News

Scientists Developing Microchips with Brain and Lung Tissue to Study Viral Neuroinflammation

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Scientists are developing advanced tools to understand and treat neurological symptoms such as brain fog associated with respiratory diseases like influenza. The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a three-year contract to researchers at the University of Rochester to develop a technology to model respiratory disease effects on the brain and test therapeutic drugs to prevent and treat symptoms. The base-year is funded at $2.4 million with two option years which, if fully funded, would total $7.1 million.

The project will use microphysiological systems (MPS)—small chips with ultrathin membranes supporting 3D networks of human cells, also known as “tissue chips”—to simulate infection and treatment in vitro. This tissue chips will incorporate human lung and brain tissue models.

Click here to read more about researchers using tissue-on-chip technology as a new way to explore the relationship between the lungs and brain.

Eliseev Lab Earns $2M NIH Grant to Study New Pathways to Osteoporosis Treatment

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Roman Eliseev, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research, has earned a five-year, $2 million grant from the National Institute of Aging to better understand whether changes in bone cell energy metabolism are responsible for bone aging. In the process, he and his team hope to answer questions first raised by renowned University of Rochester researcher William Newman, who first studied metabolism in bone cells and tissues here in the 1970s.

Congratulations, Dr. Eliseev!  Click here to read more about the Eliseev Lab's exciting research.

Allie Jia Hui Tay Receives Tau Beta Pi Scholarship

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Allie Jia Hui Tay, ’25 BME, received a Tau Beta Pi Record Scholarship. This award commemorates Leroy E. Record, KS A ’29, whose generous bequest provides earnings to support awards in perpetuity.  Allie is among the 253 engineering students from 1,328 applicants for undergraduate study selected during the 2024-25 academic year. The scholarships are awarded on the competitive criteria of high scholarship, campus leadership and service, and promise of future contributions to the engineering profession. 

Congratulations, Allie!  Click here to read the full article and access related links.

Azmeer Sharipol Awarded F99/K00 Grant From NCI

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Azmeer Sharipol, PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering (Frisch Lab), was recently awarded the National Cancer Institute (NCI) F99K00 predoctoral to postdoctoral fellow transition award. This highly competitive award allows only one nomination from each institution. Azmeer is the first BME student from the University of Rochester to receive this award. Previous recipients from the university are Marielle Jensen-Battaglia, an Epidemiology PhD Candidate, and Dr. AnnaLyn Williams, now an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery and Cancer Control.

Congratulations, Azmeer!  Click here to read more about Azmeer's research.

Edward Schwarz, PhD, Earns AO Foundation’s Top Research Award

Wednesday, June 26, 2024

The director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research received the AO Foundation's Berton Rahn Research Award, a lifetime achievement award, for his significant contributions to musculoskeletal research and his leadership in orthopaedic biologic therapy. His lab has developed a novel passive immunization for MRSA and bone targeted antibiotics, as well as in vivo imaging to expand understanding of musculoskeletal conditions and treatments.

Congratulations, Dr. Schwarz!  Click here to read more about Dr. Schwarz and the Berton Rahn Award.

Loiselle Lab’s Tendon-Healing Breakthrough Publishes in Science Advances

Thursday, June 20, 2024

The Alayna Loiselle Lab in the Center for Musculoskeletal Research led a study that used nanoparticles to target drug delivery to surgically repaired tendons, with dramatic results. In just one treatment, the pinpoint drug delivery method improved healing and reduced scar tissue formation compared to standard treatments.  Researchers’ success in designing drug delivery inside the body, at the cellular level, proved to be a highly efficient approach that could be used to treat other injuries.

Click here to read more about the Loiselle Lab's exciting research.

Click here to read the Science Advances article.

Roman Eliseev Lab Receives Five-Year NIH Grant to Study Bioenergetics of Osteoblasts and How It Changes in Aging

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Roman Eliseev, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at URMC, has been awarded a five-year, $2 million NIH grant to study the crosstalk of Pentose Phosphate Pathway and mitochondrial metabolism in osteoblasts as well as its age-related changes. Eliseev Lab has been among the first groups to focus on the role of bioenergetics in bone cells and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells. While their previous studies were mostly focused on the mitochondrial compartment, this new project is poised to unveil whole cell metabolic wirings and complex metabolic connections.

Katherine Escalera-Rivera Selected for ICPD Scientist Mentoring and Diversity Program and Awarded SACNAS Travel Scholarship

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Katherine Escalera-Rivera, a senior graduate student working in the Anolik and Jonason Labs, has recently been selected to participate in the International Center for Profressional Development (ICPD) Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program (SMDP), a one year career mentoring program that pairs ethnically diverse students (Undergraduate Juniors & Seniors, Baccalaureate, Master or Ph.D. & Post-doc) and early career researchers with industry mentors who work at companies in the medical technology, biotechnology and consumer healthcare industries.  With their mentors, scholars attend a five-day training session to learn about career opportunities in industry and receive career development coaching. They also attend a major industry conference. 

Additionally, Escalera-Rivera has been awarded a travel scholarship from the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispianics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careeers, and positions of leadership in STEM.  Escalera-Rivera's SACNAS scholarship includes travel, shared lodging, and registration for the in-person conference happening October 31 - November 2, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Congratulations, Katherine!  Click here to read Escalera-Rivera's biography.

ORS Recognizes Loiselle, Young Investigators for Research Excellence

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

The February Orthopaedic Research Society Annual Meeting was an eventful one for CMSR: Alayna Loiselle, PhD, received the Adele L. Boskey PhD Award, given to mid-career researchers who have made significant contributions in mentoring young researchers in orthopaedics, musculoskeletal science, and engineering; and three early-career investigators earned recognition for their presentations.

Out of 41 finalists, Rahul Alenchery, PhD, and Himanshu Meghwani, PhD, were two of the ten who received New Investigator Recognition Awards (NIRA), and Emmanuela Adjei-Sowah received a Podium Award. They shared their work with fellow researchers, post-doctoral students, and physician-researchers at the meeting in Long Beach, California. 

Read more about the exciting work shared by the award winners at the 2024 ORS Annual Meeting.

New NIH-funded center could soon reduce the need for pharmaceutical trials on animals

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Through funding from a National Institutes of Health grant, Rochester—in partnership with Duke University—will house the Translational Center for Barrier Microphysiological Systems, a new national center focused on using tissue-on-chip technology to develop drugs more rapidly and reduce the need for animal trials. The center aims to develop five Food and Drug Administration–qualified drug development tools related to studying barrier functions in disease—interfaces in tissue that are critical for the progression of infection, cancer, and many autoimmune disorders.  Learn more about the center.

Dr. Alayna Loiselle Awarded Adele L. Boskey, PhD Award

Friday, January 5, 2024

Alayna Loiselle, PhD, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics and Co-Director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Research's HBMI Core, has been awarded the ORS-sponsored 2024 Adele L. Boskey, PhD Award.  Dr. Loiselle will receive her award at this year's ORS 2024 Annual Meeting, and her achievements will be celebrated at the event on February 4 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM in the Grand Ballroom.  Congratulations, Alayna!

Learn more about the Adele L. Boskey, PhD Award.