SparkTalks

Ian Papautsky, PhD
Richard and Loan Hill Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Colleges of Engineering and Medicine
University of Illinois Cancer Center member in the Translational Oncology Research Program

Abstract: Microfluidics is both the study of the behavior of fluids through microscale channels and the engineering of miniaturized devices. Microfluidics has advanced the fields of biology and medicine by miniaturizing devices to the scale of cellular samples and enabling precise manipulation of cells. Cell processing has been a major focus, including sorting, culture and analysis. One of the more promising approaches, called inertial microfluidics, permits cell separations based on size alone and has the potential for selective isolation of rare cells. A prominent application has been the isolation of circulating tumor cells that are shed into the bloodstream by the primary malignant tumor (cancer), an application called liquid biopsy. Although the existence of circulating tumor cells is known, they are notoriously challenging to capture. These cells are fragile, heterogeneous and extremely rare, typically less than 10 cells per 5 billion erythrocytes (red blood cells) in 1 milliliter of whole blood. Nevertheless, the minimally invasive liquid biopsy offers a potential for early diagnosis and dynamic monitoring, as circulating tumor cell count alone has been demonstrated to predict patient survival in some cancers.

Another promising area for microfluidic technologies is in 3D cell culture to model cancer in vitro. Such models of disease are increasingly valuable for monitoring response to therapies and the emergence of mutations. Although tissue biopsies are commonly used at diagnosis, these procedures are often done by fine-needle aspiration. That means materials available for cell-based diagnostics for drug vulnerability are severely limited. Therefore, microfluidic platforms for 3D modeling of cancer that rely on patient-derived tissues and recapitulate cancer biology are needed to evaluate patient-specific drug response and determine effective drug combinations for patients. We are developing microfluidic platforms capable of label-free screening for circulating tumor cells directly from unmodified whole blood, as well as microfluidic precision 3D tissue models to evaluate patient-specific drug response. Our ultimate goal is to use microfluidic systems to aid the development of personalized, effective therapies to fight cancer.

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Terry Vanden Hoek, MD, FACEP
Head of Emergency Medicine, UIH
Professor, Emergency Medicine, Physiology, Biophysics, Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine

Abstract: Sudden cardiac arrest remains one of the most challenging emergencies occurring outside the hospital. There are about 350,000 adult cases annually in the United States, and overall survival rates are 10%. Moreover, some level of cognitive impairment occurs in up to half of survivors. Unlike for other leading causes of death, there are no drugs available that improve long-term survival. There are, however, interventions that can improve outcomes significantly. They include bystanders administering chest compressions (CPR) early, early defibrillation and — after arrival to the hospital — active cooling to achieve a protective targeted temperature, as well as early access to a cardiac catheterization facility.

Illinois Heart Rescue began in 2012 as a multi-institutional statewide effort to change what had been dismal survival rates in Illinois for cardiac arrest occurring outside a hospital. The focus of Illinois Heart Rescue reflected the health-equity mission of UIC/UI Health by measurably strengthening sequential links of care in the chain of sudden cardiac arrest survival. To strengthen this care in Illinois, our aims included:

1. Implementing a data infrastructure that utilized the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival. A data portal allowed entry of data related to community, EMS and hospital treatment of cardiac arrests.
2. Improving rates of bystanders administering CPR and defibrillation. Hotspot communities were identified as those with a high incidence of sudden cardiac arrest and low rates of bystanders administering CPR. This approach helped focus resources on education for bystanders on CPR/automatic external defibrillators. Additional complementary work using an audit/feedback approach with 911 dispatchers was used to improve early recognition of sudden cardiac arrest on calls and give direction to callers to begin CPR.
3. Improving survival to hospital admission through training in emergency medical service systems. Trainings included resuscitation academies that highlighted best practices for EMS response. Audit/feedback approaches incorporated measurements of chest compression quality and defibrillation timeliness for process improvement.
4. Improving neurologically intact survival from hospitals after sudden cardiac arrest. Hospitals that could provide complete post-cardiac-arrest care, including cardiac catheterization, were designated as receiving hospitals for sudden cardiac arrest patients. Data on rates of survival to hospital discharge were shared with individual hospitals and benchmarked to other de-identified hospitals in the state and throughout the United States. Best practices by hospitals were identified and shared among participating hospitals.

This talk highlights the outcomes of these aims and the future direction of Illinois Heart Rescue.

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Meenakshy Aiyer, MD, MACP, MHPE
Regional Dean and Professor, College of Medicine Peoria
External Clinical Partnerships in Peoria

Abstract: Strategic partnerships is one of the strategic initiatives for the College of Medicine.  Enhancing existing and pursuing new partnerships is critical to advancing the mission of College of Medicine across all its campuses.

As one of the college’s regional campuses, the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria is the core of the Greater Peoria health care ecosystem. As educators, clinical care providers, innovators and researchers, UICOMP serves as the catalyst that drives the future of health care in the region while demonstrating regional and global leadership. Strategic partnership is critical for the success and growth of this campus. Strategic partners for UICOMP include health care systems like OSF HealthCare (headquartered in Peoria), Carle Health Greater Peoria, Graham Healthcare, physician practice groups that provide service across central Illinois, and institutions of higher education like Bradley University. In addition, UICOMP operates collaboratively in the midst of multiple stakeholders (UICOMP departments, community, UIC, and U of I System) to create constructive opportunities that continually enhance mutual interests and competencies.

Strategic partnerships with the clinical affiliates have led to:

1.  Developing and providing high-quality medical education across the continuum from premedical education to undergraduate, graduate medical education and continuing medical education.
2. Providing high-quality patient care by UICOMP faculty across the Central Illinois Region, especially in areas of pediatric subspecialty, adult infectious disease and mental health.
3. Conducting federally funded research in areas of neuroscience and cancer.
4. Actively engaging with the community to advance health equity in the region.

Looking forward, these strategic partnerships are important for fiscal sustainability of our organization. Furthermore, it is critical for workforce development and for the growth of the UICOMP clinical enterprise in downstate Illinois. Our shared goals and positive relationships yield direct and indirect value, are the mainstay of our growth and guarantee our sustainability. We are also known as trusted partners for research and innovation by our clinical affiliates, community partners and regional entities. This trust is based on our proven knowledge, capability, competence and performance. Finally, these partnerships are important as we strive to build our reputation and our brand through participative and purposeful networking. Our path forward includes expansion of partnerships locally and beyond. Collectively, this creates a synergy that not only elevates academic medicine in Peoria and within the College of Medicine, but it further fosters the enhancement and growth of the healthcare ecosystem in the region.

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Salman Khetani, PhD
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
College of Engineering

Abstract: In vitro (in a dish) models of human tissues are increasingly valuable for screening the metabolism and toxicity of drug candidates; modeling features of diseases for the development of novel therapeutics; and as cell-based therapies for patients suffering from end-stage organ failure. However, primary cells isolated from their native in vivo (in a living organism) environment can quickly lose their tissue functions, while cells derived from a patient’s own stem cells often display immature (fetal-like) functions within traditional culture setups. Biomedical engineering technologies such as protein micropatterning, microfluidics, customizable biomaterial scaffolds, and 3D bioprinting can be used to precisely design the microenvironment around cells and mitigate the above issues. The microfabricated tissue models laboratory, directed by Khetani, develops and adapts such technologies to fabricate human tissue surrogates using both primary and patient induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cells. Platforms of increasing biological complexity and throughput are used for modeling dysfunctions of diseases such as alcoholic and metabolic fatty liver disease, hepatitis B viral infection, and atrial fibrillation, as well as for use as cell-based therapies (i.e., implantable tissues). The laboratory also develops key criteria for validating tissue surrogates and reproducible fabrication methods for routine use by end-users. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of understanding disease biology and developing effective therapeutics. Thus, it is most likely that engineered human tissue surrogates will continue to see unprecedented advances in the next few years, providing researchers and pharmaceutical companies with a deeper understanding of human disease mechanisms and more rapid and effective testing of therapies. 

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Olga Garcia-Bedoya, MD, FACP
Medical Director, Institute for Minority Health Research
Associate Professor of Medicine

on behalf of

Martha L. Daviglus, MD, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
Director, Institute for Minority Health Research
Professor of Medicine

Abstract: The University of Illinois Chicago Institute for Minority Health Research is an interdisciplinary unit established in June 2012, to conduct, facilitate and consolidate multidisciplinary research and training activities on minority health and health disparities. The institute collaborates with researchers across the UIC health sciences colleges, with the University of Illinois campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Rockford and Peoria, and with other institutions nationwide and globally. Currently, it houses several large-scale research programs, including the Chicago Field Center for the Hispanic Community Health Stud/Study of Latinos, the UIC enrollment site for the national All of Us Research Program, and the Center for Health Equity Research focused on structural violence, among others.

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Miiri Kotche, PhD
Richard and Loan Hill Clinical Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs, College of Engineering

Abstract: Biomedical engineering encompasses a wide spectrum of domains as disparate as the development of medical devices, engineering artificial tissues and organs, medical imaging to the big data of bioinformatics. What the discipline shares in common is the application of engineering principles to prevent, diagnose and treat disease and improve health care delivery. As technology advances, how do we prepare young biomedical engineers for a rapidly changing health care landscape? One area that deserves more emphasis is the focus on creativity and interdisciplinarity to address the complex global challenges society is currently confronting. Ten years ago, I launched the Clinical Immersion Program, placing small teams of engineering and medical students in clinical departments with the aim of identifying unmet clinical needs.  Over the course of the summer, students gain experience in ethnographic research, interviewing, observing pain points and workarounds, and learn methodology to craft succinct problem statements. From the problems the teams themselves identify, the engineers work on design solutions for the following two semesters in their capstone design course, with the medical students providing ongoing clinical input.  Unstructured problems with multiple potential solutions, possessing both technical and non-technical constraints, provide students an opportunity to become more comfortable with the uncertainty present in real-world engineering problems. Engineering and medical students learn the how each discipline approaches problems and is critical in a successful user-centered design process. Their solutions are more innovative and robust, and students are more invested in outcomes that have commercial potential.

A second area of effort focuses on increasing the pipeline of students who study biomedical engineering. In partnership with collaborator Jennifer Olson in the College of Education, we run a summer research experience for Chicago Public High School teachers. Teachers spend four days each week in an engineering research lab, and one day together in a curriculum workshop, where we support a community of practice for each teacher’s development of a new, standards-aligned curriculum based on their research experience. We draw science teachers from across the district from selective enrollment, magnet and neighborhood high schools, intentionally selecting for geographic and socio-economic diversity of the students they serve. Teachers know their students best, and we encourage the creative and often unexpected approaches they choose to introduce biomedical engineering into their courses. The success of this program could not be accomplished without strong cross-college collaboration between engineering and education. Both programs rely on strong interdisciplinary partnerships for optimal learner experiences to generate impactful, creative solutions.

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Orly Lazarov, PhD 
Professor, Anatomy and Cell Biology

Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by memory loss and cognitive deterioration. The hallmarks of the disease are amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Neurons in the hippocampal formation exhibit vulnerability. Particularly, neurons in layer II of the entorhinal cortex and the CA1 region of the hippocampus. However, the mechanism underlying memory deficits is not known. Our research examines several paths that may play a role in disease mechanism. First, we examine the role of new neurons that are added to the hippocampus throughout life. These new neurons exhibit high level of plasticity and play a major role in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory that is greatly affected in Alzheimer’s disease. We examine the role of new neurons in learning and memory and how their dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease plays a role in memory loss in mouse models and human postmortem samples. In addition, we examine vascular factors that contribute to the development of late onset sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. We examine how dysfunction of endothelial cells in comorbidities, such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity, lead to cognitive deterioration and Alzheimer’s disease. Lastly, we examine the physiological role of genes that cause Alzheimer’s disease, such as APP, and risk factors discovered by genome-wide-association studies, such as PICALM and the mechanism by which mutations or polymorphism causes Alzheimer’s disease

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Ekrem Emrah Er, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Physiology and Biophysics

Abstract: Metastasis is the process by which cancer cells leave their primary organ of origin to invade and colonize distant vital organs and this is the leading cause of cancer related deaths. Certain members of our immune system, called cytotoxic lymphocytes, are particularly effective at destroying disseminated cancer cells and at protecting vital organs from overt metastatic colonization. However, cytotoxic lymphocytes eventually exhaust and lose their activity, which allows the outgrowth of lethal metastases. Therefore, it is critical to identify mechanisms that activate cytotoxic lymphocytes. In our recent paradigm shifting work, we identified a surprising biophysical characteristic of disseminated cancer cells that activated cytotoxic lymphocytes: we found that elevated physical stiffness of cancer cells mechanically activated the adjoining cytotoxic lymphocytes through mechano-chemical signal transduction. Based on the mechanical nature of this mode of immune surveillance, we termed it “mechanosurveillance”, and demonstrated that it cooperates with the FDA approved immune checkpoint blockade therapies in pre-clinical settings. In our current work, we search for molecular mechanisms that increase cancer cell stiffness. Specifically, we utilize atomic force microscopy for physical characterization of cancer cells, genetic and pharmacological perturbations in ion channel proteins, cytoskeletal proteins and immune signaling molecules, ex vivo models of cancer cell-cytotoxic lymphocyte interactions, in vivo mouse models of metastatic colonization, bioinformatics analyses of patient data and histological interrogation of stiffness and metastasis markers in clinical samples. Our ultimate goal is to use this inter-disciplinary approach to identify actionable targets and design clinically feasible therapies to improve mechanosurveillance to fight against metastatic cancer.

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Jerry Krishnan, MD, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor for Population Health Sciences
Executive Director of the Institute for Healthcare Delivery Design
Professor of Medicine and Public Health

Abstract: As of October 2023, the World Health Organization is reporting that there have been over 750 million cases of COVID-19 and 7 million deaths.  There is growing recognition that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can also lead to a chronic illness that is called Long COVID, Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, or Post-COVID Condition.  The U.S. Government’s working definition for Long COVID is as follows: Long COVID is “broadly defined as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after initial COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 infection. The signs, symptoms, and conditions are present four weeks or more after the initial phase of infection; may be multisystemic; and may present with a relapsing–remitting pattern and progression or worsening over time, with the possibility of severe and life-threatening events even months or years after infection. Long COVID is not one condition. It represents many potentially overlapping entities, likely with different biological causes and different sets of risk factors and outcomes.

The University of Illinois Chicago-led Illinois Research Network (ILLInet) was funded by the National Institutes of Health to become a founding member of the NIH RECOVER Initiative, a national consortium that is studying the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of Long COVID.  ILLInet research partners include community- and faith-based organizations in Chicago and Peoria, in keeping with our strategy to collaborate affected populations and representatives when conducting research. The goal of the RECOVER Initiative is to rapidly improve our understanding of and ability to predict, treat, and prevent Long COVID.  The presentation will discuss efforts underway at UIC in support of this research initiative as well as the UI Health Post-COVID Clinic.

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Heather Prendergast, MD, MS, MHA, MBA
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Associate Head Research, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs – College of Medicine, Executive Director MSP – University of Illinois Physicians Group
Department of Emergency Medicine

Abstract: Over the past 3 years, UI Health Hospital and the UIC College of Medicine has participated in a novel Health Equity Pilot program aimed at reducing the health disparities disproportionally experienced by communities of color leading to poor health outcomes specifically focused on COVID-19, hypertension, diabetes and cancer, among others. In addition, through innovation and collaboration, the Health Equity Pilot program expands efforts to improve diversity among healthcare providers. We present highlights of the ongoing initiatives and impact across COVID-19, hypertension, diabetes and cancer screenings.

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Niranjan Karnik, MD, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry

Abstract:  In this SparkTalk, Dr. Karnik will explore the ways that our smartphones are beginning to serve or have the potential to serve as passive data monitors to inform us and our providers about our mood and overall mental health functioning. This is a component of the evolving field of precision medicine and ubiquitous health (uHealth) and will likely further emerge in the context of wearables and other mobile health (mHealth) tools. He will present data from his team’s work with youth experiencing homelessness and also briefly discuss how artificial intelligence might advance our work in this space.

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Robin Mermelstein, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Psychology Department; Director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy

Abstract: The University of Illinois Chicago Center for Clinical and Translational Science seeks to catalyze translational research, locally and nationally, as part of a national network to improve individual and population health. Since our initial funding by the NIH in 2009, the CCTS has been a catalyst for mobilizing institutional support and resources to enhance clinical translational research and expand multidisciplinary training programs to increase workforce diversity and promote team science. The overarching goal of the CCTS is to bring scientific breakthroughs with health implications into the world faster, especially to improve the health of marginalized and minoritized communities who have often dealt with heightened risks from social determinants of health. Our high-quality multidisciplinary clinical and translational research, spanning T1-T4 and paired with strengths in community engagement and implementation science and appreciation for the social determinants of health, help to accelerate discoveries into practice and policy. We achieve our objectives through the following global specific aims:  1) Develop a skillful and diverse translational workforce to conduct multidisciplinary team science and advance translation of discoveries; 2) Engage a broad range of stakeholders in clinical translational research, including patients, community leaders, health care providers and clinicians, industry and policy makers; and further support collaboration among the CTSA hubs;  3) Integrate, support, and accelerate clinical translational research across the full translational spectrum with multiple disciplines and with diverse populations across the lifespan; 4) Promote advances in study and development of methods and processes of conducting translational science that will enable advances in translation; and 5) Support the use and advance of innovative informatics solutions to advance translational research and to help train the CTSA workforce.

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