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INDIANAPOLIS — Three Indiana University School of Medicine researchers and their collaborators at Purdue University have been awarded pilot grants through the Engineering in Medicine program, a joint effort between the IU School of Medicine and the Purdue College of Engineering.
The Engineering in Medicine program is designed to support innovative and collaborative research between the two institutions with the goal of developing novel technologies that improve patient care.
“I take great pride in the effort our research faculty dedicates to these innovative projects,” said Tatiana Foroud, PhD, executive associate dean for research affairs at the IU School of Medicine.
All pilot projects must have at least one principal investigator from each of the institutions. They will each receive a one-year, $50,000 grant, which will be administered as two $25,000 grants (direct cost) — one each to the IU and Purdue principal investigators — with the opportunity to obtain a second year of support. Funded projects were reviewed by a committee of IU and Purdue faculty.
Harnessing AI to address infertility
Principal investigators:
- Shannon M. Hawkins, MD, PhD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, IU School of Medicine
- Wenzhou Wu, PhD, professor of industrial engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
Project title: “VITAL: Proactive fertility management through AI-empowered multimodal monitoring”
The project’s focus is on addressing infertility through the development of an AI-powered multimodal fertility monitoring system called VITAL, which measures fertility-related biomarkers in patients. Data will be available through a physics-informed smartphone app, which will generate a Fertile-Window Index every 30 minutes, delivering predictive fertility alerts before ovulation and providing actionable guidance to patients and clinicians.
Exploring musculoskeletal effects of rapid weight loss
Principal investigators:
- Brian J. DeBosch, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
- Rachel Surowiec, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
Project title: “Engineering Predictive Imaging Biomarkers of Musculoskeletal Risk and Resilience in Adolescent Females Undergoing Semaglutide Therapy for Weight Loss”
Seeking to address obesity in adolescent females, the project focuses on identifying imaging biomarkers of musculoskeletal risk and resilience through AI-driven radiomics in patients undergoing semaglutide drug treatment for obesity. The team will utilize machine learning to assess short-term musculoskeletal changes and identify features associated with risk or resilience in baseline bone density and structure scans of patients, providing valuable insight into the musculoskeletal consequences of rapid weight loss.
Improving treatment for kids with ACL injuries
Principal investigators:
- Christopher Newman, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiology and imaging sciences, IU School of Medicine
- Deva Chan, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical and mechanical engineering, Purdue College of Engineering
Project title: “Quantitative MRI and Biomechanical Modeling of Juvenile Anterior Cruciate Tears”
In recent decades, tears to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), commonly resulting from high-impact and pivoting injuries, have increased in children. Patients who suffer ACL tears tend to have issues with joint stability and are at risk of developing osteoarthritis, which is the most common type of arthritis. Current clinical imaging methods fail to predict the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis, and studies looking into quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) — basically, a more in-depth version of standard MRI — as a predictor have failed to include pediatric patients.
The team will evaluate the relationship between qMRI metrics and clinical outcomes after ACL injuries to see if qMRI metrics can guide surgical decision-making better than standard MRI measures. Additionally, the team will evaluate the differences in predicted cartilage stress and strain in simulated ACL reconstruction to determine whether ACL reconstruction will normalize cartilage stress and strain. The project will involve subjects less than 19 years old to account for the lack of pediatric studies.
About the Indiana University School of Medicine
The IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. According to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, the IU School of Medicine ranks No. 13 in 2024 National Institutes of Health funding among all public medical schools in the country.
Writer: Luke Norton, lcnorton@iu.edu
For more news, visit the IU School of Medicine Newsroom: medicine.iu.edu/news