Sample Graduate Thesis Topics

• Technologies enabling autologous neural stem cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative disease and injury
• Intelligent acquisition and model building of fluorescence microscope data models
• Interactive biomaterials that modulate inflammation and promote tissue regeneration
• Miminally invasive steerable needles for the treatment of tumors and other intraparynchymal disorders of the brain
• Image registration of MRI and histology images
• Nano/biomaterials, quantum dots, nanoparticles for stem cell therapy research, tissue engineering, drug delivery
• The development of a point of care diagnostic device for stage I pressure ulcers
• Surfactant enhanced aerosol drug delivery in the lungs
• Mechanics of the nucleus in differentially uncommitted cells
• Semi-automatic vessel wall detection and quantification of wall thickness in clinical images of human abdominal aortic aneurysms
• Technologies for the construction of high resolution tissue engineering scaffolds based on natural biopolymers
• Engineering adhesives and devices for gastrointestinal disease diagnosis and therapy
• 3D generative model for cellular and subcellular location patterns
• Control and weaning algorithm of left ventricular assist devices for heart recovery
• Cellular responses to substrate mechanical signals
• Multi-tissue unit regeneration using inkjet bioprinting  technology
• Development of a cyber-enabled pre-surgical cardiovascular planning tool to evaluate and optimize post operative hemodynamics
• Apical torsion for cardiac assist
• Modeling and optimization of a MEMS membrane-based biosensor
• Using accelerometers for the classification of human motion quality
• Achieving spatiotemporal control over mechanical interactions with biological material-based approaches
• Predicting in vivo cell behavior based on characterization and analysis of biomechanical responses
• Mechanical properties of stem cells
• Protein subcellular location pattern recognition
• Understanding cell-based biopolymer structures through small-scale approaches
• Clinical outcome of endovascular treatment of carotid artery occlusive disease
• BioMEMS and neural engineering
• Formation and nature of muscle synergies in the human hand during learning
• Automated analysis of subcellulat protein location in tissues
• Automated segmentation of fluorescence microscope images
• Developing control strategies based on observed biological control structure and implementing them in engineered systems
• Development of a small, pneumatically-powered system that simultaneously cools and pumps blood while also transferring oxygen and carbon dioxide
• Manufacturing complex fibrin-based biomaterial structures for tissue engineering
• Synthesis and characterization of trivalent Ion substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as non-viral vectors for gene delivery.
• Measurements of elastic parameters of red blood cells with atomic force microscopy.
• Synthesis and characterization of novel polymer/ceramic biodegradable composites for bone tissue engineering.
• Analysis of hemodynamics in pre- and post-operative patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysms
• Banded growth features in isotropic pyrolytic carbon generated from fluidized bed reactors
• Computational simulation of ECM synthesis
• Interpreting protein location patterns using cellular imaging and machine learning techniques, especially on quantitatively evaluating the modification of subcellular protein localization caused by specific drugs
• Characterization of the wear of polyethylene in total joint replacement (M.S.)
• Increasing safety and mobility for the elderly on stairs (M.S.)
• Synergy of EDTA and Vancomycin for treating biofilm infections of medical implants (M.S.)
• Banded growth features in isotropic pyrolytic carbon generated from fluidized bed reactors (M.S.)