Home

Women's Health

Columbia Engineering’s Women’s Health Initiative brings an engineering lens to advance women's health and well-being through innovative design thinking, technical skills, and a focus on practical solutions.  

We are focused on bringing a systems-based, user-centered engineering approach to improve women’s health, developing tools whereby women can self-manage and partner proactively with practitioners.

The Initiative seeks to apply its deep understanding of mechanobiology, imaging and data science to shed light on critical societal challenges such as preterm birth, cancer, endometriosis, and a maternal morbidity record that is not only the worst among developed countries but getting worse.

The Initiative brings together a multidisciplinary community of engineers, physicians, and professionals to drive innovation for women’s health by utilizing woman-centered design from ideation through the delivery of effective and equitable tools. Together, our teams will advance evidence-based solutions, including transformative medical technologies, treatments, and public health interventions that significantly improve women's lives.

Researchers have focused on improving mammograms (left) by applying an approach used when imaging Earth to breast tissue (right) in an attempt to better view tiny but important medical details. Credit: Bartron Medical Imaging

Krysin Myers' Lab was featured on Netflix’s Sex, Explained. Credit: Netflix

Cervical length is clinically measured as the portion of the cervix that is closed. Effacement progresses in normal pregnancy when the fetal head descends and shortens the cervix. Funneling is a pathologic condition related to an abnormal cervical deformation pattern when the membranes slip into the inner canal and the cervix prematurely shortens. Credit: The Journal of Biomechanics

(Left) Myers shows Vink 3D computer simulations of the cervix. (Right) Vink pipettes solution into slides containing cervical smooth muscle cells. Understanding the forces that lead a healthy cervix to open and close at the right times may be key to preventing some premature births. Credit: Adrienne Grunwald for NPR

Faculty

Columbia Engineering
  • Sunil Agrawal, PhD., Professor of Mechanical Engineering and of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine
  • Elham Azizi - Biomedical Engineering and Herbert and Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Cancer Data Research (in the Herbert and Florence Institute for Cancer Dynamics and in the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center)
  • Santiago Correa, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • X. Edward Guo, PhD., Stanley Dicker Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Professor of Medical Sciences
  • Christine Hendon, PhD, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
  • Lance Kam, PhD., Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences (in Medicine)
  • Elisa Konofagou, Robert and Margaret Hariri Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology
  • Ioannis (John) Kymissis, Kenneth Brayer Professor of Electrical Engineering
  • Helen Lu, Percy K. and Vida L.W. Hudson Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Jose McFaline-Figueroa, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Kristin Myers, PhD, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
  • Itsik Pe'er, Professor of Computer Science and Systems Biology
  • Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi, Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Computer Science
  • Mijo Simunovic, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
  • Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, University Professor and Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Harry West, PhD, Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research
  • Christopher Wiggins, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics and Systems Biology

In Collaboration
  • Arnold P. Advincula, MD, Levine Family Professor of Women's Health in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Columbia University Medical Center
  • Xiaowei Chen, Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology
  • Noémie Elhadad, Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics (biomedical informatics & computer science; machine learning, human-centered AI)
  • Gamze Gursoy, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics (in Computer Science) (biomedical informatics & computer science; privacy)
  • Richard Ha, Associate Professor of Radiology
  • Hanina Hibshoosh, Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology
  • Shalmali Joshi, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics (biomedical informatics & computer science; machine learning, AI)
  • Rita Kukafka, Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Sociomedical Sciences at the Columbia University Medical Center (biomedical informatics & socio-medical sciences; health equity)
  • Tal Korem, PhD, Assistant Professor of System Biology and Reproductive Sciences (in Obstetrics and Gynecology)
  • Lena Mamykina, Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics (biomedical informatics, human-computer interaction)
  • Mirella Mourad, MD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Columbia University Medical Center
  • Jessica Opoku-Anane, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Columbia University Medical Center (ObGyn; endometriosis, fibroids, PCOS, pelvic pain)
  • Valerie Purdie-Greenaway, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology and Instructor at Columbia Business School
  • Uma Reddy, MD, MPH, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Professor of Population and Family Health
  • Ronald Wapner, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ObGyn; reproductive endocrinology)
  • Qi Yan, PhD, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Sciences (in Obstetrics and Gynecology)

Research Areas

Women's Health Across the Lifespan
  • Uterine cancer. Uterine leiomyosarcoma has a combined 5-year relative survival rate of 38%. Unfortunately, standard imaging techniques like MRI cannot always differentiate benign and malignant uterine tumors. In addition, MRI is not routinely available for real-time guidance of surgeries at Columbia or U.S. medical institutions broadly. To improve interventions to treat gynecologic conditions at early stages and enable less invasive treatment options, we aim to develop minimally invasive probes that doctors can use in the office for gynecologic disease diagnosis, biopsy guidance, and screening. 
  • Breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common non-cutaneous cancer in women in the United States, and its prevalence is rising as the population ages, and hormonal factors favor its emergence. Within Columbia Engineering, we are working towards improving diagnosis of breast cancer, improving surgical and pathology workflows, and evaluation of chemotherapy treatment with a range of advanced imaging tools (ultrasound, optics) and data analytics.
  • The Ultrasound and Elasticity Imaging Laboratory works on developing novel, ultrasound-based techniques for imaging and therapeutic applications. In the field of breast cancer research, our group uses Harmonic Motion Imaging (HMI), a technique that induces dynamic tissue vibrations for tissue elasticity characterization, for both breast cancer imaging and therapeutic monitoring. Current projects include using HMI for longitudinal assessment of tumor responses to neoadjuvant systemic treatments, tumor boundary characterization, and real-time monitoring of tissue changes during Focused Ultrasound (FUS) therapy. 
  • Osteoporosis and Bone Health
  • Pelvic Floor Health

Pregnancy and Maternal Health

Preterm birth

Gynecologic Health

Fibroids may grow as large as 30 cm in diameter and are a common cause of chronic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding, bloating, and infertility. Underlying difficulties in treating uterine fibroids are that they are extremely heterogeneous and can appear similar to other pathologies. We aim to create a comprehensive atlas of uterine tissue optical, fiber architecture, and biomechanical properties and to build an optical endoscope surveillance device for disease detection. 

Sex-based Differences

The Vunjak-Novakovic lab is interested in engineering human tissues and organs for medical impact, in two related areas: regenerative medicine and “organs-on-a-chip” models of injury and disease. Much of our work is being done using human iPS cells, enabling patient-specific studies. One direction focuses on differences in the progression of injury and diseases and responses to treatment between female and male patients. We are also actively studying cancers that occur in women, such as breast cancer and its invasion into other organs in the body.

Publications
  1. Maleke C, Konofagou EE. In vivo feasibility of real-time monitoring of focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) using harmonic motion imaging (HMI). IEEE Trans Biomed Eng [Internet]. 2010 Jan;57(1):7–11. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2009.2027423 PMID: 19643703
  2. Maleke C, Luo J, Gamarnik V, Lu XL, Konofagou EE. Simulation study of amplitude-modulated (AM) harmonic motion imaging (HMI) for stiffness contrast quantification with experimental validation. Ultrason Imaging [Internet]. 2010 Jul;32(3):154–176. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/016173461003200304 PMID: 20718245
  3. Kim H, Watkinson J, Varadan V, Anastassiou D. Multi-cancer computational analysis reveals invasion-associated variant of desmoplastic reaction involving INHBA, THBS2 and COL11A1. BMC Med Genomics [Internet]. 2010 Nov 3;3:51. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1755-8794-3-51 PMCID: PMC2988703
  4. Andreopoulos B, Anastassiou D. Integrated Analysis Reveals hsa-miR-142 as a Representative of a Lymphocyte-Specific Gene Expression and Methylation Signature. Cancer Inform [Internet]. 2012 Mar 12;11:61–75. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4137/CIN.S9037 PMCID: PMC3306237
  5. Fernandez M, Vink J, Yoshida K, Wapner R, Myers KM. Direct measurement of the permeability of human cervical tissue. J Biomech Eng [Internet]. 2013 Feb;135(2):021024. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4023380 PMID: 23445069
  6. Cheng WY, Ou Yang TH, Anastassiou D. Development of a prognostic model for breast cancer survival in an open challenge environment. Sci Transl Med [Internet]. 2013 Apr 17;5(181):181ra50. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.3005974 PMID: 23596202
  7. McCarthy N. Prognostic models: rising to the challenge [Internet]. Nature reviews. Cancer. 2013. p. 378. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrc3530 PMID: 23640208
  8. Yao W, Yoshida K, Fernandez M, Vink J, Wapner RJ, Ananth CV, Oyen ML, Myers KM. Measuring the compressive viscoelastic mechanical properties of human cervical tissue using indentation. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater [Internet]. 2014 Jun;34:18–26. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2014.01.016 PMID: 24548950
  9. Gan Y, Yao W, Myers KM, Hendon CP. An automated 3D registration method for optical coherence tomography volumes. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc [Internet]. 2014;2014:3873–3876. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/EMBC.2014.6944469 PMCID: PMC6080205
  10. Miller CP, Thorpe JD, Kortum AN, Coy CM, Cheng WY, Ou Yang TH, Anastassiou D, Beatty JD, Urban ND, Blau CA. JAK2 expression is associated with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improved breast cancer outcomes: implications for evaluating JAK2 inhibitors. Cancer Immunol Res [Internet]. 2014 Apr;2(4):301–306. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-13-0189 PMCID: PMC4001121
  11. Myers K, Ateshian GA. Interstitial growth and remodeling of biological tissues: tissue composition as state variables. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater [Internet]. 2014 Jan;29:544–556. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.03.003 PMCID: PMC3812404
  12. Yoshida K, Jiang H, Kim M, Vink J, Cremers S, Paik D, Wapner R, Mahendroo M, Myers K. Quantitative evaluation of collagen crosslinks and corresponding tensile mechanical properties in mouse cervical tissue during normal pregnancy. PLoS One [Internet]. 2014 Nov 14;9(11):e112391. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0112391 PMCID: PMC4232411
  13. Ou Yang TH, Cheng WY, Zheng T, Maurer MA, Anastassiou D. Breast cancer prognostic biomarker using attractor metagenes and the FGD3-SUSD3 metagene. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev [Internet]. 2014 Dec;23(12):2850–2856. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0399 PMID: 25249324
  14. Gan Y, Yao W, Myers KM, Vink JY, Wapner RJ, Hendon CP. Analyzing three-dimensional ultrastructure of human cervical tissue using optical coherence tomography. Biomed Opt Express [Internet]. 2015 Apr 1;6(4):1090–1108. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/BOE.6.001090 PMCID: PMC4399652
  15. Myers KM, Feltovich H, Mazza E, Vink J, Bajka M, Wapner RJ, Hall TJ, House M. The mechanical role of the cervix in pregnancy. J Biomech [Internet]. 2015 Jun 25;48(9):1511–1523. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.02.065 PMCID: PMC4459908
  16. Myers KM, Hendon CP, Gan Y, Yao W, Yoshida K, Fernandez M, Vink J, Wapner RJ. A continuous fiber distribution material model for human cervical tissue. J Biomech [Internet]. 2015 Jun 25;48(9):1533–1540. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.02.060 PMCID: PMC6167934
  17. Zork NM, Myers KM, Yoshida K, Cremers S, Jiang H, Ananth CV, Wapner RJ, Kitajewski J, Vink J. A systematic evaluation of collagen cross-links in the human cervix. Am J Obstet Gynecol [Internet]. 2015 Mar;212(3):321.e1–8. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2014.09.036 PMCID: PMC4346506
  18. Yao W, Gan Y, Myers KM, Vink JY, Wapner RJ, Hendon CP. Collagen Fiber Orientation and Dispersion in the Upper Cervix of Non-Pregnant and Pregnant Women. PLoS One [Internet]. 2016 Nov 29;11(11):e0166709. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0166709 PMCID: PMC5127549
  19. Yu Gan, Xinwen Yao, Chang E, Bin Amir S, Hibshoosh H, Feldman S, Hendon CP. Comparative study of texture features in OCT images at different scales for human breast tissue classification. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc [Internet]. 2016 Aug;2016:3926–3929. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/EMBC.2016.7591586 PMCID: PMC6180913
  20. Han Y, Wang S, Hibshoosh H, Taback B, Konofagou E. Tumor characterization and treatment monitoring of postsurgical human breast specimens using harmonic motion imaging (HMI). Breast Cancer Res [Internet]. 2016 May 9;18(1):46. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13058-016-0707-3 PMCID: PMC4862222
  21. Vink JY, Qin S, Brock CO, Zork NM, Feltovich HM, Chen X, Urie P, Myers KM, Hall TJ, Wapner R, Kitajewski JK, Shawber CJ, Gallos G. A new paradigm for the role of smooth muscle cells in the human cervix. Am J Obstet Gynecol [Internet]. 2016 Oct;215(4):478.e1–478.e11. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2016.04.053 PMID: 27166013
  22. Yoshida K, Mahendroo M, Vink J, Wapner R, Myers K. Material properties of mouse cervical tissue in normal gestation. Acta Biomater [Internet]. 2016 May;36:195–209. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2016.03.005 PMID: 26961804
  23. Yao X, Gan Y, Chang E, Hibshoosh H, Feldman S, Hendon C. Visualization and tissue classification of human breast cancer images using ultrahigh-resolution OCT. Lasers Surg Med [Internet]. 2017 Mar;49(3):258–269. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/lsm.22654 PMCID: PMC5368015
  24. Koullali B, Westervelt AR, Myers KM, House MD. Prevention of preterm birth: Novel interventions for the cervix. Semin Perinatol [Internet]. 2017 Dec;41(8):505–510. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.semperi.2017.08.009 PMCID: PMC5711549
  25. Westervelt AR, Myers KM. Computer modeling tools to understand the causes of preterm birth. Semin Perinatol [Internet]. 2017 Dec;41(8):485–492. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.semperi.2017.08.007 PMCID: PMC7357816
  26. Westervelt AR, Fernandez M, House M, Vink J, Nhan-Chang CL, Wapner R, Myers KM. A Parameterized Ultrasound-Based Finite Element Analysis of the Mechanical Environment of Pregnancy. J Biomech Eng [Internet]. 2017 May 1;139(5):0510041–05100411. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4036259 PMCID: PMC7104753
  27. Myers KM, Elad D. Biomechanics of the human uterus. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med [Internet]. 2017 Sep;9(5). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wsbm.1388 PMID: 28498625
  28. Ha R, Friedlander LC, Hibshoosh H, Hendon C, Feldman S, Ahn S, Schmidt H, Akens MK, Fitzmaurice M, Wilson BC, Mango VL. Optical Coherence Tomography: A Novel Imaging Method for Post-lumpectomy Breast Margin Assessment-A Multi-reader Study. Acad Radiol [Internet]. 2018 Mar;25(3):279–287. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2017.09.018 PMID: 29174226
  29. House M, Kelly J, Klebanov N, Yoshida K, Myers K, Kaplan DL. Mechanical and Biochemical Effects of Progesterone on Engineered Cervical Tissue. Tissue Eng Part A [Internet]. 2018 Dec;24(23-24):1765–1774. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ten.TEA.2018.0036 PMCID: PMC6302671
  30. Ronaldson-Bouchard K, Vunjak-Novakovic G. Organs-on-a-Chip: A Fast Track for Engineered Human Tissues in Drug Development. Cell Stem Cell [Internet]. 2018 Mar 1;22(3):310–324. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2018.02.011 PMCID: PMC5837068
  31. Vink J, Myers K. Cervical alterations in pregnancy. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol [Internet]. 2018 Oct;52:88–102. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.03.007 PMCID: PMC6282836
  32. Shi L, Yao W, Gan Y, Zhao LY, Eugene McKee W, Vink J, Wapner RJ, Hendon CP, Myers K. Anisotropic Material Characterization of Human Cervix Tissue Based on Indentation and Inverse Finite Element Analysis. J Biomech Eng [Internet]. 2019 Sep 1;141(9):0910171–09101713. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4043977 PMCID: PMC6808002
  33. Yoshida K, Jayyosi C, Lee N, Mahendroo M, Myers KM. Mechanics of cervical remodelling: insights from rodent models of pregnancy. Interface Focus [Internet]. 2019 Oct 6;9(5):20190026. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2019.0026 PMCID: PMC6710664
  34. Ogundijo OE, Zhu K, Wang X, Anastassiou D. A sequential Monte Carlo algorithm for inference of subclonal structure in cancer. PLoS One [Internet]. 2019 Jan 25;14(1):e0211213. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211213 PMCID: PMC6347199
  35. McLean JP, Fang S, Gallos G, Myers KM, Hendon CP. Three-dimensional collagen fiber mapping and tractography of human uterine tissue using OCT. Biomed Opt Express [Internet]. 2020 Oct 1;11(10):5518–5541. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/BOE.397041 PMCID: PMC7587264
  36. Saharkhiz N, Ha R, Taback B, Li XJ, Weber R, Nabavizadeh A, Lee SA, Hibshoosh H, Gatti V, Kamimura HAS, Konofagou EE. Harmonic motion imaging of human breast masses: an in vivo clinical feasibility. Sci Rep [Internet]. 2020 Sep 17;10(1):15254. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71960-5 PMCID: PMC7498461
  37. Mojahed D, Ha RS, Chang P, Gan Y, Yao X, Angelini B, Hibshoosh H, Taback B, Hendon CP. Fully Automated Postlumpectomy Breast Margin Assessment Utilizing Convolutional Neural Network Based Optical Coherence Tomography Image Classification Method. Acad Radiol [Internet]. 2020 May;27(5):e81–e86. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.acra.2019.06.018 PMCID: PMC7456393
  38. Hossain MM, Saharkhiz N, Konofagou EE. Feasibility of Harmonic Motion Imaging Using a Single Transducer: In Vivo Imaging of Breast Cancer in a Mouse Model and Human Subjects. IEEE Trans Med Imaging [Internet]. 2021 May;40(5):1390–1404. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TMI.2021.3055779 PMCID: PMC8136334
  39. Fang S, McLean J, Shi L, Vink JSY, Hendon CP, Myers KM. Anisotropic Mechanical Properties of the Human Uterus Measured by Spherical Indentation. Ann Biomed Eng [Internet]. 2021 Aug;49(8):1923–1942. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10439-021-02769-0 PMCID: PMC8376808
  40. Vunjak-Novakovic G, Ronaldson-Bouchard K, Radisic M. Organs-on-a-chip models for biological research. Cell [Internet]. 2021 Sep 2;184(18):4597–4611. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.08.005 PMCID: PMC8417425
  41. Vink J, Yu V, Dahal S, Lohner J, Stern-Asher C, Mourad M, Davis G, Xue Z, Wang S, Myers K, Kitajewski J, Chen X, Wapner RJ, Ananth CV, Sheetz M, Gallos G. Extracellular Matrix Rigidity Modulates Human Cervical Smooth Muscle Contractility-New Insights into Premature Cervical Failure and Spontaneous Preterm Birth. Reprod Sci [Internet]. 2021 Jan;28(1):237–251. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s43032-020-00268-6 PMCID: PMC9344974
  42. Saharkhiz N, Lee SA, Li XJ, Konofagou EE. Pre-clinical breast cancer therapeutic response monitoring using harmonic motion imaging and functional ultrasound. 2021 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) [Internet]. IEEE; 2021. p. 1–4. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IUS52206.2021.9593923
  43. Louwagie EM, Carlson L, Over V, Mao L, Fang S, Westervelt A, Vink J, Hall T, Feltovich H, Myers K. Longitudinal ultrasonic dimensions and parametric solid models of the gravid uterus and cervix. PLoS One [Internet]. 2021 Jan 28;16(1):e0242118. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242118 PMCID: PMC7842891
  44. Hossain MM, Konofagou EE. Imaging of Single Transducer-Harmonic Motion Imaging-Derived Displacements at Several Oscillation Frequencies Simultaneously. IEEE Trans Med Imaging [Internet]. 2022 Nov;41(11):3099–3115. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TMI.2022.3178897 PMCID: PMC9865352
  45. Bareja R, Mojahed D, Hibshoosh H, Hendon C. Classifying breast cancer in ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography images using convolutional neural networks. Appl Opt [Internet]. 2022 May 20;61(15):4458–4462. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/AO.455626 PMID: 36256284
  46. Barnum CE, Shetye SS, Fazelinia H, Garcia BA, Fang S, Alzamora M, Li H, Brown LM, Tang C, Myers K, Wapner R, Soslowsky LJ, Vink JY. The Non-pregnant and Pregnant Human Cervix: a Systematic Proteomic Analysis. Reprod Sci [Internet]. 2022 May;29(5):1542–1559. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s43032-022-00892-4 PMID: 35266109
  47. Lee N, Shi L, Colon Caraballo M, Nallasamy S, Mahendroo M, Iozzo RV, Myers K. Mechanical Response of Mouse Cervices Lacking Decorin and Biglycan During Pregnancy. J Biomech Eng [Internet]. 2022 Jun 1;144(6). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4054199 PMCID: PMC9125869
  48. Colon-Caraballo M, Lee N, Nallasamy S, Myers K, Hudson D, Iozzo RV, Mahendroo M. Novel regulatory roles of small leucine-rich proteoglycans in remodeling of the uterine cervix in pregnancy. Matrix Biol [Internet]. 2022 Jan;105:53–71. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matbio.2021.11.004 PMCID: PMC9446484
  49. Shi L, Hu L, Lee N, Fang S, Myers K. Three-dimensional anisotropic hyperelastic constitutive model describing the mechanical response of human and mouse cervix. Acta Biomater [Internet]. 2022 Sep 15;150:277–294. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2022.07.062 PMID: 35931278
  50. Ronaldson-Bouchard K, Teles D, Yeager K, Tavakol DN, Zhao Y, Chramiec A, Tagore S, Summers M, Stylianos S, Tamargo M, Lee BM, Halligan SP, Abaci EH, Guo Z, Jacków J, Pappalardo A, Shih J, Soni RK, Sonar S, German C, Christiano AM, Califano A, Hirschi KK, Chen CS, Przekwas A, Vunjak-Novakovic G. A multi-organ chip with matured tissue niches linked by vascular flow. Nat Biomed Eng [Internet]. 2022 Apr;6(4):351–371. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41551-022-00882-6 PMCID: PMC9250010
  51. Lock R, Al Asafen H, Fleischer S, Tamargo M, Zhao Y, Radisic M, Vunjak-Novakovic G. A framework for developing sex-specific engineered heart models. Nat Rev Mater [Internet]. 2022;7(4):295–313. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41578-021-00381-1 PMCID: PMC8527305
  52. Mojahed D, Applegate M, Guo H, Taback B, Ha R, Hibshoosh H, Hendon C. Optical coherence tomography holds promise to transform the diagnostic anatomic pathology gross evaluation process. J Biomed Opt [Internet]. 2022 Sep;27(9). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/1.JBO.27.9.096003 PMCID: PMC9434002
  53. Li XJ, Saharkhiz N, Liu Y, Hossain MM, Ansari MS, Taback B, Konofagou EE. Real-time lesion monitoring during FUS ablation using interleaved harmonic motion imaging guided FUS (Interleaved-HMIgFUS) in in vivo mouse and humans. 2022 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS) [Internet]. IEEE; 2022. p. 1–4. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IUS54386.2022.9957857
  54. Miguel-Aliaga I, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Stephenson EJ, Gachon F, Milagre I, Mills E, Rubin JB, Kelava I. Voicing the need to consider sex-specific differences in research. Dev Cell [Internet]. 2022 Dec 19;57(24):2675–2678. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2022.11.018 PMID: 36538892
  55. Liu Y, Saharkhiz N, Hossain MM, Konofagou EE. Optimization of the tracking beam sequence in Harmonic Motion Imaging. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control [Internet]. 2023 Nov 2;PP. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TUFFC.2023.3329729 PMID: 37917522
  56. Shi L, Myers K. A finite porous-viscoelastic model capturing mechanical behavior of human cervix under multi-step spherical indentation. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater [Internet]. 2023 Jul;143:105875. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.105875 PMCID: PMC10330483
  57. Saharkhiz N, Kamimura HAS, Konofagou EE. An Efficient and Multi-Focal Focused Ultrasound Technique for Harmonic Motion Imaging. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng [Internet]. 2023 Apr;70(4):1150–1161. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2022.3211465 PMCID: PMC10067540
  58. Tang ID, Mallia D, Yan Q, Pe’er I, Raja A, Salleb-Aouissi A, Wapner R. A Scoping Review of Preterm Birth Risk Factors. Am J Perinatol [Internet]. 2023 Sep 25; Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-1775564 PMID: 37748506
  59. Samimi K, Contreras Guzman E, Wu M, Carlson L, Feltovich H, Hall TJ, Myers KM, Oyen ML, Skala MC. Optical coherence tomography of human fetal membrane sub-layers during loading. Biomed Opt Express [Internet]. 2023 Jun 1;14(6):2969–2985. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/BOE.489691 PMCID: PMC10278609
  60. Honigberg MC, Truong B, Khan RR, Xiao B, Bhatta L, Vy HMT, Guerrero RF, Schuermans A, Selvaraj MS, Patel AP, Koyama S, Cho SMJ, Vellarikkal SK, Trinder M, Urbut SM, Gray KJ, Brumpton BM, Patil S, Zöllner S, Antopia MC, Saxena R, Nadkarni GN, Do R, Yan Q, Pe’er I, Verma SS, Gupta RM, Haas DM, Martin HC, van Heel DA, Laisk T, Natarajan P. Polygenic prediction of preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. Nat Med [Internet]. 2023 Jun;29(6):1540–1549. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02374-9 PMCID: PMC10330886
  61. Saharkhiz N, Kamimura HAS, Konofagou EE. The impact of amplitude modulation frequency in harmonic motion imaging on inclusion characterization. Ultrasound Med Biol [Internet]. 2023 Aug;49(8):1768–1779. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.03.025 PMCID: PMC10392769
  62. Yan Q, Guerrero RF, Khan RR, Surujnarine AA, Wapner RJ, Hahn MW, Raja A, Salleb-Aouissi A, Grobman WA, Simhan H, Blue NR, Silver R, Chung JH, Reddy UM, Radivojac P, Pe’er I, Haas DM. Searching and visualizing genetic associations of pregnancy traits by using GnuMoM2b. Genetics [Internet]. 2023 Oct 4;225(2). Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/genetics/iyad151 PMCID: PMC10691790
  63. Fodera DM, Russell SR, Lund-Jackson JL, Fang S, Vink JSY, Oyen ML, Myers KM. Material Properties of Nonpregnant and Pregnant Human Uterine Layers. bioRxiv [Internet]. 2023 Sep 15; Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.07.551726 PMCID: PMC10441310
  64. Hu S, Hossain MM, Li X, Konofagou EE. Lesion Size Assessment on Multi-Frequency Single Transducer-Harmonic Motion Imaging Using Convolutional Neural Network. 2023 IEEE 20th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) [Internet]. IEEE; 2023. p. 1–4. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/ISBI53787.2023.10230588
  65. Li XJ, Hossain MM, Lee SA, Saharkhiz N, Konofagou E. Harmonic Motion Imaging-Guided Focused Ultrasound Ablation: Comparison of Three Focused Ultrasound Interference Filtering Methods. Ultrasound Med Biol [Internet]. 2024 Jan;50(1):119–127. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.09.012 PMCID: PMC10697091

Educational Programs

News »

Faculty Tech Talk: Body Mechanics

Professors Christine Hendon and Kristin Myers sat down with Dean Boyce and a gathering of students for the latest faculty tech talk. More
Nov 30 2018 | By Jesse Adams | Hendon Photo Credit: Jeffrey Schifman | Myers Photo Credit: Eileen Barroso
OCT scanner for imaging breast specimens.

Improving Breast Cancer Treatment and Outcomes

Read More
Gloved hands holding a preliminary device that could mitigate preterm birth by adding light therapeutics to remodel the cervix.

Mitigating Pre-term Birth

Watch
Gloved hands holding a multi-organ chip

Personalizing Care

Watch