SLU Biomedical Engineering

It is with a heavy heart that we share that Dr. Cecil W. Thomas, founder of Biomedical Engineering at SLU, passed on Friday, November 22, 2024. We will all miss Cecil very much. The following is from his daughter, Tina: “My beloved father, Cecil Thomas, left us on Friday night. He was born in his parents' Kentucky home on May 17, 1941 and died peacefully, quietly, and surrounded by adoring family in his daughter’s Virginia home on a rainy Friday evening November 22, 2024. Cecil Thomas lived a remarkable life as the eighth of nine children in a rural Kentucky farm family, a young drive-in movie projectionist, an electrical engineer at Martin Marietta Corp, and a professor of Biomedical Engineering. Cecil Thomas helped found BME programs at universities on three continents. His engineering company accepted diverse projects ranging from visual perception to development of a pediatric EKG and computer design for a mural at the Philadelphia train station. He applied his engineering skills to help people in Haiti and on American Indian reservations. Cecil Thomas was also a prolific author of fiction and short stories. A man of science and logic who eschewed organized religion for much of his younger years, Cecil developed respect for the practice of a diversity of religions and belief systems in later life. He was loved for his delightfully quirky sense of humor. He enjoyed nature and music and teaching his grandsons about the mathematics underlying his favorite jazz compositions. A true teacher at heart, Cecil loved watching kids (students, neighbors, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews) grow to become the people they were meant to be. Kids knew him for his magic tricks including the illusion of removing a fingertip and playing songs using his hands as a wind instrument. His students often stayed in touch for decades and became good friends. As Cecil neared the end of his battle with a third form of cancer, he smiled knowing that his grandson, Jack, and Catholic school friends were praying for him. He laughed really hard when another grandson, Christopher, remarked that Cecil would “finally be able to learn who is right.” If you are so inclined, please pray for Cecil! He would be equally pleased to know you sent love and light and were spreading kindness as he exited this world. In accordance with his wishes, there will be no formal funeral service. He simply asked to have his ashes scattered close to home. If you wish to make a donation in his honor, Cecil’s favorite charity was Meds and Food for Kids, a group providing for children in Haiti. Enjoying nature or one of his many novels would be other great ways to remember him and celebrate the incredible journey he and his very loving wife of over 60 years, Janice Mitts Thomas, enjoyed together." https://mfkhaiti.org/

SLU BME was excited to participate in another SciFest at the St. Louis Science Center on November 9th. SciFest is a series of free, all-day, weekend expos designed to connect families and visitors of all ages with experts and professionals in Science, Engineering, Technology, and Math. SLU BMES members, Chris Lau, Esha Pattan, and Katherine Marino, and Ph.D. student, Zack Bonick, showcased the wide range of disciplines within our program including orthopedics and regenerative medicine. The students highlighted these areas with a special focus on hydrogels derived from plant and animal sources and discussed their use in scaffolds, wound healing, regenerative medicine, and imaging. SLU BME is looking forward to participating in more SciFests in the future!

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) conference in Anaheim, California, held from October 30th to November 2nd, was a remarkable opportunity for BME and SSE students to connect, learn, and grow professionally. It was a privilege to have Dean Triplett join the students at the event and share dinner with the group. His presence and valuable insights greatly enriched the experience. A special thanks to the dedicated students who represented their respective programs: Andrea Sedano (BME), Michael Pritchard (BME), Raghav Yalamanchili (BME), Carlos Formoso (BME), Aryana Yazdi (BME), Van Phan (BME), Jason Nguyen (Computer Engineering), Aidan Dempsey (Mechanical Engineering), Jose Montoya (Mechanical Engineering), Drew Bauer (Not Pictured, Mechanical Engineering), Max Ostrowski (Not Pictured, Aerospace Engineering), and Valerie Galiano-Rouge (Not Pictured, Computer Science). This conference was an invaluable experience that will undoubtedly shape the contributions these students make to the STEM field.

SLU BME undergraduates, Katherine Marino, Andrea Grisalez, and Esha Pattan (Junior, not pictured), attended the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annual conference last month in Chicago. This conference aims to promote professional development for women in engineering and technology through networking, a career fair, workshops, and so much more. The theme of the 2024 conference was, “Together We Rise” where 450 organizations attended to support this community.

Jasenka Verbarg, a 2006 SLU BME (B.S.) alum, works at MilliporeSigma within their Life Science business in the Chemistry franchise. After graduating from SLU, she earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Missouri. Dr. Verbarg works on External Partnerships, which is a business development role focused on establishing collaborations with academia, research organizations, and other companies in order to promote the development of new chemistry and life science products. Swipe to read more about how SLU BME prepared Dr. Verbarg for her current job and what she likes best about her work. Are you a SLU BME Alum? We'd love to hear from you. Fill out our alumni questionnaire to keep in touch: https://loom.ly/CBurpa4

BME seniors, Aryana Yazdi and Andrea Sedano , are official student ambassadors for Saint Louis University’s School of Science and Engineering (SSE). As ambassadors, they share their experiences with prospective and current students. Both students represent SSE and the BME department at admissions-related events, school-level events, and other outreach events. For those interested in learning more about the vibrant life at Saint Louis University's School of Science and Engineering, Aryana and Andrea are invaluable resources, embodying the spirit of curiosity and innovation that SSE fosters.

Our final BME Seminar of the semester is here! Our next speakers will be Hanieh Shokrani and Paige Kain, Ph.D. students from Dr. Zustiak's Lab. Hanieh will discuss, "A Rotational Shear-Based Device for Fabricating Uniform Hydrogel Microspheres for Prostate Cancer Treatment Using Embolization" and Paige will discuss, "Nanosilicate Hydrogel Composites for the Delivery of Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Breast Cancer." Please join us and stay tuned for more seminar announcements in January.

BME Professor and Associate Chair, Dr. Silviya Petrova Zustiak, and Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at Syracuse University, Dr. Era Jain, co-edited a special issue and e-book titled, “Feature Reviews in Pharmaceutical Technology.” Since it became available in 2023, it is the most cited and viewed special issue and e-book on the Pharmaceuticals MDPI website. This special issue features 12 papers highlighting exciting developments in pharmaceutical technologies. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Zustiak and Dr. Jain on this impressive achievement! ?? To download this publication for free and to learn more about the cutting-edge advancements in the pharmaceutical field, click here: https://loom.ly/g93dhxE

SLU BME enjoyed hosting students from Cor Jesu Academy on October 14th as part of Cor Jesu's annual EXP3 day, which stands for exposure, experience, and exploration. BME professors Dr. Koyal Garg and Dr. Alex Reiter teamed up and guided 11 students through distinct, yet complementary modules designed to electrify their understanding of neuromuscular stimulation and its therapeutic applications. Additionally, Ph.D. student, Jamshid Tadiwala, wowed the group by demonstrating a TENS device in action, flexing and contracting his muscles on cue. To learn more about what the students experienced, check out the feature in our November newsletter:?https://lnkd.in/d9nNMVsa

??Undergraduate BME Internship Highlight ?? BME pre-med senior, Srishti Mitra, spent this past summer interning at the National University of Singapore. Swipe to read more about her research focus, the skills she learned, and how her BME background supported her work!