SBME Symposium 2025 - UBC

The Future of Biomedical Engineering

Join us at the SBME Symposium on April 8th. This year’s theme focusses on the future of biomedical engineering and explores the latest cutting-edge biomedical research that transforms health. Engage with research from molecular and cellular realms to the macro level of human physiology. This community event invites students, researchers, industry, and other biomedical engineering enthusiasts to participate in an exciting day of research presentations and networking.

Let Us Know You’re Attending

Deadline to RSVP: March 31st

This year’s symposium

2025

This inclusive event welcomes students, researchers, industry professionals, and biomedical engineering enthusiasts alike to a day filled with insightful presentations and valuable networking opportunities. Be sure to RSVP by March 31st to secure your spot and reserve your lunch!

Please click here for more details and to register for the symposium:

Let Us Know You’re Attending

Deadline to RSVP: March 31st

Opportunities to Engage

SUBMIT A POSTER ABSTRACT

Trainees from SBME and beyond are invited to present their research to a wide audience of researchers and industry partners during our lunchtime poster session. Our panel of judges will select the top posters to receive cash prizes; prizes will be announced later in the week. To participate in the poster session, trainees must submit their poster abstract using the link below.

Submit Your Poster Abstract

Post submissions are now closed.

Symposium Agenda

9:00 am	Welcome
9:20 am	Dr. Connie Eaves Memorial Lectureship: Dr. Claudia Fischbach
10:00 am	Dr. Connie Eaves Memorial Student Award: Tiffany Tse
10:10 am	Break
10:30 am	Virtual Keynote: Dr. Uri Alon (Weizmann Institute of Science)
11:10 am	Panel #1: AI in Biology and Health
12:00 pm	Lunch & Networking
12:50 pm	Poster Session
2:20 pm	Keynote: Dr. Maryam M. Shanechi (University of Southern California)
3:00 pm	SBME Trainee Papers Recognition
3:15 pm	Panel #2: The Future of BME
4:05 pm	Break
4:15 pm	Keynote: Dr. Kristala Prather (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
4:55 pm	Closing Remarks
5:00 pm	End

DR. CONNIE EAVES MEMORIAL LECTURESHIP & AWARD

DR. CONNIE EAVES MEMORIAL LECTURESHIP: Dr. Claudia Fischbach

The Dr. Connie Eaves Memorial Lectureship for Women in Biomedical Engineering celebrates distinguished researchers who have made significant contributions to the BME field. This year’s recipient is Dr. Claudia Fischbach-Teschl, the James M & Marsha McCormick Director and Stanley Bryer 1946 Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University. Don’t miss Dr. Fischbach-Teschl’s lecture titled “Tumor Engineering: Advancing Precision Medicine and Therapeutic Strategies” at this year’s Symposium.

Lecture Abstract:
Microenvironmental conditions contribute to the pathogenesis of cancer and include altered cellular composition, extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition, and mechanical cues. However, our understanding of the specific mechanisms by which these microenvironmental perturbations impact the development, progression, and therapy response of cancer is relatively limited. More intricate models are needed to better understand the complex biochemical and biophysical interactions that drive tumour initiation, growth, metastasis, metabolic adaptation, and immune evasion. The fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering provide increasingly sophisticated tools and strategies to recapitulate and monitor relevant properties of tumour-microenvironment interactions. These approaches not only bear tremendous potential to advance our current understanding of cancer, but are also increasingly explored for more clinically relevant drug testing. Indeed, combining patient-specific cells with engineered culture systems promises to enhance the predictive power of precision medicine pipelines. This talk will highlight specific examples of how the microenvironment regulates the highly dynamic nature of cancer and will outline opportunities and challenges of the field of tumour engineering.

Dr. Claudia Fischbach’s Biography:
Claudia Fischbach-Teschl is the Stanley Bryer 1946 Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University, Director of Cornell’s Physical Sciences Oncology Center (PSOC) on the Physics of Cancer Metabolism, and Associate Director of Cornell Nanoscale Science and Engineering Facility (CNF). She received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Technology from the University of Regensburg, Germany and conducted her postdoctoral work at Harvard University in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Her lab utilizes engineering tools and strategies to gain a better understanding of how tumour-microenvironment interactions regulate cancer development, progression, and therapy resistance with a focus on cell-ECM interactions. She is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany.

Cellular interactions with their surroundings, including other cells and extracellular matrix, are critically important in the pathogenesis of cancer. However, current cancer research mostly studies cells in isolation and under conditions that do not recapitulate the mechanisms that affect tumour evolution in the human body. By exploring tissue engineering, microfabrication, and biomaterials strategies the Fischbach-Teschl lab engineers model systems that allow studying tumour cells under conditions that mimic those within patients. In particular, the Fischbach-Teschl lab uses these model systems to gain a better understanding of the biological and physical principles that influence tumour development, progression, and therapy response.

The Dr. Connie Eaves Memorial Student Award

This year’s Dr. Connie Eaves Memorial Student Award for Women in Biomedical Engineering will go to Tiffany Tse. Tiffany Tse is a Ph.D. candidate in Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. She holds a B.Eng in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University and is a former Silicon Design Engineer at AMD, contributing to next-generation compression algorithms for video encoder hardware design. Her research focuses on optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical contrast techniques, and 3D computer vision methods for retinal imaging, improving disease diagnosis and monitoring in ophthalmology. Leveraging her engineering expertise, she strives to make a one-to-many impact in clinical settings through patient-oriented research and design. Beyond research, Tiffany shares her passion for engineering and music as a content creator, classical pianist, and accompanist, bringing together her diverse interests to engage and connect with others.

Panels

Panel #1: AI in Biology and Health

Explore how AI is transforming biology and health, spanning discovery and therapeutics, clinical applications, and system-level challenges and opportunities.

Moderator:

• Wendy Hurlburt, Life Sciences BC

Panelists:

• Dr. Hiroaki Kitano, Chief Technology Fellow of Sony Group Corp. in Japan, and Professor at Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology Graduate School

• Dr. Ali Bashashati, SBME

• Dr. Julia Greissl, Senior Director Immunomics, Microsoft Research

• Dr. Teresa Tsang, VCH Research Institute and UBC Department of Medicine

Panel #2: The future of BME

Learn about the major trends in biomedical engineering including new and emerging research areas.

Moderator:

• Dr. Michael Sefton, University of Toronto

Panelists:

• Dr. C. Ross Ethier, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University School of Medicine

• Dr. Claudia Fischbach, Cornell University

• Dr. Carolina Tropini, SBME

• Dr. Dena Shahriari, SBME

Invited Speakers

Dr. Uri Alon, Weizmann Institute of Science

Simplifying Inflammation and Fibrosis

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances, Dr. Alon’s talk will now be virtual.

Dr. Uri Alon’s Biography

Prof. Uri Alon is a Full Professor in the Department of Molecular Cell Biology at the Weizmann Institute of Science and serves as the Course Scientific Assistant for Endocrinology and Fertility in the Human Body by Systems at the Weizmann Medical School. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the Weizmann Institute, followed by postdoctoral research in molecular biology at Princeton University. Prof. Alon is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in systems biology, focusing on the design principles of biological circuits, endocrinology and aging.

Prof. Alon has received numerous prestigious awards, including the EMBO Young Investigator Award, the Overton Prize from the International Society for Computational Biology, and the Nakasone Award for Breakthroughs in Life Sciences. His research has been widely published in top journals such as Science, Nature, and Cell, and he has authored influential textbooks, including An Introduction to Systems Biology and Systems Medicine. He regularly presents at international conferences and workshops, sharing his innovative insights into systems biology and medicine.

In addition to his research, Prof. Alon is a dedicated educator and mentor, having trained numerous Ph.D. students and postdoctoral fellows who have gone on to hold prominent academic and industry positions worldwide. His leadership extends beyond research, as he also plays an active role in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and soft skills training within the academic community.

Dr. Maryam M. Shanechi, University of Southern California

AI-Based Neurotechnology

I will present our work at the interface of AI/ML and neuroscience to develop next-generation brain-computer interfaces that can model, decode, and modulate the activity of large populations of neurons in brain disorders such as major depression. First, I present a dynamical modeling framework that can decode brain states such as mood from human brain network activity. Then, I show how we can also predict the effect of external inputs such as electrical stimulation on brain network activity toward closed-loop modulation of neural states. I also extend our modeling framework to dissociate behaviorally relevant neural dynamics that can otherwise be missed. Finally, I discuss the challenge of developing deep learning algorithms for real-time neurotechnologies. I present an artificial neural network that enables accurate and flexible inference of brain states causally, non-causally, and even with missing neural samples, which can happen in wireless brain-computer interfaces. These AI-based neurotechnologies can help restore lost motor and emotional function in millions of patients with brain disorders.

Dr. Maryam M. Shanechi Biography:

Dr. Maryam M. Shanechi is the Alexander A. Sawchuk Endowed Chair and Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Biomedical Engineering, and the Founding Director of the Center for Neurotechnology at USC. She received her B.A.Sc. degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto and her S.M. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT. She conducts research at the intersection of engineering, AI, and neuroscience to develop closed-loop neurotechnology. Awards include the NIH Director’s New Innovator, NSF CAREER, ONR Young Investigator, ASEE’s Curtis W. McGraw Research Award, MIT TR35, Popular Science Brilliant 10, Science News SN10, One Mind Rising Star Award, and a DoD MURI. She is an IEEE Fellow and was named a Blavatnik National Awards Finalist in both 2023 and 2024.

Dr. Kristala Prather, Massaschusetts Institute of Technology

Biosensor-guided regulation of metabolic pathways

Microbial systems offer the opportunity to produce a wide variety of chemical compounds in a sustainable fashion. Economical production, however, requires processes that operate with high titre, productivity, and yield – and that, preferably, minimize the number of material inputs to the system. Transcription factor-based biosensors provide an opportunity to utilize existing substrates as inducers for pathway genes. The specificity of these biosensors also enables “switch-like” behaviour, in which certain pathways can be activated only in the presence of their associated substrates. We have leveraged previous work in autonomous regulation of metabolic pathways to establish a paradigm for substrate-mediated activation of biosynthetic pathways. This approach is particularly interesting in the context of mixed substrate feeds with variable composition. I will discuss our group’s efforts to build, characterize, and deploy biosensors for substrate-regulated control of biosynthesis.

Kristala L.J. Prather Biography:

Kristala L.J. Prather is the Arthur D. Little Professor and Department Head in the Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT. She received an S.B. degree from MIT in 1994 and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley (1999), and worked 4 years in BioProcess Research and Development at the Merck Research Labs prior to joining the faculty of MIT. Her research interests are centred on the design and assembly of recombinant microorganisms for the production of small molecules, with additional efforts in novel bioprocess design approaches. Prather’s honours include the Charles Thom Award of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (2017), the Andreas Acrivos Award for Professional Progress in Chemical Engineering of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE, 2021), and the Marvin J. Johnson Award (BIOT Division, American Chemical Society, 2024). Additional honours include selection as a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (2014-2015), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS; 2018), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE; 2020), and AIChE (2020).