Texas A&M University Department of Biomedical Engineering

Spring Break Spotlights! 😎🌴☀️ #TAMUbme is so glad you had a fun and relaxing break, but we’re even more excited to have our BME students back!

Keith Hearon ’14, a revolutionary inventor and #TAMUbme former student was named a 2024 National Academy of Inventors Fellow and Texas A&M Engineering Outstanding Young Alumni 🏆 “The Outstanding Young Alumni Honor Award from Texas A&M is meaningful to me because it was built around a very valuable skill set that I learned in College Station,” Hearon said. “I seriously learned something, and that is a big deal to me.” Keith’s journey at #TAMUbme was pivotal in shaping his career. Under Dr. Duncan Maitland, he developed new materials for medical devices. He left A&M with over 14 peer-reviewed papers, earned over 15 patents, and was featured in Advanced Materials with a cover article. Currently, Keith is the co-founder and CEO of Nuceptive Labs, a skin contact medical adhesives company, and chairs the board of Imidex, an AI lung cancer company. We are just so incredibly proud of Hearon’s success and the lasting impact #TAMUbme has had on his journey. We can not wait to see what you do next! Learn more about Keith Hearon: https://tx.ag/Hearon

Your support can drive the next breakthrough in healthcare 🔬💡💙 #TAMUbme is pushing boundaries like never before! From curbing bacterial resistance to discovering fundamental details about cancer cells, recent research findings are shaping the future of biomedical engineering. However, to keep this momentum going, we need you. By donating to the William A. Hyman Faculty Excellence Fellowship, you’re not just giving—you’re fueling innovation. Your contribution will provide flexibility to support graduate students, purchase new equipment, and provide seed funds to pursue unique research ideas. Be a catalyst of something extraordinary. Your donation isn’t just a gift; it’s a launchpad for discoveries that will change lives. Donate today: Tx.ag/BMEFellowship

#TAMUbme students Kendall Frazee ‘25 and Sara Carrero ‘27, along with their WIRED VEXU team, achieved the No. 10 seed at the VEX Texas State Championship! 🏆 Despite facing an unexpected setback the night before, the team quickly adapted their approach to stay competitive. Their hard work paid off as they pulled off an incredible win over an undefeated UT Austin team! “We spent the first few matches redesigning an autonomous routine to accommodate our lost functionality and still allow us to perform comparably to other teams in attendance.” said Frazee. 🔧 Congratulations to Kendall, Sara, and the WIRED VEXU team for their determination, adaptability, and win! 🎉 Read more about their team and other TAMU competitors: http://tx.ag/VEXU2025

Counting down the days until you're back! #TAMUbme hopes your break is full of fun and relaxation 🏕️🌞⛱️⛷️ See you soon, Ags!

Steve Golden ’90, a serial entrepreneur with seven medical device startups and over two dozen U.S. patents, was named #TAMUbme 2024 Outstanding Alumni last fall! 🏆 "It's humbling, a big honor, and very much appreciated," Golden said. "It validates the career path that I've chosen, that I've been able to help many people out there with new medical technology using my degree." As the founder & CEO of Slipstream Solutions, a startup dedicated to creating a solution for intense inflammation and pain, Golden continues to improve patient care and push the boundaries of biomedical advancements. Beyond startups, Golden stays involved with #TAMUbme, serving as an advisory board member. He credits much of his accomplishment to the connections and inspiration he found at Texas A&M. Learn more about Steve Golden: tx.ag/BMEGolden

Happy Fat Tuesday! 💜💛💚 We had so much fun at our #TAMUbme Mardi Gras mid-semester social today! Great vibes, amazing company, and plenty of beads to go around! 🎭🥳

Congratulations to Vedanshi Patel and her team for receiving the Translational Research Award at the 2025 SPIE Photonics West Conference! 🏆 Their paper presents a 3D Monte Carlo-based in silico model, a computer simulation that predicts how light interacts with human tissue. The results of these simulations, combined with machine learning, aim to enhance the diagnosis of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms and legs. By analyzing near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, the study identifies the optimal wavelengths for calculating tissue oxygenation, a critical factor in PAD diagnosis. This research improves the accuracy and accessibility of PAD screening and tissue oxygenation measurement across diverse patient populations, regardless of melanin and other anatomical differences. "I couldn’t have done it without the mentorship of Dr. Amir Zavareh and Professor John Hanks! I’m excited to continue developing my technical and commercialization skills through the master’s program," said Vedanshi Patel We are incredibly proud of you, Vedanshi, and can't wait to see all the amazing things you will accomplish! 👏 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g2VVDWjs

Wrinkles in clothes? Annoying. Wrinkles in cancer? A mystery worth solving. A groundbreaking study published in npj Precision Oncology from #TAMUbme Dr. Lele’s lab has uncovered a surprising connection: extreme wrinkling of the nuclear lamina, a protein network supporting the cell's nucleus, is a marker of cancer. This extreme wrinkling is detectable with deep learning. The research shows that more severe nuclear laminar wrinkling is associated with more advanced cancer. This discovery may help pave the way for earlier cancer detection and improved cancer screening! Read more about them unveiling the shapes of cancer nuclei in Christina Dollahon's paper here: tx.ag/WrinkledCell

Matchpatch wins MedXplore! 🏆 This team took home the $1,500 prize for their biodegradable occluder design. Used to block or close off a hole or opening in the heart, Matchpatch’s occluder design naturally dissolves over time, allowing the heart to heal on its own. This could eliminate the need for permanent implants and promote better long-term heart health. ❤️ Congratulations Matchpatch, well deserved!