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Centers & Institutes
Institute for Medicine and EngineeringThe Institute for Medicine and Engineering (IME) stimulates fundamental research at the interface between biomedicine and engineering/physical/computational sciences leading to innovative applications in biomedical research and clinical practice. It was created in 1996 by a mandate from the Trustees of the University to bring together the Schools of Medicine (SOM) and Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) for the joint pursuit of collaborative research opportunities. IME has succeeded in obtaining over $80 million in extramural grants, and funded programs including a 12-position National Institutes of Health interdisciplinary training grant and a large NIH partnership grant (BRP) for Cell and Molecular Studies in Cardiovascular Engineering.
Strategically, the IME relates directly to three major themes of the Research Strategic Plan: Cancer, Neurosciences and Cardiovascular Biology. The University Strategic Plan identifies the link between engineering and medicine as a key driver of success, and recommends “fostering advances in engineering, computing, chemistry, mathematics and behavioral sciences than can be applied to life sciences.” Given its multi-disciplinary nature, the IME is well positioned to take advantage of the new NIH roadmap. The Institute’s unique interface with SEAS makes it a strong force in faculty retention by providing singular directions and connections for research among faculty.
Contact:Location: 1010 Vagelos
Peter F. Davies, PhD, Director
215-573-6813
pfd@pobox.upenn.edu
Link:
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/ime/
Center for Biomedical Micro and Nanotechnology
The Center for Biomedical Micro and Nanotechnology (MiNT) is a pioneering initiative at the intersection of micro and nanotechnology and diagnostic medicine. Created by Drs. Larry J. Kricka and Jason Y. Park in 2005, the center is based at the Penn Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. This center is the first of its kind in the United States. Its vision is to “transform the diagnostic power and practice of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine through the use of microtechnology and nanotechnology.”
Recent research in micro and nanotechnology has revolutionized the potential for progress in a wide range of fields. MiNT is uniquely situated to explore this potential in the field of medical diagnostics, due to its advantageous location within a leading Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department and in a region with a high concentration of nanotechnology research. The Penn Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine has been home to groundbreaking work in the development of microchips for a range of bioanalytical processes. The university also houses a number of established micro and nanotechnology laboratories, including the Nano/Bio Interface Center, the Penn Regional Nanotechnology Facility, and the Penn Microfabrication Laboratory. Additionally, collaboration with other regional institutions is ongoing, through initiatives such as the Nanotechnology Institute (NTI; Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania) and the Materials Pennsylvania Coalition (MatPAC; Lehigh University, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University).
With its wealth of local and regional resources, MiNT seeks to be a leader in promoting and furthering the interaction between Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and micro and nanotechnology, through three primary goals:
- Devise and Develop new methods based on micro and nanotechnology for the diagnosis and management of disease.
- Establish applications of micro and nanotechnology in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
- Evaluate new micro and nanotechnology-based methods and products for the diagnosis and management of disease.
There are many important potential applications of micro and nanotechnology that fall within the scope of MiNT, including:
- New detection technologies based on carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanoparticles of different shapes and compositions, and other types of nano-sized objects and devices.
- New nucleic acid sequencing methods that directly sequence individual molecules using nanopores.
- Miniaturization of instruments based on nanoelectronics (point-of-care testing applications).
- Laboratory testing implications of new therapeutic modalities based on nanomedicines
- New type of wearable or implantable sensors based on nano-biorobotics.
- New issues centering on the ethics of nanotechnology, and the effects of nanotechnology on medicine and the health care system.
- Multiplexed assays based on nanorods, nanocantilevers or nanoparticles.
- Lab-on-a-chip devices for totally integrated analytical testing.
Contact:
Location: 7.103 Founders Pavilion, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Larry J. Kricka, DPhil, Co-Director
215-662-6575
kricka@mail.med.upenn.edu
Jason Y. Park, MD, PhD, Co-Director
215-662-6575
jason.park@uphs.upenn.edu
Sonny S. Mark, MS, PhD, Post-Doctoral Research Associate
215-662-6199
markss@mail.med.upenn.edu
Samuel I. Stolper, Research Specialist
215-662-6199
stolper@mail.med.upenn.edu
Link:
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/mint/
Center for Neurodegenerative Disease ResearchThe Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) is a “center without walls” wherein University of Pennsylvania (Penn) investigators collaborate in the study of neurodegenerative diseases of the elderly. It conducts multidisciplinary clinical and basic research studies so as to increase understanding of the causes and mechanisms leading to brain dysfunction and degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and other less common disorders that occur with advancing age.
In 1991, Drs. John Q. Trojanowski and Virginia M.-Y. Lee established the CNDR at Penn to pursue far-reaching goals such as developing new, effective therapies and finding a cure for these devastating diseases. They have garnered support for their seminal research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), especially the National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Highlights:The CNDR houses the Penn Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC) that is designed to serve as a shared resource facilitating research in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. As one of 29 such federally-funded centers in the U.S., the Penn ADC has contributed to a dramatic expansion in basic and clinical research on AD and related disorders within the University of Pennsylvania Health System—specifically, by providing leadership, education and core support to enhance and stimulate investigations into the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these neurodegenerative diseases. Today, Penn is recognized as an international leader in research on AD.
Thus, the Penn ADC’s integrated mission is to:
- increase understanding of and research on AD, both at and beyond Penn
- foster interactions between this ADC and other ADCs and/or institutions
- increase interactions with the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center (NACC)
- participate in NACC-sponsored ADC collaborative studies
- respond to NIA initiatives on AD and related disorders.
The Clinical Core recruits, assesses and monitors AD and control subjects, including women and minorities. There is a Latino Satellite Clinic to recruit urban Latinos into AD and control cohorts for study, and a Neuropathology Core to bank bodily fluids and tissues from ADC subjects for diagnostic studies and research.
New initiatives include the establishment of the Marian S. Ware Alzheimer Program, comprising a set of collaborative initiatives between PENN Medicine and Penn’s School of Nursing. These seek to advance drug discovery, clinical research, and patient care related to Alzheimer’s disease and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Their unifying plan is to test whether serial magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, other biological markers, and clinical and neuropsychological assessment can be combined to measure the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease.
Contact:Location: 7 Founders
Virginia M.-Y. Lee, PhD, MBA, Director
215-662-6427
vmylee@mail.med.upenn.edu
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, Co-Director
215-662-6399
trojanow@mail.med.upenn.edu
Kevin Davies, Administrative Assistant
215-662-4474
daviesk@mail.med.upenn.edu
Link:www.uphs.upenn.edu/cndr/
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