4th Annual Biomedical Engineering Research Day spotlights research and celebrates community
Biomedical engineering drives innovation in healthcare, applying engineering principles to solve medical challenges, improve patient outcomes and advance the medical device industry. To highlight groundbreaking research in this field, the University of Akron’s (UA) Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) hosted its 4th Annual Biomedical Engineering Research Day on Friday, March 14, 2025.
More than 100 attendees—including students, faculty, alumni and industry representatives—gathered at UA’s InfoCision Stadium - Summa Field. The event featured a keynote address by Randy Theken, B.S. '90, M.S. '92, a medical device entrepreneur and founder of NextStep Arthropedix. He shared insights into his time at UA, his connection with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the evolution of his many companies in the medical device and mechanical testing industries. The event also featured outstanding biomedical research from UA and other regional institutions, with presenters from the University of Toledo, Cleveland State University, Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute and Cleveland Diagnostics.
“The organizing committee diligently worked over the past six months to create this event as a platform for students to connect with researchers and industry professionals,” shared Dr. Hossein Ravanbakhsh, chair of the BME Research Day Committee and assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UA. “Thanks to the generous support of our sponsor Gebauer Company, we were able to expand our reach, resulting in a 50% increase in attendance compared to last year—highlighting the growing interest in BME-oriented research in Northeast Ohio.”
New to this year’s event was the inclusion of representatives from the medical device industry. In addition to Gebauer’s sponsorship of the event, representatives from Lubrizol and STERIS attended and met with students and faculty, strengthening valuable industry connections.
A total of 34 research posters were presented, including 26 from graduate students and eight from undergraduates, with 25 posters representing UA.
“This event was designed to celebrate the hard work of many dedicated students who push the boundaries of biomedical research and innovation while fostering scientific discussions and the exchange of ideas,” said Dr. Hossein Tavana, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
The poster presentations were evaluated by a panel of experts from academia and industry, including Dr. Christopher Barney from UA’s School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, Dr. Alex Bell from CIT Ortho and Walid Qaqish from the Lubrizol Corporation.
Pictured left to right are student poster award winners Luke Ramsier, Ebrahim Tajik, Ashley Wong, Katherine Bradshaw and Layan Hamidi Nia.
Congratulations to the following students who received awards:
Best Undergraduate Poster – 1st Place
- Luke Ramsier, second-year BME student at UA working with Dr. Hossein Ravanbakhsh
"Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing of an Origami-Inspired Heart Valve for Minimally Invasive Surgery"
Best Undergraduate Poster – 2nd Place
- Ashley Wong, fourth-year nursing student at UA working with Dr. Ge "Christie" Zhang
"Monitoring of Chemical Reagent Residuals in Cardiac Tissue Decellularization"
Best Graduate Poster – 1st Place
- Layan Hamidi Nia, Ph.D. student at Cleveland State University (B.S. Biomedical Engineering '21)
"Hydrogel Encapsulation of Engineered Microbes for Targeted Molecule Delivery in the Colon"
Best Graduate Poster – 2nd Place
- Ebrahim Tajik, Ph.D. BME student at UA working with Dr. Hossein Ravanbakhsh
"Synthesis and 4D Printing of Shape Memory Polymers for Minimally Invasive Surgery Procedures"
Best Graduate Poster – 3rd Place
- Katherine Bradshaw, Ph.D. BME student at UA working with Dr. Nic Leipzig
"Development of a Physiologically Relevant Me-HA Hydrogels Incorporating Pluripotent-derived Neural Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injuries"
RELATED CONTENT:
- Learn more about our Biomedical Engineering programs
- Check out the Annual BME Research Day website
Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd@uakron.edu.