The Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation presents / Next-Gen Healthcare Innovators Symposium 2024

Next-Gen Healthcare Innovators Symposium 2024

Stevens Ph.D. candidate Felicia Spadavecchia discusses her research with a fellow student.Shima RastgordaniFriday, September 20, 2024 - 12 pm to 5:30 pm
University Center Complex, TechFlex Auditorium

Join our interdisciplinary student-run event focusing on innovative healthcare research.

  • Share your research and test your presentation skills via a 5-minute rapid-fire or poster presentation while learning more about your colleagues’ research

  • Listen to inspiring speakers from the healthcare field

  • Pick the brains of professionals who have been there and done that in the healthcare industry and academia

  • Meet and greet your peers and professors at our networking reception to wrap the day


Register

Thank you for attending our inaugural symposium!

  • Who presented research?
    Stevens Master's Students, Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers. Thank you to all who submitted!!
  • What was presented?
    This symposium highlights research efforts performed by students at various Stevens Departments related to healthcare innovation.
  • What is the presentation format?
    - 5-minute rapid fire oral presentations
    - Poster presentations
  • Who else can attend our symposium?
    All Stevens-affiliated students, faculty and industry professionals are welcome.

See You at the Symposium!

Please email any feedback or questions about our inaugural event.

Timeline

If you are interesting in presenting or attending at our next Next-Gen Healthcare Innovators Student Symposium, please be mindful of the timeline and process we used in 2024:

  • June 20: Abstract submissions open

  • August 1: Abstract submissions close

  • August 2: Open registration for Symposium attendees begins

  • August 20: All acceptance notifications for abstracts will be sent before - or on - this date

  • September 5: Attendance registration deadline

  • September 20: 2024 Next-Gen Healthcare Innovators Student Symposium - Day of event


Agenda and Presentations

11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

REGISTRATION OPENS + LUNCH

12:45 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

WELCOME REMARKS

Dr. Jean Zu, Lore E. Feiler Dean, Schaefer School of Engineering and Science

Professor Hongjun Wang, Director, Center for Healthcare Innovation

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Marko Zivkovic, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Genesis Research

Chiu Chau, Founder, Perpetual, Serial Entrepreneur, Roboticist

2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

PANEL DISCUSSION - Academic Life After Ph.D.

Emily Boltcreed, Postdoctoral Researcher, Columbia University

Sarah Goodman, Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, Stevens

Efe Ozkaya, Postdoctoral Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Antonia Zaferiou, Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Stevens

2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

RAPID-FIRE PITCH PRESENTATION

5-minute oral presentation on research

3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

PRESENTATION OF CHI BEST PAPER AWARD + BEST RAPID-FIRE PITCH PRESENTATION AWARD

4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

POSTER SESSION AND NETWORKING SOCIAL HOUR

Presentations

In order of poster number, here are the presented research projects and their investigators displayed at our symposium:

1. Using Whole-body Linear Momentum Control Strategies to Understand...

Presenter
Jun Liu, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Using Whole-body Linear Momentum Control Strategies to Understand Two-Foot Running Jumps with a Basketball vs. Without

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Antonia Zaferiou

2. Performance in a Perturbation-Based Motor Task Improves After...

Presenter
Sophie Dewil, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Performance in a Perturbation-Based Motor Task Improves After Exposure to Errors

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Raviraj Nataraj


3. Personalized Sonified Biofeedback Training for Older Adults

Presenter
Zahava Hirsch, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Personalized Sonified Biofeedback Training for Older Adults: A Pilot Clinical Study

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Antonia Zaferiou

4. Differential Impact of Task Difficulty on Performance Outcomes...

Presenter
Yu Shi, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Differential Impact of Task Difficulty on Performance Outcomes in Motor Rehabilitation Training with Augmented Sensory Feedback

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Raviraj Nataraj


5. Mechanical Changes of Soft Tissues in Diseases...

Presenter
Xuesong Zhang, Postdoctorate

Project name
Mechanical Changes of Soft Tissues in Diseases: Brain in Multiple Sclerosis and Sclera in Myopia

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Johannes Weickenmeier


6. Novel Robotic Surgery Mechanism Utilizing a Continuum Instrument

Presenter
Douglas McDonough, Accelerated Masters Program (AMP)

Project name
Novel Robotic Surgery Mechanism Utilizing a Continuum Instrument

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Long Wang


7. Quantifying Ventricular Enlargement and Shape Variations in Alzheimer...

Presenter
Lauren Cunniff, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Quantifying Ventricular Enlargement and Shape Variations in Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitively Normal Individuals

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, Biomedical Sensing and Imaging

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Johannes Weickenmeier


8. Methods to Capture Brain Morphological Features in Modeling Aging Brain

Presenter
Shima Jalalian, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Methods to Capture Brain Morphological Features in Modeling the Aging Brain

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, Biomedical Sensing and Imaging

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Johannes Weickenmeier


9. Feasibility Analysis of Exoskeletons for Aiding Gait...

Presenter
Ikshwak Jinesh, Master's Student

Project name
Feasibility Analysis of Exoskeletons for Aiding Gait, Controlled by Moment Requirement

Research cluster
Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Kishore Pochiraju


10. Assessing the Role of Oviduct Contraction in the Transport of...

Presenter
Huan Han, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Assessing the Role of Oviduct Contraction in the Transport of Preimplantation Embryo Through in Vivo Imaging in the Mouse Model

Research cluster
Biomedical Sensing and Imaging

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Shang Wang


11. Structural Constrained and Pathology Aware Convolutional Transformer...

Presenter
Xueshen Li, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Structural Constrained and Pathology Aware Convolutional Transformer-Gan for Virtual Histology Staining of Human Coronary Oct Images

Research cluster
Biomedical Sensing and Imaging

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Yu Gan


12. Time-Lapse Quantitative 3D Imaging of Outgrowth Formation...

Presenter
Aleese Mukhamedjanova, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Time-Lapse Quantitative 3D Imaging of Outgrowth Formation from Ovarian Cancer Spheroid with Optical Coherence Tomography

Research cluster
Biomedical Sensing and Imaging

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Shang Wang


13. Three-Dimensional Velocimetry Based on Optical Coherence Tomography...

Presenter
Tianqi Fang, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Three-Dimensional Velocimetry Based on Optical Coherence Tomography for Assessing Transport of Preimplantation Embryo in the Mouse Oviduct In Vivo

Research cluster
Biomedical Sensing and Imaging

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Shang Wang


14. Synthesis of Noble Metal Nanoparticles and Their Utility Drug...

Presenter
Nuo Xu, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Synthesis of Noble Metal Nanoparticles and Their Utility Drug Delivery of Chemotherapy Drug

Research cluster
Drug Discovery, Development and Delivery (4D)

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Hongjun Wang


15. MEDfuse: Multimodal EHR Data Fusion with Masked Lab-Test Modeling...

Presenter
Jun-En Ding, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
MEDfuse: Multimodal EHR Data Fusion with Masked Lab-Test Modeling and Large Language Models

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Systems and Enterprises

Advisor(s)
Feng Liu


16. Identification of Children's Screen Usage Using Multi-View Vision...

Presenter
Xinlong Hou, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Identification of Children's Screen Usage Using Multi-View Vision Language Model

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Yu Gan


17. Text-to-ESQ: A Two-Stage Controllable Approach for Efficient...

Presenter
Wenlong Zhang, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Text-to-ESQ: A Two-Stage Controllable Approach for Efficient Retrieval of Vaccine Adverse Events from NoSQL Database

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Computer Science

Advisor(s)
Ping Wang

18. Exploring Algorithmic Explainability: Generating Explainable AI...

Presenter
Tongze Zhang, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Exploring Algorithmic Explainability: Generating Explainable AI Insights for Personalized Clinical Decision Support Focused on Cannabis Intoxication in Young Adults

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Computer Science

Advisor(s)
Sang Won Bae

19. Leveraging Large Language Models for Personalized Health Insights...

Presenter
Melik Ozolcer, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Leveraging Large Language Models for Personalized Health Insights Using Wearable Sensor Data and Machine Learning

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Systems and Enterprises

Advisor(s)
Sang Won Bae

20. FacePSY: An Open-Source Affective Mobile Sensing System...

Presenter
Rahul Islam, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
FacePSY: An Open-Source Affective Mobile Sensing System - Analyzing Facial Behavior and Head Gesture for Depression Detection in Naturalistic Settings

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Systems and Enterprises

Advisor(s)
Sang Won Bae

21. A Registration Platform for MRI to Pet Translation

Presenter
Mahdi Babaei, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
A Registration Platform for MRI to Pet Translation

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Yu Gan


22. Precision Knowledge Graph Augmenting Health Risk Prediction

Presenter
Pengfei Hu, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Precision Knowledge Graph Augmenting Health Risk Prediction

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Computer Science

Advisor(s)
Yue Ning

23. The Role of Systems Engineering in Shaping Future Healthcare Delivery

Presenter
Mohamed Mogahed, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
The Role of Systems Engineering in Shaping Future Healthcare Delivery: A Governance Approach for Systems Integration

Research cluster
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Healthcare

Department
Systems and Enterprises

Advisor(s)
Mo Mansouri

24. Controlling the Complexation Between Polyanionic Microgels...

Presenter
Yunhua Guo, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Controlling the Complexation Between Polyanionic Microgels and Cationic Peptides to Create Self-Defensive Antimicrobial Surfaces

Research cluster
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Technologies

Department
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Advisor(s)
Matthew Libera

25. Controlled Degradation of Polycaprolactone Through Embedded Lipase

Presenter
Makenna Quigley, Accelerated Masters Program (AMP)

Project name
Controlled Degradation of Polycaprolactone Through Embedded Lipase

Research cluster
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Technologies

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Hongjun Wang


26. Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Neural Cells for Tissue...

Presenter
Felicia Spadavecchia, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Effects of Electrical Stimulation on Neural Cells for Tissue Regeneration Applications

Research cluster
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Technologies

Department
Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Advisor(s)
Hongjun Wang


27. Effects of Electrospun Fibre Diameter and Composition on...

Presenter
Matangi P R, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Effects of Electrospun Fibre Diameter and Composition on the Induction of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Keratinocytes

Research cluster
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Technologies, Multifunctional Multiscale Biomaterials and Biofabrication,

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Hongjun Wang


28. Fabrication of Multiscale Scaffolds to Support Thymic Epithelial...

Presenter
Gokce (Gina) Polack, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Fabrication of Multiscale Scaffolds to Support Thymic Epithelial Cell Culture

Research cluster
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Technologies, Multifunctional Multiscale Biomaterials and Biofabrication

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Helen Lee

29. Rapid Fabrication of Patterned Phema Hydrogels: Effects Of Micro...

Presenter
Ashkan Farazin, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Rapid Fabrication of Patterned Phema Hydrogels: Effects of Micro/Nano Patterns on Object Blurriness and Applications in Biomedical Fields

Research cluster
Multifunctional Multiscale Biomaterials and Biofabrication

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Chang-Hwan Choi

30. Fabrication of Multichannel Biomimetic Nerve Guidance Scaffolds...

Presenter
Faranak Mankavi, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Fabrication of Multichannel Biomimetic Nerve Guidance Scaffolds for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Research cluster
Multifunctional Multiscale Biomaterials and Biofabrication

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Hongjun Wang


32. Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan: Polystyrene Sulfonate...

Presenter
Nicole Petrocelli, Accelerated Masters Program (AMP)

Project name
Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan: Polystyrene Sulfonate Composite Scaffolds for Bone Regeneration

Research cluster
Multifunctional Multiscale Biomaterials and Biofabrication

Department
Biomedical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Hongjun Wang

33. Triaxial Mechanical Characterization of Ultrasoft 3D Support Bath...

Presenter
Ahsanul Torza, Ph.D. Student/Candidate

Project name
Triaxial Mechanical Characterization of Ultrasoft 3D Support Bath-Based Bioprinted Tubular Gelma Constructs

Research cluster
Multifunctional Multiscale Biomaterials and Biofabrication, Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Engineering

Department
Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)
Johannes Weickenmeier

Speakers

Marco Zivkovic at the podium at Stevens.Marko Zivkovic, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Genesis Research 

Marko Zivkovic, Ph.D., is an alumnus of Stevens Institute of Technology, currently serving as the Executive Vice President of Technology and Innovation, as well as the Head of AI Products at Genesis Research. Genesis Research is a leading evidence-generation organization that delivers agile, tech-enabled solutions in real-world evidence (RWE) and health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) to clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device sectors.

With more than 14 years of expertise in real-world data analytics and HEOR, Dr. Zivkovic has worked across a wide array of U.S. and global data sources spanning multiple therapeutic areas. His leadership focuses on addressing AI-related technological challenges, building and managing transparent, efficient, and scalable AI solutions to support evidence generation, optimization, and dissemination.

In his current role, Dr. Zivkovic spearheads the integration of cutting-edge AI solutions into evidence-generation workflows, aiming to enhance decision-making in the biopharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare industries. His efforts include identifying and leveraging both traditional and innovative scientific and technological approaches to accelerate time-to-insight, optimize processes, and deliver actionable, data-driven insights that can drive critical decisions in the healthcare ecosystem.

Read an article featuring Marko and other Stevens alumni here.


Portrait of Chiu ChauChiu Chau, Founder of Perpetual, Serial Entrepreneur, Roboticist 

Chiu Chau was born in Hong Kong and graduated from The University of Hong Kong (HKU) with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He received his master’s in physics from Georgia Institute of Technology. Chau later started Opentrons after building his first lab automation robot in his basement. The company became a “unicorn” during Covid when it supplied the equipment for testing.

Read an article about Mr. Chau and his journey here.


About Us

By the students, for the students.

Director Hongjun Wang presents the Best Oral Presentation Award.The Next-Gen Healthcare Innovators Student Symposium aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and sharing of preliminary research results among graduate students and postdocs at Stevens, focusing on innovative healthcare research.

Whether you're studying or interested in biomaterials, rehabilitation, medical devices, medical image processing, machine learning for clinical data, or anything else related to healthcare, we want you to be part of this event. 

Our event is primarily targeted at graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, but all Stevens affiliates, faculty and industry professionals are welcome as well.


Our Goals

Two students discuss a poster presentation at the NextGen Healthcare Innovators Symposium in 2024.

  • Promote Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Networking: Encourage the integration of diverse fields (such as engineering, biology, computer science, and public health) and promote the formation of multi-disciplinary teams to foster innovative solutions in healthcare.

  • Showcase Preliminary Research: Provide a platform for graduate students and postdocs to present early-stage research, receive feedback, and refine their ideas in a supportive environment.

  • Stimulate Innovative Thinking: Inspire participants to think creatively and apply novel approaches to address current challenges in healthcare.

  • Highlight Technological Integration in Healthcare: Explore the role of emerging technologies such as AI and big data analytics in revolutionizing healthcare practices and improving patient outcomes.


Faculty Advisors

Helen Lee

Helen Lee

Research Scientist, Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation

Yu Gan

Yu Gan

Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Long Wang (lwang4)

Long Wang

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering


Organizing Committee

Adarsh Gogineni

Adarsh Gogineni

M.S. Candidate in Machine Learning, Class of 2025

Zahava Hirsch

Zahava Hirsch

Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering, Class of 2027

Rana Ibrahim

Rana Ibrahim

Ph.D. Candidate in Biomedical Engineering, Class of 2026

Shima Rastgordani

Shima Rastgordani

Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Class of 2027

Felicia Spadavecchia

Felicia Spadavecchia

Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Class of 2025

The Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation is a university-wide research center to augment Stevens' impact on healthcare. Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology. In this fast-changing era where life expectancy is ever-increasing, and the individual and societal burden of medical care is tremendously escalated, an innovative and translational approach to healthcare is needed.

Visit the CHI Website
Semcer Center for Healthcare Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology.