See where our faculty and students presented, and learn about BME at UAB.

Overview / UAB at BMES 2025

The UAB Department of Biomedical Engineering showcased a strong presence at the BMES 2025 Annual Meeting. Faculty, trainees, and students contributed talks, presentations, and poster sessions that highlighted UAB’s impact in imaging, tissue engineering, biomechanics, and biomedical data science. Their work demonstrated how UAB advanced healthcare through engineering innovation.

Faculty & Student Presentations

Podium Talks 

Atherosclerotic three-layer nanomatrix vascular sheets for high-throughput therapeutic evaluation
Presenter: Dr. Ho-Wook Jun
Session: Cardiovascular Engineering
Thursday, October 9
2:15-2:30 p.m.
Room 30A

Biomechanical Profiling of Murine Fibroblasts in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Microenvironments
Presenter: Connor Nguyen, Sewell-Loftin Lab
Session: Cellular and Molecular Mechanobiology I: From Outside to Inside of the Cell
Friday, October 10
9:45-10:00 a.m.
Room 31B

Nitric Oxide Releasing Bionanomatrix Coating for Percutaneous Osseointegrated Prostheses
Presenter: Anderson Duke, Jun Lab
Session: Othropedic and Rehabilitation Engineering
Friday, October 10
Time 3:15-3:30 p.m.
Room 23C

Logic-based network model calibrated with machine-learning predicts the effect of drug therapies on cardiac hypertrophy induced by multiple different interventions
Presenter: Dr. Jojane Bracamonte, Holmes Lab
Session: Theory and Practice of Synthetic Biology
Time: 3:15-3:30 p.m.
Room 33B
*Presenter is also a Chair of this Session

Strain Promotes Triple Negative Breast Cancer Proliferation and Migration via VEGFR-2
Presenter: Dr. M.K. Sewell-Loftin
Session: Young Innovators of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Part 2
Friday, October 10
5:00-5:15 p.m.
Room 28C


Exploring the Synergistic Effect between Mechanical Stimulation and VEGFR-2 Expression in TNBC
Presenter: Shalarria Cooper, Sewell-Loftin Lab
Session: Cancer Mechanobiology: Mechanics of Metastasis, Migration, and Invasion
Saturday, October 11
2:45-3:00 p.m.
Room 31A

Posters

Comparison of Ligand-Driven and Fibroblast-Mediated Regulation of Endothelial Cell Interactions in a 3D Perivascular Matrix Model
Presenter: Vaishali Bala, Sewell-Loftin Lab
Poster Session C&D, Tissue Engineering Session
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
R17

Exploring the Effects of Contractility Inhibitors and Strain on VEGF Secretion and VEGFR-2 Activation
Presenter: Tori McKinley, Sewell-Loftin Lab
Poster Session C&D, Tissue Engineering Session
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
R18

Synergistic Influence of Strain and Hyaluronic Acid on Ovarian and Breast Cancer
Presenter: Emerson Cutcliffe, Sewell-Loftin Lab
Poster Session C&D, Women’s Health
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Z47

Using iPSC derived engineered heart tissues to model cardiac injury following streptococcus pneumonia infection
Presenter: Dr. Ian Berg, Sethu Lab
Poster Session C&D: Tissue Engineering
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
R6

Application of Nitric Oxide Releasing Bionanomatrix Gel For Dialysis Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation Presenter: Dr. Ho-Wook Jun
Poster Session C&D: Biomaterials
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
D3

Dual-action Nanomatrix Coated Stent for Improving Endothelialization while Suppressing Restenosis and Inflammation
Presenter: Robbie Cross, Jun Lab
Poster Session: Cardiovascular Engineering
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
K22

Application of Nitric Oxide Releasing Bionanomatrix Gel For Dialysis Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation
Presenter: Dr. Ho-Wook Jun
Poster Session C&D: Biomaterials
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
D3

Bionanomatrix Coated Balloons promote faster endothelialization and demonstrate effective drug transfer
Presenter: Anderson Duke, Jun Lab
Poster Session A&B: Cardiovascular Engineering
Thursday, October 9
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
R22

Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanomatrix and Hydroxyapatite on Angiogenesis and Dentinogenesis
Presenter: Kyounga Cheon, Jun Lab
Poster Session C&D: Biomaterials
Friday, October 10
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
C10

Exploring the Effects of Soluble Growth Factors and Inhibitors on Vasculogenesis
Presenter: Vidhi Patel
Poster Session E, Tissue Engineering Session
Saturday, October 11
Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Z17

Meet the Faculty Candidate – Dr. Johane Bracamonte
Saturday, October 11

Highlights

Dr. MK Sewell-Loftin in the Ca.m.B Young Innovator Awards
Dr. MK Sewell-Loftin serving as a Biomaterials Track Chair and Session Chair for Therapeutic & Cell Delivery in Tissue Engineering
Dr. Johane Bracamonte in the Meet the Faculty Candidate Poster Session

UAB BME Highlights

• Nationally recognized research – Innovative biomedical engineering department.
• Strategic alignment with Heersink School of Medicine – Engineering and medicine working seamlessly together.
• Graduate, Undergraduate, and Certificate programs – Numerous degree paths with specialized training.
• Innovative Research Areas – Cutting-edge exploration across biomedical engineering fields.
• Advanced Research centers – Specialized hubs driving groundbreaking biomedical discoveries.
• Pioneering Scholars – Faculty leaders advancing knowledge and innovation.
• Student & research culture – Collaborative, supportive, and innovation-driven community.