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X-WR-CALNAME:Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
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TZID:America/Toronto
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TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
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TZOFFSETTO:-0500
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DTSTART:20251102T060000
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DTSTART:20260308T070000
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DTSTART:20271107T060000
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END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T162500
DTSTAMP:20260306T195240Z
CREATED:20260214T172234Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260306T195240Z
UID:60237-1772813400-1772814300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Bhaskar Yechuri
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: Basement Auditorium\, B-121 (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Development of a perfusable organ on chip platform with integrated sensing\nSupervisor Name: Craig Simmons\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nReschedule Reason: Room change\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-bhaskar-yechuri/
LOCATION:Basement Auditorium\, B-121 (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T140000
DTSTAMP:20260306T165434Z
CREATED:20260306T165433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260306T165434Z
UID:60408-1772802000-1772805600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:March PRiME Research Rounds
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/march-prime-research-rounds/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260306T130000
DTSTAMP:20260224T142357Z
CREATED:20251202T145849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T142357Z
UID:53795-1772798400-1772802000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Perspective from Venture Capital Founder - Michael Kosic
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/perspective-from-venture-capital-founder-michael-kosic/
LOCATION:SS2102
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bme.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Perspective-from-VC-founder.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T171000
DTSTAMP:20260227T192255Z
CREATED:20260105T183730Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T192255Z
UID:59867-1772211300-1772212200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Jones Law
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Mechanics and Design of a Follow-the-Leader Tendon-Driven Serial Robot with Variable Stiffness for Craniosynostosis Surgery\nSupervisor Name: Prof. Eric Diller\nYear of Study: 4\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Location update\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-jones-law/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T165500
DTSTAMP:20260227T192255Z
CREATED:20251218T180623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T192255Z
UID:59809-1772210400-1772211300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Eric Chiu
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Perturbation and mapping of the nanoscale surface interactome using a DNA origami photo-proximity labeling platform\nAbstract:\nBackground: All cells sense and respond to their environment through membrane receptors. When activated by a ligand\, these receptors reorganize into nanoscale clusters—termed protein microenvironments—that serve as hubs for signaling and decision-making. Crucially\, these microenvironments recruit a diverse set of proteins beyond the ligand-bound receptors\, and their abundance\, stoichiometry\, and spatial organization collectively shape cell signaling outcomes. Mapping these dynamic assemblies are thus essential to understand how external cues control signaling.\nProblem: Current techniques to study these microenvironments rely on proximity labeling\, where the protein of interest is fused with a “tagging molecule” which catalytically labels proximal proteins. However\, current proximity labeling platforms are unable to map bioloigcal interactions that require functional avidity or precise spatial organization.\nProject Objective: To develop modular proximity labeling platform for multiple receptor-ligand interactions with precisely controlled ligand valency\, stoichiometry\, and nanoscale spacing using a DNA origami scaffold.\nSupervisor Name: Leo Chou\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Location update\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-eric-chiu/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T164000
DTSTAMP:20260227T192255Z
CREATED:20251218T180623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T192255Z
UID:59807-1772209500-1772210400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Farshad Murtada
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Capturing T Cells using DNA Nanostructures for Immunotherapy and Diagnostics\nAbstract:\nBackground: T cells are immune cells that have capability to directly kill infected or cancerous cells by binding to specific short protein molecules\, called “antigens” displayed on the surface of these cells. Each T cell has a unique T cell receptor (TCR\, i.e. they are clonal) that recognizes specific antigens as a part of a larger protein-complex\, called the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). T Given the role of T cells in immune response\, identifying the antigen specificity of T cells and enumerating their quantity in clinical samples has many important benefits. These include: 1) diagnosis and monitoring the progression of diseases\, including auto-immune diseases\, infections\, and cancer; 2) assessing correlates of protection against a particular disease; and 3) develop immunotherapies\, such as adoptive cell therapies.\nProblem: The industry standard for antigen-specific T cell detection and isolation uses pMHC tetramers conjugated with a fluorophore followed by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) This technology has two limitations: (i)\, they fail to detect T cells with low affinity TCRs towards their cognate antigen\, due to the rapid fall off-rate of the pMHC tetramer; (ii) only a small fraction of different antigen-specific T cells can be detected from a single sample because the number of spectrally distinguishable fluorophores are limited. This is a major limitation because in many therapeutic applications\, antigen identity is unknown and can only be identified via screening a library of hundreds of putative antigens. The limited number of fluorescence-based tetramers make such a screen unfeasible.\nProject Objective: To use DNA origami nanostructures to develop a novel reagent for the isolation of antigen-specific T cells with enhanced binding and detection throughput (i.e. screen of hundreds of different antigen species within a single sample).\nSupervisor Name: Leo Chou\nYear of Study: 4\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Location update\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-farshad-murtada-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T162500
DTSTAMP:20260227T192255Z
CREATED:20251218T180623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T192255Z
UID:59808-1772208600-1772209500@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Joy Lai
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Developing Integrated Assistive Technologies for Dementia Care through Behavioral Anomaly Detection and Digital Reminder Systems\nAbstract: Digital reminder apps support people living with dementia (PLwD) but cannot detect behavioral anomalies that may signal safety risks or cognitive decline. This research investigates how anomaly detection can be integrated into reminder systems to improve personalization and reduce false positives\, using transfer learning and caregiver feedback. Building on the Remindful app\, we apply techniques such as synthetic data generation and recurrent autoencoders to identify deviations in daily routines. Usability testing with caregiver-PLwD dyads will evaluate impacts on autonomy\, caregiver stress\, and detection accuracy. The goal is to create a more responsive system that enhances both safety and independence in dementia care.\nSupervisor Name: Alex Mihailidis\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nReschedule Reason: Location update\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-joy-lai/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T120000
DTSTAMP:20260224T174321Z
CREATED:20260210T135031Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T174321Z
UID:60202-1772190000-1772193600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:BME Faculty Member Search- Miranda Hunter- Force of nature: mechanical regulation of cancer progression
DESCRIPTION:I am a cell biologist studying how cancer cells survive and thrive in challenging environments. My research aims to define how cancer cells sense\, respond\, and adapt to mechanical stress\, and how these mechanisms enable tumor progression. By applying spatial transcriptomics\, mechanical perturbations\, and quantitative microscopy to a zebrafish model of melanoma\, I discovered that cells at the tumor border are reprogrammed to drive tumor invasion\, adopting a novel “interface” cell state. I found that interface cells experience significant compressive stress as they escape the primary tumor. Compression triggers cytoskeletal and chromatin remodeling to reinforce cells against mechanical stress and promote invasion and drug resistance. My work reveals that mechanical force is a key driver of transcriptional\, epigenetic\, and phenotypic changes in tumor cells\, and provides a mechanism for the longstanding question of how the physical environment controls cancer behavior. 
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/bme-faculty-member-search-miranda-hunter-force-of-nature-mechanical-regulation-of-cancer-progression/
LOCATION:Haultain Building\, Room 410\, 170 College St\, Toronto\, M5S 3E3\, Canada
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T171000
DTSTAMP:20260213T172236Z
CREATED:20251218T180623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260213T172236Z
UID:59806-1771001700-1771002600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Canceled: Graduate Student Seminar Series - Yongzhi Guo
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: MS2158 – 1 King’s College Circle\nPresentation Title: An Image-Based Quantitative Platform to Study Metformin-Driven Adipocyte Metabolic Remodeling\nSupervisor Name: Alison McGuigan\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nCancellation Reason:\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-yongzhi-guo/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T165500
DTSTAMP:20260213T172236Z
CREATED:20260130T170731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260213T172236Z
UID:60064-1771000800-1771001700@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Daniyal Mahmood
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation for Predicting Aneurysmal Degeneration After Uncomplicated Acute Type B Aortic Dissection\nSupervisor Name: Cristina Amon\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-daniyal-mahmood/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T164000
DTSTAMP:20260213T172235Z
CREATED:20260113T170733Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260213T172235Z
UID:59985-1770999900-1771000800@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Bolin Liu
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Manganese-Based Blood-Pool MRI Contrast Agents for Imaging Vascular Pathologies​\nSupervisor Name: Hai-Ling Margaret Cheng\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-bolin-liu/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T162500
DTSTAMP:20260213T172236Z
CREATED:20251218T180623Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260213T172236Z
UID:59805-1770999000-1770999900@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Lauren Baerg
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Engineered packaging of NOD2 ligands to postbiotic bacterial membrane vesicles\nSupervisor Name: Radhakrishnan Mahadevan\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Location update\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-lauren-baerg/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260213T120000
DTSTAMP:20260210T145820Z
CREATED:20251223T173741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T145820Z
UID:59838-1770980400-1770984000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:BME Faculty Member Search: Luka Milosevic
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/bme-faculty-member-search-luka-milosevic/
LOCATION:Haultain Building\, Room 410\, 170 College St\, Toronto\, M5S 3E3\, Canada
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260210T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260210T130000
DTSTAMP:20260127T170820Z
CREATED:20250408T173809Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T170820Z
UID:49406-1770724800-1770728400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Invited Academic Seminar Series - Aaron Schimmer
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: TBA
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/invited-academic-seminar-series-aaron-schimmer/
LOCATION:Toronto Rehabilitation Institute\, 550 University Ave\, 2nd Floor Auditorium\, 550 University Ave\, Toronto\, Ontario\, M5G 2A2\, Canada
CATEGORIES:BME Invited Academic Speaker Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://bme.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Invited-Speaker-Aaron-Schimmer-2026.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T171000
DTSTAMP:20260206T172235Z
CREATED:20260109T163748Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T172235Z
UID:59956-1770396900-1770397800@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Sara Alatrash
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Foundation Models for Mapping Neurodiversity and Predicting Individual Outcomes Using Measures of Brain Structure\nSupervisor Name: Azadeh Kushki\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-sara-alatrash-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T165500
DTSTAMP:20260206T172235Z
CREATED:20260109T163747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T172235Z
UID:59954-1770396000-1770396900@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Zeeshan Siddiqui
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Examining Dimensionality Reduction and Clustering Techniques to Identify Neuroanatomical Subgroups Across Neurodevelopmental Conditions\nAbstract: Neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) such as autism\, ADHD\, and OCD\, are widely prevalent in children and youth\, and are marked by developmental differences that can lead to distress and disability across multiple domains of life. Current clinical research has faced challenges in identifying effective treatments and interventions for these individuals. One reason for this lies in the emerging findings that reveal high within-diagnosis diversity and high between-diagnosis similarity in NDCs across brain structure/function\, behavioural presentation\, and cause. Current literature has attempted to characterize this neurodiversity by using clustering\, an artificial intelligence (AI) technique for organizing data into groups with similar patterns. My work aims to build on existing works by leveraging novel\, deep learning AI techniques to more intelligently learn patterns in complex neuroimaging data and optimize clustering to find NDC subgroups with improved distinguishability and characterizability. This work can ultimately help inform personalized intervention to improve outcomes in neurodiverse children.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Azadeh Kushki\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-zeeshan-siddiqui/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T165500
DTSTAMP:20260109T163747Z
CREATED:20260109T163747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T163747Z
UID:59955-1770396000-1770396900@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Zeeshan Siddiqui
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Examining Dimensionality Reduction and Clustering Techniques to Identify Neuroanatomical Subgroups Across Neurodevelopmental Conditions\nAbstract: Neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) such as autism\, ADHD\, and OCD\, are widely prevalent in children and youth\, and are marked by developmental differences that can lead to distress and disability across multiple domains of life. Current clinical research has faced challenges in identifying effective treatments and interventions for these individuals. One reason for this lies in the emerging findings that reveal high within-diagnosis diversity and high between-diagnosis similarity in NDCs across brain structure/function\, behavioural presentation\, and cause. Current literature has attempted to characterize this neurodiversity by using clustering\, an artificial intelligence (AI) technique for organizing data into groups with similar patterns. My work aims to build on existing works by leveraging novel\, deep learning AI techniques to more intelligently learn patterns in complex neuroimaging data and optimize clustering to find NDC subgroups with improved distinguishability and characterizability. This work can ultimately help inform personalized intervention to improve outcomes in neurodiverse children.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Azadeh Kushki\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-zeeshan-siddiqui-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T164000
DTSTAMP:20260206T172235Z
CREATED:20251220T181936Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T172235Z
UID:59825-1770395100-1770396000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Soroush Mehraban
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Efficient Video-Based Human Motion Understanding for Gait Analysis\nSupervisor Name: Babak Taati\nYear of Study: 4\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Updating seminar location\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-soroush-mehraban-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T162500
DTSTAMP:20260206T172235Z
CREATED:20260201T172236Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T172235Z
UID:60072-1770394200-1770395100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Usha Kabilan
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Macrophage-Fibroblast crosstalk in lung fibrosis\nAbstract:\nBackground: Lung fibrosis is a devastating disease that can affect all organs post-injury due to inadequate repair by activated fibroblasts. These so-called myofibroblasts (MFs) accumulate collagen during fibrosis\, resulting in progressive lung stiffening and respiratory failure. Another hallmark of fibrosis is extracellular activation of transforming growth factor-β1 from latent complexes (L-TGF-β1) by fibroblast αv integrins. TGF-β1 drives fibroblast-to-MF activation and renders them resistant to apoptotic clearance. We published that contact with macrophages (Mϕ) mediates chronic TGF-β1 signalling in lung fibroblasts. How L-TGF-β1 is presented by Mϕ in the lung remains unclear.\nHypothesis: Presentation of L-TGF-β1 on the surface of Mϕ for activation by fibroblasts in direct contact results in chronic MF activation and survival.\nObjective: To elucidate how L-TGF-β1-presenting Mϕ and TGF-β1-activating MFs create a pro-fibrotic niche of active TGF-β1.\nMethods: Monocytes from mouse bone marrow and human peripheral blood were polarized using cytokine cocktails that mimic normal\, inflammatory\, and fibrotic lung conditions. Mϕ polarization and expression of L-TGF-β1 presenting membrane proteins (“tethers”) such as GARP and NRROS were assessed using flow cytometry and qRT-PCR. Mϕ expressing L-TGF-β1 tethers were co-cultured with fibroblasts\, and TGF-β1 activation was quantified using αSMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin) expression\, an MF marker\, using Immunofluorescence microscopy. Gene silencing of L-TGF-β1 tethers and inhibition of αv integrins were used to modulate TGF-β1 activation in co-cultures.\nResults: Polarization with GM-CSF and IL-13\, cytokines that are characteristic of the lung alveolar microenvironment\, produced CD163+CD200R+ alveolar-like Mϕ (ALMs). ALMs expressed high levels of TGF-β1\, and the L-TGF-β1 tethers GARP\, while no difference in NRROS gene expression. GARP loss and integrin inhibition from ALMs in co-cultures with fibroblasts disrupted TGF-β1 and MF activation that drives lung fibrosis.\nConclusion and Significance: Presentation of L-TGF-β1 by GARP on the surface of ALMs to αv integrin-expressing fibroblasts is crucial for MF activation. Specifically inhibiting GARP-TGF-β1 may represent a novel targeted approach to block MF activation in lung fibrosis.\nSupervisor Name: Boris Hinz\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-usha-kabilan/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260206T162500
DTSTAMP:20260201T172236Z
CREATED:20260201T172236Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260201T172236Z
UID:60073-1770394200-1770395100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Usha Kabilan
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Macrophage-Fibroblast crosstalk in lung fibrosis\nAbstract:\nBackground: Lung fibrosis is a devastating disease that can affect all organs post-injury due to inadequate repair by activated fibroblasts. These so-called myofibroblasts (MFs) accumulate collagen during fibrosis\, resulting in progressive lung stiffening and respiratory failure. Another hallmark of fibrosis is extracellular activation of transforming growth factor-β1 from latent complexes (L-TGF-β1) by fibroblast αv integrins. TGF-β1 drives fibroblast-to-MF activation and renders them resistant to apoptotic clearance. We published that contact with macrophages (Mϕ) mediates chronic TGF-β1 signalling in lung fibroblasts. How L-TGF-β1 is presented by Mϕ in the lung remains unclear.\nHypothesis: Presentation of L-TGF-β1 on the surface of Mϕ for activation by fibroblasts in direct contact results in chronic MF activation and survival.\nObjective: To elucidate how L-TGF-β1-presenting Mϕ and TGF-β1-activating MFs create a pro-fibrotic niche of active TGF-β1.\nMethods: Monocytes from mouse bone marrow and human peripheral blood were polarized using cytokine cocktails that mimic normal\, inflammatory\, and fibrotic lung conditions. Mϕ polarization and expression of L-TGF-β1 presenting membrane proteins (“tethers”) such as GARP and NRROS were assessed using flow cytometry and qRT-PCR. Mϕ expressing L-TGF-β1 tethers were co-cultured with fibroblasts\, and TGF-β1 activation was quantified using αSMA (alpha-smooth muscle actin) expression\, an MF marker\, using Immunofluorescence microscopy. Gene silencing of L-TGF-β1 tethers and inhibition of αv integrins were used to modulate TGF-β1 activation in co-cultures.\nResults: Polarization with GM-CSF and IL-13\, cytokines that are characteristic of the lung alveolar microenvironment\, produced CD163+CD200R+ alveolar-like Mϕ (ALMs). ALMs expressed high levels of TGF-β1\, and the L-TGF-β1 tethers GARP\, while no difference in NRROS gene expression. GARP loss and integrin inhibition from ALMs in co-cultures with fibroblasts disrupted TGF-β1 and MF activation that drives lung fibrosis.\nConclusion and Significance: Presentation of L-TGF-β1 by GARP on the surface of ALMs to αv integrin-expressing fibroblasts is crucial for MF activation. Specifically inhibiting GARP-TGF-β1 may represent a novel targeted approach to block MF activation in lung fibrosis.\nSupervisor Name: Boris Hinz\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-usha-kabilan-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260130T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260130T165500
DTSTAMP:20260130T170731Z
CREATED:20251218T180622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260130T170731Z
UID:59804-1769791200-1769792100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Madhumitha Ramamurthy
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Developing a transgenic mouse model to understand the roles of macrophages in osteoarthritis progression\nSupervisor Name: Sowmya Viswanathan\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nReschedule Reason: Updating seminar location\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-madhumitha-ramamurthy-3/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260130T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260130T164000
DTSTAMP:20260130T170731Z
CREATED:20251218T180622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260130T170731Z
UID:59803-1769790300-1769791200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Willow Peterson
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Investigating the interplay of cytoskeletal networks in embryonic wound repair\nSupervisor Name: Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Updating location information\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-willow-peterson/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260130T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260130T162500
DTSTAMP:20260130T170731Z
CREATED:20251218T180622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260130T170731Z
UID:59802-1769789400-1769790300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Alexandra Korolov
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: The cellular and biophysical mechanisms of Drosophila heart tube formation\nSupervisor Name: Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-alexandra-korolov/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260127T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260127T130000
DTSTAMP:20260119T135730Z
CREATED:20251223T173634Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T135730Z
UID:59836-1769515200-1769518800@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:BME Faculty Member Search: Victor Zhao: Tissue-like soft bioelectronics for continuous biomarker monitoring
DESCRIPTION:Biomarkers from the human body can provide dynamic\, powerful insights into a broad spectrum of health conditions. Real-time monitoring of biomarkers in bodily fluids will enable earlier disease detection and personalized treatment strategies. At present\, the ability to continuously track molecular biomarkers remains limited due to barriers in sensing capability and device rigidity. \n\n\n\nThis talk focuses on our development of tissue-like soft bioelectronic devices that address these challenges. Our approach integrates innovations across sensors\, materials\, and circuits. I developed aptamer-functionalized field-effect transistor biosensors to overcome fundamental Debye length limitations for highly sensitive and selective biomarker detection. To create a seamless interface with the body\, we engineered intrinsically stretchable semiconducting polymers with tissue-like mechanical properties and biological functionality through covalent grafting strategies. I also developed integrated\, stretchable polymer-based circuits for on-chip signal conditioning and amplification\, enabling robust biosignal acquisition in physiologically relevant environments. \n\n\n\nThese innovations enabled platform technologies targeting mental health monitoring. I developed implantable neural probes for serotonin monitoring in the brain\, towards fundamental studies of anxiety and depression. We also developed skin-like wearable sensors to monitor the stress biomarker cortisol in sweat and interstitial fluid. These technologies advance our understanding of mental disorders and provide critical tools for the quantification of mental health conditions. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nBio: Chuanzhen Zhao is an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University\, working with Professor Zhenan Bao. His research focuses on materials engineering and circuit design to create tissue-like soft electronic devices. He developed intrinsically stretchable conducting polymers and biomolecule-grafting strategies for tissue-like interfaces\, enabling seamless body-machine integration. He also advanced integrated polymer circuits for on-chip signal conditioning and neuromorphic computing. \n\n\n\nDr. Zhao earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from UCLA under Professors Paul S. Weiss and Anne M. Andrews\, where he developed aptamer-based biosensing platforms and nanofabrication techniques. His doctoral work established fundamental approaches to overcoming the Debye length limitation in electrochemical sensing. He demonstrated the first implantable aptamer field-effect transistor neuroprobes for real-time neurotransmitter detection in freely moving animals. \n\n\n\nDr. Zhao has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications\, including 13 first-author papers in leading journals such as Nature Electronics\, Science Advances\, Nature Reviews Bioengineering\, and ACS Nano. Dr. Zhao was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in science in 2023 for his contributions to biosensing technologies for mental health monitoring. He has also received the MRS Gold Graduate Student Award\, the NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship\, and the IEEE Best PhD Thesis in Nanotechnology Award.
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/bme-faculty-member-search-victor-zhao/
LOCATION:Health Science Building\, Room 106\, 155 College St\, Toronto\, M5S3E3\, Canada
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260123T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260123T165500
DTSTAMP:20260123T170749Z
CREATED:20260107T185251Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T170749Z
UID:59926-1769186400-1769187300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Yongzhi Guo
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: An Image-Based Quantitative Platform to Study Metformin-Driven Adipocyte Metabolic Remodeling\nSupervisor Name: Alison McGuigan\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nReschedule Reason: Updating location information\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-yongzhi-guo-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260123T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260123T164000
DTSTAMP:20260123T170749Z
CREATED:20251218T180622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T170749Z
UID:59800-1769185500-1769186400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Vrushali Guruji
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Analyzing the Impact of Hemodynamics in Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease Associated Ascending Aortic Dilatation\nAbstract: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is characterized by two functioning leaflets instead of the normal three in a tricuspid aortic valve (TAV). Most BAV patients develop ascending aortic dilation (AAD)\, increasing their risk of fatal aortic dissection or rupture. We hypothesize that the elevated risk of developing AAD in BAV disease is a consequence of aberrant hemodynamics inducing gene perturbations in the aorta. To facilitate this investigation\, a novel mouse model with a mutation in the natriuretic peptide 2 receptor (Npr2) was employed\, enabling the isolation and evaluation of consequences accompanying aberrant blood flow. Notably\, though genetically identical\, 10% of Npr2+/- mice develop BAVs\, whereas the remaining 90% have TAVs. To expedite the progression of BAV-AAD\, mice are fed a high-fat western diet starting at 6 weeks of age. A novel echocardiogram protocol was developed to identify mice with BAVs or TAVs at 4 weeks of age\, prior to diet introduction (Guruji et al.\, 2024). Next\, the same echocardiogram protocol was performed on Npr2+/- mice at 6-weeks\, 4-months and 5-months of age. Echo-particle image velocimetry (echo-PIV) was also done to track the patterns of blood flow more accurately and identify flow impingement zones. At 5 months of age\, Npr2+/− mice with BAVs exhibited significantly elevated peak systolic velocities compared to TAV controls (2643 ± 392 vs. 1111 ± 146 mm/s\, P < 0.05). Consistent with pathological remodeling\, ascending aortic diameters were approximately 1.5-fold larger in Npr2+/−;BAV mice (1.75 ± 0.13 mm) compared to Npr2+/−;TAV mice (1.27 ± 0.01 mm)\, confirming BAV-associated AAD development. Aortic tissues from BAV and TAV mice were processed for spatial transcriptomic analysis using the Visium HD platform. Although data processing is ongoing\, preliminary analyses indicate differential expression of canonical dilation-associated genes in dilated Npr2+/−;BAV aortas relative to non-dilated Npr2+/−;TAV controls. Specifically\, COL1A1 expression was reduced in dilated aortas\, whereas ELN and ACTA2 expression was increased. Next steps involve integrating spatial transcriptomic data with echo-PIV-defined flow impingement maps to identify hemodynamically regulated gene expression signatures. Candidate genes will be validated by immunohistochemical staining in 5-month-old Npr2+/− BAV and TAV aortas. Together\, these studies aim to identify novel flow-dependent molecular drivers of AAD in BAV disease.\nSupervisor Name: Craig A. Simmons\nYear of Study: 4\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-vrushali-guruji-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260123T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260123T162500
DTSTAMP:20260123T170749Z
CREATED:20251218T180622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260123T170749Z
UID:59801-1769184600-1769185500@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Yu Qin
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: A theory of pain chronification via maladaptive learning\nSupervisor Name: Steven Prescott\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Updating location information\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-yu-qin/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260120T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260120T150000
DTSTAMP:20260113T161123Z
CREATED:20251223T173420Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260113T161123Z
UID:59833-1768917600-1768921200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:BME Faculty Member Search: Scott Tyler Albert: Expanding neural resilience to sensorimotor perturbations
DESCRIPTION:Brains are made to withstand disruption. When confronted by an external perturbation\, we seamlessly adapt our movement patterns to remain accurate and precise. Or when neural tissue dies\, our nervous system gradually adjusts to restore motor control. But this resilience is limited; whether in the face of an external disturbance\, or internal disorder\, we can never completely adapt\, sometimes leading to profound chronic impairment. To elucidate the cause of this ceiling on motor adaptation\, we will consider a model that treats adaptation as a balancing of error-based updating and obligatory forgetting. We will use this framework to design strategies that can boost the capacity of subconscious learning systems. Further\, we will explore how the presence of parallel systems for adaptation can alter the point at which learning saturates. Finally\, we will uncover the neural basis for motor recovery in a model of reaching and grasping in the rodent. Optogenetic perturbation to the sensorimotor cortex completely arrests the ability to move the limb\, but with repeated exposure\, a profound functional recovery presumes. To identify its source\, we will examine dynamics in key motor areas using invasive electrode recordings as well as functional MRI. Surprisingly\, we find that the restoration of behavior is supported by a network switching event\, where past centers of motor control are deactivated alongside a simultaneous recruitment of the intact cortex on the other side of the brain. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nAddress: Haultain Building\, (Rear of) 170 College Street*\, Room 410  \n\n\n\n*If entering through the main stairwell of the Mining Building\, there is a bridge that connects to the Haultain building at the 2nd level of the stairwell 
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/bme-faculty-member-search-scott-tyler-albert/
LOCATION:Haultain Building\, Room 410\, 170 College St\, Toronto\, M5S 3E3\, Canada
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260116T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260116T165500
DTSTAMP:20260116T170739Z
CREATED:20260102T183733Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T170739Z
UID:59851-1768581600-1768582500@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Muhammad Shan Sohail
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Opto-DBS multimodal neural manipulation approaches to address Parkinson’s disease\nAbstract:\nParkinson’s disease (PD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative movement disorder that impairs a patient’s ability to initiate and control movement. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN)\, delivered at high frequency (~130 Hz)\, is an established and effective therapy for alleviating motor symptoms. Despite its clinical success\, DBS is associated with undesirable side effects and limited opportunities for rational optimization\, largely because its underlying neural mechanisms remain poorly understood.\nIn our computational modeling and patient electrophysiology studies\, we identified evoked resonant neural activity (ENRA) in the STN as a putative antiparkinsonian electrophysiological marker. Our analyses further suggest that ENRA originates from activity within the globus pallidus externus (GPe). However\, to date\, there is no direct experimental evidence establishing a causal link between GPe activity and STN ENRA during DBS.\nMy thesis addresses this gap using a multimodal approach in mice model integrating optogenetics\, fiber photometry\, single-unit electrophysiology\, and DBS to test whether ERNA depends on GPe activity and mediates therapeutic effects.\nSupervisor Name: Luka Milosevic\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nReschedule Reason: Updating location information\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-muhammad-shan-sohail/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260116T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260116T162500
DTSTAMP:20260116T170739Z
CREATED:20251119T192232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T170739Z
UID:53733-1768579800-1768580700@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - David Koivisto
DESCRIPTION:Graduate Student Seminar Series\nPlease ensure you invite your Principal Investigator by adding their email via the ‘Add Guest’ button and they will also be notified of your presentation.\nLocation: 2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE) – 550 University Ave\nPresentation Title: Investigating the Extent of Spinal Cord Involvement from Induced Central Sensitization at a Single Cervical Level\nAbstract: Repeated exposure to painful stimuli leads to neuroplastic changes in the central nervous system\, increasing pain sensitivity and separating pain from the original stimulus. Across chronic pain conditions\, these changes are referred to as central sensitization (CS). Current identification of CS is heavily influenced by patient bias and an objective biomarker for CS is needed to refine treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of induced CS on motor units (MUs) across spinal levels through electromyography (EMG) and the sensory changes experienced by participants across dermatomes. This study aimed to recruit 24 (N=24) healthy male participants between 18-35 years of age. EMG and clinical sensory assessment measurements are taken at baseline and after the application of the heat/capsaicin model\, used to induce CS. The intervention is applied to the C3/C4 spinal level\, with subsequent testing at myotome and dermatome locations down to the C7 spinal level. Participants performed isometric ramp contractions of 10%\, 35%\, and 55% of their maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) for each muscle. An additional EMG measurement is taken from the level of intervention at 35% MVC following a brief painful stimulus. All EMG data is decomposed to evaluate firing characteristics from the same population of individual MU spike trains\, identified through MU tracking. Sensory testing showed a significant difference to the control group at the C3/C4 level. Early spike train feature results display a decrease in discharge rate across most muscles groups at each MVC level. The sensory results support the use of the modality used to induce CS. EMG may have the potential to be used as a biomarker for CS but\, further analysis is needed to identify\,EMG differences between healthy\, induced pain and CS conditions.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Dinesh Kumbhare\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nReschedule Reason: Updating location information\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-david-koivisto-2/
LOCATION:2nd Floor Auditorium (TRI/KITE)
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR