Innovation Medicine Program (IMED)

After having lived in Dayton, OH, then in Syria, I moved to the southwest suburbs of Chicago. I attended Loyola University Chicagoand graduatedin 2018with a degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, and Biology. I have developed my interest in combining technology with biology and medicine at Loyola, especially by participating in research. At Putonti lab at Loyola, I wrote computational algorithms to elucidate the relationships between phage (bacterial viruses) and bacteria. At Dingwall Lab at the Stritch School of Medicine, I analyzed RNA sequencing data to explore the relationships between epigenetic complexes and human cancer. My background in computer science and biological data analysis led me to the IMED program, where I hope to continue using technology to discover information hidden in big data. Outside of academics, my hobbies include video game design, art, and playing the piano.

Abhi Deshpande graduated with degrees in Bioengineering and Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While in Urbana-Champaign, his research experiences included involvement in a biodistribution study of a nanomedicine carrier which targeted adipose tissue macrophages in obesity. He also worked for the Jump Simulation Center in Peoria, where he developed a prototype of a sepsis simulator that would help train clinicians to effectively treat sepsis and septic shock. As a senior design project, he also created a working model for treating spontaneous neonatal pneumothorax. Before medical school, Abhi worked as an analyst at IQVIA, where he performed market research and provided competitive assessments in the diabetes industry. As a member of the IMED program, Abhi hopes to combine his interests in medicine and healthcare entrepreneurship to develop low-cost medical innovations. When not at school, Abhi enjoys playing golf and basketball and watching the Chicago White Sox.

Alex Wind is a native of Evanston, Illinois, a place he still considers to be the best city on earth. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he majored in physics and minored in computer science. While at the university, his academic interests were far-reaching and he took many courses in math, chemistry, sociology, and music. In parallel with his academic interests, his research was highly varied as well. Throughout his undergradatuate years Alex conducted research at NorthShore University Health System, where he designed and prototyped a vasectomy simulation module and contributed to the development of a device used to measure blood-oxygen levels of muscle and deep tissue in real-time, The University of Chicago where he helped develop algorithms to predict population-based long-term incidences of type-II diabetes complications, and his home institution of the University of Illinois where he conducted joint research in the departments of sociology and the college of law, investigating the causes and effects of unequal access to justice in the United States. Following college, Alex received a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering. His thesis measured the ability of able-bodied patients to modulate their ankle joint stiffness, a component of impedance, voluntarily in real-time. Alex loves to read, play pinball, and watch old horror movies. He’s looking forward to working with IMED to look for novel solutions to complex problems.

Elise grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. She attended the University of Illinois at Chicago for undergraduate studies, where she completed a BS in Bioengineering. At the University of Oxford she completed a Masters in Evidence Based Health Care. Her research experience includes predicting differentiation in human mesenchymal stem cells and studying the progression of pulmonary hypertension in a rat model. For her engineering senior design project, she developed a Walking Beam Test Device to measure the risk of falling in patients with unilateral lower limb loss. Elise wishes to continue medical research and device design, potentially in obstetrics and gynecology. In her spare time, Elise enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling.

Kevin grew up in the United Kingdom before his family eventually relocated to the U.S. . He attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he studied Biology, Economics, and Finance. During his time in Chicago, he founded Pillsense ,astartup designed to tackle the problem of medication non adherence. After graduation and before starting at UICCOM, Kevin worked as a consultant at StrategIQ Commerce where he helped solve problems in the logistics space. Kevin is excited to be a part of this cohort of IMED students, and develop his interest in interdisciplinary problem solving and entrepreneurship. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys playing soccerand basketball, cooking,and watching the Greenbay Packers.

Lander McGinn joins the UICOM IMED 2022 Cohort by way of Miami, after graduating from the University of Miami in 2016, where he majored in Immunology and French. After his undergraduate studies, he worked most notably as the operations manager for ResultsMD Plastic Surgery. There, he began worked to establish the groundwork for several other ancillary businesses and first became interested in the development of new medical devices. Lander most looks forward to using his logistics acumen and collaborative skills to facilitate medical needs finding and eventual prototyping.

Manish grew up in Schaumburg, Illinois and pursued a degree in Bioengineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2017. Throughouthis undergraduate career, he engaged in sepsis research extensively. (1) He worked alongside Dr. Rashid Bashir to design a point-of-care device capable of detecting specific biomarkers upregulated during sepsis froma single drop of blood. (2) In collaboration with Carle physicians, Manish helpedto identify key sepsis biomarkers to develop a platform that will enable the previously mentioned point-of-care device to identify early signs of sepsis with machine learning algorithms. Following graduation, Manish received a position atNorthwestern in Evanston to work with Dr. John Rogers to help developflexible,wireless skin sensors for several purposes. (3) The team produced a UV dosimeter that is battery-free, light-weight, and reusable for monitoring UV exposure throughout the day specific for each user. The product is now sold by L’Oréal and is called UV Sense. (4) Alongside, Manish aided in the development of a flexible, skin-like, wearable sensor capable of measuring the thermal properties of skin at depths of several millimeters. This technology is now being applied to patients with cellulitis to better understand the disease and healing process. In addition, the device is being applied to kidney transplant patients to monitor transplant acceptance and blood flowto the organ. (5) Similar to number 4, the team developed a device capable of trackingsurface skin hydration levels using a battery-free, wireless, skin sensor that is both light-weight and reusable. Manish hopes to continue working on engineering-based medical devices and join the UIC team through the IMED problem to identify novel and innovative methods to monitor and identifyearly-signs of disease. In his free time, Manish enjoys to play basketball, dance, and spendingtime getting to know friends.

Ravi was raised in Naperville, IL and graduated from Saint Louis University in 2018 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering. His research dealt primarily with tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and wound healing. His specific interests included the use of electrospinning for burn wound and pressure ulcer applications, and fabrication of 3D printed cryogel scaffolds for treatment of volumetric muscle loss. His hobbies include swimming, badminton, and meme-tagging. He hopes to use his background in engineering and experience with IMED to make healthcare more efficient, affordable, and accessible.

Simona grew up in sunny southern California. After studying Biology and English Lit at UCSB, she moved to Chicago to work in biotech. Serendipitous circumstances led her to complete a Ph.D. in Biology & Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern where she applied her penchant for science and creativity to developing and modeling materials for bone regeneration. She is eager to keep exploring new pathways toward medical innovation as a member of IMED. In her non-science moments, she can be found taking cat napson the grass, eating strawberry-rhubarb flavored pastries, and over-populating her Goodreads to-read shelf.

Zachary grew up in Buffalo Grove, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago. He received a B.A. in the Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania. Following graduation, Zachary spent a year as a clinical medical assistant at Advanced Dermatology, LLC in Lincolnshire, IL. He then received a master’s degree in Neurobiology at Northwestern University, conducting research in Dr. Ravi Allada’s lab. Zachary’s work focused on the analysis of homeostatic sleep drive in Drosophila and he developed a data analysis software tool to more effectively parse fly sleep patterns and he hopes he will be able to publish the program. Zachary envisioned a career in which his research was driven primarily by innovation; through IMED, he is excited to synthesize his research experience, computer science background, and love of “tinkering” to contribute to innovative medical techniques for use in the clinical setting. Outsideof academia, Zachary loves playing tennis and softball, going hiking or skiing, and rooting for the Cubs.

I grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL and received a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from Loyola University Chicago in 2016. My interest in medical innovation took me to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where I completed a master’s degree in Bioinstrumentation. While there, I worked on a capstone project focused on identifying biochemical differences between arterial and venous clots and exploring the power of ultrasound to differentiate these clots. I was also given the opportunity to work with an ophthalmologist on her project of ideating a novel sensor to detect ocular trauma. In these next four years of medical school, I look forward to building upon my background and experience in bioinstrumentation to contribute to the world of medical innovation. In my spare time, I enjoy playing basketball, reading, and cooking.