REU Site: Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging

REU 网站：生物医学成像前沿

• 批准号: 1757837
• 负责人: Andrew Smith
• 金额: $ 36万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-03-01 至 2022-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1757837&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Site; Frontiers; Biomedical; Imaging

The REU site Frontiers in Biomedical Imaging at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) provides a state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary research environment in biomedical imaging to inspire and train undergraduates from under-represented demographics in engineering to encourage their transition to graduate degree programs. Throughout education, images are used to clearly convey complex ideas and to stimulate curiosity and interest. Likewise, investigations in the biological sciences and in medicine invariably require clear pictures of cells, tissues, and organs to discover mechanisms of life and to detect and understand the complex pathological processes of disease. Therefore, imaging is the centerpiece for this REU Site, serving as a bridge between education, engineering, the biological sciences, and medicine. Students gain an advanced skillset in state-of-the-art imaging technologies and interdisciplinary research that they can carry with them to graduate school. They are exposed to the breadth of imaging techniques and medical applications while simultaneously focusing on a specific project at the forefront of biology and medical science. This program applies literature-supported mentorship and training strategies to directly address pipeline leaks for the transition of under-represented groups to graduate degree programs in engineering or related programs. The program also provides enrichment of technical skills, professionalism, and career-readiness. The program is assessed and refined in real-time to continually improve the student experience and value. This REU Site is dedicated to inspiring and training undergraduates in STEM fields through a summer experience in biomedical imaging research. The goal is to create a coherent interdisciplinary program centered on the visualization of biology and human tissues at all scales, and for students to develop a network of role models, mentors, and peers to support and encourage their transition to graduate school. Undergraduate sophomores and juniors in a variety of STEM disciplines will be recruited with special efforts directed toward females and under-represented minorities at minority-serving institutions and small colleges with limited research opportunities. Students begin this 10-week summer program with a 3-day "Bioimaging Bootcamp" to provide foundational knowledge in biology, imaging, and microscopy through lectures, demonstrations, lab activities, and tours, together with social introductions. Students then engage in intensive research projects in imaging and biological visualization, closely mentored by a faculty member and graduate student. All research projects, ranging from imaging single molecules using fluorescence microscopy to MRI-based imaging of the brain in living mammals, have three essential elements: (1) imaging and/or microscopy, (2) a hypothesis-driven analysis of biological samples, and (3) an analytical or computational component. Students also have unique clinical medical imaging immersion experiences, share experiences with their cohort through biweekly social activities, attend research seminars and professional development sessions, and interact with participants in other REUs on campus to expand their network. Summer achievements culminate in poster and oral presentations at a campus undergraduate research symposium that draws undergraduate researchers from throughout the Midwest, as well as the submission of an abstract to the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting, where they reconvene in the Fall for continued education, networking, and career-enriching opportunities.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校 (UIUC) 的 REU 网站生物医学成像前沿提供了生物医学成像领域最先进的跨学科研究环境，以激励和培训工程领域代表性不足的本科生，鼓励他们过渡到研究生学位课程。在整个教育过程中，图像被用来清楚地传达复杂的想法并激发好奇心和兴趣。 同样，生物科学和医学的研究总是需要细胞、组织和器官的清晰图像，以发现生命机制并检测和理解疾病的复杂病理过程。因此，成像是 REU 站点的核心，充当教育、工程、生物科学和医学之间的桥梁。学生获得最先进的成像技术和跨学科研究方面的先进技能，这些技能可以带到研究生院。他们接触广泛的成像技术和医学应用，同时专注于生物学和医学前沿的特定项目。该计划应用文献支持的指导和培训策略来直接解决代表性不足的群体向工程或相关项目的研究生学位课程过渡的管道泄漏问题。该计划还提供丰富的技术技能、专业精神和职业准备。该计划经过实时评估和完善，以不断改善学生的体验和价值。该 REU 网站致力于通过生物医学成像研究的暑期体验来激励和培训 STEM 领域的本科生。目标是创建一个以各种尺度的生物学和人体组织可视化为中心的连贯的跨学科项目，并为学生建立一个由榜样、导师和同行组成的网络，以支持和鼓励他们过渡到研究生院。将招募各种 STEM 学科的本科二年级和三年级学生，特别针对少数族裔服务机构和研究机会有限的小型学院中的女性和代表性不足的少数族裔。学生从为期 3 天的“生物成像训练营”开始为期 10 周的夏季课程，通过讲座、演示、实验室活动和参观以及社交介绍，提供生物学、成像和显微镜方面的基础知识。然后，学生在教职员工和研究生的密切指导下，参与成像和生物可视化方面的深入研究项目。所有研究项目，从使用荧光显微镜对单分子成像到基于 MRI 的活体哺乳动物大脑成像，都具有三个基本要素：（1）成像和/或显微镜，（2）对生物样本的假设驱动分析， (3) 分析或计算组件。学生还拥有独特的临床医学成像浸入式体验，通过每两周一次的社交活动与他们的同伴分享经验，参加研究研讨会和专业发展会议，并与校园内其他 REU 的参与者互动以扩大他们的网络。夏季成果最终在校园本科生研究研讨会上进行海报和口头演示，该研讨会吸引了来自中西部各地的本科生研究人员，并向生物医学工程学会 (BMES) 年会提交了摘要，他们在秋季重新召开，继续研究该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。