The Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health at the University of Notre Dame has announced the awardees of its Technology Development Fund for 2024. Four projects received funding, each of which aims to enhance a key area of knowledge at the frontier of science and engineering for health.

Matthew J. Webber, the acting director of the Institute and the Keating-Crawford Collegiate Professor of Engineering, said, "These awards are a testament to the exciting innovations emerging at the intersection of healthcare and technology. We are especially proud that nearly all of the recipients are early-career faculty from multiple departments across campus, highlighting the breadth of expertise and creativity driving BIPH initiatives. Their work embodies the forward-thinking and translational spirit of our institute, and we look forward to seeing the impact these projects will have on advancing precision healthcare solutions.”

The awarded 2024 Technology Development Fund projects are:

Machine learning for rapid drug screening

Yamil J. Colón and Yichun Wang, both assistant professors in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will leverage machine learning technology alongside sensor development to create fast, effective ways to identify street drugs. Opioids and related potent substances pose a significant public health risk and present occupational safety challenges for care providers and first responders. Colón and Wang hope the tools they develop will help identify dangerous drugs more quickly and effectively to prevent overdoses and save lives.

“Healthcare condensers” for rapid, low-cost, and precise sensing

Jingcheng Ma and Emily Johnson, both assistant professors in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, will design a new sensing platform to identify airborne markers of disease. Their proposed platform will be both compact and sensitive thanks to a specially designed condenser that concentrates disease markers into droplets for more cost-effective and reliable results.

A 3D system that mimics the structure and function of the human liver

Yichun Wang and Kaiyu Fu, assistant professors in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry and Biochemistry, respectively, will design a 3D liver cell culture model for testing pharmaceuticals. Their model will be paired with a special microfluidic system to help it more accurately replicate the conditions of a liver in the human body.

A wireless, implantable device for drug delivery

Yanliang Zhang, Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Collegiate Chair and associate professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, will create a wireless device that can be implanted in a patient’s body for programmable delivery of a wide range of therapeutics. The device will enable personalized medical interventions to respond to chronic health conditions such as diabetes and difficult-to-treat cancers.

To learn more about the Berthiaume Institute’s Technology Development Fund, please visit https://precisionhealth.nd.edu/opportunities/technology-development-fund/.

In addition to the Technology Development Fund, the Institute manages the Discovery Fund, a seed grant program for exciting new ideas and projects that have proven successful in generating external funding support and commercialization activity. New support for viral infections and related phenomena research is also available. To learn more about these and other opportunities, please visit https://precisionhealth.nd.edu/opportunities/.

Contact:

Brett Beasley / Content Strategy Program Director

Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

bbeasle1@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183

research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch

About Notre Dame Research:

The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please see research.nd.edu or @UNDResearch.

Originally published by Brett Beasley at precisionhealth.nd.edu on October 30, 2024.