Funded MURI Projects for AY 2015-2016
1. Neo Warm: An Innovative Biomedical Device to Support Newborn Thermoregulation in
Resource-Limited Settings
Primary Mentor: Sherri Bucher, Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana
University School of Medicine, shbucher@iu.edu
Co-Mentor: Bill Combs, Clinical Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of
Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI,
wicombs@iupui.edu
Student Majors Requested: Biomedical Engineering and Public Health.
Skills Expected From Students: Materials science; instruments design; verification/validation
testing; focus group discussion and key informant interviews; cultural acceptability and feasibility
testing; literature review; documentation and report writing; time-management skills; desire to
work within a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary environment; willingness to learn basic
principles related to achievement of project deadlines, benchmarks, and milestones.
Please note that individual students do not need to possess all these skills to qualify for participation
on the MURI NeoWarm team. We will assemble a multidisciplinary team of undergraduate students
with individual strengths and interests in these various areas, toward the overall purpose of
achieving the research objectives of the NeoWarm project.
Proposal
2. Phase II: Relationships Among School-based Extracurricular Activities, School
Bonding, and School Outcomes: School Setting Mediation and Moderations Effects
Principle Mentor: Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, Director BSW Program and Assistant Professor,
Department of Social Work, Indiana University School of Social Work, cgentleg@iupui.edu
Co-Mentor: Monica Medina, Clinical Associate Professor, Interim Director, Center for Urban and
Multicultural Education, Indiana University School of Education, mmedina@iupui.edu
Co-Mentor: Jangmin Kim, Doctoral Student, Department of Social Work, Indiana University School of
Social Work, kim795@umail.iu.edu
Co-Mentor: Isaac Karikari, Doctoral Student, Department of Social Work, Indiana University School
of Social Work, isakarik@iupui.edu
Student Majors Requested: Social Work, Education, SPEA, Herron
Skills Expected From Students: Basic computer and analysis, data entry, word document, and
critical thinking in the form of effective writing and assessment.
Proposal
3. The Legacy of Frederick Douglass’s Words
Principle Mentor: John R. Kaufman-McKivigan, Mary O’Brien Gibson Professor, Department of
History, Indiana University School of Liberal Arts, jmckivig@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Jonathan Rossing, Assistant Professor, Department of Communications, Indiana
University School of Liberal Arts, jrossing@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Jeffery Duvall, Assistant Editor – Douglass Papers, Department of History, Indiana
University School of Liberal Arts, jduvall@iupui.edu.
Student Majors Requested: History, Communications, Africana Studies, American Studies.
Skills Expected From Students: Research skills in locating documents online and in historical
sources; analytical skills to assess the underlying motivation of authors and speakers;
communication skills to disseminate the products of the research and analysis. Skills in web design
are desirable but not essential.
Proposal
4. Investigation of Plasma-assisted Turbulent Jet Ignition for Rapid Combustion Applications
Primary Mentor: Razi Nalim, Professor, Department of Engineering Technology, Purdue University,
School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, mnalim@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: -Afshin Izadian, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, Purdue
University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI , aizadian@iupui.edu
Co-Mentor: Mohammad Ebrahim Feyz, Doctorate Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, mofeyz@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Ali Tarraf Kojok, Graduate Student, Department Mechanical Engineering, Purdue
University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, altarraf@iupui.edu.
Student Majors Requested: Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, and
Electrical Engineering.
Skills Expected From Students: Fluid mechanics, plasma physics, thermodynamics, general
laboratory skills, data acquisition & control, circuit design and fabrication.
Proposal
5. Role of mTORC2 in Mechanical Regulation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell
Differentiation
Primary Mentor: William Thompson, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Indiana
University School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, thompwil@iupui.edu
Co-Mentor: Alexander Robling, Professor, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana
University School of Medicine, arobling@iupui.edu.
Student Majors Requested: Biology, biomedical engineering, exercise science (pre-med / prephysical therapy).
Skills Expected From Students: Excellent oral and written communication including use computer
software for data entry and analysis; basic use of laboratory equipment including pipettes,
glassware, preparing solutions; entry level understanding of PCR, Western blotting, and
immunohistochemistry; basic understanding of cell culture and aseptic techniques.
Proposal
6. Development of the 3D Printing Technologies to Reduce the Cost of Filament Fused
Fabrication.
Primary Mentor: Andrés Tovar, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue
University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, tovara@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Lingxi Li, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, LL7@iupui.edu.
Student Majors Requested: Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electrical
Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering
Technology, Mathematics, Physics, and any other related discipline.
Skills Expected From Students: Experience or knowledge in any 3D printing technology; ability to
use computer-aided design (CAD) tools; programming experience of microcontrollers (e.g., Arduino);
experience or knowledge in control, electric circuits, or hardware design; plastic extrusion.
Proposal
7. Bone Conduction Audio Communication System for Musicians
Primary Mentor: Robin Cox, Assistant Professor of Music and Arts Technology, Department of
Music and Arts Technology, Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI,
robcox@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: William Combs, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Purdue
University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, wicombs@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor:-Ben Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Music and Arts Technology/Computer
Graphics Technology, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, bds6@iupui.edu
Student Majors Requested: Music and Arts Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical
Engineering and Electrical Design, Mechanical Design, Instrumental Music Performance and Audio
Technology.
Skills Expected From Students: Electrical Design, Mechanical Design, Instrumental
Music Performance and Audio Technology.
Proposal
8. Using Virtual Reality to Test Balance in Athletes Following Concussion
Primary Mentor: Jefferson Streepey, Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Purdue
University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, jwstreep@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Benjamin Day Smith, Assistant Professor, Department of Music and Arts Technology,
Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, bds6@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Christian Rogers, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Information and
Graphics Technology, Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI,
rogerscb@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Zach Riley, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Indiana University School
of Physical Education and Tourism Management. zariley@iu[ui.edu.
Student Majors Requested: Computer Graphics Technology, Computer Information Technology,
Kinesiology.
Skills Expected From Students: 3D Modeling and Rendering, Programming;
experience in C Sharp, collecting and analyzing forceplate data to measure change in balance.
Proposal
9. Development of Diabetes Clinical Trial Candidates Using Systems Pharmacology
Primary Mentor: Jake Chen, Associate Professor of Informatics, Director, Indiana Center of Systems
Biology and Personalized Medicine, Department of Biohealth Informatics, Indiana University School
of Informatics and Computing, jakechen@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Walter Jessen, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biohealth Informatics, Indiana
University School of Informatics and Computing, walter@walterjessen.com.
Student Majors Requested: Computer Science, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, and
Informatics.
Skills Expected From Students: Reading biomedical research papers and abstracts; analyzing data
by using online or publicly available biological databases and software tools; automating
tasks with by developing software programs written in Python/Perl/Java; database and data
management tasks with Oracle DB server; simulating complex systems with scientific
computing programs in Matlab and R; constructing knowledgebase by applying molecular
biology, genetics, cell biology, or immunology knowledge; analyzing drug-like molecules
with computational chemistry software tools and databases; curating knowledge about
successful or failed drugs from clinical trial databases, patents, side effect reporting
databases, or other chemistry data sources publicly available; communicating with each other
through verbal or written communication, e.g., writing reports, presenting papers and
findings, and participating in constructive discussions.
Proposal
10. Design of a Customized Low-cost Multi-material 3D Printer
Principal Mentor: Jing Zhang, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Department of
Engineering, Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, jz29@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Yeon-Gil Jung, Professor of Materials Science, Professor at IUPUI, Department of
Materials Science and Engineering, Changwon National University, South Korea, Jung45@iupui.edu.
Co-Mentor: Yi Zhang, Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue
University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, yz54@umail.iu.edu.
Co-Mentor: Michael Golub, Academic Laboratory Supervisor, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI, migolub@iupui.edu.
Proposal (The proposal for this project is not available at this time. Please contact Dr. Zhang for
additional information.)