Administrative Core

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

TD Wang and KR Oldham will serve as Project Lead and co-Lead, respectively, for the Admin Core. This Core will provide administrative support for the Center to fabricate microsystems devices, assemble fiber- coupled microendsocopes, and develop image analysis algorithms. These efforts include distribution of funding, preparation of progress reports, scheduling of meetings, arrangement of video conferences, dissemination of results, announcement of activities, maintenance of the Center website, and arrangement of travel. A Steering Committee will include Project Leads and co-Leads of the TRD projects, TTD Core, and Admin Core. An External Advisory Committee (EAC), including a chairperson and several outside experts, will provide oversight and directions, identify new areas of collaboration, and mediate any conflicts that arise. The Admin Core will coordinate Center efforts between the School of Medicine and College of Engineering at the by supporting interactions among the TRD Projects, CP/SPs, TTD Core, Steering Committee, and EAC. The Admin Core will support outside investigators over a national geographical distribution to engage in CP/SPs. These funded PIs will present new biomedical challenges to serve as testbeds for the microsystems solutions being developed in the TRD projects. The interactions will drive Center technologies toward new directions and for broad biomedical applications. The Center will be located in space behind the animal barrier that includes imaging suites and adjacent surgical procedure rooms to prepare small animals for imaging. A nearby vivarium will provide housing for animals used in longitudinal investigations. The adjacent CMI Core facility provides a wide variety of whole body imaging systems, including MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, ultrasound, bioluminescence, fluorescence, and photoacoustic, to collect multi-modal images to validate the optical sections collected with in vivo microendoscopy. Cost-share funds have been provided as seed funds to establish new CP/SP projects to further advance the Center mission. The Admin Core will support CP/SP investigators to prepare experimental protocols to use the microendoscopes for in vivo imaging in small animals. Prospective users will provide the aims of the proposed studies, and will include specific details about the in vivo imaging procedures. The use of animals, species, and planned numbers will be justified. Use of the operating software and image analysis algorithms will be covered. The UM Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) will review the protocols for final approval. Research animals will be sent to the Center, and housed in the vivarium for longitudinal pre-clinical imaging studes. CP/SP investigators will be supported to prepare regulatory documents to use Center microendoscopes in clinical studies. An abbreviated IDE will be assembled to obtain FDA approval to use Center instruments in human subjects. Protocols will be developed to sterilize the Center microendoscopes to allow for repeat use in clinical procedures for up to n = 20 times.