NIH-NSF BBSI: Bioengineering Summer Institute in Biomaterials Science and Engineering at Clemson University

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: 0234082 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Martine LaBerge INSTITUTION NAME: Clemson University TITLE: NIH-NSF BBSI in Biomaterials Science and Engineering ABSTRACT The Departments of Bioengineering, Physics and Astronomy, and Genetics and Biochemistry, and the School of Nursing at Clemson University in collaboration with the Department of Surgery at the Greenville Hospital System will host a NIH-NSF Bioengineering Summer Institute in Biomaterials Science and Engineering. This multidisciplinary Institute targets undergraduate students, who have completed their sophomore year, and graduate students, within the first two years of entry into their graduate education program, majoring in the life and applied sciences, nursing, and engineering. The major goal of this Institute is to offer a unique didactic experience where students will learn the basic principles necessary for the understanding of medical device development, clinical applications, and failure assessment, and will apply these principles in state-of-the-art research projects. Over a period of ten weeks, this unique interdisciplinary program will integrate education and research in the field of biomaterials and medical device design from concept to clinical applications, with a focus on cardiovascular and orthopaedic applications. A follow-up course will focus on the clinical aspects of biomaterials and medical devices, failure assessment of implants for cardiovascular and orthopaedic applications, tissue engineered substitutes and biotechnology, and biomaterials implantology. Research projects will be conducted in the Laboratory of Vascular Research, the Cardiovascular Implant Research Laboratory, the Tissue Engineering Laboratory, the Laboratory of Polymeric Bearing Modeling, the Nanoscale Biointerfaces Laboratory, and the Laboratory of Biomedical Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy at Clemson University. A national search will be conducted to recruit participants in the Institute with a focus on cultural and academic diversity. Selection will be based on grade point average, a statement of career plans, research interests, and benefits to be realized by the participation in the Institute, as well as recommendation letters from two advisors or instructors. Students will be encouraged to participate in the Institute for up to two consecutive summer programs; acceptance for a second summer will be based on performance during the first summer and recommendation by the mentoring team. Following their first summer, students can apply for stipend support to participate in research projects at their home institutions during the academic year; funds will be available on a competitive basis. Funding will be awarded for collaborative research between a junior faculty in the Institute and the faculty advisor of the student at the home institution.