Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Combined Autofluorescence And Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy For Rapid Metabolic And Vascular Characterizations Of Orthotopic Tongue Tumors In Vivo, Pranto Soumik Saha, Jing Yan, Sumit Sarker, Zahid Hasan, Caigang Zhu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Precise label-free quantification of tissue metabolic and vascular dynamics in vivo represents a critical challenge for cancer therapy prediction and longitudinal treatment assessment. In this study, we demonstrated a portable autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy device along with novel spectroscopic algorithms to quantify tissue vascular and metabolic parameters of orthotopic head and neck cancer models in vivo. Tissue-mimicking phantom studies were used to verify the dual-modal optical spectroscopy and easy-to-use spectroscopic algorithms for rapid and accurate estimation of tissue oxygen saturation, total hemoglobin contents, and intrinsic optical redox ratio. Animal studies were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of our …

Noninvasive Diffuse Optical Monitoring Of Cerebral Blood Flow And Oxygenation Responses To Intermittent Hypoxia In Neonatal Rats, Pegah Safavi, Mehrana Mohtasebi, Chowdhury Azimul Haque, Faezeh Akbari, Xuhui Liu, Yiqi Yuan, Li Chen, Lei Chen, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Significance: Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is common in preterm neonates and can cause hypoxic–ischemic brain injury. Simultaneous monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygenation is essential to detect oxygen delivery-extraction mismatches and guide intervention.

Aim: We aimed to adapt and test an innovative diffuse speckle contrast flow oximetry (DSCFO) system for continuous monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics during IH in neonatal rats, a model approximating human neonates.

Approach: Two compact laser diodes and a miniature CMOS camera were integrated into a fiber-free probe for continuous monitoring of changes in relative CBF (rCBF) and oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations (Δ[HbO₂] and …

Radial And Carotid Arterial Pulse Signals For Assessing Cardiovascular Function At Rest And During Post-Exercise Recovery In A Heart Transplant Patient: A Case Study, Md Mahfuzur Rahman, Mamun Hasan, Jennifer F. May, John M. Herre, Leryn Reynolds, Zhili Hao

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Aim: This study investigates the feasibility of using radial and carotid arterial pulse signals to assess cardiovascular (CV) function at rest and during post-exercise recovery in a heart transplant (HTx) patient. Method: Two micro-fabricated tactile sensors were used to simultaneously acquire arterial pulse signals at the radial artery (RA) and carotid artery (CA). Measurements were taken at rest and at multiple time points post-exercise on three subjects: an HTx patient, a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; coronary stent) patient and a healthy control. An SDOF-TF-based time-frequency analysis algorithm was applied to extract a comprehensive set of CV parameters, including heart rate …

Early Detection And Objective Assessment Of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy Severity, Soheila Norasteh

Bioengineering Dissertations

Hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a neonatal brain injury caused by reduced oxygen and blood flow to the brain around the time of birth. It remains a major cause of neonatal mortality and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment worldwide. Therapeutic hypothermia is the standard treatment for moderate-to severe HIE and improves outcomes when initiated within the first six hours of life. Therefore, accurate assessment of injury severity during this period is essential. Cur rently, HIE severity is determined primarily through neurological examination and classified as mild, moderate, or severe. However, these examinations are subjective, cannot provide continuous monitoring of brain function, and may …

Standardization Of Neuromuscular Reflex Analysis—Role Of Fine-Tuned Vision-Language Model Consortium And Openai Gpt-Oss Reasoning Llm-Enabled Decision Support System, Eranga Bandara, Ross Gore, Sachin Shetty, Ravi Mukkamala, Christopher K. Rhea, Brittany S. Samulski, Amin Hass, Atmaram Yarlagadda, Shaifali Kaushik, Malith De Silva, Andriy Maznychenko, Inna Sokolowska, Kasun De Zoysa

VMASC Publications

Background/Objectives: Accurate assessment of neuromuscular reflexes, such as the Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex), plays a critical role in sports science, rehabilitation, and clinical neurology. Conventional interpretation of H-reflex electromyography (EMG) waveforms is subject to inter-rater variability and interpretive bias, limiting reliability and standardization. This study aims to develop an automated, interpretable, and robust agentic AI–driven framework for H-reflex waveform analysis. Methods: We propose a fine-tuned Vision–Language Model (VLM) consortium combined with a reasoning Large Language Model (LLM)–enabled decision support system for automated H-reflex interpretation. Multiple VLMs were fine-tuned on curated datasets of H-reflex EMG waveform images annotated with expert clinical observations, …

Orchestrating Bone Healing: Biomaterial-Driven Immunoengineering Of The Bone Microenvironment For Advanced Regenerative Therapies, Ah Joung Rachel Yu, Mohammad Reza Zare, Edikan Ogunnaike, Mostafa Yazdi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Bone regeneration is a multistage and tightly regulated process driven by coordinated interactions between the immune and skeletal systems. While inflammation is essential for initiating repair, its dysregulation contributes to delayed union, nonunion, and impaired healing commonly seen in trauma, chronic disease, and aging. Traditional interventions, including autografts and inert biomaterials, provide structural support but fail to engage or modulate the immune microenvironment that governs successful regeneration. Emerging research in osteoimmunology has revealed the centrality of immune cell populations such as macrophages, T regulatory cells, dendritic cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in directing osteogenesis, angiogenesis, and the resolution of inflammation. …

Formulation Development Of Topical Inserts Containing Doxycycline And Doxycycline Combined With Tenofovir Alafenamide And Elvitegravir For The Prevention Of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Vivek Agrahari, M. Melissa Peet, Jasmin Monpara, Rijo John, Sriramakamal Jonnalagadda, Pardeep K. Gupta, Meredith R. Clark, Gustavo F. Doncel

CONRAD Publications

Despite advances in oral and injectable HIV prevention options and oral prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) of bacterial origin, there remains a critical need for effective on-demand topical (vaginal and rectal) products for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP). To fill this gap, we have developed single and first-in-kind multi-active topical inserts for bacterial STIs and HIV/STIs prevention. We have formulated two different inserts, one containing doxycycline (DOX) at 10, 50, and 100 mg doses for bacterial STI prevention, and a multipurpose prevention product (TED insert) that combines DOX (10 mg) with the antiretrovirals tenofovir alafenamide (TAF; 20 …

The Role Of Laminin Isoforms In Glioblastoma Migration, Aseel Ahmed, Faezeh Ghobadi, Hanna Devillier, Qi Cai

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most prevalent and lethal invasive brain tumor, denoted by a median survival of 12-15 months despite standard procedures such as safe surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. This limited effectiveness largely arises from the infiltrative nature of GBM cells, which interact with the brain’s extracellular matrix (ECM) by migrating along blood vessels and axonal pathways. The ECM contains the interstitial matrix (IM) and the
basement membrane (BM) made up of proteins and glycans which interact with the malignant cells. While research has mainly been focused on understanding how GBM cells interact with IM components, our knowledge about …

The Healing Power Of Nanoparticles: Bioengineering Gelatin Films With Lignin-Graft-Plga Nanoparticles For Enhanced Tissue Repair, Marie Howe, Cristina Sabliov, Thanida Chuacharoen, Willyam Nikiema

Distinguished Undergraduate Researcher Program

Fish gelatin, a biocompatible material, can be methacrylated to enable its photo-crosslinking and formation of hydrogels for tissue-repair applications (1). This study investigated the incorporation of lignin-grafted PLGA nanoparticles (LNPs) into 3D-printed fGelMA hydrogels as controlled drug delivery systems. Lignin has UV absorbing properties, which could potentially interfere with photocrosslinking of fGelMA (2). These LNPs possess hydrophobic PLGA core and hydrophilic lignin forming the shell providing ample opportunities for delivery of drugs of different chemistries (3). Fluorescent LNPs (FLNPs) were engineered by covalently bonding a fluorophore to the shell prior to nanoparticle synthesis to allow for fluorophore tracking. The understanding …

Recent Advances In Bioceramics, Fundamental Properties And Future Perspective In Biomedical Applications ‒ A Review, Ayesha Younas, Muhammad Umar Aslam Khan, Mohd Faizal Binte Abdullah, Lobat Tayebi, Shuanghu Wang, Abdalla Abdal-Hay, Yichi Xu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Bioceramics are important biomaterials in biomedical engineering because of their biocompatibility, bioactivity, osteoconductivity, and structural resemblance to actual bone tissue. In recent years, materials science and nanotechnology have enabled the use of bioceramics in bone regeneration, dental restoration, tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, and implantable medical devices. This comprehensive review covers advances in bioceramics, including calcium phosphates, hydroxyapatite (HAp), tricalcium phosphate, bioactive glasses, zirconia, alumina, and multifunctional ceramic nanocomposites. Priority is given to techniques such as additive manufacturing, 3D printing, sol-gel processing, electrospinning, and nanostructuring to improve mechanical strength, porosity, bioactivity, and cell interactions. Recent advances include ion doping, surface …

Crashheart, Ellie Riekert, Kennady Skidmore, Madison Furino

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project aims to develop an XR (extended reality) iPad training system to improve pediatric crash cart preparedness among nurses and clinical staff at Akron Children’s Hospital. In emergencies such as respiratory failure or shock, quick and accurate access to crash cart supplies is vital, yet opportunities for hands-on practice are limited. Current nurse training relies on PowerPoint instruction or costly physical simulations, reducing engagement and skill retention. Our interactive XR solution replicates the crash cart’s layout and contents, allowing users to practice identifying and retrieving critical items in a realistic environment without using physical supplies. The system will be …

Rapid Skin Stapler, Emma J. Patterson, Allison M. Milligan, Morgan E. Dunlap

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Severe burn injuries frequently require split-thickness skin grafts, with metal surgical staples serving as the current standard for fixation. While staples provide rapid and secure placement of graft material, they also introduce significant challenges. Removal is painful, time-consuming, and often requires sedation in pediatric patients, leading to added risk, resource strain, and poor patient experience. These drawbacks highlight the need for improved fixation methods that maintain graft stability while reducing procedural burden. This project applies the engineering design process to address these challenges through identification of user needs, translation into design inputs, risk assessment, and development of a prototype aimed …

Breech Baby, Madison Kaufman, Cassidy Allen, Lilian Mills

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Our project aims to develop a non-invasive device to assist in turning breech babies to a head down position before delivery. Pregnant women facing breech presentations often need safe and effective solutions, yet current options like external cephalic version (ECV), maternal positioning techniques, and cesarean sections can present challenges. Key barriers include variability in maternal and fetal anatomy, patient comfort, compliance, and training for healthcare providers, along with cost and insurance concerns.

Our innovative device will address these issues by providing clear guidance and support throughout the process. It will prioritize minimizing discomfort and risk, ensuring adaptability for various stages …

The Development And Implementation Of A Computational Framework To Simulate Patellofemoral Joint Mechanics, Mahmood Rashedi

Master’s Theses

Anterior knee pain affects approximately 25% of adults and is associated with altered joint mechanics. Patellofemoral joint (PFJ) models vary widely in complexity, with no established gold standard. Musculoskeletal models efficiently estimate joint loading but do not capture tissue-level mechanics, whereas finite element (FE) models provide tissue-level predictions at greater computational cost. This thesis developed a workflow to evaluate relationships between musculoskeletal model-predicted PFJ loads and FE-predicted cartilage mechanics, examined the impact of altered quadriceps activation, and introduced improved computational models.

Marker trajectories and ground reaction forces were collected from four adults (2 male, 2 female) during walking and squatting. …

Monitoring Eye Movements To Assess The Impact Of Sensory Feedback On Cognitive Workload During Myoelectric Prosthetic Hand Use, Naomi Tchoungang, Hailey Dirrigl, Justin Asbee

2026 Research Poster Competition

Modern prosthetic hands allow users to grasp and manipulate objects, but many users must constantly watch the device to complete even simple tasks. This heavy reliance on vision increases cognitive effort, slows movement, and makes prosthetic use feel less natural. An important question in prosthetics research is whether providing sensory feedback (enabling users to feel what the prosthetic hand is doing) can reduce this cognitive load and improve performance. In this study, sensory feedback refers to a system that provides clear tactile cues to the user upon contact between the prosthetic hand and an object, helping replace information normally felt …

Assessing Mesenchymal Stem Cell Phenotype After Heparan Sulfate Supplementation, Isani Patel

2026 Research Poster Competition

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that damages the protective coating of nerves, often causing lasting neurological symptoms. Current treatments slow disease activity but rarely repair existing damage. In response to this, a novel treatment option has emerged: mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. MSCs are cells found in different adult tissues like bone marrow, and they have the potential to release repair-supporting signals and moderate inflammation. Nevertheless, results in a clinical setting have been inconsistent due to variations in cell potency. As a potential strategy to enhance MSC therapeutic potential, the addition of heparan sulfate, a naturally occurring signaling molecule, …

Cardiovascular Monitoring For Maternal Health Using Wearable Devices, Daniela Alejandra Vasquez

2026 Research Poster Competition

Cardiovascular disease represents the leading cause of pregnancy-related mortality in the United States, accounting for over 30% of maternal deaths, with preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders contributing significantly to this burden. In Arkansas, maternal mortality rates reach 41.9 deaths per 100,000 live births. Current prenatal care relies on intermittent office-based blood pressure measurements conducted during 12-14 clinical visits, may not capture critical cardiovascular changes in a timely manner. Preeclampsia is characterized by new-onset hypertension after 20 weeks of gestation, affects 3-7% of pregnancies, and requires early detection to enable timely intervention. The limited accessibility of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in rural …

Uav-Based Sensor Integration For In-Situ Lake Water Quality Monitoring, Alec Campbell

2026 Research Poster Competition

Current water quality assessment methods rely heavily on manual sampling and laboratory analysis, which are time-consuming and difficult to perform in remote or hazardous environments. In surface water monitoring, spatial and temporal resolution is often constrained by labor, access, and logistical limitations of manual sampling programs. This research aims to develop a drone-based system for real-time, in situ lake water quality monitoring. To address these challenges, the project focuses on integrating multiple water quality sensors, including oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, and a multispectral spectrometer, into a compact, UAV-compatible design capable of collecting spatially referenced data. Methods: …

Enhancing Prosthetic Hand Training Through A Virtual Reality–Based Framework Integrated With The Coapt Control System., Iruoghene Ojoh

2026 Research Poster Competition

Enhancing Prosthetic Hand Training Through a Virtual Reality–Based Framework  Integrated with the Coapt Control System. Ojoh, I.1,2, Shell, A.1,  Asbee, J.1, Aguilar, D.1 ,Abbas, J.1,2,   1Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR;  2Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR  Introduction: Advances in upper-limb prosthetic hardware have greatly improved strength, durability, and mechanical performance; however, achieving intuitive control of EMG-based myoelectric prosthetic hands remains a significant challenge for individuals with trans-radial amputations. These devices rely on electromyography (EMG) signals generated by residual forearm muscles, which require consistent and well-coordinated muscle activation. Many users experience difficulty …

Testing The Effects Of Mechanical Stimulation On Mesenchymal Stem Cell Cultures, Ella Collis

2026 Research Poster Competition

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a promising treatment option for a variety of diseases due to their ability to migrate to far-off sites, modulate inflammatory immune responses, secrete factors that aid in tissue healing, and their capacity to become several cell types. These cells can be found and isolated from various body tissues including bone marrow and adipose tissue, even so the number of cells obtained from these tissues is minimal compared to the amounts needed for their transplantation in cell therapy treatments. Therefore, their culture in plastic dishes is required to increase the number of cells and obtain the …