Biomedical engineering students showcased their research during poster sessions throughout the day. Photo/Dylan Cavaz
The future of biomedical engineering innovation and research was out in full force on April 12, as graduate students from USC Viterbi School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering presented the culmination of years of hard work.
For the past 23 years, teams of biomedical engineering students have organized the annual Grodins Research Symposium, which showcases graduate student research. The symposium features keynotes, podium sessions, research posters and an awards presentation. This year’s event, hosted at the USC Hotel Conference Center, shone a spotlight on the work of around 90 graduate students. It also featured six podium presentations from PhD students close to graduation, along with remarks from Professor and Dwight C. and Hildagarde E. Baum Chair in Biomedical Engineering, Kirk Shung.
Keynote speaker, Babak Kateb, Chair and CEO of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics. Photo/Dylan Cavaz
The keynote was presented by leading neuroscientist, Babak Kateb, Chair and CEO of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics. Kateb discussed how nanotechnology, devices and AI will shape the future of clinical neuroscience and neurosurgery.
Chair of the Grodins Symposium organizing committee, Jess Wu, said the symposium offered students a valuable chance to present their research to their peers, faculty and postdoctoral researchers.
“It promotes collaboration and communication between people from different fields. It’s an opportunity to get feedback on their research, to communicate and share and just to see what each other is doing,” Wu said.
“The other advantage is that students get to practice their presentation skills and how to create a poster. Being able to present your research to others is a crucial part of your career in biomedical engineering,” she said.
2019 Grodins Service Award winners. Photo/Dylan Cavaz
Biomedical engineering students were presented with the following honors during the Grodins Symposium Awards:
| Category | Recipient |
| Grodins Service Award | Qianhui “Jess” Wu |
| Grodins Service Award | Ali Marjaninejad |
| Grodins Service Award | Chau Vu |
| Grodins Service Award | Susan Bissmeyer |
| Grodins Service Award | Jeffrey Santoso |
| Grodins Service Award | Jonathan Wang |
| BME Department Service Award | Nathan Cho |
| 1st Year Best Poster | Natalie Dong |
| Cell & Tissue Engineering | Deborah Chin |
| Biosystems & Signals | Min Song |
| Neuroengineering | Pallavi Gunalan |
| Imaging | Samantha Ma |
| Devices & Diagnostic Technology | Eugene Yoon |
| Grodins Platform Runner-Up Award | Xingfeng Shao |
| Grodins Platform 1st Place Award | Nethika Ariyasinghe |
| Grodins Graduate Award | Julio Villalon |
| USC Stevens Most Disruptive Award | Xingfeng Shao |
| USC Stevens Best Commercial Potential Award | Ali Marjaninejad |
This year’s event sponsors included the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering, the USC Graduate Student Government, MathWorks, Medtronic, the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and the USC Stevens Institute for Innovation, which presented the Most Disruptive and Best Commercial Potential Awards.
For further information about the event, visit the Grodins Symposium website.
More photos from the event are available here.
Published on April 23rd, 2019
Last updated on June 16th, 2019
