Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday!

Topic: Biology in our DNA

Working with engineers, scientists and physicians during my years at Johns Hopkins University was enlightening in many ways. At the same time, there was the nagging recognition that medicine, and in particular delivery of medicine, was noticeably under-engineered. From macro to micro delivery of care, regardless of modes and mechanisms, I could envision the gains that engineering disciplines could offer to improve patient care. Ranging from improved integration of ICU devices to better precision radiation, targeted delivery of medicine to treat embedded disease and even the proper distribution of donated organs, I could see, and at times articulated, approaches toward operational efficiencies.

Given my background, I am delighted to report that S&T has long been involved in efforts to address and improve the delivery of health care. In fact, biology and biological sciences are in our DNA dating back to nearly 100 years ago. Dr. Ida Bengtson, one of the leading public health scientists of the 1920s, came to Rolla in 1924 to lead research on trachoma. In an article in Lady Science, Dr. Kathleen Sheppard, associate professor of history at S&T, described Bengtson as the “best bacteriologist” in the U.S. Public Health Service, whose previous successes “made her a prime candidate to lead the charge against trachoma infection in the Ozarks.” In addition to her research, Dr. Bengtson taught bacteriology to our students, had a lab in the basement of Parker Hall, and developed a test during her career with the NIH that is still used today to detect Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

The confluence where the physical sciences and engineering meet biological sciences and medicine is poised to become one of the greatest areas of academic and scientific research ever imagined, and we are prepared to play an important role in these fields of the future.

Our work in bio-related fields has flown under the radar over the years, but S&T’s contributions to biology, medicine, public health and related fields have deep historic roots. In fact, the same spirit of innovation that propelled Dr. Bengtson to establish leading research continues today among S&T faculty, students and research scientists. Our researchers are using their expertise from many disciplines to address important life science challenges in creative, innovative ways.

• Dr. Casey Canfield, assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering, received $1.8 million from the National Science Foundation to investigate how artificial intelligence can improve matchmaking between donated kidneys and transplant centers.
• Dr. V. Prakash Reddy, professor of chemistry and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has spent his career conducting research in organic chemistry, including drug design for treating devastating neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
• Dr. Anthony Convertine, the Roberta and G. Robert Couch Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, is designing new, molecular-scale materials to deliver medicines to treat cancer and lethal bacterial infections. For his work, he was named a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors last year.
• The U.S. Army awarded $5.1 million in grants to several S&T researchers to help tackle the persistent problem of traumatic brain injury. Researchers from chemistry, explosives engineering, materials science and engineering, and other disciplines are involved in this work.
• Dr. Amy Belfi, assistant professor of psychological science, is applying her neuroscience expertise to help determine how music might improve the memory of older adults and perhaps advance research toward treatments for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
• Dr. Delbert Day, Curators’ Distinguished Professor emeritus of ceramic engineering, created microscopic glass beads that are irradiated and used to treat liver cancer. Day also founded Mo-Sci, a successful spin-off company specializing in medical glass technologies.

Just to list a few and to highlight that this is only the beginning for us here at S&T. We are working on new academic programs to further broaden our research into what we call “bio-X,” where the “X” can stand for “engineering,” “informatics,” “materials” and other related fields.

Further, given that many engineering students pursue medical degrees, we are in the early planning phases of creating an engineering/science-to-medicine pathway similar to work done at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and Texas A&M University’s Engineering Medicine Program.

Nearsighted, farsighted or without the benefit of 20/20 vision, we are embarking on a journey of discovery and change to enhance our contribution to solutions in the biotech domain. After all, biology is in our DNA, thanks to a century of relevant research right here at S&T.

Warmly,

-Mo.

Share your thoughts!

Check out the latest news from S&T:

• Khayat named vice chancellor for research and innovation
• Borrok named dean of engineering and computing
• $1.5 million for hypersonic vehicle research

Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu