Integrated Training in Engineering and Diabetes (ITED) Program
ITED Overview
The Integrated Training in Engineering and Diabetes (ITED) Program has leveraged Vanderbilt's unique multidisciplinary, highly collaborative culture in engineering and biomedical research to create a vibrant training program for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows involved in the application of engineering approaches to advance research in diabetes and metabolic diseases.
ITED at a glance
Program Director: Jamey Young, PhD
Established: 2014
Purpose: Foster growth of multi-disciplinary engineering and biomedical research T32
T32
PhD student
Interested applicants please email Dr. Young
The proximity of engineering, basic biomedical science and clinical departments on Vanderbilt’s campus, as well as a culture that encourages shared mentorship and collaboration, have proven to be key ingredients for establishing an effective interdisciplinary training program. These relationships are formalized by the unique dual-mentoring structure that is central to the ITED program, where one advisor is required to have an engineering background and the other must be a researcher with expertise in diabetes. Interactions between trainees and faculty from different backgrounds are further reinforced through formal didactic coursework, seminar programs, retreats and journal clubs that integrate topics from bioengineering, endocrinology and diabetes.
Public Health Relevance
Diabetes is a complex disease, and understanding its complexity is critical for creating new clinical therapies to control the current diabetes epidemic, better treat its complications and lead to an eventual cure. Because engineering approaches have proven useful for solving complex biomedical problems, we propose to train a new multidisciplinary work force with the skills needed to integrate both engineering and diabetes research approaches. This will be accomplished through formal course work and an unconventional dual mentor arrangement, where each student or postdoctoral trainee is supervised by one advisor with an engineering background and another from the diabetes research field.
Students and postdocs are recruited from an engineering or quantitative science background, and are trained in diabetes-related research areas using a dual-mentor approach. Their development as multidisciplinary scientists is facilitated by focused coursework and enriched by ITED program activities (seminars, retreats and journal clubs).
Jamey Young, PhD, ITED Director
Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor, Engineering
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Craig Duvall, PhD, ITED Associate Director
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair
Professor of Biomolecular Engineering
Danielle Dean, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism
Anita Mahadevan-Jansen, PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Orrin H. Ingram Professor of Engineering
Professor of Neurological Surgery
Richard O'Brien, PhD
Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Director of MP&B Graduate Program and METP T32
John Wilson, PhD
Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Name | Department | |
|---|---|---|
| Julio Ayala, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | julio.e.ayala@vanderbilt.edu |
| Leon Bellan | Mechanical Engineering | leon.bellan@vanderbilt.edu |
| Raymond Blind, Ph.D. | Medicine, Biochemistry, Pharmacology | ray.blind@vanderbilt.edu |
| Audrey Bowden, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering | a.bowden@vanderbilt.edu |
| Richard Caprioli | Biochemistry, Pharmacology & Chemistry, Medicine | Richard.m.caprioli@vanderbilt.edu |
| Katie Coate, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | kathryn.coate@vanderbilt.edu |
| Danielle Dean, Ph.D. | Medicine | danielle.dean@vumc.org |
| Ravindra Duddu | Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering | Ravindra.duddu@vanderbilt.edu |
| Craig Duvall, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering | craig.duvall@vanderbilt.edu |
| Maureen Gannon, Ph.D. | Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Cell and Developmental Biology | maureen.gannon@vumc.org |
| Todd Giorgio, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cancer Biology | todd.d.giorgio@vanderbilt.edu |
| Scott Guelcher, Ph.D. | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biomedical Engineering | scott.guelcher@vanderbilt.edu |
| David Harrison, MD | Medicine | david.harrison@vumc.org |
| Fiona Harrison, Ph.D. | Medicine | fiona.harrison@vumc.org |
| Frederick Haselton, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Chemistry | rick.haselton@vanderbilt.edu |
| Alyssa Hasty, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | alyssa.hasty@vanderbilt.edu |
| AJ Hinton, Jr., Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | antentor.o.hinton.jr@vanderbilt.edu |
| William Holmes, Ph.D. | Physics and Astronomy | william.holmes@vanderbilt.edu |
| David Jacobson, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | david.a.jacobson@vanderbilt.edu |
| Carl Johnson, Ph.D. | Biological Sciences | carl.h.johnson@vanderbilt.edu |
| Erkan Karakas, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | erkan.karakas@vanderbilt.edu |
| Irina Kaverina, Ph.D. | Cell and Developmental Biology | irina.kaverina@vanderbilt.edu |
| Michael King, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Radiology | mike.king@vanderbilt.edu |
| Bennett Landman, Ph.D. | Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, Biomedical Informatics | bennett.landman@vanderbilt.edu |
| Matthew Lang, Ph.D. | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | matt.lang@vanderbilt.edu |
| Ethan Lippmann, Ph.D. | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biomedical Engineering | ethan.s.lippmann@vanderbilt.edu |
| Haoxiang Luo, Ph.D. | Mechanical Engineering, Otolaryngology | haoxiang.luo@vanderbilt.edu |
| Anita Mahadevan-Jansen | Biomedical Engineering | # |
| Jens Meiler | Chemistry, Pharmacology | jens.meiler@vanderbilt.edu |
| Doug Mitchell | Biochemistry and Chemistry | douglas.mitchell@vanderbilt.edu |
| Gregor Neuert, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering | gregor.neuert@vanderbilt.edu |
| Kevin Niswender, M.D., Ph.D. | Medicine | kevin.niswender@vumc.org |
| Jeffry Nyman, Ph.D. | Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Biomedical Engineering | jeffry.s.nyman@vanderbilt.edu |
| Richard O'Brien, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | richard.obrien@vanderbilt.edu |
| Dolly Padovani-Claudio, MD, PhD | Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences | dolly.a.padovani-claudio@vanderbilt.edu |
| John Penn, Ph.D. | Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Cell and Developmental Biology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | john.penn@vanderbilt.edu |
| Alvin Powers, M.D. | Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | al.powers@vumc.org |
| Ambra Pozzi, Ph.D. | Medicine | ambra.pozzi@vumc.org |
| Vito Quaranta, M.D. | Biochemistry, Pharmacology | vito.quaranta@vanderbilt.edu |
| Marjan Rafat, Ph.D. | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Radiation Oncology | marjan.rafat@vanderbilt.edu |
| Jeremy Rathmell, Ph.D. | Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | jeff.rathmell@vanderbilt.edu |
| Cynthia Reinhart-King, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering | cynthia.reinhart-king@Vanderbilt.Edu |
| Henrique Serezani, Ph.D. | Medicine, Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology | h.serezan@vanderbilt.edu |
| Masa Shiota, D.V.M., Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | masakazu.shiota@Vanderbilt.Edu |
| Jeff Spraggins | Cell and Development Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry | jeff.spraggins@vanderbilt.edu |
| John Stafford, M.D., Ph.D. | Medicine, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | john.stafford@vumc.org |
| Roland Stein, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Cell and Developmental Biology | roland.stein@vanderbilt.edu |
| Julie Sterling, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Medicine | julie.sterling@vanderbilt.edu |
| Imam Uddin, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences | md.i.uddin@vanderbilt.edu |
| David Wasserman, Ph.D. | Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | david.wasserman@vanderbilt.edu |
| John Wikswo, Ph.D. | Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | john.p.wikswo@vanderbilt.edu |
| John Wilson, Ph.D. | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Biomedical Engineering | john.t.wilson@vanderbilt.edu |
| Lauren Woodard, PhD | Medicine | lauren.woodard@vumc.org |
| Chris Wright, D. Phil. | Cell and Developmental Biology | chris.wright@vanderbilt.edu |
| Jamey Young, Ph.D. | Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics | j.d.young@vanderbilt.edu |
| Roy Zent, Ph.D. | Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology | roy.zent@vumc.org |
Tyler Alsup, PhD
Program: Biochemistry
Research Description: Engineering Lasso Peptides as Glucagon Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Type I Diabetes
Preceptor: Doug Mitchell
Daniel Chavarria, PhD
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Engineering the brain-immune axis-on-a-chip to understand how type 2 diabetes and related comorbidities contribute to neurodegeneration through inflammatory signaling
Preceptor: Ethan Lippmann
Katelyn Derr, PhD candidate
Program: IMS
Research Description: A Microfluidic Model to Study Diabetic Retinopathy
Preceptor: Leon Bellan
Elizabeth Hennen
Program: BME
Research Description: Role of Endothelial Dysfunction in Diabetes-Related Bone Disease
Preceptor: Jeff Nyman
Anna Kittel, B.S.
Program: BME
Research Description: Hybrid Shear-Thinning Hydrogels as an Injectable Cell and Cell-derived EV Delivery Platform for Regeneration of Diabetic Skin Wounds
Preceptor: Craig Duvall
Amelia Seabury, PhD candidate
Program: ChBE
Research Description: T cell receptor conformational change driving activation
Preceptor: Matt Lang
FY22 Start
Eric Bell
Program: Chemistry
Research Description: Molecular determinants of hyperglycemia and carbonyl stress in the diabetic milieu
Preceptor: Jens Meiler
Mariah Bezold
Program: BME
Research Description: Injectable, Shear-thinning Hydrogels with Antioxidant Delivery of Small Molecule Drugs for Improved Healing in Chronic Diabetic Skin Wounds
Preceptor: Craig Duvall
Liz Holliday
Program: ChBE
Research Description: T cell signaling requirements from multiple inputs in time and space
Preceptor: Matt Lang
Lucas Remedios
Program: Computer Science
Research Description: Pancreas CT Segmentation by Predictive Phenotyping
Preceptor: Bennett Landman
Dominique Stephens
Program: MPB
Research Description: Elucidating the effects of Exercise on the Molecular Mechanism of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetes
Preceptor: AJ Hinton, Jr.
Pi'ilani Noguchi (LOA)
Program: CDB
Research Description: Joint action of microtubule-dependent molecular motors in insulin transport and positioning
Preceptor: Irina Kaverina
FY21
James Poland
Program: VUMC
Research Description:Matrix-stimulated signaling lipids regulate the structure and function of Liver Receptor Homolog-1 (LRH-1, NR5A2) in organoid models
Preceptor: Ray Blind
FY20
Deveena Banerjee
Program: MPB
Research Description: Exploring the role of G6pc2 on whole-body metabolism under lean and hyperphagic conditions using a novel in vivo metabolic flux model
Preceptor: Jamey Young
Greg Berumen
Program: ChBE
Research Description: The impact of obesity and normal tissue damage on the immune microenvironment
Preceptor: Marjan Rafat
Blythe Hospelhorn
Program: HGEN
Research Description: Understanding the genome-wide molecular mechanism of chromatin regulation in kinetic environments
Preceptor: Gregor Neuert
Angela Kruse
Program: BCHEM
Research Description: 3-D molecular reconstruction of the human pancreas using integrated light sheet microscopy and imaging mass spectrometry
Preceptor: Richard Caprioli
Hayden Pagendarm
Program: BME
Research Description: Engineered Extracellular Vesicles for Diabetes Immunotherapy
Preceptor: John Wilson
Kyra Smart
Program: BME
Research Description: Diabetic Microenvironment in Cancer Progression
Preceptor: Cindy Reinhart-King
FY19
Sam Thompson
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Understanding the role of neurovascular metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias
Preceptor: Ethan Lippmann
Kelsey Voss
Program: VUMC
Research Description: T cell metabolism and CRISPR screens to identify new targets in Type I Diabetes
Preceptor: Jeff Rathmell
FY18
Kevin Corn
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Evaluating the Effect of Obesity on Immune Cell Behavior Following Normal Tissue Damage
Preceptor: Marjan Rafat
Jason Hughes
Program: MPB
Research Description: Understanding the molecular mechanism of chromatin regulation in kinetic environments
Preceptor: Gregor Neuert
Lucinda Pastora
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Liver-Targeted Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of cGAS and STING Antagonists for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Preceptor: John Wilson
Deborah Roby
Program: MPB
Research Description: Capillary endothelial structure and function on skeletal muscle insulin resistance
Preceptor: David Wasserman
FY17
Lauren Boller
Program: BME
Research Description: Assessing the cellular response to osteoinductive bone grafts
Preceptor: Scott Guelcher
Lauren Griggs
Program: BME
Research Description: Isolating and analyzing collagen from a diabetic mouse model
Preceptor: Cindy Reinhart-King
Nicholas Marinelli
Program: CPB
Research Description: Utilizing the iPSC model to better understand native BBB metabolism and how it becomes altered under conditions that relate to diabetes (e.g.hyperglycemia)
Preceptor: Ethan Lippmann
Sarah Sacco
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Metabolic determinants of lipotoxicity in Hepatocytes
Preceptor: Jamey Young
FY16
Stephanie Dudzinski
Program: BME
Research Description: The effects of obesity on the tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy efficacy
Preceptor: Todd Giorgio
Nicholas Mignemi
Program: MPB
Research Description: The role in skeletal muscle vascular alteration in insulin resistance
Preceptor: Owen McGuiness
Christian Palmer
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Polymer-oligonucleotide conjugate prodrugs and T cell delivery materials
Preceptor: John Wilson
FY15
Myriam Diaz
Program: CPB
Research Description: Fat Water Magnetic Resonance Imaging to characterize adiposity in lean and obese animal models
Preceptor: Brian Welch
Bryan Dollinger
Program: BME
Research Description: Hydrogels for reducing both innate and acquired immune islet destruction
Preceptor: Craig Duvall
Clinton Hasenour
Program: ChBE
Research Description: Investigation of NASH pathogenesis in vivo using MFA
Preceptor: Jamey Young
Christian Meyer
Program: CPB
Research Description:1. Quantifying drug synergy across axes of potency and efficacy; 2. Engineering endocrine cell identity: A systems approach
Preceptor: Vito Quaranta
FY14
Amy Creecy
Program: BME
Research Description: The effect of type 2 diabetes on bone matrix
Preceptor: Jeffry Nyman
Matthew Dickerson
Program: MPB
Research Description: Intracellular and paracrine signals that modulate pancreatic islet hormone secretion
Preceptor: David A. Jacobson
John Martin
Program: BME
Research Description: siRNA delivery from cell-degradable tissue engineering scaffolds for diabetic wound repair
Preceptor: Craig Duvall
Recent ITED Publications
The Integrated Training in Engineering and Diabetes (ITED) Program is supported by NIH grant T32 DK101003 and by the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research Center (NIH grant DK20593).
Questions? Contact Us
Jamey Young, PhD (PI)
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics