Can the current method of performing orthopedic surgery be transformed with new materials? Would a simple fingerstick biosensor be able to track heart health? How can AI better train the next generation of health care workers?

These are a few of the questions being researched by the 15 recipients of the 2024 Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University Alliance for Health Care seed grant. Through the program, ASU researchers and Mayo Clinic experts kick-start joint research projects and build a foundation to attract additional funding.

When awarding grants, the program considers projects that encompass the following factors: transforming the health care workforce, optimizing health and the human body, and establishing connected health care delivery and biomedical innovation. Among these key elements, the project should demonstrate meaningful collaboration between investigators at ASU and Mayo Clinic.

Hear from a few of the grant winners on how they plan to use this funding to transform health care in collaboration with their Mayo Clinic counterparts:

• Vincent Pizziconi, associate professor at ASU’s School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering: “A longtime quest in orthopedic surgery is the replacement of rigid, metallic implantable surgical hardware — often associated with complications — with yet-to-be-developed, nonmetallic biomaterials and devices. Biologically responsive hardware (or ‘bioware’) could improve long-term outcomes, and eventually be a patient-tailored, cost-effective management of orthopedic fractures. This grant provides essential support for the multidisciplinary team to explore this issue.”
• Shaopeng Wang, associate professor at ASU’s Biodesign Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors: “This grant allows us to develop and test a proof-of-concept, point-of-care biosensor with the ultimate goal of decentralized heart failure monitoring with fingerstick blood samples.”
• Ellen Green, associate professor at ASU’s College of Health Solutions: “Our project aims to transform medical education through the integration of AI and computer vision. By automating the analysis of clinical evaluations, we enhance feedback mechanisms and uncover valuable insights beyond predefined learning objectives. Leveraging a unique dataset of over 300 clinician (and) standard-patient encounters, our project promises to set new standards in the effectiveness and efficiency of interprofessional education, ultimately transforming the workforce.”

The 2024 seed grant projects and their lead investigators are:

• Acute respiratory effects of toxic asphalt emissions and mitigation strategies: Mayo translational science and ASU innovation. From ASU: Elham Fini, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Bruce Johnson, PhD.
• BeWell360-CPR for sustainable, tailored, and minimally disruptive cardiopulmonary rehab: A mixed-methods pilot study. From ASU: Matthew Buman, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Abd Moain Abu Dabrh, MB.
• Detection of HPV biomarkers in head and neck cancer. From ASU: Karen Anderson, MD, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: David Routman, MD.
• Development and safety/efficacy evaluation of nonglucose signal-driven automated insulin delivery systems. From ASU: Sandeep Gupta, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Yogish Kudva, MBBS.
• Development of a point-of-care digital nano biosensor for decentralized heart failure monitoring. From ASU: Shaopeng Wang, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Eric H. Yang, MD.
• Identification of rocuronium allergy mimotopes by peptide microarray platform and machine learning to develop a novel drug allergy test for perioperative anaphylaxis. From ASU: Neal Woodbury, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Alexei Gonzalez Estrada, MD.
• Investigating osseointegration and long-term performance of biologically inspired additively manufactured bone implants. From ASU: Leila Jannesari Ladani, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Brent Chang, MD.
• Micro- and nanoplastics and their impact on gastrointestinal disease. From ASU: Alexandra Ros, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Lisa Boardman, MD.
• Prolonged nightly fasting among ethnically and racially diverse breast cancer survivors with cancer-related cognitive impairment: A pilot RCT to improve cognition, sleep and quality of life. From ASU: Dorothy Sears, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Sarah James, MD, PhD.
• Rapid MAC phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing using scattering imaging. From ASU: Shelley Haydel, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Robert Orenstein, DO.
• Rational design of a tunable, 3D-biomanufacturable polymer-ceramic nanocomposite bioware for regenerative surgery applications. From ASU: Vincent Pizziconi, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Erwin Kruger, MD.
• Strategies to reduce the off-target effects of cardioprotective agents. From ASU: Shu Wang, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Wuqiang Zhu, MD, PhD.
• Targeting physiologic energy metabolism for high-fidelity patient-specific stem cell models of cardiac and neural disease. From ASU: Madeline Andrews, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Clifford Folmes, PhD.
• Towards validation and noninvasive, 2H MRI-based monitoring of metabolically divergent IDH glioma subtypes. From ASU: Scott Beeman, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Shannon Fortin Ensign, MD, PhD.
• Transforming health care education through simulation-based training and AI integration. From ASU: Ellen Green, PhD. From Mayo Clinic: Yue Dong, MD.

To learn more about the Mayo Clinic ASU Alliance for Health Care, visit mayoclinicasualliance.org.

Written by Annie DeGraw, ASU – September 13, 2024