The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of North Carolina announced the winners of the 2023-2024 Creativity Hubs seed funding awards
This article was originally published by UNC Research. The following excerpt has been selected for relevance to the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering. To learn more about other Creativity Hubs winners and their research projects, click this link.
The Creativity Hubs awards have transformed research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by enabling and empowering interdisciplinary teams to collaborate on solutions that matter. For seven years, these awards have united diverse experts and sparked innovative solutions to pressing challenges, improving lives across North Carolina and beyond.
This year, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) has teamed up with the North Carolina Collaboratory to enable even more teams who are making advancements in fields like health care and clean energy. Each team will receive funding to execute their project over the next two years for a combined total of $1.87 million.
“Through the generous support of the North Carolina General Assembly via the NC Collaboratory, we are able to award five project teams with seed funding this year – the most we’ve ever awarded in a single round,” said Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen. “Research is at the heart of innovation, and through Creativity Hubs, we’re fostering a dynamic ecosystem where interdisciplinary teams are pushing the boundaries of knowledge to create incredible applications, which is essential for creating a healthier, more sustainable future for North Carolina.”
Winning teams are working on impactful solutions like a novel cancer diagnostic and technology platform; an AI-assisted ultrasound technology-enabled adaptive neuroscience therapy to treat neuropsychiatric disorders; internal microcapsule pharmacies to treat chronic diseases; portable, low-cost medical screening technology; and better, safer energy sources.
“These projects are directly tied to the Collaboratory’s mission of funding research that addresses our state’s environmental and public health concerns,” said NC Collaboratory Executive Director Jeff Warren. “By uniting top talent and resources, we’re not only enabling the exploration of bold ideas and practical solutions that will have a lasting impact on our state, we’re also supporting the University’s commitment to moving applied science technologies into real-world applications.”
This year, of the five Creativity Hubs winners selected, two teams consist of multiple faculty members from the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering (Joint BME). The two 2024 winners including members from the Joint BME Department are:
Precision-Guided Closed Loop Adaptive Ultrasound Neuromodulation
The Precision-Guided Closed Loop Adaptive Ultrasound Neuromodulation team is co-led by BME faculty Paul Dayton and Gianmarco Pinton and includes Joint BME faculty Oleg Favorov.
Understanding and treating the brain, a complex and dynamic structure presents a formidable challenge in addressing disorders like depression, neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic brain injuries. Existing technologies for assessing brain anatomy and function are constrained by limitations in time, quality, cost and accessibility.
Recent technological advancements, including high-resolution brain ultrasound imaging and neuromodulation, offer promising new approaches to previously unthinkable possibilities. Integration of real-time feedback from the brain through a closed-loop solution could detect and actively correct brain malfunction.
A wearable ultrasound device combined with advanced machine learning could enable precise and adaptive neuromodulation without invasive procedures or hospitalization. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize treatment capabilities, brain-machine interfaces and neuroscience understanding, marking a significant advancement in clinical medicine.
Autonomous Living Therapies for Extended Results
The ALTER – Autonomous Living Therapies for Extended Results team includes Joint BME faculty Michael Daniele and Rahima Benhabbour.
CDC reports show that six in 10 adults have chronic diseases, necessitating rigorous drug therapies. However, global medication adherence, including frequent dosing, remains a significant challenge. In the U.S., poor adherence results in 125,000 annual deaths and incurs over $300 billion in avoidable healthcare costs.
This research aims to develop an innovative, patient-specific drug delivery implant that overcomes adherence challenges. Unlike existing implants needing frequent reloading, this technology utilizes a cell pharmacy, where living cells produce drugs on demand. Engineered living cells in material manufacturing environments create adaptive therapies, empowering patients and physicians with treatment control for chronic diseases.