Genymphas   Higgs
Graduate   Student
School   of   Biomedical   Engineering,   Science   and   Health   Systems
9th   World   Biomaterials   Congress
The   Drexel   International   Travel   Award   assisted   in   my   travel   to   Chengdu,   China   this
June   to   present   my   research   at   the   World
Biomaterials   Congress   (WBC).
Over   3,000   scientists,   engineers,   clinicians   and   industry   representatives   from   57   countries   attended   the   conference   which   is   held   once   every   four   years.
The   scope   of   the   meeting   was   rather   broad,   incorporating   aspects   of   biomaterial   science   such   as   injectable   scaffolds,   biodegradable   metals,   biomedical   composites,   degradable   biopolymers   and
orthopaedic   materials.
As   a   student   working   in   Drexel’s   Implant   Research   Center   under   the   advisement   of   Dr.
Steven   Kurtz,   my   research   has   involved   retrieval   studies   of   various   orthopedic   devices.
One   of   my   projects   has   focused   on   understanding   the   behavior   of   polyetheretherketone   (PEEK)   devices   used   for   posterior   stabilization   of   the   lumbar   spine.
PEEK   is   a   semicrystalline   polymer   that   has   recently   been   introduced   as   an   alternative   to   metal   rod   systems.
Because   of   their   semi ‐ rigid   nature,   PEEK   systems   provide   better   load   sharing   properties   than   metallic   stabilization   –   this   limits   the   additional   forces   that   are   directed   to   adjacent   segments   which   may   accelerate   the   degradation   of   those   disks.
Currently,   little   is   known   about   what   changes   occur   to   PEEK   rods   once   implanted   or   how   these   changes   may   compromise   the   viability   of   the   polymer   for   such   applications.
I   presented   my   findings   as   an   oral   presentation   entitled
“ Characterization   of   in   vivo   change   and   histological   response   of   retrieved   PEEK   rod   systems   for   posterior
lumbar   stabilization   and   fusion”.
This   year’s   WBC   featured   a   “Smart   PEEK   biomaterials”   symposium   highlighting   advances   in   the   utilization   of   PEEK   within   the   orthopaedic   community.
I   was   one   of   six   researches   featured   in   the   session   and   I’m   pleased   to   report   that   the   talk   was   well   received.
Those   attending   the   session   were   particularly   interested   in   our   findings   which   shed   light   on   the   changes   that   occur   to   PEEK   in   vivo   during   spinal   stabilization,   as   well   as   the   effects   that   this   material   has   on   the   surrounding   tissues.
We   will   be   continuing   work   on   this   project   –   hoping   to   expand   the   current   knowledge   on   the   use   of   PEEK   in   this   clinical   application.
The   trip   was   phenomenal!
The   conference   itself   was   truly   enlightening   –   I   learned   so   much   from   the   various   sessions,   and   with   such   an   extensive   grouping   of   research   topics,   I   got   a   useful   overview   of   today’s   advances   in   the   field   of   biomaterials.
It   also   gave   me   a   greater   appreciation   of   how   the
Biomedical   Engineering   education   here   at   Drexel   is   preparing   its   students   to   be   at   the   forefront   of   those   advancements.
I   also   really   enjoyed   the   opportunity   to   see   Chinese   culture   first   hand.
For   starters,   the   majority   of   Chinese   food   in   America   is   NOT   Chinese   food!
While   in   Chengdu,   my   lab   mates   and   I   got   a   chance   to   visit   the   Chengdu   Research   Base   of   Giant   Panda   Breeding   –   the   largest   giant   and   red   panda   reserve   in   the   world!
We   were   able   to   travel   to   Beijing   for   a   few   days   and   immerse   ourselves   in   some   ancient   history   at   the   Great   Wall   of   China   and   the   Forbidden   Kingdom.
We   also   spent   some   time   in

Shanghai   where   we   met   up   with   Amanda   Pentecost,   another   Drexel   student   completing   her   co ‐ op   at   the
Shanghai   Advance   Research   Institute.
Having   my   research   received   favorably   at   such   a   prestigious   meeting   internationally   has   been   one   of   the   highlights   of   my   university   experience.
I   am   truly   appreciative   of   the   International   Travel   Award   in   helping   to   make   this   opportunity   possible.
Figure   1   Members   of   the   IRC   at   the   Great   Wall   of   China   at
Badaling   (Right   to   left:   Mariya   Tohfafarosh,   Daniel   MacDonald   and   Sevi   Kocagoz)
Figure   2   At   the   Forbidden   Kingdom   –   Beijing,   China
Figure   3   Members   of   the   IRC   with   fellow   Drexel   student  ‐
Amanda   Pentecost   at   the   Bunt   –   Beijing,   China
(Right   to   left:   Genymphas   Higgs,   Sevi   Kocagoz,   Mariya
Tohfafarosh,   Amanda   Pentecost   and   Daniel   MacDonald)