analysis of healthcare disparities curriculum in Bioengineering and Biomedical sciences: Piloting an educational module at WPI”
Poster Presentation Winners
1st Place
Simran Dayal, Lehigh University“Targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Pathway to Stimulate Vascular Elastic Matrix Regenerative Repair”
2nd Place
Mackenzie Maurer Ditty, Carnegie Mellon University“’Micro’ Devices Solving the World’s “Macro” Health Challenges: A Look at How Nanomaterials Can Help to Detect the World’s Most Critical Nanoscale Biologicals”
3rd Place
Patrick Tatlonghari, University of Pittsburgh“Calcification in Cerebral Arteries and its Relevance to Aneurysms”
Undergraduate Student Design Competition Winners
1st Place
Zachary Dougherty, Morgan Harr, Anthony DellaGrottaUniversity of Rhode Island“Force Quantification: Using a Wobble Board for Rehabilitation Assistance”
2nd Place
Erica Wessner, Sonam Saxena, Vanessa TepDrexel University“At Home Physical Therapy Smartphone Application for Hemiplegic Patients”
3rd Place
Miranda Griffith, John Handy, Michael ShermanRoger Williams UniversityAutomated Microarray System