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SQI: Simpson Querry Institute

2018 News

Core facilities staff

SQI core receives 2018 outstanding core facility award

December 14, 2018
SQI’s Peptide Synthesis Core received the 2018 Outstanding Core Facility Award, sponsored by Northwestern University’s Office for Research. Only three core facilities at Northwestern received this designation.

Samuel Stupp named to National Academy of Inventors

December 11, 2018
Samuel Stupp, director of the Simpson Querrey Institute, was elected as a 2018 fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. This distinction is reserved for academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.
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John Rogers receives 2019 Benjamin Franklin award

December 10, 2018
John A. Rogers has received the 2019 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Materials Engineering “for pioneering the engineering of flexible and stretchable electronic systems for e-health and exploratory neuroscience."
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SQI leads NU initiative to join ARMI|BioFabUSA

December 4, 2018
The Simpson Querrey Institute has joined the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)|BioFabUSA, a public-private network of leading manufacturers, universities, nonprofit organizations and the federal government looking to develop scalable manufacturing processes for engineered tissues and organs.

Three SQI members land on highly cited researchers list

November 27, 2018
SQI faculty members Samuel Stupp, John Rogers and Mark Hersam were named to the Highly Cited Researchers 2018 List by Clarivate Analytics, which compiled the list by identifying researchers with multiple papers ranking in the top 1 percent of citations for their field and year. Two other Northwestern faculty members associated with SQI's research centers were also recognized: Chad Mirkin (Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science) and Yonggang Huang (Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics).
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SQI member Guillermo Ameer named AAAS fellow

November 27, 2018
Guillermo Ameer has been elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Ameer will be honored for his contributions to the fields of biomaterials science, tissue engineering and regenerative engineering, particularly for pioneering the development and applications of citrate-based biomaterials, at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., in February.
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Stupp and Hsu labs tackle growth factor-free spinal fusion

November 14, 2018
Samuel Stupp received a $3.1 million NIH grant to explore a novel solution to bone regeneration and spine fusion. The research team includes SQI members Erin Hsu, Wellington Hsu and Stuart Stock, and an SQI faculty participant at the University of Southern California, Malcolm Snead. Bone is the second-most transplanted tissue in the United States, with between 1.6 million and 2 million surgeries performed each year. More than 500,000 of these procedures involve spine fusions, which often use autograft bone — bone taken from the patient — and it may be unavailable for various reasons.
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Gianneschi Lab unravels black widow’s silk secrets

October 21, 2018
Fascinated by black widow spiders, which are known to produce an array of silks with exceptional properties, Nathan Gianneschi and his collaborators at San Diego State University have unraveled the complex process of how these spiders transform proteins into steel-strength fibers. This knowledge promises to aid scientists in creating equally strong synthetic materials.
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John A. Rogers awarded 2018 MRS Medal

October 10, 2018
John A. Rogers will receive the 2018 MRS Medal from the Materials Research Society. The MRS Medal recognizes a major advance or cluster of closely related advances in any materials-related field of research over the past 10 years.
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John Rogers unveils first biodegradable implant

October 8, 2018
SQI ­member and Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics director John A. Rogers announced the successful development of the first example of a bioresorbable electronic medicine: an implantable, biodegradable wireless device that speeds nerve regeneration and improves the healing of damaged nerves.
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Read about amazing dynamic bio-inspired materials

October 4, 2018
Samuel Stupp’s lab has developed soft materials that autonomously self-assemble into molecular superstructures and remarkably disassemble on demand, changing the properties of materials and opening the door for novel materials in applications ranging from sensors and robotics to new drug delivery systems and tools for tissue regeneration. Erik Luijten’s group collaborated on the project to develop simulations that helped explain the mechanics of these materials.

Department of Energy awards CBES $12M in renewal funding

July 10, 2018
The Center for Bio-Inspired Energy Science (CBES) received $12 million in renewal funding for a four-year term through the Department of Energy's national Energy Frontier Research Centers program. CBES is one of 42 programs collectively awarded $100 million to accelerate scientific understanding in energy-relevant fields.
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Shah Lab offers new possibilities for regeneration

June 18, 2018

3D-printed materials are potential “game changers” for cancer therapy and bone grafts. Check out a scientific publication on the topic from Ramille Shah and colleagues, and see a pair of headlines they've generated below. 

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Chemistry honors Liam Palmer as outstanding leader

June 13, 2018
Liam Palmer, Director of Research at the Simpson Querrey Institute, was awarded the 2017 Omar Farha Award for Research Leadership by the Department of Chemistry. Palmer is also a Research Associate Professor of Chemistry. 

Wellington and Erin Hsu reflect on research, societal impact

May 25, 2018
In a recent interview with ABC 7, Dr. Wellington Hsu described his lifelong fascination with math, science, and human physiology. Combined with a desire to improve human health, that interest ultimately led him to a career as a spine surgeon. “As I learned more about the field of orthopaedic surgery, I realized there were so many other sub-specialties and ways that I could make an impact on someone’s life.”

Discussing their collaborative research and recent acknowledgement by Northwestern as Mentors of the Year, Erin Hsu said, “It’s a lot of fun to accomplish something like this, and to do something like this together.”
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NSF recognizes Rivnay with prestigious career award

May 16, 2018
Jonathan Rivnay's NSF CAREER Award, "Understanding the Role of Structure on Ionic/Electronic Properties in Polymeric Mixed Conductors," will focus on studies of structure and transport in materials relevant for bioelectronics. He also aims to enhance science communication through community engagement, exploring the effect of the duration of outreach events on the development of researchers as teachers/mentors.
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SQI staff leadership appointments

February 12, 2018
Erin L. Hsu, Ph.D., research associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM), will serve as Assistant Director of the Simpson Querrey Institute.
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Scott Lab develops new hydrogel for drug delivery

February 12, 2018
Using nanocarriers to deliver drugs and diagnostic agents to specific areas of the body is hardly new in the world of nanomedicine. However, despite the significant promise of the technology, it has its challenges.
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Harnessing Huntington’s Disease to fight cancer

February 12, 2018
A collaboration between Simpson Querrey Institute resident faculty member C. Shad Thaxton, MD, PhD, associate professor of urology, and Marcus Peter, PhD, the Tom D. Spies Professor of Cancer Metabolism at the Feinberg School of Medicine, has led to a potentially new approach to treat cancer.

Rogers Group and Loreal team up to monitor UV exposure

January 8, 2018

Collaborating with Loreal, John Rogers' lab developed the world's smallest wearable device. The "UV Sense" is worn on the fingernail to measure UV from sun exposure and it was recognized as one of the six coolest gadgets exhibited at the 2018 Consumer Electronic Show.

The reusable electronic sensor — which can record and store up to three months' worth of data —communicates with a smartphone app which tracks the level of UV-related risk and suggests better habits, including when to get out of the sun and reapply sunblock. Loreal plans to make the sensor, which is battery-less and can be worn for up to two weeks before a new adhesive is needed, available for consumer purchase in summer 2018.

SQI core facilities growing

January 1, 2018
ANTEC received funding from the Office for Research and acquired a High Power Expanded Plasma Cleaner from Harrick Plasma. At ANTEC, the Plasma Cleaner is used for sterilization of biomaterials intended for in vitro and in vivo use, as well as for glass, metal and polymer substrate surface cleaning and modification. Additional funding from the Office for Research will allow ANTEC to acquire accessories for the popular Cytation3 Automatic Imager and Plate Reader. These accessories — a 40x magnification objective and a 96-well plate washer — will enhance the Cytation3 imaging and plate reading capabilities.