First Cornell student Bioengineering Expo crosses blood-brain boundaries

Sam Lai '03, chemical engineering, left, describes the research he did with Keichiro Kushiro '04 (not shown) to biological and environmental engineering grad student Hui Zhu at the Bioengineering Research Expo in the Biotechnology Building, April 8. Robert Barker/University Photography

By Kathryn Becker

It might seem presumptuous to bill any rst-ever event as "first annual," but Rachel Ross '03, co-organizer of the first annual student Bioengineering Research Expo, is confident that the rapid growth of her field will make the event a fixture for years to come.

Held April 8 in G-10, Biotechnology Building, and hosted by the student-run Cornell chapter of the Institute of Biological Engineering (IBE), the expo showcased the breadth of undergraduate bioengineering research with poster presentations by undergraduate researchers and lectures from professionals in the field.

Bioengineers apply the tools of engineering to problems in biology, medicine and the environment. Their research produces new technology in abundance -- the pacemaker and artificial joints and skin are all products of bioengineering. But because it transcends traditional boundaries between disciplines, bioengineering often leaves its practitioners without a network of peers with whom to share ideas.

"I wanted to help foster that community of people based on similar interests and goals," said Ross. "People don't always realize they are bioengineers. I find this is true on the level of professors, grad students and undergrads, and the Bioengineering Expo was meant to promote cross talk between all these people."

Ross got the idea for the expo after attending an advanced biotechnology conference at Cornell last spring. Impressed by the diversity and vitality of bioengineering research across the globe, Ross realized that she knew little about research being done closer to home. The expo guarantees that next year's crop of students will not have the same problem. Funding for the event came from seven sources, including the College of Engineering and the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering.

Twenty-five poster presentations displaying the work of 28 undergraduates and their advisers highlighted the diversity of active bioengineering research at Cornell. Among the presenters was Leo Shmuylovich '03, whose research on the blood-brain barrier, the network of cells that protects the brain from toxins, could someday allow doctors to deliver drugs directly to the brains of Parkinson's disease patients.

Other biomedical advances presented in the posters included a new method for detecting the Ebola virus, presented by engineering student Kushagra Verma '03, and the application by Josh Trzasko '03, of wavelet analysis to electrocardiogram readings, which will help doctors tune in to the most important features of a patient's heartbeat.

Five posters received cash awards totaling $900, with the top award of $300 going to senior Adrianne Kroepsch's project, "Student Perceptions of Science and Technology: An Analysis of Frankenstein and the 2002 New Student Reading Experience." Her paper examined the impact of Mary Shelley's famous monster-creator on readers' perceptions of science and scientists.

Fear of the "mad scientist" hits home for bioengineers, whose work often conjures up images of "Robocop" rst and pacemakers second. Guest speakers Wilson Greatbatch '50; doctoral candidate Andrea Turner '02, a research associate at the Cornell Nanobiotechnology Center; and Ruth Richardson, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, spoke about their research and the challenges and rewards of a career in bioengineering. To students on the cusp of their own careers, Greatbatch, president of Greatbatch Enterprises and designer of the rst successfully implanted pacemaker, stated, "[I am here] to convince all of you to go into bioengineering."

The lectures gave all students, from the merely bio-curious to the committed bioengineers, a chance to imagine the contributions they might one day make to this blossoming field. Ross and the other student organizers of the Expo hope to see it continue next year. Said co-organizer Kory Reed '03: "Now that the Expo is over we're working hard to preserve what we feel will be a valuable tradition. The IBE executive team is looking for four new leaders to step up to the plate for next year and lead another Bioengineering Expo."