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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
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DTSTART:20240310T070000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260210T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260210T130000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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:20260529T124447
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
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260113T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260113T130000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20250408T173735Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T141321Z
UID:49404-1768305600-1768309200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Invited Academic Seminar Series - James Patton
DESCRIPTION:Abstract  \n\n\n\nRobotics and displays offer opportunities to distort reality with interventions such as error augmentation\, sensory crossover\, avatars\, and negative viscosity. These techniques lead to training situations that enhance the learning process and can restore movement ability after neural injury. I will trace out clinical studies that have employed such technologies to improve the health and function\, as well as share some leading-edge insights that include deceiving the patient\, moving software into the hardware\, and examining clinical effectiveness.  \n\n\n\nBio:   \n\n\n\nJames L. Patton received BS mechanical engineering & engineering science from University of Michigan (1989)\, MS in theoretical mechanics from Michigan State (1993)\, and PhD biomedical engineering from Northwestern University (1998). He is Richard and Loan Hill Professor of BioMedicalEngineering at the University of Illinois Chicago\, and research scientist at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. He worked in automotive manufacturing and nuclear medicine before discovering control of human movement. His interests include robotic teaching\, controls\, haptics\, modeling\, human-machine interfaces\, and technology-facilitated recovery from a brain injury. Patton was vice president of conferences for the IEEE-EMB society\, and Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering\, and IEEE Transactions Medical Robotics and Bionics.   \n\n\n\nDisclosures  \n\n\n\nThe KineAssist (TM) robotic device (HDT Robotics\, Incorporated) will be discussed as part of a research program on an early model. It was used to test a novel research concept on training with a custom attachment made in our labs.  The Burt robotic device (Barrett Technologies\, Inc) will be mentioned as one of our latest research studies which our group has developed novel custom software for training to perform a preliminary clinical test. This device was developed with the consulting advice with Patton\, who received consulting fees for his time in the past.   \n\n\n\nObjectives:   \n\n\n\nParticipants should gain the ability to Discuss  \n\n\n\n\nHistory and motivation for the field of therapeutic robotics \n\n\n\nBarriers and opportunities this field  \n\n\n\nCritiques of Dr. Patton and others’ approaches to these goals 
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/invited-academic-seminar-series-james-patton/
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-series-James-Patton.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T171000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251016T172233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T180756Z
UID:52884-1766163300-1766164200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Amy Huang
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: Evaluating the hemodynamic fidelity of idealized versus intraoperative boundary conditions in acute type B aortic dissection simulations\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-amy-huang/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T165500
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251016T172233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T180755Z
UID:52883-1766162400-1766163300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Sima Buchnak
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: Functional and Structural Connectivity in Paediatric Post-Stroke Dystonia\nAbstract:\nIntroduction: Dystonia is a motor impairment that affects 20% of children post basal ganglia arterial ischemic stroke (CAIS). Disrupted inhibitory processing in the sensorimotor cortex is implicated and reflected by alterations in beta event-related desynchronization (ERD). In a prior magnetoencephalography (MEG) study during a cognitive-motor task\, beta ERD response amplitude was larger in both hemispheres of CAIS with no dystonia (D-)\, and the non-lesioned hemisphere of CAIS with dystonia (D+)\, compared to healthy controls (HC). This finding was suggestive of compensatory sensorimotor plasticity.\nObjective: To determine whether beta ERD shows similar trends during a passive movement task and explore associations with corticospinal tract (CST) microstructure.\nMethods: Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and MEG data were collected in CAIS (D+/D-) and HC participants from a prior study. A passive movement task assessed beta reactivity without the confounding effects of impaired motor execution. CST microstructure was evaluated using tractography and diffusion metrics.\nResults: Twenty-six participants (16CAIS: 8D+/8D- ;10HC) were included (Table 1). Compared to HC\, beta ERD amplitude during passive movement was greater in the lesioned hemisphere of D+ (p = 0.036) and the non-lesioned hemisphere of D- (p = 0.030) patients\, with similar trends in the other hands (Fig 1). In the lesioned hemisphere\, mean diffusivity (MD) was highest in D+\, intermediate in the D-\, and lowest in the HC group. Fractional anisotropy (FA) showed an inverse trend. Non-lesioned hemispheres showed comparable MD and FA across groups (Fig 2).\nConclusion: Group differences in CST.microstructure were consistent with motor outcomes but did not mirror the functional measures of inhibitory processing. Our finding of higher beta ERD during passive movement of both hands\, in all CAIS groups (D+/D-) compared to controls\, was unexpected.\nThese studies suggest that the basic function of the CST is relatively preserved in dystonia. Future studies should investigate the potential role of cognition in the maladaptive response of dystonia.\nHsu P.\, et al.\, (2025) Hum Brain Mapp. 46 e7020\nSupervisor Name: Douglas Cheyne\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-sima-buchnak/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T164000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251015T172231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T180755Z
UID:52861-1766161500-1766162400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Fanglin Gong
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: Engineering of Amino Acid-Derived Ionizable Lipids Enables Inhaled Base Editing for Therapeutic Gene Correction in the Lung\nAbstract: CRISPR-based gene editing holds promise for treating genetic diseases\, yet its application to lung disorders has been hindered by the challenges of pulmonary delivery. Inspired by the modularity and biocompatibility of amino acid-derived chemistries\, we report the combinatorial synthesis of 960 ionizable lipids incorporating chemically diverse backbones from both proteinogenic and non-proteinogenic α-amino acids. Through high-throughput screening and structure-function analysis\, we identify CHCha-10\, a cyclohexyl amino acid-derived lipid that forms biodegradable nanoparticles capable of efficiently delivering mRNA-based gene editors to lung epithelial cells. Following intratracheal administration\, CHCha-10 nanoparticles exhibit enhanced mucus penetration\, and epithelial-specific transfection in both mice and ferrets. As a functional application\, we demonstrate the first instance of in vivo base editing in the lung via inhalation. Delivery of adenine base editor mRNA and guide RNA targeting the CFTR G542X mutation restores CFTR expression and chloride channel function in G542X human airway epithelial cells\, mouse-derived intestinal organoids\, and the lungs of cystic fibrosis mice. This work establishes a chemically modular design framework for ionizable lipids and a translatable platform for RNA-based pulmonary gene correction.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Bowen Li\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-fanglin-gong-2/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251219T162500
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251016T172233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251219T180755Z
UID:52881-1766160600-1766161500@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Mahmoud Abdelkarim
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: Hydrodynamic focusing to synthesize lipid-based nanoparticles: Computational and experimental analysis of chip design and formulation parameters\nSupervisor Name: Hagar Labouta\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-mahmoud-abdelkarim/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T171000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251016T172233Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T213854Z
UID:52880-1765558500-1765559400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Michael Lam
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: Design and Feasibility of a Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment Algorithm for Rehabilitation Video Games\nSupervisor Name: Elaine Biddiss\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-michael-lam/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T165500
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251015T172231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T213854Z
UID:52860-1765557600-1765558500@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Reut Shor
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: Reversing Outer Retinal Corrugations: Toward Optimized RRD Management\nAbstract:\nObjective: To develop and validate a quantitative biomechanical framework that models outer retinal corrugations (ORC) formation and progression in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) patients\, to predict the development of post-op outer retinal fold (ORF).\nMethods: In a prospective\, multicenter cohort at St. Michael’s Hospital (Toronto\, Canada) and the Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “V. Tiberio” (Campobasso\, Italy) from January 1\, 2023\, to January 1\, 2025\, sequential OCT scans of detached retinas in RRD patients were obtained at presentation\, within 24h before treatment\, and at 1-\, 3-\, and 6-months post-treatment. Regions of interest (ROIs) were aligned across scans using shared anatomic landmarks\, manually segmented\, and automatically analyzed in MATLAB to compute strain mismatch and elasticity-modulus mismatch. Measured values were compared with theoretical predictions for surface-instability patterns in a bilayer system with differential expansion rates. Temporal changes in strain and modulus mismatch were evaluated against kinetic models of gel swelling. Correlation between strain values\, post-op ORF development and visual acuity (VA) were tested.\nResults: 42 patients (60 ROIs) met inclusion criteria. Post-op ORF occurred in 13/60 ROIs (21.7%). Elasticity-modulus mismatch versus strain was mapped to a bilayer phase diagram within a high-adhesion regime\, with non-corrugated ROIs in the “flat” region and corrugated ROIs in the “wrinkle/fold” domains. The minimum strain for the flat-to-corrugated transition was 0.13. No ORFs were observed for strain 5. The strain threshold associated with ~50% ORF risk differed by treatment: ≥0.25 for Pars Plana Vitrectomy (PPV) or Scleral Buckle (SB) and ≥0.43 for Pneumatic Retinopexy (PnR). A kinetic model of ORC progression based on gel-swelling theory showed good agreement with the data. Across cohorts\, higher pre-op strain trended toward worse post-op VA.\nConclusions: ORC behavior in RRD can be quantitatively characterized by strain and elasticity-modulus mismatch. Treatment-dependent strain thresholds predict post-op ORF and align with observed visual acuity trends. This mechanics-based framework elucidates ORC pathophysiology and may support risk stratification in choosing timing and selection of reattachment strategies.\nSupervisor Name: Prof Frank Gu\, Dr Rajeev Muni\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-reut-shor/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T164000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251015T172231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T213854Z
UID:52859-1765556700-1765557600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Rena Far
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: The effect of musical rhythms on human brain cell and circuit dynamics\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Taufik Valiante\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-rena-far/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251212T162500
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251015T172231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251211T213854Z
UID:52858-1765555800-1765556700@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Osama Khan
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: Drug delivery to lung cancer using prodrug-loaded microbubbles and endobronchial ultrasound\nSupervisor Name: Naomi Matsuura\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-osama-khan/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251209T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251209T130000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20250408T173702Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T151633Z
UID:49402-1765281600-1765285200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Invited Academic Seminar Series - Ross Ethier - Signalling pathways in myopia
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nMyopia (near-sightedness) is predicted to affect 50% of all people worldwide by 2050. Although near-sightedness itself can be corrected optically (glasses\, contacts)\, myopia increases the risk of blinding diseases (glaucoma\, retinal detachment\, etc.) and thus the increased incidence of myopia is predicted to be an important driver of vision loss worldwide. Most cases of myopia are due to excessive axial eye growth; unfortunately\, the signaling pathways underlying this axial growth are very poorly understood. We have found that oral administration of all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) causes myopia in mice\, implicating atRA as an important player in the myopigenic signaling cascade. In this talk\, I will describe our ongoing studies of myopigenic atRA signaling in the eye based on the use of mouse models\, atRA tracer studies and mathematical modeling. I will also describe studies of how atRA interacts with dopaminergic signaling and light levels (two known modulators of myopia).
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/invited-academic-seminar-series-ross-ethier/
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/2025/11/Invited-speaker-series-2025-Ross-Ethier.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251205T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251205T171000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251120T192238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251120T192238Z
UID:53744-1764953700-1764954600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Yinghe Sun
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: Identifying generalizable features in peripheral nerve recordings for improved neuroprosthetic control\nAbstract:\nPeripheral nerve interfaces can be used to create advanced assistive technologies. Neural networks associated with multicontact nerve cuff electrodes can selectively record and discriminate neural recordings and facilitate neuroprosthetic control. Due to variations in device positioning and anatomy\, neural networks trained on one subject currently cannot generalize to others. To take advantage of available data from other subjects\, the objective was to train a neural network whose encoder portion can extract representations that generalize effectively when using transfer learning to adapt the classification to new subjects.\nThe study applied neural networks to classify naturally evoked compound action potentials corresponding to three different sensory stimuli. The datasets were obtained from the sciatic nerves of 9 Long-Evans Rats through 7×8-channel cuff electrodes. To leverage data from multiple subjects\, we pre-trained the network on either one subject or merged data from multiple subjects\, then used cross-validation to retrain and evaluate it on a separate target subject. Layer freezing was applied to identify which part of the encoder would best generalize.\nPre-training with merged datasets led to a significant increase in mean macro-F1 score compared to subject-specific models trained from scratch (0.810±0.130 vs 0.733±0.121\, p < 0.05)\, regardless of the number of frozen layers. Pre-training on a single subject did not lead to a significant improvement.\nA pre-training approach combining data from multiple subjects shows significant improvement in classification performance. The study developed an encoder that benefits classification performance on unseen subjects despite anatomical variability and device positioning differences.\nSupervisor Name: José Zariffa\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-yinghe-sun-2/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251205T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251205T171000
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251120T192237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T200737Z
UID:53743-1764953700-1764954600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Yinghe Sun
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: Identifying generalizable features in peripheral nerve recordings for improved neuroprosthetic control\nAbstract:\nPeripheral nerve interfaces can be used to create advanced assistive technologies. Neural networks associated with multicontact nerve cuff electrodes can selectively record and discriminate neural recordings and facilitate neuroprosthetic control. Due to variations in device positioning and anatomy\, neural networks trained on one subject currently cannot generalize to others. To take advantage of available data from other subjects\, the objective was to train a neural network whose encoder portion can extract representations that generalize effectively when using transfer learning to adapt the classification to new subjects.\nThe study applied neural networks to classify naturally evoked compound action potentials corresponding to three different sensory stimuli. The datasets were obtained from the sciatic nerves of 9 Long-Evans Rats through 7×8-channel cuff electrodes. To leverage data from multiple subjects\, we pre-trained the network on either one subject or merged data from multiple subjects\, then used cross-validation to retrain and evaluate it on a separate target subject. Layer freezing was applied to identify which part of the encoder would best generalize.\nPre-training with merged datasets led to a significant increase in mean macro-F1 score compared to subject-specific models trained from scratch (0.810±0.130 vs 0.733±0.121\, p < 0.05)\, regardless of the number of frozen layers. Pre-training on a single subject did not lead to a significant improvement.\nA pre-training approach combining data from multiple subjects shows significant improvement in classification performance. The study developed an encoder that benefits classification performance on unseen subjects despite anatomical variability and device positioning differences.\nSupervisor Name: José Zariffa\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-yinghe-sun/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251205T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251205T165500
DTSTAMP:20260529T124447
CREATED:20251015T172231Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T200738Z
UID:52857-1764952800-1764953700@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Jathushan Kaetheeswaran
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: Consumer-grade Smartwatches for Cardiovascular Monitoring\nAbstract: Consumer-grade smartwatches offer a new personalized health monitoring option for general consumers globally as cardiovascular diseases continue to prevail as the leading cause of global mortality. The development and validation of reliable cardiovascular monitoring algorithms for these consumer-grade devices requires realistic biosignal data from diverse sets of participants. However\, the availability of public consumer-grade smartwatch datasets with synchronized cardiovascular biosignals is limited\, and existing datasets do not offer rich demographic diversity in their participant cohorts\, leading to potentially biased algorithm development. This paper presents HEART-Watch\, a multimodal physiological dataset collected from temporally synchronized wrist-worn Google Pixel Watch 2 electrocardiogram (ECG)\, photoplethysmography\, and accelerometer signals from a diverse cohort of 40 healthy adults across three physical states – sitting\, standing and walking with reference chest ECG. Intermittent upper arm blood pressure measurements and concurrent biosignals were collected as an additional biomarker for future research.\nSupervisor Name: Milad Lankarany\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-jathushan-kaetheeswaran/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR