In a Q&A, Dr. Ramesh Rengan outlines the strategy, mission and goals for research and care. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center launched a new Division of Radiation Oncology in July 2023 led by Ramesh Rengan, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President and Professor in the Clinical Research Division. The establishment of the new division is part of an overall strategy to synchronize…
Read the Publication This week we profile a recent publication in Analytica Chimica Acta from the lab of Dr. James Lai in collaboration with Dr. Barry Lutz. We interviewed Dr. James Lai on his recent findings as well as the work he has been conducting in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Washington and the Department of Materials…
The anemias of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) are generally macrocytic and always reflect ineffective erythropoiesis yet result from diverse genetic mutations. To delineate shared mechanisms that lead to cell death, we studied the fate of single erythroid marrow cells from individuals with DBA or MDS-5q. We defined an unhealthy (vs healthy) differentiation trajectory using transcriptional pseudotime…
In what many see as fallout from the concern that researchers studying bat viruses may have triggered the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has prematurely ended a $125 million program aimed at identifying viruses in animals that might harm humans. USAID launched the program, known as the Discovery & Exploration of Emerging Pathogens – Viral Zoonoses…
Twenty years after Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen created the bioscience research center that bears his name, Seattle’s Allen Institute is still pushing out into new frontiers. But this weekend, the nonprofit institute — and its hometown — are taking a little time to celebrate. All this week, the Allen Institute has been highlighting Open Science Week, which touches upon one of the core values that…
CD4+ lung-resident memory T cells (TRM) generated in response to influenza infection confer effective protection against subsequent viral exposures. Whether these cells can be altered by environmental antigens and cytokines released during heterologous, antigen-independent immune responses is currently unclear. Researchers therefore investigated how influenza-specific CD4+ Th1 TRM in the lung are impacted by a subsequent Th2-inducing respiratory house dust mite…
Italian-born neuroscientist Vittorio Gallo first got interested in research through his appreciation of art, which made him wonder how our brains process colors, forms and compositions. That curiosity launched Gallo on a scientific journey that starts a new chapter Monday, when he takes on the role of chief scientific officer at Seattle Children’s, the Seattle-based children’s medical center. Gallo most recently served…
The RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp)-binding integrins αvβ6 and αvβ8 are clinically validated cancer and fibrosis targets of considerable therapeutic importance. Compounds that can discriminate between homologous αvβ6 and αvβ8 and other RGD integrins, stabilize specific conformational states, and have high thermal stability could have considerable therapeutic utility. Existing small molecule and antibody inhibitors do not have all these properties, and hence new…
Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has awarded more than $1.2 million to expand a University of Washington (UW) training program for entrepreneurs, and to partner with Washington State University (WSU) to establish a parallel, collaborative program at that institution later this year. The Postdoctoral Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) supports early-career innovators to improve the likelihood of successfully commercializing their technologies for public benefit. PEP launched…
Rupak Rajachar has joined the UW Department of Bioengineering faculty as a lecturer. He will oversee the Master of Applied Bioengineering (MAB) program and team capstone projects, providing mentorship and guidance for students. His teaching philosophy emphasizes translational and applied science, and he is excited to help students apply their knowledge and develop real-world solutions to pressing problems. His areas…
