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X-WR-CALNAME:Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME)
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T171000
DTSTAMP:20251024T180735Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T180735Z
UID:52306-1761324900-1761325800@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Dianoosh Kalhory
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: In Vitro Model for Screening RNA/Drug Delivery by Lipid Nanoparticles for Treatment of Lung Diseases\nAbstract:\nThe goal of my research is to create a medium- or high-throughput LOC model for screening RNA-based drugs encapsulated in LNPs by using a bioprinting-on-chip technique. To reach this goal\, my thesis will be structured around three specific aims that will develop into a MF platform for in vitro lung disease modeling and screening RNA-based drugs for the treatment of lung diseases.\nAim 1: Formation of a gel-embedded bi-layer lung epithelial cells and microvascular endothelial cells at the air-liquid interface\nAim 2: Design\, fabrication\, and development of a lung-on-chip platform\nAim 3: Encapsulation of micro-ribonucleic acids in lipid nanoparticles and their delivery to lung cells\nSupervisor Name: Eugenia Kumacheva & Gilbert Walker\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-dianoosh-kalhory/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T165500
DTSTAMP:20251024T180735Z
CREATED:20251007T165244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T180735Z
UID:52732-1761324000-1761324900@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Barry Bytensky
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: Simulating Focused Ultrasound Therapies for Paediatric Retinoblastoma\nAbstract: Retinoblastoma is the most common eye cancer in children and has a high survival rate due to the removal of eyes with large tumours. In most cases\, chemotherapy is used to reduce the size of tumours\, which may fail to prevent the cancer from coming back and can damage surrounding tissues in the eye. New treatments seek to precisely target tumours without harming healthy tissues. Focused ultrasound is a non-invasive therapeutic tool that concentrates sound waves within a volume the size of a grain of rice. This may be used for burning eye tumours directly\, or to improve the delivery of chemotherapy drugs. This\, in turn\, may enable improved eye tumour treatment. To investigate potential ultrasound therapies\, a computer program was developed that can simulate the ultrasound and thermal properties of the eye in 3D. Using paediatric eye models from patient MRI scans\, simulations have suggested focused ultrasound can be used to heat retinoblastoma tumours without damaging surrounding structures such as the lens. In this research project\, tissue-mimicking eye models will be developed\, and their ultrasound and thermal properties will be measured. Simulated and experimentally measured temperatures in these models will be compared to ensure the computer program can accurately predict treatment results. Furthermore\, this computer program will be developed into a comprehensive treatment planning tool to determine ideal treatment configurations and design new ultrasound systems. Finally\, this tool will be used in animal studies investigating the use of ultrasound to treat eye cancers. This will result in a simulation platform which can be used to predict the outcomes of a wide range of ultrasound treatments.\nSupervisor Name: George Ibrahim\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-barry-bytensky/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T165500
DTSTAMP:20251024T180735Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T180735Z
UID:52307-1761324000-1761324900@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Canceled: 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\nCancellation Reason:\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-fanglin-gong/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T164000
DTSTAMP:20251024T180735Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T180735Z
UID:52305-1761323100-1761324000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Matthew Jenkins
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: Ultrasound Guided Histotripsy for IVH Clot Lysis\nSupervisor Name: Adam Waspe and George Ibrahim\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-matthew-jenkins/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251024T162500
DTSTAMP:20251024T180735Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251024T180735Z
UID:52304-1761322200-1761323100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Canceled: 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: MS2158 – 1 King’s College Circle\nPresentation Title: Understanding the roles of resident macrophages in osteoarthritis progression\nSupervisor Name: Sowmya Viswanathan\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nCancellation Reason:\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-madhumitha-ramamurthy/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T171000
DTSTAMP:20251017T173749Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T173749Z
UID:52302-1760720100-1760721000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Shaurya Gupta
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: Robot-assisted Hydrogel Injection for Spinal Cord Injury Repair\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Albert Yee\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-shaurya-gupta/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T165500
DTSTAMP:20251017T173749Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T173749Z
UID:52303-1760719200-1760720100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Kate MacQuarrie
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: Selecting the optimal support cell type for the autologous endothelialization of a vascular graft\nAbstract:\nThe endothelialization of vascular scaffolds\, such as small-diameter vascular grafts\, has been a long-standing goal in the tissue engineering field. To date\, there has been a lack of suitable sources of endothelial cells\, and even when endothelial cells are available\, they have taken too long to confluently endothelialize the scaffolds\, limiting clinical adoption.\nOur group has shown that there is a suitable source of endothelial cells within fat tissue\, termed human adipose-derived microvascular endothelial cells (HAMVECs). Further\, our group has shown that when HAMVECs are cultured across from adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs) on a porous\, electrospun scaffold\, the scaffold can be confluently endothelialized in 2 days.\nSeparately\, our lab has shown that these ASCs can be differentiated to produce contractile\, smooth muscle cell (SMC)-like cells (VSMCs). Further\, VSMCs’ extracellular matrix (ECM) production can be stimulated by the direct co-culture of VSMCs with monocytes.\nMy project has involved assessing the phenotype of the co-cultured endothelia\, determining which support cell type (ASCs\, VSMCs\, or VSMC+monocytes) is best for producing a confluent endothelium\, and ultimately\, producing autologously endothelialized grafts.\nIn studying the effects of co-culture on the resulting endothelia\, my work thus far has demonstrated that co-culturing HAMVECs with ASCs significantly increases endothelialization as early as two hours after seeding compared to monocultured HAMVECs. Using an array that detects over 50 proteins produced in the culture media\, I found that HAMVEC+ASC co-culture promotes a less angiogenic character. Furthermore\, I showed via immunostaining that co-culture increases junctional linearity and HAMVEC elongation\, increases vasodilator-related protein production\, and decreases inflammatory protein production and white blood cell adhesion.\nIn assessing which type of support cells are best suited for scaffold endothelialization\, I found that ASCs\, VSMCs\, or VSMC+monocytes could all support 70-80% endothelialization within 24 hours\, compared to <25% with HAMVECs alone. I performed mass spectrometry\, which validated that any type of co-culture reduced the expression of inflammatory endothelial markers relative to monoculture. However\, in the proteomic assessment\, and through immunostaining\, we saw that using VSMCs or VSMC+monocytes increased the expression of proteins involved in contraction and of SMC character. Furthermore\, via histological staining and a biochemical assay\, we saw that including monocytes in the co-culture system with VSMCs increased elastin production.\nThus far\, we have shown that in addition to accelerating endothelialization\, co-culturing HAMVECs with any of the three support cell types produces a healthier and less thrombogenic endothelium\, but differentiated VSMCs are needed for the support cells to have a biomimetic\, contractile phenotype in co-culture. Furthermore\, including monocytes increases elastin deposition\, which is important for both compliance and support cell maturity.\nCurrent and future work involves further assessing the hemocompatibility of the endothelia and producing tubular grafts seeded with VSMC+monocytes and endothelialized with HAMVECs in a perfusion bioreactor.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Paul Santerre\nYear of Study: 4\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-kate-macquarrie-3/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T164000
DTSTAMP:20251017T173749Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T173749Z
UID:52301-1760718300-1760719200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Dana Brinson
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 effects of biophysical cues on directed differentiation of hiPSCs into distal lung cells\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Thomas Waddell and Dr. Golnaz Karoubi\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-dana-brinson/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251017T162500
DTSTAMP:20251017T173749Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T173749Z
UID:52300-1760717400-1760718300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Lachlan Greechan
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: Towards Renal Autonomic Control via​ a Neurovascular interface for treating Hypotensive Disorders\nAbstract: This presentation will entail the work to date on developing a closed-loop system for regulating blood pressure via renal nerve stimulation\, including background\, methods\, preliminary results\, and discussion on continuing research.\nSupervisor Name: Paul Yoo\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-lachlan-greechan/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T171000
DTSTAMP:20251010T172240Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T172240Z
UID:52297-1760115300-1760116200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Julia Takimoto
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: Quantifying the Rotational Stiffness of 3D Printed Ankle Foot Orthotics\nAbstract:\nBackground and Rationale: Ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) are assistive devices designed to improve gait biomechanics and/or correct structural abnormalities. AFOs are commonly prescribed in a multitude of cases\, including stroke\, osteoarthritis\, cerebral palsy\, spinal cord injury\, foot drop\, and clubfoot. Their use has been found to improve dorsiflexion angle\, gait speed\, stride length\, and reduce energy cost. Recent improvements to 3D printing technology have made it a commercially viable manufacturing method for custom orthoses. To 3D print an orthotic\, a scan of the lower limb is taken and digitally manipulated to achieve the desired AFO characteristics. Key characteristics of AFOs are rotational stiffness and shape\, affecting safety\, comfort and function\, which are fine-tuned during the post-processing phase of manufacturing. While it is not a common part of clinical practice\, the prediction of these characteristics can be assisted using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the computer-aided design (CAD) models or empirical testing. Current testing methods to verify the predicted characteristics are modelled after lower-limb prosthetics\, but no ISO standards for AFO testing have been established and methods presented in research are not commercially available. Furthermore\, it is not feasible for many orthotic clinics to develop a custom testing machine\, so this project seeks solutions that can potentially be applied in clinical practice.\nObjectives and aims: The main goal of this project is to develop and assess techniques for assessing the strength and stiffness of AFOs.\nTo achieve this\, I aim to: (1) Develop a testing apparatus and procedure to quantify the material properties and behaviour of 3D printed AFOs under static and dynamic loading conditions and determine the apparatus reliability within testing cycles and across testing sessions. This procedure will serve as a gold standard that other methods will be compared to. (2) Use said apparatus to test key aspects of AFO post-processing. (3) Develop and evaluate a low-technology\, clinically-viable process for AFO stiffness testing.\nMethodology: (1) A custom apparatus will be designed for attaching AFOs to mimic walking within a universal tensile machine (UTM). The apparatus will apply loading to a surrogate shank\, with the AFO footplate fixed (in a non-destructive manner) to isolate motion to the ankle joint. The primary measure will be rotational stiffness in the sagittal plane\, which is the key characteristic in the design and prescription of AFOs\, but also a common cause of structural failure in long-term AFO use. (2) Measure the effects of heat treatment for shape modification and dyeing the AFOs and compare to FEA predictions of AFO behaviour. (3) Analyse current benchtop stiffness testing and develop a methodology optimised for clinical use\, prioritising low cost and ease of use.\nSignificance & Contribution to Advancement of Knowledge: The rotational stiffness of custom and pre-made AFOs is typically unknown. Traditional plaster casting methods for custom AFOs rely on an orthotist to visually determine when an appropriate stiffness has been achieved\, without quantification. Pre-made AFOs are sold with their stiffness on an arbitrary range from low to high. 3D printing provides the opportunity for orthotists to manufacture AFOs with specific stiffnesses; however\, many orthotists are unfamiliar with prescribing a numerical stiffness value. Creating a standard quantification method enables further study of the impact of specific AFO design characteristics on users’ gaits. This leads to better AFO prescriptions and aids the development of AFO standards.\nSupervisor Name: Jan Andrysek\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-julia-takimoto/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T165500
DTSTAMP:20251010T172240Z
CREATED:20250905T180506Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T172240Z
UID:52299-1760114400-1760115300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Rachel Leung
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: Fracture Prediction using Deep Learning: Pre-Clinical Application in Spinal µCT Imaging\nSupervisor Name: Michael Hardisty\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-rachel-leung/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T164000
DTSTAMP:20251010T172240Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T172240Z
UID:52292-1760113500-1760114400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Hannah Van Lankveld
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 physiological effect of transcranial photobiomodulation on the healthy human brain\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Jean Chen and Dr. Hai-Ling Cheng\nYear of Study: 4\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-hannah-van-lankveld-2/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251010T162500
DTSTAMP:20251010T172240Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251010T172240Z
UID:52294-1760112600-1760113500@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Kate Kazlovich
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: From Prototype to Practice: Advancing 3D Printing and Surgical Simulation in Thoracic Surgery\nAbstract:\nThree-dimensional (3D) printing is revolutionizing how we design\, test\, and implement surgical simulation tools across medical specialties. In thoracic surgery\, this technology offers an accessible and scalable approach to building procedure-specific training devices that enhance technical skill development outside of the operating room. This presentation builds on our earlier work by showcasing the development and implementation of high-fidelity\, 3D-printed simulation models tailored to key thoracic procedures.\nWe will present the iterative design and validation of simulation tools for transplant anastomosis training and for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA)\, a critical cancer biopsy technique. In addition to demonstrating the functionality of these models\, we will discuss how they are being integrated into educational programs both within and beyond formal workshop settings\, including independent practice and team-based learning environments.\nBy combining engineering innovation with surgical education\, this work highlights how simulation can be used not only to teach technical skills but also to expand equitable access to hands-on training opportunities across institutions and experience levels.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Kazuhiro Yasufuku\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-kate-kazlovich/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251007T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251007T130000
DTSTAMP:20250923T131606Z
CREATED:20250408T173559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T131606Z
UID:49398-1759838400-1759842000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Invited Academic Seminar Series - Rahima Benhabbour
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: \nLong-acting drug delivery systems (DDSs) can address significant unmet health needs to improve patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes. These DDSs can be designed for treatment\, prevention\, or as multipurpose prevention technologies. \nPreventing HIV infections and unintended pregnancies is a leading public health priority for women’s health. Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) capable of delivering long-acting (LA) contraception and HIV prevention are needed. The Benhabbour lab has been leading the development of three innovative technologies all aiming to address current gaps and unmet needs to accelerate translation of an effective MPT to clinical studies. To that extent\, we combine state-of-the-art engineering tools\, formulation development\, preclinical animal models\, and pharmacology models to design and engineer the next generation LA MPTs for the prevention of HIV\, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy.  \nOur lab has also focused on addressing critical unmet treatment needs for cancers and regenerative medicine to design novel cell-laden scaffolds for LA delivery of cell therapies. \nIn this seminar\, I will highlight the three large programs that we currently lead on engineering the next generation MPTs and cell-laden scaffolds\, which include 1) an ultra-long-acting injectable formulation for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (NIAID R01AI131430) and first-in-line LA injectable MPT (NIAID R01AI162246); 2) a first-in-line 3D printed intravaginal ring MPT (NIAID R61AI136002; NIAID R01 AI150358); and 3) a novel cell-laden hydrogel scaffold for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (NCI 1R01CA286609). This seminar will highlight preclinical results in various animal models (mouse\, sheep\, macaques) to assess safety\, pharmacokinetics\, and efficacy of these technologies and discuss their current stage of development and future directions.
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/invited-academic-seminar-series-rahima-benhabbour/
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-Rahima-Benhabbour.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251003T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251003T171000
DTSTAMP:20251003T163826Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T163826Z
UID:52289-1759510500-1759511400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Alaa Selim
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: Enhancing Mucosal Immunity Against SARS-CoV-2 Using circRNA Vaccines and All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA).\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Bowen Li\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-alaa-selim/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251003T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251003T164000
DTSTAMP:20251003T163826Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T163826Z
UID:52287-1759508700-1759509600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Karim Mithani
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: Closed-Loop Control of Impulsive Behaviour in Children\nSupervisor Name: George Ibrahim\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-karim-mithani/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251003T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251003T162500
DTSTAMP:20251003T163826Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251003T163826Z
UID:52285-1759507800-1759508700@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Daryn Browne
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: In Vivo monitoring of hydrogels using MRI\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-daryn-browne/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251002T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251002T120000
DTSTAMP:20250918T152043Z
CREATED:20250918T144248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T152043Z
UID:52545-1759402800-1759406400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Open Defense - Of waves and cables: actomyosin networks and coordination of cell behaviour in developing embryos
DESCRIPTION:Committee: Michelle Bendeck\, Ulli Tepass \n\n\n\nExternal examiners: Stephanie Protze (UHN)\, Roberto Mayor (University College London)
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/open-defense-of-waves-and-cables-actomyosin-networks-and-coordination-of-cell-behaviour-in-developing-embryos/
CATEGORIES:Events & Workshops
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T165500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T171000
DTSTAMP:20250926T162233Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T162233Z
UID:52282-1758905700-1758906600@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Fateme Eskandary
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: Polymeric Glucose-Responsive Nanoparticles for Smart Delivery of Amylin for the Treatment of Type I Diabetes\nSupervisor Name: Caitlin Maikawa\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-fateme-eskandary/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T165500
DTSTAMP:20250926T162233Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T162233Z
UID:52279-1758904800-1758905700@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Mohammad Nazeri
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: Robotic Autonomous Imaging Surface Evaluator (RAISE): A Closed-Loop System for Accelerating Material and Formulation Discovery\nAbstract: Surface wettability is a critical design parameter for biomedical devices\, coatings\, and textiles. Contact angle measurements quantify liquid-surface interactions\, which depend strongly on liquid formulation. Herein\, we present the Robotic Autonomous Imaging Surface Evaluator (RAISE)\, a closed-loop\, self-driving system capable of linking liquid formulation optimization with surface wettability assessment. RAISE comprises a full experimental orchestrator capable of mixing liquid ingredients to create varying formulation cocktails\, transferring droplets of prepared formulations to a high-throughput stage\, and using a pick-and-place camera tool for automated droplet image capture. It also includes automated image processing to measure contact angles. This closed loop experiment orchestrator is integrated with a Bayesian Optimization (BO) client\, which enables iterative exploration of new formulations based on previous contact angle measurements to meet user-defined objectives.\nSupervisor Name: Frank Gu\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-mohammad-nazeri-3/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T164000
DTSTAMP:20250926T162233Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T162233Z
UID:52280-1758903900-1758904800@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Alice Feng
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: Discovery of Cell Culture Media Formulations through a Hybrid Active Learning Algorithm\nAbstract: Optimizing xeno-free and chemically defined (XFCD) cell culture media is essential for producing safe and contaminant-free stem and progenitor cells. This work describes HiDiNeu\, a hybrid optimization algorithm that combines differential evolution and various machine learning models to address the complexity of optimizing 14-100 supplement factors during an active learning process. Based on the High Dimensional Differential Evolution (HDDE) framework\, HiDiNeu has previously discovered serum equivalent formulations more efficiently during in silico (computer based) testing. In this study\, we extend validation to in vitro (direct in laboratory) experiments\, integrate and compare additional machine learning models\, and benchmark HiDiNeu against existing optimization algorithms to evaluate comparative performance. These efforts move towards a more reliable and scalable platform to develop XFCD media that better supports stem cell growth.\nSupervisor Name: Julie Audet\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-alice-feng/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250926T162500
DTSTAMP:20250926T162233Z
CREATED:20250905T180505Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250926T162233Z
UID:52277-1758903000-1758903900@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Filip Miscevic
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: A Novel Naturalistic Dual-Task Ear Training Paradigm with Real-time Multimodal Gamified Neurofeedback for Cochlear Implant Users\nAbstract: Cochlear implants (CIs) are the oldest and most widely used neural prosthetic\, but CI users experience listening fatigue more readily than normal-hearing individuals. This can discourage consistent CI usage and lead to a reduced quality of life. Previous work has shown that ear-training tasks can improve real-world listening outcomes\, but have relied on tedious\, contrived stimuli such as strings of numbers or words. Our aim is to develop a fun\, engaging listening task that simulates the demands of a real-world listening environment using episodes of a TV show\, and to provide game-like rewards for good listening performance derived from real-time electroencephalography (EEG). In the task we have developed\, subjects must follow a target audiovisual stimulus (an episode from a TV show) while ignoring a distractor as it alternates between their left and right sides at cued intervals. A multivariate temporal response function (mTRF) is used to generate a reconstruction of the perceived stimulus from the EEG signal\, which can then be compared with the ground-truth attend stimulus. If the two are highly correlated\, the participant is rewarded with a star animation\, encouraging further progress. A pilot study of ten participants demonstrated greater neural tracking of the target stimulus (mean Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.13 vs. 0.09\, p<0.01) and better suppression of the ignored stimulus\, suggesting that our novel task is better suited for ear-training than the traditional version of the task. Our task may help train CI listening ability in a fun\, engaging way\, which may translate to better real-world listening abilities and an improved quality of life.\nSupervisor Name: Luka Milosevic\nYear of Study: 3\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-filip-miscevic/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250919T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250919T164000
DTSTAMP:20250919T160731Z
CREATED:20250905T200731Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T160731Z
UID:52309-1758299100-1758300000@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Yat Ching Valerie Kwong
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: Multimodal Neuroprosthesis System for Home-Based Upper Extremity Rehabilitation\nAbstract: The loss of voluntary motor function reduces independence and quality of life. Rehabilitation relies on neuroplasticity and task-specific training\, but conventional therapy is labor-intensive\, costly\, and often inaccessible during the critical recovery period. Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy (FEST) enhances motor recovery\, yet current devices remain inflexible and dependent on manual adjustments. This project describes the development of a multimodal neuroprosthesis system integrating FEST\, speech recognition\, and computer vision. The system will enable multiple grasp types through a universal stimulation program\, allow discrete-vocabulary voice commands for control\, and use real-time object recognition to adjust stimulation according to task demands. Usability and interface design will be evaluated with healthy and stroke participants\, focusing on latency\, recognition accuracy\, and user preferences across manual\, speech\, and vision inputs. The expected contributions include increased autonomy for individuals\, support for home-based rehabilitation\, reduced healthcare burden\, and promotion of independence and quality of life.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Cesar Marquez-Chin\, Dr. Milos R. Popovic\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-yat-ching-valerie-kwong/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250919T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250919T162500
DTSTAMP:20250919T160731Z
CREATED:20250905T180504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T160731Z
UID:52275-1758298200-1758299100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Sebastian Silva
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: Development of a Music-Based Wearable Biofeedback System to Improve Lower Limb Amputee Gait Symmetry\nAbstract:\nLower-limb amputees (LLAs) can exhibit asymmetric gait\, which may contribute to the development of secondary conditions. Access to conventional gait training is often impeded by factors such as healthcare funding\, long travel times\, or occupational obligations. This has created a growing interest in technology-based alternatives for in-community gait rehabilitation. One such promising technique is the use of wearable biofeedback systems (WBSs) for gait training\, with multiple studies utilizing various feedback modalities (visual\, auditory\, and vibrotactile) to attain positive outcomes for LLA participants\, including a more normal gait pattern and improved gait symmetry. Within the realm of auditory stimuli\, rhythmic auditory stimulus (RAS)\, and more specifically music\, may provide distinct advantages when applied to LLA gait. The entrainment of walking cadence and music tempo is a well-documented phenomenon\, with studies having shown that music stimulus can improve the gait symmetry of hemiparetic stroke patients. However\, to date\, there are no gait training systems that have applied music-based feedback to correct gait asymmetry of LLAs. To address this gap\, the goal of this project is to design and validate a wearable biofeedback system that employs a music-based strategy to improve the temporal gait symmetry of LLAs.\nThe physical WBS consists of two inertial sensors to measure cadence and gait symmetry\, an Android phone to run the feedback algorithm\, and headphones. Participants will first complete a baseline assessment without RAS\, to determine their average gait symmetry and cadence. They will then perform RAS walking trials with three different closed-loop feedback strategies\, as well as with open-loop RAS. The music used in walking trials will be of a constant tempo matching the participant’s average cadence\, and rhythmically enhanced via metronome tones using beat detection algorithms. Participants will complete questionnaires to assess system usability\, as well as the enjoyment\, and task load of each strategy.\nSupervisor Name: Dr. Jan Andrysek\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-sebastian-silva/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T164000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T165500
DTSTAMP:20250912T160728Z
CREATED:20250905T180504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T160728Z
UID:52274-1757695200-1757696100@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Mahwish 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: Word-Level American Sign Language Translation Using Deep Learning Leveraging Hand\, Face and Body Key Points\nAbstract: Sign language is the primary form of communication used in Deaf and hard-of-hearing populations. Unlike verbal languages relying on voice and sound\, sign languages are visual modes of communication\, relying on movements of the hands\, face\, and body. Training machine/deep learning models to assess and produce translations from signs has been an emerging area of work. This study aims to evaluate whether incorporating facial and body key point data alongside hand data improves the classification accuracy of American Sign Language (ASL) word-level translation. A temporal graph convolutional network (TGCN)  is trained with human joint key points that are extracted from video files of ASL signs representing an English word. The dataset contains 21\,095 video samples covering 2\,000 unique ASL signs. From these\, 136 key points are extracted from each frame using AlphaPose \, of which there are 21 points for each hand (42 total for both hands)\, 68 points for the face\, and 26 other points for the body (e.g. shoulders\, elbows\, wrists\, etc.). The current evaluation involves training models on different combinations of key points\, comparing hand-only data with combined hand and face key points. Preliminary findings indicate improved classification accuracy when facial key points are included.\nSupervisor Name: Tom Chau\nYear of Study: 2\nProgram of Study: MASc\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-mahwish-khan/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T164000
DTSTAMP:20250912T160728Z
CREATED:20250905T180504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T160728Z
UID:52273-1757694300-1757695200@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Srdjan Sumarac
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: Multimodal physiomarker investigations to optimize deep brain stimulation therapy\nAbstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for Parkinson’s disease when medication no longer controls motor symptoms. Conventional DBS delivers continuous stimulation without accounting for symptom state\, which can lead to overstimulation and stimulation-induced side effects. Since stimulation cannot adapt to symptoms\, patients often require lengthy and repeated reprogramming. These limitations motivate adaptive DBS systems that adjust stimulation in real time using brain-derived physiomarkers. This work examined electrophysiological signals recorded during DBS surgery in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus internus (GPi). Neuronal firing rates showed disease-related changes but did not scale with symptom severity. In contrast\, beta oscillations correlated with motor impairment\, though their suppression during stimulation reduces their utility as control signals. Stimulation-evoked responses provided insight into how DBS engages basal ganglia circuits and suggested restoration of striatal–pallidal synaptic strength. An additional oscillatory response\, evoked recurrent neural activity (ERNA)\, reflected loop activity between STN and pallidum\, and ERNA features were associated with bradykinesia severity. Together\, these findings identify candidate physiomarkers and offer mechanistic insights to guide future adaptive DBS devices.\nSupervisor Name: Luka Milosevic\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-srdjan-sumarac/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T161000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T162500
DTSTAMP:20250912T160728Z
CREATED:20250905T180504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250912T160728Z
UID:52272-1757693400-1757694300@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Graduate Student Seminar Series - Jonathan Wu
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: A multiwavelength ring device platform for mitigating the impact of skin tone in pulse oximetry\nSupervisor Name: Daniel Franklin\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/graduate-student-seminar-series-jonathan-wu-2/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250912T120000
DTSTAMP:20250903T145141Z
CREATED:20250903T135611Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T145141Z
UID:52249-1757674800-1757678400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Compatibility 2.0: How molecular HLA compatibility is shaping up the future of organ transplant
DESCRIPTION:Speaker\nDr. Massimo Mangiola\n      Ph.D.\, D(ABHI)\, Clinical Associate Professor\, Pathology\n      Histocompatibility Laboratory Director\, NYU Langone Transplant Institute \n \n\nDate & Time\nFriday\, September 12\, 2025\n      11:00 AM – 12:00 PM \n \n\nLocation\n2nd Floor\, Red Room\, Donnelly Centre\n      160 College St\, Toronto\, ON M5S 3E1 \n \nVirtual Participation\nZoom Link: https://zoom.uss/j/5788426019 \nBiography\nDr. Mangiola is Director of the NYU Langone Immunogenetics Laboratory and Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Langone Health. With over 15 years in transplant immunology\, he has led HLA labs across Boston\, Providence\, and Pittsburgh\, and trained at Tufts Medical Center (Boston\, MA). An Associate of ACHI and Scientific Curator of the HLA Eplet Registry\, Dr. Mangiola is widely published and actively researches the role of molecular HLA mismatch in solid organ transplantation and the immunological barriers to porcine xenotransplantation.
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/compatibility-2-0-how-molecular-hla-compatibility-is-shaping-up-the-future-of-organ-transplant/
CATEGORIES:External Speaker Series
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250909T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250909T130000
DTSTAMP:20250812T122846Z
CREATED:20250408T173342Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T122846Z
UID:49391-1757419200-1757422800@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Invited Academic Seminar Series - Cindy Chestek- Neuroprostheses for Controlling Hand and Finger Movements
DESCRIPTION:Abstract: Brain machine interfaces or neural prosthetics have the potential to restore movement to people with paralysis or amputation\, bridging gaps in the nervous system with an artificial device. Microelectrode arrays can record from up to hundreds of individual neurons in motor cortex\, and machine learning can be used to generate useful control signals from this neural activity. Performance can already surpass the current state of the art in assistive technology in terms of controlling the endpoint of computer cursors or prosthetic hands. The natural next step in this progression is to control more complex movements at the level of individual fingers. Our lab has approached this problem in three different ways. For people with upper limb amputation\, we acquire signals from individual peripheral nerve branches using small muscle grafts to amplify the signal. Human study participants have been able to control individual fingers on a prosthesis using indwelling EMG electrodes within these grafts. For spinal cord injury\, where no peripheral signals are available\, we implant Utah arrays into finger areas of motor cortex\, and have demonstrated the ability to control flexion and extension in multiple fingers simultaneously. Finally\, finger control is ultimately limited by the number of independent electrodes that can be placed within cortex or the nerves\, and this is in turn limited by the extent of glial scarring surrounding an electrode. Therefore\, we developed an electrode array based on 8 um carbon fibers\, no bigger than the neurons themselves to enable chronic recording of single units with minimal scarring. The long-term goal of this work is to make neural interfaces for the restoration of hand movement a clinical reality for everyone who has lost the use of their hands. \nBio: Cynthia A. Chestek received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 2005 and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2010. She is an associate professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan\, Ann Arbor\, MI\, where she joined the faculty in 2012. She runs the Cortical Neural Prosthetics Lab\, which focuses on brain and nerve signals from implantable electrodes to control precise hand movements. Her lab also develops carbon fiber electrodes smaller than neurons that could enable even higher density interfaces to the nervous system. She is the author of 94 full length manuscripts and has advised 21 PhD students.
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/invited-academic-seminar-series-cindy-chestek/
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-Academic-Seminar-Series-Cindy-Chestek-Neuroprostheses-for-Controlling-Hand-and-Finger-Movements.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250905T162500
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250905T164000
DTSTAMP:20250905T200733Z
CREATED:20250905T180504Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250905T200733Z
UID:52269-1757089500-1757090400@bme.utoronto.ca
SUMMARY:Canceled: Graduate Student Seminar Series - Srdjan Sumarac
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: Multimodal physiomarker investigations to optimize deep brain stimulation therapy\nAbstract: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy for Parkinson’s disease when medication no longer controls motor symptoms. Conventional DBS delivers continuous stimulation without accounting for symptom state\, which can lead to overstimulation and stimulation-induced side effects. Since stimulation cannot adapt to symptoms\, patients often require lengthy and repeated reprogramming. These limitations motivate adaptive DBS systems that adjust stimulation in real time using brain-derived physiomarkers. This work examined electrophysiological signals recorded during DBS surgery in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and globus pallidus internus (GPi). Neuronal firing rates showed disease-related changes but did not scale with symptom severity. In contrast\, beta oscillations correlated with motor impairment\, though their suppression during stimulation reduces their utility as control signals. Stimulation-evoked responses provided insight into how DBS engages basal ganglia circuits and suggested restoration of striatal–pallidal synaptic strength. An additional oscillatory response\, evoked recurrent neural activity (ERNA)\, reflected loop activity between STN and pallidum\, and ERNA features were associated with bradykinesia severity. Together\, these findings identify candidate physiomarkers and offer mechanistic insights to guide future adaptive DBS devices.\nSupervisor Name: Luka Milosevic\nYear of Study: 5\nProgram of Study: PhD\nCancellation Reason:\nPowered by Calendly.com
URL:https://bme.utoronto.ca/event/canceled-graduate-student-seminar-series-srdjan-sumarac/
LOCATION:MS2158
CATEGORIES:Graduate Seminar Series
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR