[{"id":1656,"date":"2026-06-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1656"},"modified":"2026-06-12T16:46:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:46:19","slug":"helping-every-body-stay-in-motion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/06\/15\/helping-every-body-stay-in-motion\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping every body stay in motion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Associate Professor Carrie L. Peterson, Ph.D. is conducting two rehabilitation engineering research studies, both aimed at limiting physical pain and improving mobility across an entire life span.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Associate Professor Carrie L. Peterson, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a> describes herself as a mover and a shaker\u2014which could easily be interpreted both literally and figuratively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her capacity in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Peterson researches the mechanics of human movement\u2014specifically, rehabilitation engineering. By applying engineering principles to the recovery process, she helps individuals regain function after injury or neurological disorders. While her original interest in neuromuscular biomechanics was related to high-performance athletes, she emphasizes that the same tools are vital for anyone seeking to restore their mobility and independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Generally, I am driven by the idea of helping everyday people,\u201d says Peterson. \u201cIn fact, everything I do in my research is directly related to that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside of her work and research, Peterson is no stranger to movement; she stays active by competing in triathlons, playing volleyball, mountain biking and dancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been very good at keeping active as a hobby,\u201d Peterson says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, in her lab at VCU, Peterson is \u201calways moving\u201d between two extensive research projects, both of which apply rehabilitation engineering to help individuals of all walks of life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wheelchair Propulsion Dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peterson\u2019s first research project is focused on shoulder pain experienced by individuals who utilize wheelchairs. The project is led by doctoral student Hanhsen Zhao. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To improve long-term quality of life, Peterson and her collaborators at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Northwestern University are studying wheelchair propulsion dynamics, looking for the ‘why’ behind the pain in order to identify actionable solutions for patients of all ages. Supported by a five-year NIH grant, the team hit a milestone in 2025: collecting data from 84 individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur role here at VCU is to estimate forces in the body during wheelchair propulsion,\u201d explains Peterson. \u201cThe other sites do the data collection including motion capture, handrim kinetics, muscle electrical activity and ultrasound. We then implement these data in musculoskeletal models to estimate muscle and joint forces because those cannot be directly measured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study is unique in its scope, as it examines three distinct groups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Children with SCI<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Adults who sustained their injury as children<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Adults who sustained their injury later in life<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis work is incremental,\u201d describes Peterson. \u201cWe\u2019ve collected all the data, but even once we have an understanding of the forces at play here, it still isn\u2019t the full picture. Using the data to inform the next steps towards real solutions\u2014that\u2019s where we stand now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Beyond biomechanics, Peterson is exploring the frontier of neuroplasticity through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), an FDA-approved, non-invasive method to stimulate neurons in the brain. In a rehab setting, medical professionals can use TMS to target the motor cortex of the brain to increase or inhibit pathways to muscles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The challenge? People respond quite differently to this method of therapy. That\u2019s where Peterson\u2019s work comes into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A doctoral student in Peterson\u2019s lab, Mahdi Paslar, recruited 30 individuals for a recent study and measured their \u201crecruitment curve,\u201d or response to brain stimulation across different intensities. Mahdi also measured the functional connectivity and neuroanatomy of their brain via MRI, and resting state brain measurements via EEG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe now have a lot of data about people’s brains, and we\u2019re currently trying to see if that\u2019s enough to predict how any one person is going to respond to brain stimulation,\u201d says Peterson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To do so, Peterson is collaborating with Ravi Hadimani, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a> and Jayasimha Atulasimha, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a> in the Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering at VCU to employ machine learning (ML). By training ML models on these complex datasets, they aim to accurately predict how an individual patient will respond to TMS before the first pulse is ever delivered. Eventually, ML can be used to indicate the correct dosing (i.e., stimulus intensity and frequency of TMS pulses) for an individual patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All testing for the 30 individuals were able to be completed in Peterson\u2019s lab at VCU, with the exception of the MRI, which was conducted at the Collaborative Advanced Research Imaging center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Inspiring the Next Generation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For Peterson and her colleagues, the work on wheelchair propulsion dynamics and TMS requires a blend of high-level strategy and real world logistics\u2014both of which she enjoys sharing with her students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI\u2019m so lucky because I get to teach classes that are directly related to my work,\u201d says Peterson. \u201cWhen you\u2019re living in this world of cutting edge research, you get to share what you find with your students. It\u2019s fun to blow their minds sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Peterson also recognizes that beyond the cutting edge findings and life-altering impact these research projects yield, she wants to give her students insight into the logistics involved\u2014something that isn\u2019t always as glamorous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cYou can have a great idea, but you also need to ensure people support it and know how to effectively sell that vision,\u201d says Peterson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the case of these two research projects, Peterson\u2019s vision is the long-term, positive impact on quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cEven small advances build up as people across the nation contribute their individual pieces of the puzzle. It is clear how much medicine has progressed, and being part of those advances\u2014and helping the next generation realize their potential\u2014is truly inspirational.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    The Department of Biomedical Engineering provides undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> students with the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> as soon as they enroll. From delving into the intricacies of cell migration in cancer research to exploring tissue engineering in menisci, tendons and ligaments, our students pursue a diverse range of cutting-edge research topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Biomedical Engineering<\/a> to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Associate Professor Carrie L. Peterson, Ph.D. is conducting two rehabilitation engineering research studies, both aimed at limiting physical pain and improving mobility across an entire life span.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1657,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1119,1151,128,70],"class_list":["post-1656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","tag-carrie-peterson","tag-hm","tag-jayasimha-atulasimha","tag-ravi-hadimani"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1656"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1656\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1652,"date":"2026-06-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1652"},"modified":"2026-06-12T16:17:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T16:17:00","slug":"vcu-researchers-advance-quantum-computing-with-tiny-virus-sized-nanomagnets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/06\/15\/vcu-researchers-advance-quantum-computing-with-tiny-virus-sized-nanomagnets\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU researchers advance quantum computing with tiny, virus-sized nanomagnets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    The research, led by engineering professor Jayasimha Atulasimha, could speed up problem-solving in some industries and cut energy use.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By Madeline Reinsel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Quantum computing, once only a theoretical possibility, promises to deliver faster, more energy-efficient computers \u2013 but only if scientists can build and scale the hardware needed to run the machines. New research from Virginia Commonwealth University brings scientists one small step closer to quantum computing at a practical scale, which could help dramatically reduce energy usage and computing times in some industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the study, recently published<\/a> in Nature Communications, the researchers used minuscule magnets \u2013 twice as small as the wavelength of light \u2013 to create the building blocks of quantum computing, pioneering a technique that could decrease the physical space needed to create a viable quantum computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis work has the potential to advance quantum computing,\u201d said Jayasimha Atulasimha<\/a>, Ph.D., a professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering in VCU\u2019s College of Engineering<\/a> and the study\u2019s principal investigator. \u201cWe\u2019re solving a specific problem for spin-based quantum computing, which has the potential for scaling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Quantum building blocks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The computer or smartphone displaying this article uses basic electronic devices called transistors to crunch numbers and make internet searches. Transistors turn electric signals on or off, which is how computers make calculations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In quantum computing, the equivalent to that on or off signal \u2013 also called a bit \u2013 is the quantum bit, or qubit. In the Atulasimha lab, each qubit starts with a millimeter-sized diamond, with a tip that tapers down to only a few atoms across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    FAQ<\/h3>\n

    What is quantum computing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Quantum computing is an emerging field of computer science and engineering. It applies quantum mechanics \u2013 a branch of physics that explores how matter and light behave at the atomic and subatomic scales \u2013 to solve problems that current computers either can’t handle or that would require significantly more time and energy.<\/p>\n

    How do quantum computers work?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Simple electronics parts called transistors power classical computers\u2019 calculations. In quantum computers, that electronic hardware is replaced by qubits. Qubits can be made of many different materials, but the goal is always the same \u2013 to control the quantum state of the qubit.<\/p>\n

    How could quantum computers help us?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Quantum computers could exponentially speed up calculations in specific fields, like cryptography, chemistry and materials science.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Those diamonds are made up of a lattice of carbon atoms, which form strong bonds with each other. Atulasimha and other quantum engineers use lab-grown diamonds with tips that are intentionally missing two side-by-side carbon atoms in their structure. One of those spaces is filled by a nitrogen atom, but the other is left empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That leaves free electrons within the diamond \u2013 and those loose electrons create the backbone of the qubit. Electrons act like tiny magnets, and the aim of quantum computing is to control and measure the strength and direction of the magnetic field \u2013 a factor also known as the \u201cspin\u201d \u2013 that those unpaired electrons generate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By making the electrons\u2019 spins point up or down, equivalent to conventional computers\u2019 \u201con\u201d and \u201coff\u201d switches, quantum computers could perform calculations that today\u2019s computers cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s a powerful way of solving a lot of problems in chemistry, in cryptography \u2013 specific problems could be sped up enormously,\u201d Atulasimha said. \u201cWe are trying to work on the hardware that enables this to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A new spin on quantum computing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Previous research has typically used an electromagnetic signal from a wire antenna to control the spin of the free electrons within the diamond\u2019s tip. But the signal from those antennas covers a wide area, making it difficult to control the spins of electrons from several diamonds individually within a multi-qubit computer chip. That makes it impractical to create a functioning computer, as the qubits, also called spin qubits, need to be spaced far apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWith one quantum bit, we cannot make useful computations,\u201d said Fahim F. Chowdhury, a Ph.D. candidate in the Atulasimha lab and the study\u2019s first author. \u201cWe need thousands of these, and they have to be very close together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s where the lab\u2019s tiny magnets step in. Most of these nanomagnets measure about 200 nanometers across \u2013 500 times thinner than a sheet of paper, and approximately the length of the microscopic virus that causes chickenpox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In their recent study, the researchers paired a nanomagnet with a diamond qubit to find out if they could control the spins of the qubit\u2019s free electrons. The answer was yes: By using acoustic waves to control the nanomagnet, they were able to alter the quantum state of the electrons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe are making a unique control mechanism. These qubits store information for a long time and can operate at high temperatures,\u201d Chowdhury said. \u201cBut scalable implementation with many qubits on a single chip remains a key challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Tiny magnets, big applications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The lab\u2019s new magnet-driven technique is potentially more energy-efficient, better at storing information and more scalable compared with other quantum computing approaches, which could translate to greater energy savings down the line. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAs the world demands more computing power, the work that Dr. Atulasimha and his team are doing will only grow in importance,\u201d said Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation at VCU. \u201cResearch like this has potentially critical ramifications for our future, and it\u2019s emblematic of the kind of work being done at VCU to tackle the most sophisticated and pressing challenges we face.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The lab\u2019s nanomagnets could also have applications for medical or chemical research, including for ultra-precise drug administration, Atulasimha said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt could help in understanding fundamental chemical and biological mechanisms,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can look at it as extreme sensing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And though quantum computers are no longer theoretical, spin-based quantum computing on a large scale remains a work in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThese are still emerging areas,\u201d Atulasimha said. \u201cResearch is high-risk with high potential for payoff. But in the end it is also a very exciting journey, which keeps me going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-researchers-advance-quantum-computing-with-tiny-virus-sized-nanomagnets<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The research, led by engineering professor Jayasimha Atulasimha, could speed up problem-solving in some industries and cut energy use.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1654,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,1],"tags":[128,1152],"class_list":["post-1652","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mne","category-uncategorized","tag-jayasimha-atulasimha","tag-smee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1652","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1652"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1652\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1654"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1652"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1652"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1652"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1643,"date":"2026-06-10T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1643"},"modified":"2026-06-11T17:34:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T17:34:24","slug":"boron-nitride-coating-developed-by-vcu-engineer-seeks-to-protect-artemis-missions-from-radiation-in-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/06\/10\/boron-nitride-coating-developed-by-vcu-engineer-seeks-to-protect-artemis-missions-from-radiation-in-space\/","title":{"rendered":"Boron nitride coating developed by VCU engineer seeks to protect Artemis missions from radiation in space"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    Photo of the International Space Station taken from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour 2021. (Credit: NASA<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Arvind Agarwal, Ph.D., works with NASA to create flexible spacesuit material that is radiation and abrasion resistant<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Outside the protective field of Earth\u2019s magnetosphere is an invisible cascade of danger. Ionizing radiation from both the remnants of distant supernovas and solar particles generated from our own sun can damage our cells, causing cancer and other harmful effects. Shielding astronauts from these and other sources of ionizing radiation is an important step for manned spaceflight to Mars and beyond. Arvind Agarwal, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, professor and chair of the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering, is using his expertise in plasma and cold sprayed coatings to develop multifunctional boron nitride composite coatings capable of protecting astronauts from radiation as well as the abrasion and erosion caused by regolith on the moon and Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Arvind
    Arvind Agarwal, Ph.D., demonstrates the application of the polydimethylsiloxane boron nitride slurry to a fabric layer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBoron-nitride is a light material that absorbs the particles of neutron radiation capable of harming us,\u201d said Agarwal. \u201cIts low coefficient of friction also makes it an excellent solid lubricant, meaning anything impacting the material slides off easily. Because of this, boron-nitride based coatings can be extremely abrasion resistant and protect against impacts from small rocks and debris.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Setting healthy boundaries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Neutron radiation is formed during nuclear fission or fusion when unbound neutrons are released from atomic nuclei. These particles interact with the hydrogen in our bodies to catastrophic effect because of their ability to break our DNA strands. Light elements, like boron, excel at creating a boundary against neutron radiation. Building nanotubes and nanosheets from these elements creates an effect similar to how a water filter removes large impurities and makes it safer to drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Agarwal\u2019s coatings were developed in collaboration with former student Sara Rengifo, now at NASA\u2019s Marshall Space Flight Center, who served as a primary investigator on NASA’s Metallic Environmental Resistant Coatings Rapid Innovation Initiative project while at Florida International University. He is continuing that work at VCU, with an experiment currently underway aboard the International Space Station (ISS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe started this work five years ago to develop shielding for future space missions, like Artemis, to protect spacecraft from radiation and physical impacts caused by lunar dust,\u201d said Agarwal. \u201cThis focused on applying a coating to metals and hard surfaces with the idea to cover a ship or habitat. A second experiment involved using the same techniques on insulating polymer composite foam for inside the spacecraft or shelter. After these tests, our colleagues at NASA wanted to employ this technology on something flexible, like a spacesuit. Astronauts living on the moon and Mars will go outside their habitats often, and taking that same kind of protection with them wherever they are is essential to their safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Boron nitride is commonly produced in flat layers. Stacking these layers one atop the other, like a Post-it note, makes the material more resilient against repeated physical impact. It can also be made as a nanotube, employing the geometry\u2019s structural advantages to make it even more durable. Boron nitride nanotubes are cylinders inside cylinders inside cylinders that are unbelievably small at no more than 50 nanometers in diameter, roughly 100,000 times thinner than a human hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhile it\u2019s an amazing material, boron nitride is soft. Even as a nanotube, repeated impacts will eventually cause it to lose its abrasion resistant properties,\u201d said Agarwal. \u201cBut when you combine it with a metal matrix, like titanium for example, the resulting material is much stronger. Titanium reacts with nitrogen and boron, but just a little. You can control the reaction to get enough titanium nitride and titanium boride so that the material doesn\u2019t peel off easily while still getting enough boron nitride from the combination that the abrasion resistant and radiation absorption properties remain. The key is getting the formulation right, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re experimenting with. Trying to find the right recipe, the right combination of these materials and the right manufacturing technique to make the most effective product for a spaceship or habitat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Boron to be Styled<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Agarwal\u2019s continued research at VCU tests the application of boron nitride to polymer materials, like fabric. Instead of titanium, this formulation is made into a slurry by combining it with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a silicon-based polymer. The viscous material is then applied to fabric in a very thin layer. Like with the titanium surface coating for ships and habitats, finding the right ratio of PDMS, boron and nitrogen is crucial to making a protective and durable material that remains flexible for polymer application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    PDMS boron nitride samples are placed into the frame that will be exposed to space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe layer we\u2019re testing is about 10 microns thick. It\u2019s very, very thin. Think about dipping a white shirt into a colored dye, only the polymer slurry is more viscous than water,\u201d said Agarwal. \u201cWe still want abrasion resistance, but for a spacesuit the important thing is radiation protection and for the material to be flexible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before its rocket ride to the ISS, Agarwal conducted a lunar storm erosion test of the PDMS boron nitride material in a patented test rig in his lab. Coated fabric was exposed to high velocity impact to cause erosion with sharp lunar regolith particles. After surviving the erosion test, the PDMS-boron nitride-coated fabric moved to the second phase of experimentation to gauge its radiation absorption properties while exposed to the vacuum of space on a panel outside the ISS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Agarwal\u2019s PDMS boron nitride samples are placed in an exterior testing frame, highlighted by the yellow box, and exposed to the vacuum of space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    \u201c\u200aRadiation exposure makes polymer material hard and brittle, causing it to crack. The easiest way to detect this degradation is visually, so we have a camera on the ISS taking pictures of our samples outside of the space station at regular intervals. If they start to crack, we can see which piece it\u2019s happening to and when,\u201d said Agarwal. \u201cThey\u2019re also weighing the samples at intervals to measure atomic oxygen. If enough oxygen has entered the sample that the weight has changed then that means the coating has degraded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In addition to ascertaining the material\u2019s effectiveness, studying degradation over time helps researchers predict the coating\u2019s lifetime. A fixed expiration date could signal when a spacesuit needs replacement or the coating reapplied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once the samples return to Earth, an in-depth analysis will provide more detailed information with electron microscopy and other high-end tools for materials and chemical analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Maintaining
    Maintaining flexibility after applying the boron nitride coating is important to creating a functional space suit that affords protection to astronauts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Applications on Earth and next steps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Boron nitride is a good thermal conductor and electric insulator. Researchers seek to apply it to electronic packaging. Think of your phone. Holding it up to your ear for a long conversation, it gets noticeably warmer. A boron nitride nanotube heat sink could channel heat away more effectively, making the device more comfortable for extended use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIn its layered sheet form, boron nitride is a cheap and common solid lubricant. However, its nanotube form is significantly more expensive at around $1,600 a gram,\u201d said Agarwal. \u201cThe work we\u2019re doing on the ISS could eventually lead to several new applications of boron nitride nanotubes, resulting in nanotubes being cheaper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The data Agarwal and his collaborators receive from this experiment will dictate its next steps. With a measure of effectiveness and lifespan, space agencies can potentially begin implementing the technology in suits for practical testing to find a balance between material flexibility and how much protection the suit will provide over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering provides undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> students with the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> as soon as they enroll. From applying material science to additive manufacturing techniques to optimizing coolant systems for nuclear reactors and more, students gain understanding of many important engineering topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering<\/a> to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Arvind Agarwal, Ph.D., works with NASA to create flexible spacesuit material that is radiation and abrasion resistant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1829,"featured_media":1644,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1193,1023,1152],"class_list":["post-1643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mne","tag-arvind-agarwal","tag-nasa","tag-smee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1829"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1643"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1643\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1640,"date":"2026-06-08T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:53:40","slug":"from-funding-hurdles-to-full-roster-vcu-engineering-at-the-2026-american-nuclear-society-student-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/06\/08\/from-funding-hurdles-to-full-roster-vcu-engineering-at-the-2026-american-nuclear-society-student-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"From Funding Hurdles to Full Roster: VCU Engineering at the 2026 American Nuclear Society Student Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    When a funding shortage threatened to sideline half of a VCU Engineering Capstone team, a targeted, last-minute donation ensured every student could travel to Texas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It didn\u2019t take long for senior Jackson Place to start feeling energized at the 2026 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Student Conference last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The very first presentation he saw\u2014a neutronics\/thermal hydraulics analysis of a gas cooled reactor for space\u2014ended up being one of his most memorable moments from the two-day event at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe project and presentation were so well executed and interesting,\u201d says Place. \u201cSeeing them provided me with so much excitement to continue my academic journey and present my future work that will be in a similar field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Place was joined at the ANS conference by three other VCU engineering seniors: Blake Coghill, Joshua Piper and Ethan Villarreal. Together, the team of four had spent the last year working on their senior Capstone project, titled, \u201cFuture Power Solutions for Exploring Hypothesized Surfaces.\u201d They were eager to present their work at ANS and network with world-class scholars and industry leaders across the entire nuclear sector\u2014an experience that is often a catalyst for post-grad recruitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But attending the career-boosting conference almost didn\u2019t happen\u2014at least not for all four students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Leading up to the big event, the team was only able to secure enough funding for two of the four students to travel to Texas. Half of the team was set to stay behind in Richmond while their teammates presented their collective year-long work, missing out on critical professional milestones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That\u2019s when donors Irene Burlock and Joseph Holicky III (B.S.\u201976\/B; B.S.\u201977\/H&S; M.S.\u201978\/B)<\/a> stepped in.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The couple\u2014who have been generous donors to VCU for decades\u2014donated a targeted gift of $2,500 to close the gap in funding. This one-time amount allowed the entire Capstone team to travel to Texas and attend the ANS conference together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThis was the first time we\u2019d been asked to make a donation outside our usual gifts,\u201d said Burlock. \u201cWe were able to make up the difference so the entire team could attend. If we\u2019re asked again, and if we\u2019re in a position to do so, we\u2019ll help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Joseph Holicky III and Irene Burlock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Joshua Piper said the conference experience gave him a sense of accomplishment and confidence in himself that he would not have experienced otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAttending the ANS student conference was the pinnacle for me in my academic career,\u201d said Piper. \u201cBeing able to present our project in front of peers and industry professionals was an invaluable experience that I will never forget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOur poster presentation at the conference would have suffered without the entire team present,\u201d said Blake Coghill. \u201cWith each person having a specialty, it made it really easy to divide up the poster into smaller portions to get our main thoughts across.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ethan Villarreal says if he were to miss the conference, he would not have had the opportunity to meet some research collaborators in person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe nuclear science field is very small, so the more one is able to network during the early stages of their career, the more opportunities they will find themselves with later down the road,\u201d said Villarreal. \u201cGetting a chance to meet these collaborators in person and get to know them beyond a Zoom screen is something that I would have dearly missed if not at this conference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cAs a faculty member nearing the end of my seventh year at VCU, it makes me really proud to know VCU alumni are supporting our current and future students in enabling the development of their professional careers,\u201d said Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Assistant Professor Lane Carasik, Ph.D.<\/a>, who served as faculty adviser to the student team. \u201cIt means a ton to know VCU Rams pay it forward for VCU Rams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As for Burlock and Holicky, they hold firm that those in a position to help VCU students should. In addition to donating to the College of Engineering, the couple gives to VCU Business and RamPantry, because \u201cno one on that campus should go hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOnce a person\u2019s life is in good enough order, it\u2019s time to look back and give a hand to those coming up behind you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a> prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When a funding shortage threatened to sideline half of a VCU Engineering Capstone team, a targeted, last-minute donation ensured every student could travel to Texas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,6,748,13,1127],"tags":[857,112,1152],"class_list":["post-1640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-foundation","category-mne","category-nuclear","category-students","category-ugrad","tag-american-nuclear-society","tag-lane-carasik","tag-smee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1636,"date":"2026-06-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1636"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:36:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:36:46","slug":"biomedical-engineers-from-vcu-receive-nsf-graduate-research-fellowships-to-continue-academic-careers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/06\/04\/biomedical-engineers-from-vcu-receive-nsf-graduate-research-fellowships-to-continue-academic-careers\/","title":{"rendered":"Biomedical engineers from VCU receive NSF graduate research fellowships to continue academic careers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    From left: Jessica Nuyen and Ellie Sabalewski<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Biomedical engineering students at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering recently received prestigious awards through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Recognizing outstanding graduate students and promoting their research endeavors, the GRFP helps ensure the quality, vitality and strength of the United States\u2019 science and engineering workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jessica Nguyen<\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Jessica<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Having the freedom to ask questions and develop independent research projects as a member of VCU\u2019s Pulmonary Mechanobiology Lab led Jessica Nguyen to a future in medical research. As an undergraduate, she helped develop treatments for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a severe condition affecting more than 150,000 people in the United States each year, according to the American Thoracic Society. Nguyen\u2019s research helped advance formulations for spray dried extracellular matrix nano- and microparticles to treat ARDS symptoms and serve as drug delivery carriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI started research in high school as a fellow of the Dean\u2019s Early Research Initiative (DERI), which kickstarted my love for inquiry and investigation,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cI grew to love the process of asking questions, conducting the research and troubleshooting projects. It feels surreal to have this GRFP opportunity, and I\u2019m incredibly grateful to the VCU College of Engineering and the biomedical engineering faculty who helped prepare me for this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nguyen\u2019s GRFP award enables her to pursue her Ph.D. at Texas A&M, joining the lab of Shreya Raghavan, Ph.D., to work on projects relating to mechanobiology, tissue engineering, and biomaterials for women\u2019s health. During her time at VCU, mentors Rebecca Heise, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, biomedical engineering department chair and Pulmonary Mechanobiology Lab director, and Ren\u00e9 Olivares-Navarrete, D.D.S, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, associate professor, made a big impact on Nguyen\u2019s academic career.
    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThey reminded me to take a breath and trust the process,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cI\u2019m somewhat of a perfectionist and it was important to understand that making mistakes is a natural and important part of the learning process. That perspective really shifted how I approach challenges and instead of feeling discouraged by uncertainty, I\u2019ve learned to embrace it as part of the process and as an opportunity to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paying that mentorship forward is one of Nguyen\u2019s life goals. She will continue the path of academia and research in order to become a professor of biomedical engineering. Nguyen wants to support students from all backgrounds, especially first generation, low-income and underrepresented groups, encouraging them to pursue higher education and careers in research and STEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ellie Sabalewski<\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Ellie<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Five years as a member of the Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Research and Innovation<\/a> at the VCU College of Engineering prepared Ellie Sabalewski for a promising future in research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Continuing an academic path at the Rice University Department of Bioengineering with the help of her GRFP award, Sabalewski credits mentors Barbara Boyan, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, executive director of the Institute for Engineering and Medicine, and Joshua Cohen, M.D.<\/strong><\/a>, research assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, for her ability to interrogate data deeply. \u201cThey taught me how to think like a researcher and focus on the \u2018why\u2019 behind any results rather than surface level interpretations,\u201d Sabalewski said. She began working in Boyan\u2019s lab as a high school senior through the DERI program at the VCU College of Engineering, an experience that shaped her technical abilities and scientific mindset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sabalewski\u2019s passion for research was encouraged by another mentor, Carrie Peterson, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/a>, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. \u201cDr. Peterson was a great supporter,\u201d Sabalewski said. \u201cI worked in her lab for one summer, took three of her classes and had her as a Capstone mentor. She taught me so much about the range of biomedical engineering research and kept me excited about it all through her consistent energy, excitement, and passion for her work.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    At Rice, Sabalewski conducts research in the Swingle Lab, designing lipid nanoparticles that deliver mRNA instructions to peritoneal macrophages. The goal is to engineer macrophages capable of recognizing and killing ovarian cancer cells. She hopes to become a professor in bioengineering, continuing research that addresses critical gaps in women\u2019s health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI am extremely honored to be a recipient of this fellowship,\u201d Sabalewski said. \u201cI have worked very hard in my research career so far, and I am glad that my passion and knowledge showed through my application.\u201d She credits VCU Engineering with giving her the breadth of knowledge and professional grounding needed for that path, as well as early exposure to the realities of academic research. \u201cNothing prepared me more for the first year of my Ph.D. as much as what I learned while working in the lab at VCU,\u201d Sabalewski said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    The Department of Biomedical Engineering provides undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> students with the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> as soon as they enroll. From delving into the intricacies of cell migration in cancer research to exploring tissue engineering in menisci, tendons and ligaments, our students pursue a diverse range of cutting-edge research topics. Browse videos and recent news from the Department of Biomedical Engineering<\/a> to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Two VCU biomedical engineering alumnae, Jessica Nguyen and Ellie Sabalewski, received prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowships to fund their respective Ph.D. research in women’s health at Texas A&M and Rice University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1829,"featured_media":1637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1128,13],"tags":[11,1119,1122,1223,1151,1164,1165,37,39],"class_list":["post-1636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","category-grad","category-students","tag-barbara-d-boyan","tag-carrie-peterson","tag-deans-early-research-initiative","tag-graduate-research-fellowship-program","tag-hm","tag-josh-cohen","tag-laboratory-for-musculoskeletal-research-and-innovation","tag-rebecca-heise","tag-rene-olivares-navarrete"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1829"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1632,"date":"2026-05-21T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1632"},"modified":"2026-06-02T16:20:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:20:59","slug":"class-of-2026-for-jade-rasberry-biomedical-engineering-is-a-personal-and-shared-pursuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/21\/class-of-2026-for-jade-rasberry-biomedical-engineering-is-a-personal-and-shared-pursuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2026: For Jade Rasberry, biomedical engineering is a personal and shared pursuit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    Her longtime passion is reflected in her leadership of VCU\u2019s National Society of Black Engineers student chapter and in her design projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By Drew Thompson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Jade Rasberry has known since middle school what she wanted to do. A weeklong all-girls STEM camp introduced her to medical engineering, and she instantly found her passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It intensified in high school, when the Stafford County native was invited as a senior to a Society of Women Engineers event at Virginia Commonwealth University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThey talked about the different engineering disciplines, and I got to talk to some biomedical engineering upperclassmen in that organization, and my love for it grew,\u201d Rasberry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This spring, Rasberry earned her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from VCU\u2019s College of Engineering<\/a>, where she has shared her passion through her advocacy and her studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As she considered colleges to pursue the discipline, Rasberry quickly knew that VCU checked all her boxes: The medical campus was closely integrated with the academic campus, the school was situated in a city, the student body featured open and expressive individuals, and the curriculum embraced real-world challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cVCU does a great job of helping their [biomedical engineering students] get exposed to clinical-facing spaces,\u201d Rasberry said. \u201cFor one of my classes, I got to go down to the medical campus and tour different departments and talk to doctors, surgeons and patients. I knew that I really enjoyed doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rasberry quickly became an important member of VCU\u2019s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers<\/a>, which she joined in her first year and led as president during her senior year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Among highlights: The VCU unit won consecutive NSBE regional chapter of the year awards for the past two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt was nice to see the work \u2026 come to fruition,\u201d said Rasberry, who also had served as membership chair. \u201cWe had done a lot of things for the College of Engineering, as well as VCU as a whole. So, they were proud of us. We were proud of each other. It was just like a really great energy winning that award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe\u2019re only as strong as our members, and we have some amazing members who are always willing to just be the change that they want to see,\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s been a collective effort.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rasberry\u2019s own engineering work has incorporated personal meaning. Her project for this year\u2019s Capstone Design Expo<\/a> was inspired by her younger brother, who was born with anal rectal malformation. To address the life-threatening condition, her brother endured several surgeries in his first months of life to create an anal opening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The current procedure, which involves dilation and a single metal rod, is challenging for the patient and the care provider, so Rasberry and her team developed a more user-friendly and comfortable dilator. The proposed device<\/a>, which won the biomedical engineering departmental award at this year\u2019s expo, would use multiple metal rods for a more comfortable alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That spirit continues to motivate Rasberry as she leaves VCU: She plans to pursue a career in cardiac device manufacturing or sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/for-jade-rasberry-biomedical-engineering-is-a-personal-and-shared-pursuit<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Her longtime passion is reflected in her leadership of VCU\u2019s National Society of Black Engineers student chapter and in her design projects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1633,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,13,1127],"tags":[117,1151,79],"class_list":["post-1632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","category-students","category-ugrad","tag-capstone","tag-hm","tag-national-society-of-black-engineers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1629,"date":"2026-05-20T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1629"},"modified":"2026-05-19T15:21:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T15:21:23","slug":"vcu-innovation-may-prevent-scar-tissue-and-advance-joint-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/20\/vcu-innovation-may-prevent-scar-tissue-and-advance-joint-surgery\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU innovation may prevent scar tissue and advance joint surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    The College of Engineering\u2019s Barbara Boyan is leading a new approach to arthrofibrosis that could have a wide-ranging impact on musculoskeletal health.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By John Battiston<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As patients recover from joint surgery or traumatic injury, the body\u2019s repair process might go into overdrive, producing excessive scar tissue inside the joint. The result \u2013 arthrofibrosis \u2013 can lead to pain, stiffness and a loss of mobility that is difficult to reverse once it begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Despite how common and debilitating arthrofibrosis can be, there are currently no reliable ways to predict who will develop it, nor any effective treatments once it takes hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cOnce it\u2019s underway, it\u2019s pretty much underway,\u201d said Barbara D. Boyan<\/a>, Ph.D., executive director of Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s Institute for Engineering and Medicine<\/a> and the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Professor in the College of Engineering\u2019s Department of Biomedical Engineering<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Boyan and her team at VCU\u2019s Laboratory for Musculoskeletal Research and Innovation<\/a> are taking a novel approach. Rather than attempting to treat arthrofibrosis after scar tissue has formed, their innovation focuses on preventing it from developing in the first place, intervening at the moment when inflammation begins \u2013 during joint surgery itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If successful, the impact could be felt far beyond individual patients \u2013 reshaping standards of care, reducing the need for follow-up surgeries and improving quality of life for countless people recovering from joint procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A breakthrough in gel form<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The work builds on years of foundational research conducted at LMRI, where Boyan\u2019s group studies disorders of the musculoskeletal system, including bones, cartilage and joints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Long before their current intervention took shape, the lab had identified unresolved inflammation as a key driver of fibrotic scar formation. The team was also intrigued by evidence showing that arthrofibrosis occurs more frequently and more severely in women, suggesting underlying biological differences in immune response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A breakthrough came with the development of ClickGel, an injectable biomaterial originally designed for neurosurgical applications by Pascal Medical Corp., which Boyan co-founded. ClickGel is delivered as a liquid and then rapidly forms a stable matrix in the body, allowing it to remain precisely where it is placed without interfering with surrounding tissue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pascal won an $800,000 state grant<\/a> in 2025 to support ClickGel\u2019s development, while VCU TechTransfer and Ventures<\/a> helped Boyan\u2019s team protect their intellectual property and connected them to business advisors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe looked at ClickGel\u2019s properties and how it\u2019s very easy to inject compared to other carrier systems,\u201d Boyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"A
    ClickGel is delivered as a liquid and then rapidly forms a stable matrix in the body, allowing it to remain precisely where it is placed without interfering with surrounding tissue. (John Battiston)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    The ideal time and place for treatment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    She and her team then had the idea to place an anti-inflammatory therapeutic in the gel that would prevent arthrofibrosis, then inject the substance into the joint of a surgery patient before anesthesia wears off. By resolving inflammation early, the intervention aims to stop the cascade that leads to excessive scar formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous attempts to address arthrofibrosis have fallen short for various reasons. Anti-inflammatory drugs injected on their own disperse too quickly to be effective. Other carrier materials have struggled with the tight physical constraints of joint spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWhatever you put in the joint has to be a liquid when it goes in, and it has to then firm up without interfering with articulating joints,\u201d Boyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Her approach overcomes these challenges by combining an injectable gel with sustained local delivery of lipid nanoparticles to deliver microRNAs that regulate inflammation and collagen production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Progress toward commercialization<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The project recently received support from the TechTransfer and Ventures Commercialization Fund, which will help advance the technology toward clinical use. ClickGel has already been designated by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical device and is on its way to commercialization as a dural sealant at Pascal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe first thing we have to do is get approval to use ClickGel in humans as a device without any additions added,\u201d Boyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Once approved, her team can pursue a combination product that incorporates anti-inflammatory therapeutics for joint applications, a process she estimates could take about five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The commercialization effort is supported by ongoing collaboration with TechTransfer and Ventures, part of VCU\u2019s Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation<\/a>. Director of Licensing Magdalena K. Morgan, Ph.D., works closely with Boyan\u2019s team to align scientific development with regulatory and market realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDr. Boyan\u2019s approach is a perfect example of strategic innovation,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cBy taking a device that is already moving through the FDA pipeline and adapting it for therapeutic delivery, the team is significantly shortening the path to getting a solution into the hands of surgeons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Team bridges research and medicine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Working directly on the arthrofibrosis intervention project with Boyan are D. Joshua Cohen<\/a>, M.D., research assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and LMRI doctoral student Kait Hosmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    As a physician-scientist, Cohen \u2013 who also serves as an animal models consultant with Pascal \u2013 combines clinical perspective with deep musculoskeletal and biomaterials knowledge to inform real-world surgical integration. He is a co-inventor of the technology and has developed the model systems the team is using to design and validate its use to prevent arthrofibrosis. Hosmer, meanwhile, contributes to experimental design and translational research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Boyan and her collaborators envision a future in which arthrofibrosis is no longer an accepted risk of joint surgery but a complication that can be proactively avoided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cPascal\u2019s hydrogel is an exceptional platform for delivering therapeutics that need to work locally and over sustained periods of time,\u201d Boyan said. \u201cIf we find that it enables us to develop a treatment that prevents or reduces fibrosis in joints, we will be able to tackle a lot of problems plaguing musculoskeletal health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/vcu-innovation-may-prevent-scar-tissue-and-advance-joint-surgery<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The College of Engineering\u2019s Barbara Boyan is leading a new approach to arthrofibrosis that could have a wide-ranging impact on musculoskeletal health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[11,1151,1158,1164,1165,1166],"class_list":["post-1629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","tag-barbara-d-boyan","tag-hm","tag-institute-for-engineering-and-medicine","tag-josh-cohen","tag-laboratory-for-musculoskeletal-research-and-innovation","tag-vcu-techtransfer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1621,"date":"2026-05-19T17:18:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1621"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:18:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:18:49","slug":"new-bachelor-of-science-in-robotics-and-autonomous-systems-engineering-launches-at-vcu-college-of-engineering-in-fall-of-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/19\/new-bachelor-of-science-in-robotics-and-autonomous-systems-engineering-launches-at-vcu-college-of-engineering-in-fall-of-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"New Bachelor of Science in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering launches at VCU College of Engineering in fall of 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    The degree path addresses the growing demand for interdisciplinary experience needed in advanced AI and automation industries<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The first undergraduate degree for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Engineering in the Commonwealth of Virginia will launch at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering this fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Advances in AI and automation are growing the demand for engineers who can design, integrate and deploy robotic and autonomous systems across industries like manufacturing, healthcare, defense and transportation. The global robotics market is projected to grow from $11.5 billion to $78.8 billion by 2033. Virginia alone is forecasted to add more than 10,000 jobs in aerospace and unmanned systems over the next decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s our duty as educators to look forward and imagine what the future needs of industry will be in order to prepare our students for that world,\u201d said Azim Eskandarian, D.Sc.<\/a>, the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean of the VCU College of Engineering. \u201cWe have created a unique, project-based program. Our specialty courses in robotics and autonomous systems are designed to be project-based, allowing graduates to engage in creative, hands-on learning. The fundamental prerequisite courses are taught conventionally to provide a strong math, science and engineering foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The four\u2011year Bachelor of Science requires 121 credit hours and includes a two\u2011semester senior capstone where students design and build working robotic or autonomous systems. It will be taught by faculty from electrical and computer engineering, mechanical and nuclear engineering and computer science, highlighting the importance of the cross-disciplinary skillset necessary for this advanced career path. Three new full-time faculty will join the College of Engineering to support this degree, complementing existing faculty expertise, and a dedicated instructional robotics lab will accompany the program\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Courses in mechatronics, robotics, feedback control, artificial intelligence and embedded systems form the core of the B.S. in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering, along with foundational math and computer science prerequisites. Hands-on, project-based learning emulates the kind of environment students will work in as full-time engineers after graduation. Ethics and systems-thinking coursework round out the program\u2019s offerings, teaching students to be adaptable in a rapidly changing field where innovation is key to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe expect our first RAS Engineering class to graduate in the spring of 2030, and will seek ABET accreditation soon after,\u201d said Eskandarian. \u201cBy late 2031 we hope to have a program students and industry can count on to lead the field of robotics and autonomous systems to a future with limitless potential. The purpose of our Bachelor of Science in Robotics and Autonomous Systems Engineering is to create an interdisciplinary, real-world educational experience for students that prepares them for life after graduation. It also creates a talent pipeline for our many industry partners who need this expertise to remain competitive in the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    The VCU College of Engineering offers innovative undergraduate<\/a> and graduate<\/a> degree programs tailored to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving engineering field. As part of a premier research university, students are given the opportunity to perform real-world research<\/a> in our state-of-the-art facilities as soon as they enroll. Browse videos and recent news to discover how the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a> prepares the next generation of scientists and engineers for the challenges of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The degree path addresses the growing demand for interdisciplinary experience needed in advanced AI and automation industries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1829,"featured_media":1622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,30,6],"tags":[1150,25,1135],"class_list":["post-1621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cs","category-ece","category-general-college","category-mne","tag-aasc","tag-azim-eskandarian","tag-robotics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1829"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1621\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1626,"date":"2026-05-18T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1626"},"modified":"2026-05-15T14:42:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T14:42:53","slug":"class-of-2026-a-ram-even-in-high-school-jessica-nguyen-will-carry-vcu-spirit-into-graduate-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/18\/class-of-2026-a-ram-even-in-high-school-jessica-nguyen-will-carry-vcu-spirit-into-graduate-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Class of 2026: A Ram even in high school, Jessica Nguyen will carry VCU spirit into graduate school"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    The McNair Scholar and biomedical engineering graduate now heads to Texas A&M for her Ph.D. program.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By Anastasia Mineiro<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By earning her undergraduate degree this spring, Jessica Nguyen completed her sixth year at Virginia Commonwealth University\u2019s College of Engineering<\/a>. But that lengthy time span reflects dedication, not delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nguyen has been a Ram since her junior year of high school as a fellow of the Dean\u2019s Early Research Initiative, which instilled her interest in biomedical engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI loved my time at VCU through that program and decided to stay at VCU for my undergraduate degree,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now Nguyen will move on. She will pursue her Ph.D. in the field at Texas A&M University, with a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship<\/a> supporting her graduate work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But her path to doctoral studies was directly powered by her opportunities at VCU, which began in full in fall 2022 as she enrolled in the biomedical engineering<\/a> program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI came into college planning to pursue a pre-medicine track, but as I became more involved in research, I found that I genuinely loved the process of asking questions, working through challenges and contributing to something larger than myself,\u201d Nguyen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In her sophomore year, she joined VCU\u2019s McNair Scholars Program<\/a>. Offered through the Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success<\/a> division and its TRIO<\/a> office of federal support programs, McNair prepares underrepresented students for doctoral programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nguyen was grateful for the program\u2019s guidance and preparation as she pursued undergraduate research and applied to graduate school, but she also cited a more personal benefit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cBeyond the professional development aspect, McNair also gave me a strong sense of community,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing surrounded by mentors and peers who were all working toward similar goals created an environment that was both motivating and encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nguyen also found community through the Biomedical Engineering Society<\/a>, and she has served as president of VCU\u2019s student chapter. In 2024, she attended the national BMES annual meeting and cites it as one of her favorite memories at VCU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe were able to spend quality time with our faculty members and connect with students from BMES chapters across the country, which eventually led to multiple interchapter collaborations over the past two years!\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cIt was the perfect mix of professional opportunities and genuinely fun memories with people who made my time at VCU so special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nguyen has given back to the VCU community through the Teddy Bear Hospital<\/a> project. The nonprofit focuses on alleviating children\u2019s anxiety in medical environments by \u201ctreating\u201d their stuffed animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI was inspired to start a chapter at VCU because of my own interests in medicine, education and community outreach,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to create something that extended beyond campus and allowed us to connect directly with the local community in a meaningful way. There\u2019s often a gap in early exposure to health care and STEM, especially in a way that feels accessible and engaging for younger students, and this felt like a small but impactful way to address that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With graduate studies and her research fellowship awaiting, Nguyen is grateful for her VCU experience \u2013 from her faculty mentors to the larger spirit of the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cVCU has such a vibrant and encouraging environment,\u201d she said, \u201cand I\u2019ve been really lucky to be surrounded by people who genuinely want to see each other succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Originally posted on VCU News: https:\/\/news.vcu.edu\/article\/a-ram-even-in-high-school-jessica-nguyen-will-carry-vcu-spirit-into-graduate-school<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The McNair Scholar and biomedical engineering graduate now heads to Texas A&M for her Ph.D. program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2033,"featured_media":1627,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,13,1127],"tags":[1220,1151],"class_list":["post-1626","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bme","category-students","category-ugrad","tag-biomedical-engineering-society","tag-hm"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1626","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2033"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1626"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1626\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1626"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1626"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1626"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":1623,"date":"2026-05-14T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/?p=1623"},"modified":"2026-05-13T16:07:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T16:07:27","slug":"vcu-biomedical-engineer-advances-muscle-regeneration-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engineering\/2026\/05\/14\/vcu-biomedical-engineer-advances-muscle-regeneration-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"VCU biomedical engineer advances muscle regeneration technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

    Michael McClure\u2019s method could treat traumatic injuries, and he is expanding its focus to integrate the nervous system.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    By Jeff Kelley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Michael McClure still has a ways to go, but after more than a decade working on a novel regenerative therapy for severe muscle injuries, the Virginia Commonwealth University biomedical engineer says his team is closer than ever to bringing the trauma-repairing technology to human patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    McClure<\/a>, Ph.D., an associate professor in the College of Engineering\u2019s Department of Biomedical Engineering<\/a>, has been developing a method to regenerate muscle tissue lost to traumatic injuries. The approach relies on decellularization, a process that removes living cells from donor muscle while preserving the underlying biological structure that tells new tissue how to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That structure, known as the extracellular matrix, retains the physical architecture and biochemical signals of muscle. Instead of transplanting foreign cells, the approach gives the body a blueprint it can use to rebuild tissue on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cDecellularization is really just washing out the cells and leaving behind the scaffold that the cells were attached to before,\u201d McClure said. \u201cThat scaffold becomes the regenerative product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If successful, the scaffolds could help people recover from devastating injuries that remove large portions of muscle, including blast injuries suffered in combat, car accidents and gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cThe goal is to implant these grafts into patients with severe muscle injuries and have them regenerate new muscle,\u201d McClure said. \u201cThese are injuries where a significant amount of tissue is lost, and the body just can\u2019t regenerate that on its own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He hopes the grafts will eventually be used to treat patients with volumetric muscle loss, a condition where the body cannot naturally regenerate enough tissue to restore function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n