News Type: Research

Jeffrey Siewerdsen, professor of biomedical engineering, and a team of researchers have designed a new type of CT scanner that has recently been approved for commercial use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Jordan Green, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and Jonathan Schneck, professor of pathology, both at the School of Medicine, have learned that by combining a biomimetic particle along with a more traditional immunotherapy they could lengthen the lives of mice with skin cancer better than either treatment alone. Both approaches focus on activating the rodent immune system killer T cells; white blood cells that fight infection and other invaders.

In their search for new ways to treat cancer, many scientists are using a high-tech process called genome sequencing to hunt for genetic mutations that encourage tumor cells to thrive. To aid in this search, some researchers have developed new bioinformatics methods that each claim to help pinpoint the cancer-friendly mutants.

Recent PhD graduate from Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering, Jennifer Xu, reached an important milestone in translating her research from the laboratory to first clinical studies of a new point-of-care cone-beam CT (CBCT) scanner.

New computer models that track the motions of blood flow in the heart may reduce the risk of stroke, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Using high-tech human heart models and mouse experiments, scientists at Johns Hopkins and Germany's University of Bonn have shown that beams of light could replace electric shocks in patients reeling from a deadly heart rhythm disorder.

The human brain is the most complex machine in existence. Every brain is loaded with some 100 billion nerve cells, each connecting to thousands of others, giving around 100 trillion connections. Mapping those connections, or synapses, could enable scientists to decipher what causes neurological disease and mental illness. It's an immense, daunting task.

From a napkin sketch to clinical trials, this weight-bearing CT scan wins industry accolades and provides doctors with a way to see bone breaks that may have gone undetected.

The Human Genome Project, a 13-year effort to map the complex DNA sequences that are the building blocks of our bodies and biological systems, was a landmark in genetic understanding. Critical as it was, the project only described the sequences, not the way DNA behaves and interacts with other elements to develop organisms.

When researchers try to uncover the cause of disease, they commonly start with two questions: did a quirk in the patient's genes open the door to illness, or did exposure to environmental factors play havoc with the patient's health?

Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering researchers have built strategic partnerships with leading BME clinicians and programs worldwide, and the department's global reach is expected to grow.

More detailed and precise MRI requires lengthier scans — taxing the patient’s ability to remain still. Daniel Herzka and his colleagues are creating solutions that compensate for motion, and deliver clearer medical images more efficiently.

Feinberg is part of a team of NASA experts selected to study how a year in space effects astronaut Scott Kelly's biology, when compared to his twin earth-bound brother, Mark, as the control.

Kevin Yarema's research group uses metabolic glycoengineering in their pancreatic and brain cancer studies, manipulating how cells process and display sugars, and looking for molecular targets to block so they can't drive cancer development.

At the nexus of research and technology, Dr Kuo secures hi-tech hardware for scientists, aids researchers determine what equipment can help them achieve research needs, and advises BME students with equipment design strategies.

A recently published study led by BME professor Xiaoqin Wang, reveals that, much like humans, marmoset monkeys distinguish between high and low notes.

The emerging field of computational medicine gives researchers a versatile and robust platform for testing the effectiveness of new cancer drug therapies, and the ability to efficiently investigate a wide range of drug interactions.

A $2.6 million NIH grant will fund the development of radically-improved CT imaging hardware and software that will deliver patient- and area-specific, low-dose CT scans.

Rick Huganir and Michael Miller will co-direct the Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins, drawing together faculty experts in neuroscience, engineering, data science to study the brain.

Parkinson's disease patients are less willing to assign force to their affected arm. Now, researchers led by Reza Shadmehr, report that noninvasive cortical stimulation reduced effort costs in the affected arm, and improved motor symptoms.

BME researchers have developed a technique of processing optical coherence tomography imaging to help surgeons quickly and safely distinguish healthy from cancerous tissue.

Up to one-fifth of human DNA act as dimmer switches for nearby genes, but scientists have long been unable to identify precisely which mutations in these genetic control regions really matter in causing common diseases.

When confronted with the bio­ mechanics of cancer’s ability to spread, the engineering prowess of Dr. Aleksander S. Popel kicks in. He is making inroads into novel drug-based approaches that halt angiogenesis and disrupt metastasis.

By using a two-step electrical pulse, researchers Les Tung and Ron Berger found that the first “kinder, gentler” surge, preconditions the skeletal muscles for the second larger pulse.

Using cardiac MRI scans, researchers create patient-specific computational heart models. Heart rhythm dysfunction is then simulated, allowing technicians to efficiently predict ideal lifesaving therapy.

Dr. Jeff Siewerdsen and other researchers have developed a correction method for cone-beam CT that yields improved image quality sufficient for reliable diagnosis of subtle intracranial hemorrhage.

For the first time, Johns Hopkins researchers, including Dr. Jordan Green, used a compound-filled biodegradable nanoparticle gene therapy along with an intercranial delivery system to kill brain cancer cells in animals and lengthen their survival. This new strategy shows great promise in treating brain cancers, such as glioma.

With a single scanning optical fiber, biomedical engineering Professor Xingde Li and his team are creating label-free and processing-free microscopes that go where no others can.

Using custom software designed in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, a team of Johns Hopkins researchers has synthesized an entire yeast chromosome.

Sridevi Sarma works with School of Medicine colleagues to refine software called EZTrack that analyzes the brain’s electrical impulses to help pinpoint the location of epileptic seizures.