Abstract: This thesis addresses the fundamental questions surrounding the design and functional capabilities of enzyme-powered micromotors synthesized using microfluidic techniques. The research focuses on the development of these motors, made from artificial cell (protocell) scaffolds, and which seek to replicate the motion behavior of biological cells, investigating their propulsion mechanisms, motion directionality, and collective behavior. […]
This presentation will explore the critical process of curating medical imaging data for AI algorithm development in ophthalmology, highlighting the challenges and current limitations in data curation. It will discuss benchmark datasets, reference standards for FDA validation, and innovative strategies to enhance data availability. Attendees will gain insights into best practices and future directions in […]
Engineered, personalized tissues are transforming healthcare by accelerating clinical testing and serving as cell-based therapies. The emergence of induced pluripotent stem cells coupled with innovations in biomanufacturing and cellular engineering have rapidly advanced engineered tissue cellular and structural complexity. However, generating functional, mature tissues remains an enormous challenge. Control over biophysical forces governing development and […]
Machine learning models trained on vast amounts of data have achieved remarkable success across various applications. However, they also pose new challenges and risks for deployment in real-world high-stakes domains. Decisions made by deep learning models are often difficult to interpret, and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Given that deep learning models operate as […]
Machine learning models pretrained on internet data have acquired broad knowledge about the world but struggle to solve complex tasks that require extended reasoning and planning. Sequential decision making, on the other hand, has empowered AlphaGo’s superhuman performance, but lacks visual, language, and physical knowledge about the world. In this talk, I will present my […]
ABSTRACT: The rapid advance of AI driven by Large Language Models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, has led to impressive results across a range of different use cases. This has included several models developed for the medical domain which have exhibited surprising behaviors, such as answering medical questions and performing well on medical licensing exams. These results have demonstrated the coming transformation of medicine by […]
This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom. This week's speaker will be virtual. ABSTRACT Various applications for autonomous multi-robot systems, such as disaster response, infrastructure repair, agricultural operations, contaminant cleanup, and wildfire suppression, will require these systems to act as distributed sensors, sources, and manipulators […]
Abstract DNA-binding proteins (DBPs) play critical roles in biology and biotechnology, and there has been considerable interest in the engineering of DBPs with new functions or altered specificities. While there has been success in reprogramming and the specificity of naturally occurring DBPs using selection methods, the computational design of new DBPs that engage with DNA […]
Classical and quantum light sources play a fundamental role in science and technology from quantum computing, to communications, manufacturing, defense, sensing, medicine, or imaging. However, scaling the power of lasers has always come at the cost of single mode operation, a scaling question that has been investigated, without success, since the invention of lasers in […]
From quantum physics to cosmology, researchers aim to see things which are typically invisible – be it the entanglement of two particles or infrared signatures from space. In these and various other fields, we are confronted by a common challenge: What we can see with our own eyes or observe using standard optical imaging systems […]
The immune system uses a complex network of interacting cells that work together to regulate tissue physiology, homeostasis, and repair. In muscle, a tightly coordinated network of immunocytes and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is required for adequate skeletal muscle repair after acute injury or disease. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are important players in regulating excessive […]
This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. This seminar will NOT be recorded. ABSTRACT Modeling 3D objects and scenes creates many challenges, both on the analysis and the synthesis sides. The focus of this talk is the compositional structure of objects (into parts) and of […]
Learn how to commercialize your research and navigate Penn's innovation ecosystem with Penn Engineering: Entrepreneurship. This is the first part of a series from Penn Engineering’s Entrepreneurship group. Featuring: Andrew Tsourkas, Professor of Bioengineering, Co-Founder, AlphaThera, Inc, Co-Founder, StreamLaunch, Llc and Jeffrey Babin, Professor of Practice and Associate Director of Entrepreneurship at Penn Engineering & […]
For a robot to prepare a meal or clean a room, it must make a large array of decisions, such as what objects to clean first, where to grasp each ingredient and tool, how to open a heavy, overstuffed cabinet, and so on. To enable robots to tackle these tasks, I decompose the problem into […]
In this talk, I will discuss our recent work in materials fabrication, manipulation, assembly, and manufacturing tailored towards biomedical and environmental applications. The focus is on active materials and devices enabled by materials control across a wide range of length scales. At the nanoscale, I will discuss 3D electrokinetic tweezers, an ultra-precision tool developed in […]
RNA and protein sequences dictate their structures, spanning multiple length scales, from molecular conformations to patterns of subcellular localization. In turn, these structures govern biological function. Characterizing sequence-structure relationships is critical for gaining mechanistic understanding, but conventional techniques can be slow and low-throughput. We have developed integrated computational and experimental methods to overcome these limitations […]
*This seminar will be held in-person in Levine 307 with virtual attendance via Zoom. ABSTRACT We introduce a novel sequential modeling approach which enables learning a Large Vision Model (LVM) without making use of any linguistic data. To do this, we define a common format, "visual sentences", in which we can represent raw images and […]
The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania along with Drs. Jason Burdick and Rob Mauck proudly announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Karen Xu. Title: Engineering hydrogel microstructure to promote meniscus repair Date: March 11, 2024 Time: 12:00pm Location: Reunion Auditorium in John Morgan Building If you would like a zoom link, please email: karen.xu@pennmedicine.upenn.edu The […]
*This seminar will be held in-person in Raisler Lounge (Towne 225) with virtual attendance via Zoom. ABSTRACT True gains of machine learning in AI sub-fields such as computer vision and natural language processing have come about from the use of large-scale diverse datasets for learning. In this talk, I will discuss how we can leverage […]
In the dynamic field of biomedical engineering and immunotherapy, my recent research unveils the intricate relationship between mechanical forces and immune cell activation, bridging the realms of biology and immunotherapy. This study aims to unearth innovative pathways for adoptive immunotherapies, emphasizing the role of biomedical and mechanobiological insights in broadening our understanding. The core focus […]
Two of the main challenges in scaling up quantum systems are noise and control, arising from the systems' sensitivity to the environment and its exponential complexity. The first step in resolving these challenges is characterizing and learning the noisy dynamics. In this talk, I'll discuss how the very quantum features that contribute to this complexity, […]
Cloud computing, which has seen significant growth over the past decade, fundamentally relies on the sharing of hardware resources among users. This approach enhances resource utilization and reduces operational costs. However, it also enables unintended information leakage through hardware side channels. Despite the threat of side-channel attacks, cloud vendors remain skeptical about the practicality of […]
ABSTRACT: Despite ML models' impressive performance, training and deploying them is currently a somewhat messy endeavor. But does it have to be? In this talk, I overview my work on making ML “predictably reliable”---enabling developers to know when their models will work, when they will fail, and why. To begin, we use a case study […]
This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom. ABSTRACT Coupling advanced wearable and environmental sensors with dynamic AI frameworks has the potential to transform how we engage with machines and with the natural world. By co-developing intelligent sensors and deployable machine learning pipelines, we can unlock […]
The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Michael J. Mitchell are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Alvin Mukalel. Title: Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles for Solid Tumor Chimeric Antigen Receptor Immunotherapy Date: March 13, 2024 Time: 3:00 PM Location: LRSM Auditorium The public is welcome to attend.
As the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to proliferate, computer architects must assess and mitigate its environmental impact. This talk will survey strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of AI computation and datacenter infrastructure, drawing on data and experiences from industrial, hyperscale systems. First, we analyze the embodied and operational carbon implications of super-linear […]
Though modern machine learning has been highly successful, as we move towards more critical applications, many challenges towards building trustworthy systems, such as ensuring robustness, privacy, and fairness, arise. Ad hoc and empirical approaches have often led to unintended consequences for these objectives, thus necessitating a principled approach. Traditional solutions often require redesigning entire pipelines […]
The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Andrew Tsourkas are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Alex Chan Title: Engineering Small Protein Based Inhibitors and Biodegraders for Cytosolic Delivery and Targeting of the Undruggable Proteome Date: Friday, March 15 Time: 10:00-11:00 AM Location: Smilow Translational Research Center SCTR 11-146AB Zoom Link: https://upenn.zoom.us/j/94191357504 Meeting […]
Computing is at a critical juncture. Applications such as AI/ML demand much larger memory, higher bandwidth, and lower-energy compute compared to business as usual. New hardware systems, powered by heterogenous memory, logic, and 3D integration, are required for large energy efficiency, throughput, and scaleup benefits. I will present my contributions to three such heterogeneous systems: […]
Congenital heart defects affect approximately one in every hundred births and are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Despite successes in surgical treatment, suboptimal outcomes remain common. Surgical treatment of complex, rare congenital heart valve defects typically follows an empirical, retrospective, “guess and check” approach. Further, children with congenital valve defects […]
Quantum science and technology hold the promise to deepen our understanding of the universe and deliver groundbreaking technical innovations. The opportunity also poses a grand challenge to today’s scientists and engineers because initializing, controlling, manipulating, and measuring quantum information while maintaining coherence and entanglement can be very difficult. Therefore, successfully achieving breakthroughs will require an […]
Celebrate 50 years and beyond of Penn Bioengineering! This distinguished lecture will be held in honor of the Department of Bioengineering's 50th Anniversary. Dr. Collins will deliver his talk in Glandt Forum at 3:30 pm, to be followed by a Q&A. A catered reception will follow in the Singh Center lobby at 4:30 pm.
ABSTRACT: Despite the widespread proliferation of neural networks, the mechanisms through which they operate so successfully are not well understood. In this talk, we will first explore empirical and theoretical investigations into neural network training and generalization and what they can tell us about why deep learning works. Then, we will examine a recent line […]
It’s hard to write an abstract. It’s harder to write a glamorous one that tells your story without overselling your results. Community for Rigor is here to help! Join Professor Konrad Kording for a rigorous abstract writing workshop on March 20th, 2024. Together, let’s lovingly glam up abstracts from the Community and make the most of 100 […]
The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Drs. Michael J. Mitchell and William H. Peranteau are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Rohan Palanki. Title: Ionizable lipid nanoparticles for in utero gene editing of congenital disease Date: March 20th, 2024 Time: (1PM-3 PM) Location: Law Auditorium, Smilow Center for Translational Research (5th Floor) The public is welcome […]
Metals powders like aluminum and boron are attractive potential fuel additives for pyrotechnics, propellants and explosives due to their high energy release upon oxidation. However, they tend to agglomerate, have lengthy ignition delays, and low combustion rates/efficiencies. This work aims to design metal powders with tuned surface, micro-structure, morphology, or chemistries to mitigate these challenges […]
Fluid flows and mass transport mediate countless natural and engineered processes, ranging from the spreading of pollutants to carbon capture and water cleaning. In this talk, I will share three examples of my research where fundamental ideas in transport phenomena are applied to inform technologies with direct impact on energy and the environment. First, I […]
Disease processes within the human body are shaped by the dynamic interplay between invading pathogens and the host's defense mechanisms. The intricate molecular interaction involves continuous modifications of both host and pathogen proteins, driven by posttranslational modifications (PTMs) and coevolutionary mutations, to finely regulate their interactions with binding partners. In this talk, I will elucidate […]
The Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Marco Ruella are pleased to announce the Doctoral Dissertation Defense of Puneeth Guruprasad. Title: Decoding the tumor microenvironment to engineer the next generation of CAR T cells Date: Friday, March 22nd Time: 10:00-11:00 AM Location: Smilow Translational Research Center, Arthur H. Rubenstein Auditorium […]
Many natural materials achieve excellent combinations of mechanical properties through their micro- and nano-scale structures, which leverage a level of complexity currently unmatched in engineering design. Recent advances in digital manufacturing have enabled the introduction of these fine-scale architectures to improve the mechanical properties of materials, but their complexity still lags far behind that of […]
This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. PANEL DISCUSSION Please join us for a lively panel discussion featuring GRASP Faculty members Dr. Pratik Chaudhari, Dr. Dinesh Jayaraman, and Dr. Michael Posa. This panel will be moderated by Dr. Kostas Daniilidis around the current hot topic of AI […]
Global reliance on cloud services, powered by transformative technologies like generative AI, machine learning, and big-data analytics, is driving exponential growth in demand for hyperscale cloud compute infrastructure. Meanwhile, the breakdown of classical hardware scaling (e.g., Moore's Law) is hampering growth in compute supply. Building domain-specific hardware can address this supply-demand gap, but catching up […]
Finite element models provide a valuable tool for studying disease progression, risk of tissue failure, or repair strategies. To date, many models for biological tissues employ hyperelastic material descriptions with material properties that have no direct physical interpretation. This seminar will focus on development, validation, and application of a multi-scale structure-based model developed for the […]
The Department of Defense (DoD)’s Basic Research Office (BRO) sets scientific priorities aimed toward ensuring DoD is a leader in scientific discovery and identifying new paths for investigation. The office is responsible for oversight and management of DoD’s ~$2.9 B basic research investment in high risk, high pay-off research and manages programs including the Vannevar […]
Large Language Models (LLMs) have brought remarkable advancements to the computing industry. However, a high barrier exists between the LLMs and the vast majority of researchers and practitioners, brought by the engineering challenges with the enormous model sizes and the substantial compute requirements. In this talk, I’ll discuss my research on system innovations to democratize […]
The growing complexity and heterogeneity of networked systems have spurred a plethora of machine learning (ML) solutions, each promising a tantalizing improvement in performance. However, their path to real-world adoption is fraught with obstacles due to concerns from system operators about ML's generalization, transparency, robustness, and efficiency. My research takes a holistic approach to enabling […]
This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom. ABSTRACT 1X’s mission is to create an abundant supply of physical labor through androids that work alongside humans. I will share some of the progress 1X has been making towards general-purpose mobile manipulation. We have scaled up the […]
Humidity in the air is a vast water and energy resource available in any location. Air in the atmosphere contains six times more freshwater than that of all rivers and lakes. This moisture also carries over a thousand times more power than the global electricity demand. For over two centuries, numerous water sorbent materials have […]
The potential of data to transform science and society has spurred unparalleled efforts to collect it in increasingly sensitive and granular forms, which has raised a variety of societal concerns about how this data is handled and used. Though today, at-rest and in-transit encryption are standard practices, these alone are insufficient to address the security […]
This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. ABSTRACT Contact interactions are pervasive in real-world robotics tasks like manipulation and walking. However, the non-smooth dynamics associated with impacts and friction remain challenging to model, and motion planning and control algorithms that can fluently and efficiently reason about […]
The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is hosting another Celebration of Diversity gala. The gathering is intended to showcase students, staff, and faculty from Penn Engineering in their cultural richness and heterogeneity. The event will consist of guest speakers, special performances, presentations from student affinity groups, and a variety of cuisines for all to […]
We study the geometric mechanics of origami assemblages and investigate how geometry affects behavior and properties. Understanding origami from a structural standpoint allows for conceptualizing and designing feasible applications across scales and disciplines of engineering. We review the basic mathematical rules of origami and use 3D-printed origami legos to illustrate those concepts. We then present […]
Recent advances in engineering science have led to new classes of medical devices with emergent mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties that offer new opportunities for interfacing with living cells. I will discuss conceptual advances in microfabrication, device physics, power transfer and microscale transport phenomena that enable novel biosensors and cell delivery systems, with an emphasis […]
ABSTRACT: Flow matching models learn a (possibly stochastic) mapping between source and target distributions. Common paradigms include diffusion models, score matching models, and continuous normalizing flows. In this talk I will first present methods for improved training of flow matching models using ideas from optimal transport. I will then show how these improved methods can […]
ABSTRACT: Artificial Intelligence is being increasingly relied on in safety-critical domains. But the predictive models underlying these systems are notoriously brittle, and trustworthy deployment remains a significant challenge. In this talk, I give an overview of my work towards a rigorous foundation for robust machine learning (ML). Using a case study of invariant prediction, we […]
This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom. ABSTRACT Why has autonomous driving, a task demanding significant intelligence, not met the high expectations set by many? Which hurdles have turned out to be more formidable than expected, and how can we refine our testing methodologies for […]
Abstract Supported noble metal catalysts are extensively used in industry and their catalytic performance is strongly affected by particle size and shape. In the last decade, supported single atoms and subnanometer clusters have attracted a lot of interest since they maximize the metal utilization and have shown extraordinary catalytic properties for many reactions. In this […]
Much is known about oxygen interaction with metal surfaces and about the macroscopic growth of thermodynamically stable oxides. At present, however, the transient stages of oxidation - from nucleation of the metal oxide to formation of the thermodynamically stable oxide - represent a scientifically challenging and technologically important terra incognito. These issues can only be […]
The rich set of mechanoreceptors found in human skin offers a versatile engineering interface for transmitting information and eliciting perceptions, potentially serving a broad range of applications in patient care and other important industries. Targeted multisensory engagement of these afferent units, however, faces persistent challenges, especially for wearable, programmable systems that need to operate adaptively […]
Note that this seminar will be held in Wu & Chen Auditorium (Levine 101). Humans and animals exhibit a range of interesting behaviors in complex environments, and it is unclear how the brain reformats dense sensory information to enable these behaviors. To gain traction on this problem, new recording paradigms now facilitate the ability to […]
Many relevant engineering fluid dynamics problems, such as turbulent flow over an airplane or transport processes in geophysical flows, contain wall-bounded regions that form boundary layers. Oftentimes, numerical and experimental studies are simplified by using smooth surfaces. This simplification has allowed us to gain a greater understanding of near-wall processes for many flows of interest, […]
This is a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Wu and Chen and virtual attendance on Zoom. ABSTRACT After 39 years as a faculty member with continuous NSF support, the speaker has graduated his last PhD students, closed his lab, and turned 100% to teaching. From June 2016 through June 2021, he led Michigan’s Robotics […]
