Biomedical Engineering

Vanderbilt NeuroCline, a consortium of researchers from Vanderbilt Health and Vanderbilt University, has received a prestigious award to explore using artificial intelligence to find new drug targets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of motor neuron disease. Read More

While using an ice pack to ease pain is nothing new, a Vanderbilt team has taken the concept high-tech. Associate Professor Leon Bellan leads the group that has developed a cold-triggered “depot”—an implantable device that releases medication from within the body on demand. This shows promise on two fronts: Patients can release the medication simply by putting an ice pack over the implant, and locally effective NSAID drugs can be used instead of more addictive opioids. Read More

Much of the human brain is still a mystery, largely because it’s pretty difficult to see what’s going on in there. Assistant Professor Daniel Gonzales and the team in his lab are working to make that easier. They’re using experimental platforms that record brain activity with unprecedented precision on all levels. It works on everything from whole-brain networks to individual synapses—tiny gaps between brain cells that are one-tenth the width of a human hair. “We can … really detail pictures of brain activity during learning,” Gonzales said. “And then we can apply that to study diseases that degrade learning.” Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a smart microscope system that uses artificial intelligence to help scientists better understand how cells behave, particularly in diseases like cancer. Read More

Just like electrical stimulation of heart muscles can restore a regular heartbeat, new research led by Thilo Womelsdorf suggests that "electroceutical" intervention in the brain can improve memory and other cognitive functions wrought by behavioral health disorders and diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Womelsdorf, professor of psychology and biomedical engineering at the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, said, “For these cognitive disabilities, brain-computer interfaces promise to become next-generation electroceutical treatment options.” Read More

Three seminal articles published in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine mark a landmark achievement in preclinical imaging science. These works, authored by an international consortium of 58 scientists, including Vanderbilt University’s Kurt Schilling, Bennett Landman, Adam Anderson, and Kevin Harkins, offer comprehensive guidelines for using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) in preclinical research. Read More

A back-relieving exosuit designed by HeroWear, a Nashville-based workforce wearable technology company, was co-founded by Karl Zelik, associate professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering and physical medicine and rehabilitation, and two alumni, is continuing to show its effectiveness with the Royal Australian Air Force ordering hundreds of additional suits and eyeing larger expansion. Read More

Harvie Branscomb Professor Michael I. Miga has been appointed director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE). Miga is a co-founder of VISE with Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering Benoit Dawant, whom he succeeds. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have developed technology for sampling body liquids in tortuous and narrow spaces that could lead to early detection of diseases like cancer. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have developed a set of nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system in mice to fight cancer and may eventually do the same in humans. Read More