Medicine – 91�� News

Changing the field of medicine through education

amanda.lozier — Fri, 08 May 2026 15:49:47 +0000

Kevin Real

The field of medicine is constantly evolving to optimize care and patient outcomes. Technology growth and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) have changed what it means to be a doctor and a patient, even in the recent decade. To contend with this, researchers at the 91�� are helping medical education adapt to a changing world of medicine.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D. candidate Kevin Real MD is part of this movement, working to shape the way students understand medical issues and develop innovative solutions. After earning his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and completing medical school, Real put his medical career on hold to further pursue a passion in education and technology.

Over the past year, Real has focussed his research on an innovative approach to eye disease in premature infants, utilizing both his engineering and medical backgrounds. He partnered with ophthalmologists in Portland, Oregon to help them advance their curriculum and way of understanding eye models.

“I used my ECE experience to ultimately help the surgeons look at 2D images and transpose them to 3D images, specifically for looking at disease progression. The question is, how can we do this better, how do you make these models more precise? That was my mission this year,” explained Real.

He specifically looked at a disease process called retinopathy prematurity, the leading cause of childhood blindness in the United States, according to the . The disease impacts infants born prematurely who received supplemental oxygen. This can impact the eye’s ability to develop normally because abnormal blood vessels can grow inside the retina and lead to retinal detachment. Surgeons are able to fix retinal detachment, but rely on a two-dimensional view of the retina. Real is hoping to bring more precision to this process by making two-dimensional view into three-dimensional models.

It was important to Real to not limit this research to the lab or a hospital and engage students in the research process. He took this concept of two to three-dimensional image transposition and further explored the idea with a Maine high school senior, helping them use simple geometric principles to develop a 3D model of an infant’s eye. The student was then able to present their work at a conference for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and gained real-world research experience.

Real’s passion for student engagement extends beyond his direct research. He helped high school students from John Bapst Memorial High School participate in ophthalmology research on glaucoma progression, eventually leading to publication of their work in the Proceedings of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (). Real’s motivation for working with students comes from his time teaching a high school science class here in Maine, and they still inspire his research methodology today.

“One thing that I like about high school students is that they come up with the craziest ideas, and sometimes they work. We tend to get stuck in our ways about the best way for research to be conducted, but students come up with ideas we might never have heard of,” remarked Real.

His passion for education extends into his work with National Science Foundation Maine-SMART project, working to revitalize education efforts in the state. Real helped develop new educational modules that have been distributed across the state to diversify STEM education for local students. Last year, he helped develop new educational modules on the uses of cellulose nano fiber (CNF) that are now in use throughout the state. He also created modules and curriculum on CNF that were used by the Maine Mobile BIOLAB, a traveling laboratory that provides hands-on STEM education to students in Maine.

“I really understand that education is what I love, and my mission today is incorporating AI, neural networks and technology into education at every level, not just medical school,” said Real.

Looking ahead, Real will be starting his residency this fall with the John Peter Smith Family Medicine Residency program in Fort Worth, Texas, but hopes to return to Maine in the future. He is part of a coalition that aims to establish Maine’s first medical school for MDs, and would love to be a part of the process down the line in his career. With an MD and Ph.D., Real’s end goal is to eventually become a dean of a medical school, bridging his experiences with medicine and education, and helping med students adapt to changing technology and practices.��

Real’s mission and reasoning behind his journey is a goal to never stop learning and innovating in his field, and teaching those along the way.

“The whole point is not only that I hope to pass the torch, but I hope that the torch surpasses me,” said Real.

Real would like to thank his advisor, Giovanna Guidoboni, 91��’s interim vice president for research and dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, for her support in his endeavors.

By Heather Johnson, graduate assistant

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

Research offers pathway to treating drug resistant diseases in humans

rosemary.lausier — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:41:49 +0000

Bacteria are everywhere. They are all around you, inside of you and are you. For every bacterium there are at least ten phages, or bacteria-specific viruses, that can infect them.

When phages infect and reproduce inside bacteria, the consequences can be dire. Phages that infect bacteria can contribute to their drug-resistance and ability to cause disease. A new study led by 91�� researchers aims to find out why.

A deeper understanding of phages’ ability to influence bacteria could allow for more targeted medical treatment of often drug-resistant diseases. Despite these viruses being the most abundant biological entity on earth, many people do not know what they are, and fewer are studying them.

Research led by Sally Molloy, 91�� associate professor of genomics and honors, is seeking to change that. Thanks to a recently awarded National Institutes of Health (NIH) R15 grant, Molloy’s�� research team will continue to investigate phages’ abilities to promote drug resistance in bacteria. It will also help her expand the hands-on experiences she offers to get undergraduate students involved in potentially life-saving science.��

According to World Health Organization’s , “In 2023, approximately one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections worldwide were caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics.”

Phages specifically target bacteria. They have two abilities. The first is acting as a parasite within bacteria. They infect the bacteria, reproduce and when their progeny are released, kill the bacteria cells. The second ability phages have is more interesting.

“They live latently, quietly, maybe borderline symbiotically with the bacterium by integrating their viral genome into the bacterial genome,” said Molloy.

When the phage integrates its genome into the host bacteria, the cell does not die. Instead, it enhances the bacterial cell’s survival skills, by providing resistance to infection by other phages and sometimes by providing resistance to antibiotics.

Molloy’s research looks at the genes phages bring into bacteria. Specifically, she’s studying how they contribute to increased drug resistance. The bacteria Molloy and her team study are part of a group of Gram positive bacteria that include important pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which kills more people worldwide than any other infectious agent, and M. abscessus, one of the most drug-resistant pathogens.

These diseases can be closer to home than some may think. M. abscessus-chelonae is a non-tuberculosis mycobacteria that causes pulmonary and soft-tissue infections and can be multi-drug or totally drug resistant. It causes pulmonary and soft-tissue infections in the elderly, immunocompromised and in patients with chronic lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis.

Scientists have found some success treating the drug resistant disease with phage therapy, which uses injected phages to target and kill bacteria causing disease. Molloy’s research into how phages influence drug-resistance in bacteria may provide opportunities for other researchers to improve treatment of mycobacterial disease using both drug and phage treatments.

Molloy first came to 91�� as a graduate student and has remained through her Ph.D. and postdoctoral research. Within the Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences and the Honors College, Molloy integrates teaching with her research to engage undergraduate and graduate students in active learning. With a recently awarded NIH R15 grant, Molloy is training undergraduates as part of her research into phages.

For the students in Molloy’s lab, partaking in this research can be especially important.

“If you’re doing research that’s going to make a difference with this real world problem, how you learn and what you learn completely changes,” said Molloy. “You’re applying your knowledge to a real problem that you care about and maybe the whole community cares about.”

This work has the potential to save lives, not just through treating disease, but by training the next generation of doctors, scientists and researchers in the field of microbiology.

“We’re training them for the work force and to be ready to be contributors for whatever problems they’re going to be working on,” said Molloy.

With the support of the NIH R15 grant, Molloy will be able to continue to bring more undergraduate students like Vejune Griciute and Edib Redzematovic into her lab, where they continue to work on understanding phages and their contribution to bacteria drug resistance.

“It’s more motivating to learn things when you feel like you’re making important contributions to something that really matters, not only to you but to a community,” she said.

The importance of phages cannot be underestimated.

“They impact our lives every single day,” said Molloy. “We’re exposed to them everywhere.” With Molloy and her team of students, research is paving the way towards using the innate ability of phages as a treatment rather than a disease.

By Emma Beauregard, research media intern

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu

91�� students developing athletic shoe replacement indicator to reduce injury risk

amanda.lozier — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:21:59 +0000

91�� students are designing a device to help runners determine when their athletic shoes should be replaced to help prevent injuries like stress fractures, shin splints and inflammation.

The project team, made up of four senior biomedical engineering students, is developing an athletic shoe replacement indicator that measures structural changes in the footwear over time. Running shoes can lose cushioning and support after repeated loading cycles, even when visible wear is minimal. As the shoes’ midsoles degrade, impact forces transmitted to the body can increase, raising the risk of overuse injuries.

Replacing shoes too late is a common but overlooked problem among runners. Current methods for determining when to replace shoes, however, typically rely on mileage estimates or waiting for discomfort to occur.

“That solution is unreliable,” said 91�� senior Paul Rudman, “If a shoe is replaced too late, the damage and wear might have already occurred. However, replacing before needed is costly, and the average person can not afford it.”

The team’s indicator would instead collect data related to activity and force changes within the show, translating that information into a clear indicator for users.

By indicating when a shoe has been structurally compromised, the device aims to help runners make informed decisions that balance cost and health considerations. It is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing shoe constructions.

“The indicator will simply make key measurements of a person’s activity and force changes in the shoe to reliably indicate the most financially and healthily time to replace your shoe,” Rudman said.

Rudman focuses on modeling and materials design while also contributing to electrical component development. The other students involved in the project include Shawn Collins, who leads controller programming and testing; Mason Chase, who specializes in medical and design considerations; and Sreyas Sajen, who manages computations and force interaction analysis.

They are designing the replacement shoe indicator for their senior capstone project, which emphasizes applying interdisciplinary knowledge toward solving real world problems. Rudman and his colleagues are applying their past coursework in biomechanics, materials science and electronics curricula toward developing a product with clear market relevance.

“We learn to find existing problems and use the knowledge that we already possess to create a solution,” Rudman said.

The athletics shoe replacement indicator project highlights how undergraduate research at 91�� can translate injury prevention research into practical technology aimed at supporting healthier movement for runners at all levels.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Taylor Ward, taylor.ward@maine.edu

For children with brain injuries, 91�� BEaR Lab offers support

amanda.lozier — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:56:39 +0000

91�� researchers are helping children with traumatic brain injuries learn and excel in the world around them, addressing a critical need in pediatric care in the state.

According to the , more than 3,000 Maine children experience brain injuries each year, and an estimated 20% — or 600 children — experience more severe trauma. Yet only about 130 receive formal school-based support for these injuries and often they often do not get the care needed to thrive.��

Jessica Riccardi, an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders, leads the Brain Injury, Education, and Rehabilitation (BEaR) Lab at 91��. The team advances research as they support children with acquired brain injuries by working directly with them, their families and their practitioners to improve long-term outcomes for these children. Examples of support the lab provides includes professional development for schools and community organizations, consultation with educational teams on students with brain injury, and referring families to national, state and local resources for childhood brain injury.

The team’s work is especially important in Maine, which does not have a pediatric rehabilitation hospital. The state’s only pediatric intensive care center is in Portland, limiting the availability of care options to children elsewhere in the state. Riccardi said the transition from hospital to school after traumatic brain injuries is often difficult for children, and Mainers feel the problem more intensely due to limited access to medical services for kids, particularly in rural communities. The direct work the lab does is important to improving detection and connecting children to resources.

In addition to improving long-term outcomes for children with brain injuries, Riccardi’s lab also offers graduate and undergraduate students research and hands-on experiences with clinical populations.

One of these students is Elise DeRosby, a communication sciences and disorders major from Hampden, Maine. DeRosby has been working with Riccardi for nearly two years in research that complements her interests, including working face-to-face with people.

In collaboration with 91��’s Virtual Environment and Multimodal Interaction (VEMI) Lab, DeRosby recently helped run a project that uses virtual reality equipment to assess cognitive communication in kids with brain injuries. Cognitive communication is when cognitive skills, such as memory, attention, planning and organization, influence your communication abilities.

“Think about it in a school setting,” Riccardi said. “If they have a hard time maintaining attention, they’re going to do poorly on a test, not because they don’t know the content, but because they didn’t pay attention in the first place.”

To examine the cognitive communication of these kids, researchers put them in a virtual classroom where they had to make decisions in a simulated egg-drop science experiment.

“They have to choose a design for which model of egg carrier,” said DeRosby. “They have to go through the process of picking a design, then instructions will tell them to collect materials and they have to assemble the design, then get the egg, put it in the design and drop it off bleachers in a school gym.”

Using this virtual reality scenario, researchers can collect data on a child’s decision-making, attention and processing, all of which are components of cognitive communication. While much more data collection is necessary for this project to be useful, Riccardi and DeRosby hope that their research will help in developing resources for clinicians, particularly speech-language pathologists, to serve kids with brain injuries.

DeRosby’s research experiences in the BEaR Lab and 91�� more broadly have helped her understand what she wants to pursue in life. After originally pursuing molecular and cellular biology, DeRosby shifted to speech pathology to work more face-to-face with other people.

With funding from 91��’s Center for Undergraduate Research, she was able to do that in the BEaR lab, studying art therapy for adults with brain injuries. Working with participants, learning about their injuries and experience and helping develop tools to help them was moving.

“I think it is an eye-opening experience to get to interact with people. You don’t get that in the classroom,” said DeRosby.

While the lab’s research is contributing to understanding childhood brain injuries, it is also helping to develop the next generation of researchers and professionals who will be working with the communities that need it most.

“Our clients often say that the person who took a moment to understand their challenges was the person who really changed their recovery,” said Riccardi. Through her lab, Riccardi hopes the students in her lab can be “that person.” Raising empathy and understanding for those with brain injuries is an important first step towards success in these individuals’ lives.

“Taking the time to understand other people’s perspectives and where they come from,” DeRosby said, “any human can learn that, and it will make us all better.”

If you are interested in learning more about the work Riccardi’s research team is doing, you can visit the BEaR Lab website, or contact Riccardi at jessica.riccardi@maine.edu.

By Emma Beauregard, research media intern

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmerman@maine.edu

Jasper Makowski: Outstanding Graduating Student

amanda.lozier — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:02:21 +0000

Jasper Makowski of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, is the Outstanding Graduating Student in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. He is majoring in microbiology and is a member of the Honors College. He was able to expand his skillset in the lab and his knowledge of healthcare environments by securing internships and part-time work with two medical facilities and 91��’s Maginnis Lab. Working closely with associate professor of microbiology Melissa Maginnis, who was not only his advisor and lab director but also a positive influence and mentor in his life, he researched signaling mechanisms in viruses and learned about a range of diseases. Makowski is a student organizer for the Maine Day Meal Packout, an experience that fortified his belief that change can spark from one person’s passion. Outside of academics, he retreats to the Maine outdoors and enjoys a variety of activities, from backpacking to fly fishing. After he graduates, he is pursuing a medical degree with plans to return to rural Maine as a primary care provider.��

Why did you choose to come to 91��?

I chose to come to 91�� for the research opportunities and sense of community

Describe any research, internships or scholarly pursuits in which you have participated. How have they prepared you for future opportunities in your chosen field?

I have been involved as an undergraduate research assistant in the Maginnis Lab on campus since freshman year, where I have researched signaling mechanisms in JC and BK polyomavirus. I have also been part of the Phage Genomics RLE. I did a summer internship at Dahl-Chase Pathology Services last summer, and I work part-time as a medical assistant at Penobscot Valley Dermatology. The research experiences have developed my science communication, problem solving and lab procedure skills, to name a few. The internship and work as a medical assistant have given me valuable clinical experience, highlighted the realities and inner workings of healthcare and given me the opportunity to learn about a vast range of different diseases.

Have there been other students who supported and inspired you or exposed you to something new?

There have been so many students who have supported me and made my success possible. Notably, my partner Maddie Stockman has always been there for me. A previous student in the Maginnis Lab, Aiden Pike set a very high standard both professionally and personally, and I often reach out to him for career advice. Other people include Connor Aylesworth and Keegan Tripp.

Have you collaborated with a mentor, professor or role model who made your time at 91�� better, and if so, how?

Yes, yes, yes. I have been under the wonderful advising of Dr. Melissa Maginnis for the last four years, and I can’t sing her praises loud enough. She has been my mentor in the lab, helping me gain research experience, apply to grants and internships and develop experiments. She has also helped me throughout my academic career, guiding me in both classes and the medical school application process. Dr. Maginnis is a huge positive influence in my personal life, supporting me in all of my endeavors and goals.

What has coming to 91�� enabled you to explore beyond academics?

Coming to 91�� has allowed me to explore the outdoors. I have enjoyed backpacking trips with friends, many weekends hiking up in Baxter or down in Acadia, fly fishing in nearby bodies of water and countless hours running and biking on all of the trails near campus. I feel like I try to do a little bit of everything that 91�� has to offer, but I am definitely drawn to the outdoors.

Have you received any scholarships that supported you on your journey?

I have been generously supported by the Worthington Scholarship, the Chet Jordan Leadership Scholarship and other various scholarships, in addition to commitments from 91��.

What experiences have you had at 91�� that really highlight the ingenuity of Mainers?

Maine Day Meal Packout highlights the ingenuity of Mainers and 91�� students. The initiative started about a decade ago, when students recognized that many communities in our state have high levels of food insecurity. Wanting to do something to address this issue, students fundraised to purchase ingredients to create shelf-stable, nutrient dense meals through a program called End Hunger New England. These meals are packed by student and community volunteers during Maine Day of Service, then distributed around the state. Fast forward about a decade and the project has funded over 800,000 meals for Mainers in need. Students stepping up to address a need truly demonstrates the ingenuity of Mainers.

Did you have an experience at 91�� that shaped or changed how you see the world?

My experience as the outreach coordinator with Maine Day Meal Packout has helped shape how I see the world. Being involved with the project has shown me that it takes an army to accomplish something — we have a large leadership team working almost year-round to make the project happen — but all it takes is one person to spark something. Being involved with the project for multiple years has allowed me to watch as people join and share their passion and ideas for food insecurity and to understand that tangible action and change happen because of one individual’s spark and passion.

Describe 91�� in one word and explain.

Hearty.

— For a number of reasons. First, a large reason why I chose the 91�� was the cheerful and vibrant culture. No where else did it seem like people were so happy to attend a school. You’ll be hard pressed to find another university with a student population that is as wholesome, as robust and as incredible as 91��. Second, I think you have to be a little hearty to survive the long winters here; six months is a long time under the snow! Third, our hockey fans are loud and proud.

What’s on the horizon? What are your plans for after you graduate?

After I graduate, I will be starting at Tufts University School of Medicine Maine Track in July, where I will earn my MD with the intention to come back to Maine and practice as a PCP in a rural area.

Contact: Ashley Yates, ashley.yates@maine.edu

At 91��, NIH leader says AI could reshape medicine and expand rural care

rosemary.lausier — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 16:38:42 +0000

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are reshaping medicine, with the potential to improve diagnosis, expand access to care and drive new research, a national health leader said during a recent lecture at the 91��.

Speaking as part of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing Distinguished Lecture Series, co-hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Michael F. Chiang said emerging technologies are making medical care more data-driven, consistent and accessible.

“Clinical practice and research are being rapidly reshaped by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and data science,” said Chiang, director of the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health and elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Following the lecture, 91�� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research and dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, joined Chiang for a panel discussion moderated by Alon Harris, director of the Barry Family Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health and professor at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Ferrini-Mundy said the rapid pace of innovation is reshaping not only research, but the future of health care.

“We’re living in a time when clinical practice and research across fields — particularly in the medical field — are being rapidly reshaped by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and data science,” she said.

Harris, who is also faculty within the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at 91��, reflected on the breadth of opportunity that exists across Maine and that 91�� is uniquely positioned to lead.

“I had been here before, but during this visit I discovered there is so much more,” he said. “This place is so motivating, from the biological and biomedical labs, to the full scale automated vehicles and 3D printed homes with smart health sensors. The level of people we met and the research interests were truly thought-provoking.”

Guidoboni said Chiang’s work reflects the data-driven, interdisciplinary approach central to research at 91��. Over the past 16 years, Guidoboni and Harris have advanced mathematical modeling and data science, including studies on ocular blood flow, eye disease risk and noninvasive health monitoring, with the development of digital twins to help translate the advances of science into personalized medical care.

Their work reflects a broader shift toward using advanced analytics to better understand and treat complex health conditions.

“Dr. Chiang’s work exemplifies the power of combining clinical insight with data science to transform patient care,” Guidoboni said. “His leadership at the National Eye Institute is inspiring, especially as these innovations expand access and improve outcomes in rural communities like Maine.”

Chiang said advances in imaging have transformed ophthalmology from a largely descriptive field into one grounded in quantitative data, allowing clinicians to better measure and analyze disease.

He pointed to retinopathy of prematurity — a condition that can cause blindness in infants — as an example of how artificial intelligence can improve care. Studies have shown that even experts reviewing the same retinal images often disagree on whether disease is severe.

“That discrepancy is real,” Chiang said. “And this is where AI can help doctors make diagnoses that are more accurate and more consistent.”

He also highlighted emerging research suggesting that the eye may offer insights into broader health conditions. Because clinicians can directly observe blood vessels and nerves in the eye, researchers are exploring whether imaging can help predict diseases elsewhere in the body.

“If that’s really true and generalizable, then that’s remarkable,” he said, referring to studies linking eye imaging to neurological disease.

Chiang emphasized that progress in AI depends on access to large, high-quality datasets and collaboration across institutions.

“Garbage in, garbage out,” he said, cautioning that poor-quality data can limit the effectiveness of AI tools.

He also noted that technology could help reduce administrative burdens on physicians, who often spend significant time entering information into electronic health records.

“The technologies will help automate some of those things,” he said, “so doctors can spend more of their focus on the patient.”

Alon Harris (center) speaks with Giovanna Guidoboni (left) and Michael F. Chiang (right) follwoing a lecture and panel on how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are reshaping medicine.
VEMI Lab to Michael F. Chang (left) and Giovanna Guidoboni (center-left). The tour was part of a vist to 91�� which featured a lecture by Chiang and a panel on, both on how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are reshaping medicine. " data-alt="A photo of four people in an autonomous vehicle simulator." class="kb-gallery-item-link" role="button" aria-haspopup="dialog">
Richard Corey (right) showcases the custom-built multi-person autonomous vehicle simulator inside the VEMI Lab to Michael F. Chang (left) and Giovanna Guidoboni (center-left). The tour was part of a vist to 91�� which featured a lecture by Chiang and a panel on, both on how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are reshaping medicine.
BioHome3D. The tour was part of a visit to 91�� which featured a lecture by Chiang and a panel on, both on how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are reshaping medicine." data-alt="A photo of a group of people in 91��'s 3D-printed house" class="kb-gallery-item-link" role="button" aria-haspopup="dialog">
Michael F. Chiang (right) and Alon Harris (left) tour BioHome3D. The tour was part of a visit to 91�� which featured a lecture by Chiang and a panel on, both on how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are reshaping medicine.

Advances in technology are also reshaping how and where care is delivered, particularly in rural areas like Maine.

Chiang pointed to opportunities to expand care beyond traditional clinical settings through telehealth, remote monitoring and home-based tools, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for care.

“Inpatient hospital stays are shorter than they ever used to be,” he said.

Those shifts, he added, raise broader questions about how physicians are trained and how healthcare systems adapt as medicine becomes increasingly data-driven.

As AI continues to evolve, Chiang said its impact will extend beyond diagnosis to reshape research, education and care delivery.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Strout featured in ‘Maine Science Podcast’ segment on nursing student burnout

marcus.wolf — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:43:02 +0000

Kelley Strout, an associate professor of nursing at the 91��, was featured on a segment of the “” to discuss the recent burnout in nursing students and staff. But, with her leadership, 91�� Nursing was ranked by U.S. News and Reports in the top 11% of baccalaureate science in nursing programs nationwide.

Chemical & Engineering News interviews Ishaq on microbe ‘doomsday vault’

marcus.wolf — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:26:12 +0000

interviewed Sue Ishaq, associate professor of veterinary sciences at the 91��, about the Microbiota Vault Initiative, a global nonprofit to preserve microbial variety. The vault will eventually stockpile backup specimens, but it will focus on vital microbiota — symbiotic groupings of bacteria, viruses, archaea, protists and fungi. “A vault creates a valuable resource and tool for research,” said Ishaq. “But it’s important to combine vaults with action to protect ecosystems and life on the planet, because we certainly can’t put all microbes in the vault and then consider our task complete.”��

Press Herald features 91�� alum, student on developing AI tool to improve breast cancer detection

marcus.wolf — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 19:26:20 +0000

The featured Jeremy Juybari, a recent Ph.D. graduate in electrical and computer engineering, and Josh Hamilton, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering, about developing a quicker and more accurate breast cancer detection tool. “What we know is that the model uses information from the surrounding tissue when making its prediction and that including the context improves performance,” said Juybari.��

91�� Ph.D. researcher seeks better ways to detect glaucoma

rosemary.lausier — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:26:14 +0000

Temitope Olayinka, a Ph.D candidate at the 91��, has uncovered new information about the nature of glaucoma that could one day allow eye doctors to more effectively detect it during routine exams.

Glaucoma, an eye disease that slowly damages the optic nerve, is a leading cause of blindness worldwide and is undiagnosed in nearly half the people who have it.

Olayinka is focused on understanding how changes in blood flow inside the eye may help clinicians detect glaucoma earlier and more accurately. Her work blends engineering, biomedical imaging and data science, contributing to a growing area of vision research on campus.

Olayinka, a doctoral researcher in electrical and computer engineering, studies the relationship between blood pressure and intraocular pressure, tension occurring within the eyeball, and how they influence blood vessels behind the eye. Her recent project used advanced ultrasound imaging to compare blood-flow patterns in healthy individuals and people with glaucoma, adding new insight into how the disease affects the optic nerve.

This work is part of the Laboratory for Computational and Mathematical Modeling in Medicine, Engineering and Technology (CoMET) Lab, led by Giovanna Guidoboni, dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing and interim vice president for research of the 91�� and 91�� at Machias.

Olayinka shared her initial findings during the 2025 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting. An abstract for her presentation at the meeting was published in one of ARVO’s journals, .

“Think of the eye like a garden that needs proper water pressure to stay healthy,” Olayinka said. “Blood flowing into the eye — controlled by blood pressure — is like water coming through a hose, while the pressure inside the eye itself acts like resistance against that flow. In this study, we found that the balance between these two pressures works differently in glaucoma patients compared to healthy individuals.”

A new understanding of glaucoma

By measuring how these two pressures interact, Olayinka can demonstrate the ways in which reduced blood flow in the optic nerve may contribute to the nerve damage that defines glaucoma. Her results suggest that clinicians may benefit from looking at both blood pressure and eye pressure when assessing a patient’s risk.

“What we found was that when we account for both mean arterial pressure, the average pressure pushing blood through your body, and intraocular pressure, the pressure inside the eye, we can better understand why glaucoma patients experience reduced blood flow to the optic nerve,” Olayinka said. “This reduced blood flow may contribute to the nerve damage that characterizes glaucoma. The findings suggest that managing both pressures, not just eye pressure alone, could be important for protecting vision in glaucoma patients.”

As her ARVO 2025 abstract explored how different combinations of eye pressure and blood pressure shape blood-flow behavior in glaucoma, Olayinka’s next step focuses on building tools that can capture those hemodynamic patterns more efficiently.

Beyond these preliminary findings, Olayinka is developing an automated system to make this type of imaging analysis faster and more consistent. Currently, specialists must manually extract blood-flow measurements from ultrasound images, a slow process that can vary from person to person.

“I am most excited about the automated analysis pipeline I am developing to extract blood flow measurements from color Doppler images,” Olayinka said. “This speed and consistency could transform how we monitor glaucoma patients.”

The future of routine eye exams

Olayinka hopes this system will someday give eye doctors real-time blood flow information during routine exams, helping them detect changes earlier and tailor treatments more precisely.

“This study is the result of more than 15 years of sustained work bridging engineering, computation and medicine,” Guidoboni said. “This work stems from a long-standing partnership with Dr. Alon Harris, an international leader in ocular physiology, pharmacology, imaging and technology from the Icahn School of Medicine in New York. This research effort has supported more than 50 trainees, including postdoctoral fellows, medical scientists, doctoral and master students, undergraduate students and high school students, while advancing our understanding of complex eye diseases like glaucoma.”

“Imagine a future where, during a routine eye exam, a clinician can immediately see detailed blood flow patterns synchronized with the patient’s heartbeat, tracking 16 different hemodynamic parameters automatically,” Olayinka said. “This could enable earlier detection of blood flow changes, more personalized treatment decisions and better monitoring of how well treatments are working.”

Before coming to 91��, Olayinka worked in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria, where she helped configure and integrate sensor systems across active network sites. She later taught cybersecurity at First Technical University — an experience that continues to influence how she communicates complex research topics.

“My teaching experience in Nigeria taught me that the best learning happens when students can see both the technical mechanisms and the real-world implications of what they are studying,” Olayinka said.

At 91��, Olayinka is an active mentor for youth STEM programs. She also supports robotics teams, participates in engineering outreach and serves as a judge for middle school and high school science fairs.

“The most meaningful experience has been serving as a judge at the Maine State Science Fair and the Middle School Science & Engineering Fair,” Olayinka said. “What struck me most was the genuine curiosity and creativity these young students brought to their projects.”

Her volunteer work reminds her of the importance of persistence — something she sees in both young learners and in her own research process. Across her biomedical modeling in AI and secure systems, Olayinka remains motivated by the question of how to turn complex, technical measurements into reliable tools that can help people.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Fellowships send 91�� Ph.D. student to France to research cancer

amanda.lozier — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:59:02 +0000

Thousands of miles from the 91�� in France’s second largest city, Jordan Miner is working with a global team of researchers to understand how cancer returns in patients after treatment.

Miner, a 91�� Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, is researching breast cancer cell dormancy in bone marrow at the Cancer Research Center of Lyon. These dormant cells can evade chemotherapy and are a major factor in cancer recurrence and poor prognosis. A deeper understanding of this process could reveal new therapeutic opportunities to prevent relapse in patients.

Miner’s work — part of her dissertation — was made possible after she earned fellowships from two of the most prestigious international research awards available to U.S. students: the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the STEM Chateaubriand Fellowship.

Outside the lab, Miner is immersing herself in French culture through her love for sports and the outdoors. She is skiing; practicing karate, of which she is a third-degree black belt; attending local events; and exploring the city’s museums, food offerings and historical sites.

When she found out she was a Fulbright finalist, Miner was attending a research conference in Lucca, Italy.

“It was after dinner, and I was chatting with some friends I had met at the conference when I received an email that a notification was posted to my portal. I announced it to the group, and they all gathered around me as I nervously but eagerly logged in to see that I had been accepted,” Miner said. “The entire group celebrated with me and started sharing recommendations of all the amazing things I should experience during my trip abroad.”

At 91��, Miner is a member of CompuMAINE, overseen by Andre Khalil, professor of biomedical engineering, and associate professor of bioengineering Karissa Tilbury’s lab. She was also a Maine Top Scholar and outstanding graduating student for the Maine College of Engineering and Computing during her undergraduate career.

Miner has been conducting research since her first year of college. The research, which focussed on the potential benefits of electrical stimulation for Duchenne muscular dystrophy using zebrafish models, was in collaboration with professor of biological sciences Clarissa Henry’s lab.

Originally from the small town of East Baldwin, Maine, Miner said that growing up around nature sparked both an adventurous spirit in her and curiosity about the world. When she learned about opportunities to conduct research abroad, she knew it was something she wanted to pursue. After attending an information session about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program hosted by the Office of Major Scholarships in March 2024, she realized this was the perfect path for her.

Fatal infection risk in newborns may increase when this bacteria and fungus mix

amanda.lozier — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:10:02 +0000

Researchers at the 91�� have discovered that a common interaction between a bacterium and a fungus may significantly increase the risk of severe and potentially fatal infections in newborns, while also making standard treatments less effective.

About one-fifth of healthy people worldwide carry bacteria known as Streptococcus agalactiae (group B strep or GBS) in their bodies, but it can cause serious infections in those who are immunocompromised, including newborns, pregnant women and seniors.

If newborns are exposed to GBS, they can contract meningitis, which can be fatal or cause lifelong neurological complications.

A new study reveals that when GBS interacts with Candida albicans (C. albicans), a fungus and common culprit behind yeast infections, GBS is more likely to spread disease and become harder to treat in newborns. Infection by both microbes reduces the effectiveness of existing GBS treatments.��

“Our hope is that our findings will aid clinicians by providing new insight into treatment decisions when they examine pregnant women for the presence of GBS prior to delivery, to include looking for co-infections with C. albicans,” said study co-author Melody Neely, associate professor and chair of 91��’s Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences.

Nearly one-third of women around the globe have some C. albicans in their genital tract, and GBS is found in 10-30% of pregnant women. Both can exist in parts of the gastrointestinal and reproductive systems, and be transferred from mother to baby in utero or during delivery. Previous research has shown a common association and co-infection by these microbes in patients.

To examine how these organisms interact with each other, 91�� researchers and their colleagues grew cultures of GBS and C. albicans in the same culture tubes and in separate tubes. They found that GBS cells grow faster when they reside in the same environment as C. albicans. The two microbes don’t even need to interact with each other for C. albicans to enhance GBS growth, according to researchers.

Researchers tested the infectious strength and drug resistance of GBS when exposed to C. albicans by injecting both simultaneously into the larvae of zebrafish. These paperclip-sized fish share genetic similarities to humans and have unique traits that allow scientists to watch disease processes and cellular development in real time. The team found that GBS was more infectious when combined with C.albicans in the larvae. It was also more resistant to antibiotic treatments.

The study was the first to test how infectious and drug resistant GBS can be through a co-infection with C.albicans. The results are outlined in a paper published in the journal from the American Society for Microbiology.

“While current treatments for the presence of GBS in pregnant women is to give intravenous antibiotics several hours prior to delivery, if C. albicans is also present, the antibiotic may not be as effective and therefore, not able to clear the GBS,” Neely said.

While coinfection with C. albicans can make GBS stronger, their ability to influence each other may depend on the environment in which they grow and to what extent nutrients like amino acids and sugars are available. Researchers found that nutrient availability, which most likely impacts gene expression, impacts how these microbes interact with each other.

“These findings raise an important concern of whether individuals carrying both the bacteria and the fungi are at greater risk for dangerous disease, a question we would like to answer in the future,” said Robert Wheeler, professor of microbiology who co-authored the study.

91�� alumna and former adjunct instructor Kathryn Patenaude, who now teaches at St. Joseph’s College of Maine, led the study in collaboration with Neely, Wheeler and other former and current graduate student researchers.

Their publication follows the recent expansion of 91��’s zebrafish lab in Hichner Hall. Zebrafish are driving some of 91��’s most advanced biomedical discoveries, and the lab draws faculty and students who want to study muscular dystrophy, cancer, infections, toxins and other human health challenges.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

This tiny fish makes an outsized impact on biomedical research

amanda.lozier — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:22:22 +0000

Zebrafish are driving some of the 91��’s most advanced biomedical discoveries. The paperclip-sized fish share genetic similarities to humans and have unique traits that allow scientists to watch disease processes and cellular development in real time.

The tropical minnows are prolific and mature quickly, transforming from an egg to a free-swimming fish in a matter of days. The clear skin they sport during their embryonic phase allows scientists to watch their cells divide, migrate and specialize without invasive procedures.

These attributes make zebrafish the star of sophisticated research labs at the 91��, where scientists want to test treatments and learn how organs grow, tissues heal and diseases develop.

Can Zebrafish improve human health?

[background music]

Ron Lisnet:

This humble creature is known as the zebrafish. It’s a favorite for people with aquariums in their homes because they’re easy to care for, hardy, and fairly low‑maintenance.

What you may not realize is they play a major role in advancing human health in some of our most intractable diseases, everything from cancer and muscular dystrophy to infections. These little guys play a key part in much of the biomedical work being done at 91��, which is taking a major step forward with new investments and facilities to grow and use these zebrafish.

Today on “The Maine Question” podcast, we are going to dive into that work. What makes zebrafish so valuable for research? What special capabilities does it have, and what kind of work is being done here at 91��?

Welcome in everybody. I’m Ron Lisnet. This is The Maine Question podcast, and we’re excited to talk about zebrafish today. Let’s introduce our guest. Rob, maybe let’s start with you.

Rob Wheeler: Sure. My name is Rob Wheeler. I’m a professor of microbiology here. We study a human fungal pathogen. It’s a fungus called Candida albicans. We try to understand how it causes disease and how our immune system protects us against it.

Ron: Ben?

Ben: Yes. I’m Ben King and an associate professor here in the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences with my colleagues Robin and Melody. My research focuses on the innate immune response to influenza virus infection.

Ron: This is that time of year, isn’t it?

Ben: It is, unfortunately, but it happens every year.

Ron: Melody?

Melody Neely: I’m Melody Neely. I’m the associate professor and chair of molecular and biomedical sciences. I’m a microbiologist, and I use zebrafish to study infectious disease, specifically streptococci and how the immune system reacts to it.

Ron: Before we get into the science and all that’s going on here at 91��, let’s talk about this little creature, this animal here. What do we know about zebrafish in the wild? Where and how do they live?

Ben King: They are a native fish species to South Asia, so in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, the Ganges Basin and other areas. They are in a fairly warm climate, where it first introduced and started to be used as what we call a genetically tractable organism in the 1980S or so.

Ron: They can tolerate living in not so clean water and less than ideal conditions. Is that right?

Rob: Absolutely. They’re very hardy fish. They’re great for aquarists, and that makes them great for us, too.

Ron: Let’s talk about what this creature allows you as scientists to do on a basic level. What are the most common applications or uses for zebrafish in the science world?

Melody:

I believe that toxicology is a big area since they are an animal that we can look at from pre‑birth. They lay their eggs outside the body and they’re fertilized. From the second they’re fertilized, you can start asking if things are toxic to them.

It can be a really nice first pass for looking at new drugs or new compounds that you might want to use eventually in a human.

The other major thing is as larvae, up to about two weeks old, they are transparent. That allows us to be able to inject fluorescent bacteria and be able to see where they go in the body.

We also have transgenic zebrafish that have fluorescent immune factors. It’s the only animal model in which you can look and see bacteria interacting with an immune cell in a live animal in real time.

Ron: You could see inside without destroying the embryo?

Melody: Exactly. While they’re alive, and then you can do that over time. You can put them back to be incubated and take them out hours later and ask, how has that environment changed?

Ron: Obviously, humans and fish don’t look anything alike and just live completely different worlds, but I was surprised to read that we share 70 to 85 percent of our genetic background with zebrafish? That seems surprising to me for two beings that are so different.

Ben:

The genome, as we call it, the collection of all genes in these organisms, the first report was in 2013 or so. It’s smaller than our genome, but interestingly, there are actually more genes. During the evolution of this species as well as what we call teleost fish, there was what they call a genome duplication event.

All genes that, say, we have, have some kind of a last common ancestor between fish and humans. There was an additional round of whole genome duplication. In many cases, zebrafish have two copies of a particular gene. In some cases, they’ve lost one of those copies and it’s become nonfunctional.

All of the major signaling pathways that are involved with human disease are conserved largely in zebrafish. That makes them a really powerful model.

Ron: When you study, in your case, a fungal disease, Candida, does it affect these fish the same way it affects a human? I know there’s a shared genetic material, but are the ramifications the same?

Rob:

It’s pretty incredible that there are so many things that are the same between the fish and the human. It interacts with the same types of immune cells, and the same types of immune cells are required in zebrafish for resistance to infection as are required in people.

For many years, the mouse has been a premier model for understanding infectious disease, but we always were pretty sure that mice are not people. In some recent work, it’s clear that in important ways, they’re different, and the ways they respond to infection are different.

One of the current projects we have going on in our lab right now, there’s a gene that people don’t require for resistance to fungal infection. Mice do require it for fungal infection resistance, and zebrafish also don’t require it.

Maybe in some cases, zebrafish may be a better system to understand how our immune system protects us against fungal disease.

Ron: We have more in common with fish in some cases than mice, which are mammals.

Rob:

In some cases, yeah. In some cases, even though we all have our inner fish.

[laughter]

Rob:

Many years ago, it was appreciated that all vertebrates have a very similar developmental pathway, and that’s what we have. When you look at a very small human embryo, it looks a lot like any other vertebrate, including fish.

Then believe it or not, these fish have a liver, so you can study fatty liver disease. They have kidneys, you can study kidney disease. They have pancreas. They have brains. You can study lots about both simple and very complex behaviors in those fish.

Ron: It goes without saying, they’re probably a little less work than taking care of mice, right?

Melody: Yes. Definitely.

Rob: About 100 times less work.

Ron: One of the other fascinating things I came across was the fact that it can regenerate body parts. Talk about that. What’s going on there?

Ben:

They can regenerate essentially any tissue after injury. There are some things that have been first characterized or described in the scientific literature by folks even working with other fish species back in the early 1900s.

They can regenerate their fins quite readily. In about two weeks after, if part of their fin was removed, it will completely regenerate in that time. Their hearts, if they’re injured, they’ll regenerate.

Ron: Really?

Ben: There are scientists that study also how the zebrafish regenerates its spinal cord. You can sever the spinal cord and it will regenerate. It’s quite a very powerful model.

Ron: If there was any way to replicate those features in a human, heart disease, people that are not able to walk, that’s the big‑picture goal out there, isn’t it?

Ben:

Yeah. Certainly, a lot of individuals work on tissue regeneration. It’s a very powerful model. There are other organisms that also have tremendous capacity for regeneration, like the axolotl and other models.

Using a comparative approach, one can try to tease apart what are the genes because we share the genes. It’s a matter of trying to reactivate some of these genes maybe in humans in order to have more regenerative capacity.

Ron: How close is that to crossing over to humans? Are we a long way away from humans being able to repair a damaged heart or anything?

Rob:

Every year, the money that NIH spends to run basic science labs leads to development of new potential drugs. It may not be that we transform people into fish, which we don’t want to do, but we may be able to find molecules that allow fish to do it.

Then instead of putting a regular Band‑Aid on, put a Band‑Aid with one of those molecules on and your cut heals way faster.

You put a gauze around or you put something around the spinal cord that’s been severed, and maybe we’re able to do that 10, 15, 20 years from now. Understanding those basic aspects of normal growth can really help us.

Ron: I know you each described what you’re looking at, but maybe just a big‑picture look. What’s the big question each of you are trying to answer with your research? You have to put on a cocktail napkin or tell somebody in an elevator, “This is my mission. This is what my life’s work is at the moment,” Melody, how would you describe that?

Melody:

I would say that I’m working with streptococcal diseases to determine how the immune system responds. We know that streptococci have the ability to inhibit the immune system to cause disease.

If we can determine what those factors are that strep is causing the immune system to change, we can then augment the immune system in humans to combat that.

Ron: Strep throat that we’re talking, correct?

Melody: Strep throat, necrotizing fasciitis, rheumatic fever, and meningitis from group B strep. Lots of diseases.

Ron: Ben, what’s the long term, what’s the big picture of what you’re working on?

Ben:

Looking at how the immune system responds to influenza virus, and as we’ve all experienced probably influenza infections, one thing that you might remember is a lot of inflammation, so high fever and the like. Looking at how to control that inflammatory response.

If that inflammatory response goes unchecked, then it can eventually lead to tissue damage in the lung and the like. Trying to find ways of trying to control that inflammation so that the response is optimized. There’s enough inflammation to clear the infection, but not too much inflammation to end up with damaged tissues.

There are all of the pathways that we’re studying that we’re interested in in terms of the human immune response are conserved in the zebrafish. We can introduce the virus to the zebrafish and study that response.

As Melody was talking about earlier, one thing we’re currently doing is to look at different small molecules that could be potentially antiviral therapies.

That’s important because our go‑to antiviral therapies currently for influenza, there unfortunately are strains of influenza that have over time, because of the use of those antivirals, they’ve acquired resistance. We need new antivirals in the future.

Ron: That’s the goal, is a new, more effective drug?

Ben: Yeah. That would be a way of…

Ron: Now, Rob, Candida fungal infections, I think, are more common than a lot of people know. A lot of people may not have heard of it, but…

Rob: Unfortunately.

Ron: What are you looking at specifically?

Rob:

Candida causes is the fourth most common cause of hospital‑acquired infection in the US. In those infections, it can be quite deadly. Even though we have good drugs against fungal disease, they are not good enough.

Then one of the most pervasive diseases that Candida causes are yeast infections in women. We still don’t really understand why some Candida strains cause disease and some don’t, why some women get disease and some don’t.

These are questions that have bearing for a lot of people. We’d like to understand about how candida causes disease, and then from that, understand how we might be able to help our immune system to deal with that.

One of the things we are interested in for fish is to say OK, well, this patient is taking a drug that helps their autoimmune‑related disease, like arthritis or psoriasis, but they become more susceptible to fungal infection from that. Why is it that they become more susceptible to fungal infection?

Is there a way to find drugs that can treat psoriasis or other autoimmune diseases but leave the rest or the important parts of the immune system intact?

Ron: Making progress?

Rob:

Day by day, yeah. Today was a really fantastic day. I had a nice chat with one of my students, and he found that this drug that affects a really important immune cell, it seems to affect the ability of that immune cell to kill the Candida.

Previously, a bit thought it just blocks the immune cell from getting to the infection, but now, we seem to be able to see by following the same fish, the same immune cells over time in the confocal microscope for 18 hours, now you can see the individual fungal cells be killed, and you can see that the drug makes a difference in the ability of the fish to kill them.

Ron: That’s a big day in the research world.

Rob: Absolutely. That happens once in six months.

Ron: Take them where you can get them, right?

Rob: Absolutely. It’s a good day today.

Ron:

Checking in on our other guests here, and they look like they’re doing OK. I want to thank Mark Nilan, who’s the lab manager for the zebrafish facility, who gave us our extra guests here.

As a matter of fact, now we’re going to step away and we’re going to take a look at the newly‑renovated zebrafish facility that has just come online, and Mark Nilan’s going to give us a little tour of that.

Mark Nilan:

This is our new facility we just put together, and it’s up and running. We do research on human disease with these animals. Everything is updated, better lighting, we have control of our heating and cooling in this room, our water system is state of the art.

We have doubled the space, I would say, and that allows us to expand our colony. They can produce a lot of eggs each time they spawn. They can spawn every two weeks. Each female will give 100 to 300 eggs. They’re easy to keep.

Here at Maine, we’re doing things like muscular dystrophy. We’re doing muscle diseases, and so the muscles are at that early stages. Being a vertebrate is the key. I always ask that on tours when people come in because the first thing I always ask is how can you do research on a fish?

We’re not fish. We’re not even look like a fish, but we’re vertebrates. We share that early development. Exactly.

Other things they do here are the flu. I believe it’s 85 percent genes are shared with us humans. Now we’re in the water system room. This is what you’d see if you went to the 91�� pool in the back room, kind of the same thing.

The difference, however, is you want to kill everything in the pool. You bleach the…Here, we don’t. With all those things, the lighting, the temperature, the water, precise, steady, the fish are locked on. They’re dialed in because that’s what makes them produce.

If they have any fluctuations, it makes them slow down. It is just fish in here. Everything about this room is for the growth and care of the fish.

Ron: Thank you, Mark, for that tour. For you folks that work with zebrafish, this new facility must be quite a revelation. What does this new facility mean for the work you’re all doing. Melody?

Melody:

For the new facility, it’s better water system. It’s less problems with heat. The fish have to be in a very controlled environment with special heat, humidity. It’s an old building, and so we were having lots of problems with pests and things.

With the new facility, we’ve eliminated a lot of that. We’ve also increased the size so that we can now increase the number of fish that we’re producing to be able to use, particularly the mutant fish that need to be maintained over time. It provides more facility to be able to grow those.

Ron: It’s beautiful. They’re natives of Southeast Asia, so they like it warm, I would imagine. How about for you? What’s your ability to leverage this new facility?

Ben:

As Melody was saying, the current facility before this one was built, or this previous facility, was old. It was, I think, built in maybe 2007 or so. It’s something where having newer environmental systems is really important. Now we’re able to have a backup.

These zebrafish lines that we have are really powerful tools, but in some cases, this is the only place where these fish exist, where we’ve engineered specific mutations and the like.

If something catastrophic were to happen to the heat or something like that, we could lose those lines, but now that we have two rooms, we can have some redundancy. That capacity is important.

Ron: I don’t know if the fish noticed it, but I’m sure that it’s cleaner, the light’s nicer. It’s just a nicer place to live than the old one.

Melody: Yes.

Ron: How about for you? Does the new facility make your job easier?

Rob:

Even though zebrafish are a really powerful model system and they make lots of eggs, they can make lots of eggs, they don’t always do it. The better we can keep them, the happier we can keep them, the more likely that we can count on that.

I used to have a student, she would set up four experiments to make sure that she had one experiment to do, sets up four different crosses of fish. If we can be sure that they’re going to spawn, then she just needs to set up one. Then every time, she can get that experiment done.

It’s an incredible gift to have not only a gifted aquarist like Mark to run the facility, but also a really high‑quality facility that is going to enable us to use the zebrafish to their greatest extent.

Ron: How common are zebrafish labs and the similarities to the work you’re doing among other research universities hospitals or other labs and such? Is this a common tool used in human health research around the world?

Melody:

It has become more so. It didn’t really start to be used until 1999, 2000 for infectious disease, which is what we all work on. Since that time, it has really expanded, and then it’s also expanded into the cancer realm.

There are huge research labs at Harvard, at UT Southwestern that study human cancer mutations and genes using the zebrafish. We have actually come up with a lot of knowledge about how to treat cancer, how cancer develops, what genes are involved in that using the zebrafish that we could not use mice or rats previously to do.

Ron: Is there anything that 91�� has a niche in in terms of zebrafish research, or discoveries, or milestones that have been reached here at 91��?

Rob:

Absolutely. We have one of the higher concentrations of zebrafish researchers in the US. If you think about there are large medical facilities, medical schools that have a number of zebrafish researchers, but that’s within much larger faculty.

We have this great concentration of people that are using this model, and that allows us to work with each other collaboratively to raise the same fish lines, to make new fish lines…

Melody: Share resources.

Rob:

share technologies and so on. This is a really unusual situation where we have several people using zebrafish for infectious disease that are sitting around the table, but also another group that’s interested in using zebrafish for understanding muscular dystrophies as well. It’s a very powerful model for that as well.

When you eat a fillet of salmon, that’s all muscle. The zebrafish is mostly muscle, so that gives you a great opportunity to understand how muscle develops and works.

Ron: Go ahead.

Ben:

The influenza virus model that we use in my laboratory with zebrafish was actually developed here at the 91��. Carol Kim, who was a professor here and moved on to be the provost at University of Albany, she, in her lab, were the first to demonstrate that you could introduce influenza virus infection in the zebrafish.

I carry on that work in my lab. That’s something where now there are groups over the summer. There were two papers, one from University of Toronto in Canada, another from a group in Europe that used this influenza model in the zebrafish.

It’s great to see 91�� make that scientific contribution and have these other labs also be using the model.

Rob:

Melody was the first to do streptococcus infection in zebrafish and our lab, the first to do fungal Candida albicans infection in zebrafish and published that. We are on the cutting edge here, for better or for worse.

[laughter]

Ron: I’m just wondering, when you introduce a flu virus to a zebrafish, does it affect fish like it does humans? Did they swim slower and are achy? How does that look?

Ben: We have to introduce it by injecting the virus into the zebrafish just to establish an infection. There is inflammation, as there are in humans, and their movement does slow because of their immune response to the infection.

Ron: We should mention that the handling of these creatures follows all the protocols, safety, and for the benefit of the individual fish. That is all baked into what you do, I imagine.

Rob: Absolutely. These are with any vertebrate animal that we use for research, and zebrafish are certainly one of them.

Ron: I’m sure you all have students that you work with, whether they’re grads or undergrads. What’s this experience like for them? Is it bring it a little more “to life” other than reading about genes and DNA in a book or doing some sort of test tube type of situation in a lab? Does it bring the knowledge and the education home a little bit more?

Melody:

Absolutely. I think we all have a lot of undergrads in our labs, but also graduate students. The undergrads, it’s something accessible. Working with a zebrafish is something that an undergraduate with less training could work with as opposed to mice, a mammalian model.

Even just collecting embryos that have been bred and fertilized and counting them, that type of thing, they’re fascinated by that.

Looking at a green fluorescent protein that’s in a zebrafish and be able to see that in the microscope, that brings it to life that this is a live animal and that we are actually seeing not only the development, but seeing how other organisms within them are interacting.

Ron: It becomes a little more real, I imagine, for these students the first time they look and say, “This is a live creature I’m dealing with here.” Does that make a difference for your students?

Ben: Yeah. We have a robust set of courses that are around discovery so they’re not just following some kind of a protocol where they…

Ron: A cookbook.

Ben:

Exactly. Our phage discovery courses, which Melody has been and is part of, it’s where they’re taking soil samples, isolating a phage and characterizing that, sequencing its genome, annotating it, in many cases, publishing papers on that new genome. We’re fortunate to have some endowed fellowships that students can compete for.

Because of that first‑year experience, they’re interested in doing more and more research. They’ll pick a lab. If they work with one of us, then obviously they will most likely work with zebrafish and hopefully carry that through their entire time here at the 91��.

That becomes something where they might have initially been inspired to maybe try research, but they can get their hands around what research is all about and learn that there’s potential for great discoveries, but there are other things that make research difficult and frustrating at times.

It’s something where hopefully they can be inspired to go to graduate school or go out into the biomedical workforce in some way. Many of our students are…it’s amazing to watch where they go.

Ron:

Next time any of us visit the pet store, we should have a newfound respect for the guys in the tanks there.

[laughter]

Melody: Exactly.

Ben: Absolutely.

Ron: Talk about where we’re headed with all of this. What’s the next frontier? What are next hopeful steps or advances that we might be looking at in…Pick your time horizon. Anything come to mind?

Melody:

Working with the immune system. That’s what comes to my mind at first because that’s what I work on with infectious diseases, is I think we’re going to find ways.

A lot of this is through Ben’s work and looking at small RNAs and molecules that are involved in the immune system that we don’t know how they’re working in humans, but we can study them individually in the zebrafish.

Previously, if you have a disease or an infection, the idea is you treat it with an antibiotic or some kind of a drug, or go to bed and drink lots of water. Now, instead of trying to treat the infection, we can learn things about the immune system and ask, how can we augment that to make it better at responding to this particular disease?

We’re not just targeting killing the bacteria. We can target by learning more, just the knowledge that we’re getting from learning about the immune system that’s so similar to ours. We can figure out ways in which we can turn that on or turn it off when we need to, to keep from harming the body. That’s what I see.

Rob:

If we think about the evolution of drugs that affect the immune system, you think about steroids, which are still used frequently today and that are a whole body drug. These are drugs that affect every part of the immune system in your whole body.

Now, if you look at the commercials that are coming out, you’ll see that there are many individual biological therapies that are out there, antibodies to one immune molecule or another, now are coming out 30 years after we discovered those molecules and understood what they did in people.

The work that we’re doing now is going to bring that next generation of immune‑modulating drugs to market, I’m sure.

Where now, as I mentioned before, instead of just using this drug which will treat the psoriasis but make you more susceptible to infections, now you find the drug that treats the psoriasis, and then a different drug that maybe makes you less susceptible to those infections.

Ron: Do any of you have aquariums at home?

Melody: Not at the moment. I used to.

Ron: I’ve seen you have a dog in a classroom.

Melody:

Yes.

[background music]

Rob: We’ve had a lab aquarium where we get the retired zebrafish and we give them a good home.

Ron: That’s very nice. That’s great. Thank you all so much for coming in. Fascinating work, and best of luck in whatever the next steps are.

Melody: Thank you.

Rob: Thanks, Ron.

Ben: Thank you.

Melody: Thanks for the time.

Ron:

Thanks for checking us out on The Maine Question podcast. You can find all of our episodes on Apple Podcast, on Spotify, on 91��’s YouTube page, as well as our website. If you have questions or comments, you can send them along to mainequestion@maine.edu. This is Ron Lisnet. We’ll catch you next time on The Maine Question.

[music]

91��’s zebrafish lab, which doubled in size this summer, draws faculty and students who want to study muscular dystrophy, cancer, infections, toxins and other human health challenges. The renovated facility in Hitchner Hall — supported by two National Institutes of Health grants totaling $650,000 and additional university investment — directly to existing zebrafish facilities, creating a unified research corridor with more room for experiments, training and collaborative projects. New spawning shelves triple daily experimental capacity, while dedicated nursery tanks allow researchers to rear fish at lower densities, halving the time needed to establish new genetic lines.

91�� officials say the renovation underscores the university’s long-term commitment to world-class research infrastructure. The public is invited to take a behind-the-scenes video tour of the newly expanded lab space that is typically accessible only to researchers to see how it will shape the future of biomedical research in Maine.

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu

91�� best positioned to start state’s first public medical school, independent study concludes

amanda.lozier — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:50:19 +0000

A public 91�� medical school could strengthen the physician workforce, significantly improve health outcomes and drive economic development, but limited financial and medical residency capacity in the state make it currently infeasible

An independent study released today concludes that the 91��’s world-class education and research strengths uniquely position the institution to improve health access and outcomes by establishing Maine’s first public medical school, but that limited financial and residency capacity in the state make doing so infeasible at this time.

In response to a critical shortage of physicians in rural Maine and recognizing the 91�� System’s (UMS) leadership in health-related workforce development and research, the 131st Maine Legislature and Gov. Janet Mills the System to explore the feasibility of establishing a public allopathic medical school in Penobscot County.

Through a competitive process, UMS Tripp Umbach, the nation’s leading medical education consultant, to conduct the comprehensive study, which was informed by interviews with more than 60 Maine health care, higher education and life science research leaders and submitted to the Legislature on Jan. 5.

The new report affirms Maine’s urgent physician workforce challenges, particularly in primary care and in rural communities, that are a result of the state having the oldest population in the nation, an aging physician workforce, and limited medical residency and clinical training capacity. Tripp Umbach additionally found that with no public medical school pathway, Maine produces only one-third the national average rate of M.D. school applicants by state and most graduates from the two private medical education programs in the state ultimately leave Maine to practice.

As the state’s only R1 research university and the flagship of Maine’s leading producer of health care professionals (UMS), 91�� is identified by Tripp Umbach as the institution best suited to lead the future development of a public medical school, assuming a number of next strategic steps they outline are considered and implemented. UMS is already authorized by statute to operate a college of medicine and confer the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD), though establishing a program would require approval by the System’s Board of Trustees through an inclusive, public process.

Respondents to a statewide stakeholder survey administered by Tripp Umbach — most of them health care or community leaders — overwhelmingly agreed that Maine needs a public medical school and that it should be part of UMS, with the majority agreeing it would address physician workforce shortages and improve health outcomes in underserved areas.

“Data indicate a need for a public medical school to provide an accessible pathway for Maine students to pursue high-quality, high-value medical education and then be retained to practice in the state,” writes Tripp Umbach. “Stakeholders agree that 91�� should lead this initiative.”

‘A sustainable solution to Maine’s physician shortages’

The study notes that 91�� already makes significant contributions to the state’s health care workforce through high-quality nursing and other allied health profession degree programs; research and clinical partnerships that span the state, including with MaineHealth, Northern Light Health and VA Maine Healthcare System; and world-class biomedical science and engineering. The System’s statewide footprint, including nursing education and simulation training facilities in rural regions such as Aroostook, Hancock and Washington counties, could additionally be leveraged by a future public medical school to support rural health care training.

Ultimately, Tripp Umbach concludes that establishing a public M.D.-granting medical school is not currently financially feasible. They contend that the scale of investment required — $250 million in start-up costs and tens of millions in sustained operating support that must be supplemental to existing public, private and philanthropic funding — combined with limited medical residency capacity and the financial constraints facing Maine’s health care systems, makes such an undertaking “not prudent at this time.”

However, they suggest strategic steps for the state and UMS to consider to lay the foundation for a future 91�� medical school. Tripp Umbach also notes that the new federal limits on graduate and professional student borrowing, which take effect this year, heighten the need for an affordable, high-quality public option. Their recommendations include: investing in research, nursing and allied health programs across UMS; strengthening undergraduate and graduate medical education pipelines and partnerships between current programs and 91��; expanding residency and clinical training capacity, particularly in rural areas; and building the System’s physical infrastructure, including a proposed health sciences complex in Orono for which $45 million in federal funding requested by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is currently pending.

“Maine needs more doctors, and the 91�� has a proven track record of preparing the professional workforce who competently care for Mainers and the cutting-edge research that is improving health outcomes statewide,” said Chancellor Dannel Malloy and 91�� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy, who also serves as the System’s Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.

“While concluding that there is currently a lack of necessary financial resources, this independent study confirms the state needs a public medical school and that our world-class flagship university has the outstanding academic programs and research that will be foundational if and when Maine is ready to make that investment in the future. In the meantime, the 91�� System remains deeply committed to serving Maine people and communities and to strengthening our programs and partnerships so that one day, aspiring physicians will have an affordable, high-quality pathway to earn their MD and be retained to practice here.”

Other findings from Tripp Umbach’s report include:

“A public M.D. program can provide a clear, strategic pathway for the 91�� to address the state’s most pressing healthcare and economic challenges… An M.D. school not only carries the highest level of national and international recognition, but it also maximizes opportunities for state investment, federal research funding, and philanthropic support. Most importantly, it provides a sustainable solution to Maine’s physician shortages, ensuring that more locally trained physicians remain in the state to practice, as 68% of students who complete medical school and residencies in the same state stay to practice.”
“UMS and 91�� have many strengths that the State and private organizations can leverage to address a critical physician shortage, particularly in rural Maine.”
“91�� is the only R1 research university in Maine and accounts for more than 80% of the state’s federal R&D expenditures. A significant portion of 91��’s research is in health and medicine, and the university offers a unique statewide doctoral program in biomedical science and engineering.”
91�� “has research funding and output comparable to those of other new public medical schools.”
“Due to expected physician shortages, especially in rural areas and primary care, Tripp Umbach recommends that the State of Maine, in partnership with UMS, reassess the feasibility of a public medical school within three years. Until this time, the State of Maine, in collaboration with UMS, should work with existing medical schools and hospitals to expand undergraduate medical education and graduate medical education until a public medical school becomes financially viable.”

In 2024-25, Maine’s public universities produced 870 health care graduates. 91�� — the state’s only institution to have achieved the prestigious Carnegie R1 classification for research performance and productivity — and the University of Southern Maine, where the Catherine Cutler Institute houses multiple , including the Maine Rural Health Research Institute, also brought millions of dollars in related research investment to the state.

The flagship is also the degree-granting institution that anchors Maine’s innovative , a multi-institutional education and research consortium that also includes The Jackson Laboratory, the MaineHealth Institute of Research, the MDI Biological Laboratory and the University of New England. In 2018, 91�� launched its Institute of Medicine to coordinate the institution’s accelerating activities and partnerships in health and life science education and research.

Contact: Samantha Warren, 207.632.0389; samantha.warren@maine.edu

‘The Maine Question’ explores how zebrafish are used in research to improve human health

amanda.lozier — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 21:03:32 +0000

Zebrafish are small and not physically impressive, but they are powerhouses in medical research labs. Not only can these little fish from Southeast Asia regrow their organs and body parts, but they also have transparent eggs and remarkably similar DNA to human beings.

All of those features, and the fact that they are easy to grow and care for, make zebrafish great for studying some of the most serious diseases affecting people — from infections and cancer to muscular dystrophy.

The 91�� has ongoing and completed research projects that use zebrafish as a model, some of which have led to groundbreaking discoveries. In this episode of “The Maine Question” podcast, 91�� faculty members Ben King, Melody Neely and Rob Wheeler explore how university research uses this remarkable little fish with host Ron Lisnet.

Listen to the podcast on , , , , or “The Maine Question” website.

What topics would you like to learn more about? What questions do you have for 91�� experts? Email them to mainequestion@maine.edu.

To help prevent chronic health issues, 91�� and partners strengthen mental wellbeing among Downeast seniors��

amanda.lozier — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:55:30 +0000

As an emergency medical technician in Machiasport, 91�� senior Hannah Maker has witnessed how chronic stress and isolation affect the well being of older adults in Washington County, where population health falls below the state average. That’s why she joined an initiative from the 91�� and it’s partners to connect seniors in the area, including Passmaquoddy Tribal elders, with resources to improve their physical and mental health.

The aims to reduce isolation and long-term emotional stress from persistent challenges like anxiety, poverty and food insecurity, all of which can lead to chronic illness and heightened risk of early death among seniors. Through the initiative, community health workers meet with older adults to identify needs, reduce distress and strengthen community connection. Workers connect with seniors in person and through a digital platform run by the Community Caring Collaborative (CCC), a partner for the initiative.

Since joining the research team in September 2024, Maker, who is studying nursing at 91��, has collected data and helped her colleagues form partnerships with local service providers. She has also deepened the team’s understanding of what it’s like to age in Washington County.

Hannah Maker

The initiative recognizes that health is shaped not only by medical factors but by community hardships, relationships, dignity and access to trusted support. As a result, the team’s efforts focus on the whole-person and whole community experience of aging. Maker said she thanks this research project for her understanding of patient care.

“You have to get to know your patients and get to know their circumstances to treat them individually,” said Maker. “When you are taking care of patients, you are looking at all of their symptoms, not just their disease.”

Led by School of Nursing faculty Jordan Porter and Kate Darling the team began planning in early 2024 using a community-engaged research approach, avoiding solutions that don’t work in the unique contexts of rural communities. They also recruited doctoral nursing students Bif Churchill and Cynthia Cushing and Maine Top Scholars Olivia Pelkey and Leilani Welsh to assist.

Early conversations with the CCC and survey and focus-group data revealed dignity, connection and emotional safety are central themes, forming the foundation for the initiative’s design.

“It feels so life-giving and powerful because it’s really connecting with a lot of people because it is truly meeting the unique needs of older people in our community,” Porter said.

Ongoing work

The research team implemented a social care pathway in partnership with the CCC’s Connection Initiative platform and tailored it to the needs of older adults in Washington County, whether it be for food, housing, education, mental or physical health. Community health workers conduct surveys with older adults and submit resource requests through the CCC to connect them with local resources. After extensive training to ensure interactions feel relational rather than transactional, the team began collecting and evaluating data.

The team is now interviewing older adults and community health workers and administering measures of distress, loneliness and social connection. Maker and an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate researchers will review the interview transcripts and evaluate whether the pathway reduces distress, strengthens connection, improves time-to-resource access or even decreases crises, such as emergency medical services. They will also analyze how older adults and community healthcare workers connect on the platform.

The initiative builds relationships between the older adults in Washington County and their community, ensuring they have people to reach out to in times of distress.

“The unique approach of this project is dignity is an intervention,” Porter said. “Meeting an older adult with presence, respect and emotional steadiness during a moment of distress helps regulate the nervous system, builds trust and opens the door to connection.”

Maker shared that participating in the initiative has helped her feel more connected to her community and able to give back to the people she personally knows in a meaningful way.

“It feels great to be able to do something for my community and make a difference to the people I personally know,” Maker said.

The Downeast Population Health Initiative is funded by the Maine Community Population Health Initiative, a grant program of the Maine Medical Association’s Center of Quality Improvement committed to supporting the health of Maine communities through research and community-based health interventions.

Story by Sophie Knox, research intern

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmerman@maine.edu��

Nursing faculty recognized for enhancing nurse education, healthcare in rural communities��

amanda.lozier — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 21:23:23 +0000

Two faculty from the 91�� School of Nursing were recognized by the American Nurses Association-Maine as a couple of the Top Ten Extraordinary Nurses in the state. This inaugural award honors nurses who have demonstrated dedication, leadership and impact within Maine’s healthcare community.

The awardees, Kara O’Donnell and Kaitlin Robinson, are nurse educators and practicing nurses who are working to improve access to healthcare across rural Maine.

A major factor impacting healthcare, particularly in rural areas, is the closure and downsizing of facilities. The problem is twofold, Robinson explained. Not only does fewer and smaller facilities mean less access to healthcare and more drive time for patients, but it also means nursing students have fewer opportunities to learn in and serve those rural communities.

“The impact is then cyclical because if a student doesn’t have the opportunity to learn in an area either close to home or that is underserved due to a shortage of providers, they do not consider that as an option to work in and support post certification,” Robinson said.

O’Donnell spent nine years working as a nurse in emergency departments, where she said she was confronted with some of the greatest barriers and systemic issues impacting peoples’ health.

“Over the years, it became apparent that simply ‘caring’ wasn’t enough as a nurse,” O’Donnell said. “Advocacy and contributing to a nursing workforce capable of addressing the most significant rural health issues became a focus for me.”

Both O’Donnell and Robinson express their gratitude to ANA-Maine for recognizing their efforts. They also thank their colleagues in 91��’s School of Nursing, who have supported their ability to network with healthcare agencies and community organizations, and have provided opportunities for them to continue clinical and professional development as nurses.

Pictured with Kaitlin Robinson and Kara O’Donnell is Jill Vaughn, president of ANA-Maine, and Amanda Savage, member of ANA’s Board of Directors and assistant professor of nursing

Jeremy Juybari: From defense research to fighting breast cancer with AI

amanda.lozier — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:48:00 +0000

For Jeremy Juybari, the path from managing a defense research company to developing artificial intelligence (AI) models has been anything but ordinary. Now a Ph.D. candidate at the 91��, he is pushing the boundaries of AI to help improve breast cancer detection and save lives.

While pursuing his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, Juybari, a San Diego native, worked for Faster Logic LLC, a small defense-focused research and development company in his hometown, providing web and engineering support. Two semesters into his Ph.D. program in 2021, Juybari paused his studies for five months to serve as the company’s acting CEO after its founder, Raymond Moberly, unexpectedly passed away. Juybari led the company through a government audit and handled operations and personnel.

“Stepping into that role was unexpected, but it was important to me to support the work Raymond had built over seven years,” Juybari said. “It was a demanding time, and I learned a great deal about leadership, people and how research moves from concept to real-world development. After working through circumstances beyond my control, the company ultimately dissolved. Once things settled, I returned to 91�� to continue my Ph.D., which had always been my long-term plan.”

After completing his undergraduate economics and interdisciplinary studies degree at San Diego State University, he sought to expand his technical knowledge and research capabilities, which ultimately led him to pursue graduate study at 91��. Once he completed the math degree, Juybari immediately began his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering.

“When you have a good background in math, it makes learning AI much easier,” Juybari said. “You start to realize AI is a bunch of matrix multiplications. Without that strong foundation, it can look like magic.”

While working at the CompuMAINE Lab on coding and AI research, he learned how this technology could help save lives through improved AI for cancer diagnosis and reduce healthcare disparities.

“I originally wanted to study economics, but it was math that brought me here,” Juybari said. “As I got deeper into research, I realized how many people die from cancer, sometimes simply because they were missed due to healthcare disparities. That really stuck with me.”

Juybari’s Ph.D. research focuses on AI for medical imaging and cancer detection. He developed the Context-Guided Segmentation Network (CGS-Net), a model that combines detailed tissue features with broader contextual regions to improve the identification of cancerous tissue in microscopic images of biopsied tissue.

Earlier this year, Juybari and his colleagues published their research in the journal (part of the Nature portfolio) in a paper titled “Context-guided Segmentation for Histopathologic Cancer Segmentation.” The paper was featured by the for its innovative approach to improving AI accuracy in medical imaging. The study introduced a novel method in which the model learns how to integrate both local tissue features and broader contextual information, demonstrating how careful model design can enhance predictions in complex histological datasets.

“One of the biggest challenges I’ve seen in medical AI is the lack of common benchmarks,” Juybari said. “It’s kind of like the wild west, where researchers use different datasets, and medical image datasets are often large and complex.”

91��’s mentorship and resources have been central to Juybari’s success. His co-advisors, Andre Khalil and Yifeng Zhu, offered both guidance and freedom, allowing Juybari to explore ambitious ideas. The Advanced Research Computing, Security, and Information Management (ARCSIM) group provided the computing power and collaborative environment that enabled his research.

Collaboration has defined his graduate journey. Juybari’s partnership with fellow Ph.D. student Josh Hamilton has been a cornerstone of his research and personal life. They’ve spent long nights tackling complex coding challenges, and have even shared key life moments.

“I couldn’t imagine 91�� without Josh,” Juybari said. “We work together on a majority of our research. Our strengths and weaknesses complement each other. We laugh a lot, it’s fun.”

Juybari also met his wife, Simona Mitevska, while living in Stodder Hall in 2019. He was studying mathematics then, and she was pursuing master’s degrees in economics and global policy. Their shared love of numbers and research turned into a lasting relationship. Today, Mitevska works as a senior research analyst in 91��’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

For Juybari, an interdisciplinary background and collaborative mindset are what drive him forward — whether leading a company or developing AI to fight cancer.

“You can’t know it all,” Juybari said. “Even within AI, there are so many different parts to one model. You could be well-versed with one part, have an understanding of another, but not be an expert in everything. You have to work with teams and trust that others will know things you don’t. If you try to do everything yourself, then what’s the point of working in a team?”

Looking ahead, Juybari remains open to where his path leads next.

“I like to keep an open mind,” Juybari said. “My interdisciplinary background has taught me to see challenges from different angles. I’m driven more by curiosity and problem-solving than by following a fixed path, and I’m excited to see where that leads next. ”

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Josh Hamilton: Driven by loss, exploring new ways to treat and prevent cancer��

amanda.lozier — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 17:46:45 +0000

Near the end of high school, Josh Hamilton of Alton, Maine lost a close friend to bone cancer, and early in his undergraduate years, he lost his stepfather to pancreatic cancer. Driven to help mitigate future cancer deaths, he is researching ways to improve early detection, prevention and treatment.

A 91�� Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, Hamilton’s work focuses on breast and pancreatic cancer by developing novel image analysis techniques to quantify the tissue structure that surrounds tumors, a project he began during his master’s program at 91�� and has continued into his doctoral research.

Through his research, Hamilton works to better understand how the tissue around tumors affects cancer growth. He uses computer programming, image analysis and machine learning to study medical images, borrowing ideas from physics to look at patterns on different scales.

His passion for cancer research first took shape while studying bioengineering, though the decision to tackle cancer stemmed from his personal experience.

“I found bioengineering first, and then realized, due to trauma, I wanted to make sure people didn’t have to feel that way because of something that they can’t control,” Hamilton said.

Working with his doctoral advisor, Andre Khalil, on analysis and physics, and with his former master’s degree advisor, Karissa Tilbury, on biology and imaging, Hamilton studies slides of tissue and breast scans to find ways to detect and potentially treat cancers earlier. His early work on examining collagen in pancreatic tumors, inspired by personal loss, set the stage for his future research on early cancer detection.

Hamilton has also participated in developing tools to make breast cancer detection more efficient. Alongside fellow Ph.D. student Jeremy Juybari and others, Hamilton played a role in the development of the Context Guided Segmentation Network (CGS-Net), an AI system that mimics how pathologists study tissue slides to improve the speed and accuracy of breast cancer diagnoses. He describes his research approach as big-picture, complementing the detail-oriented style of Juybari, with whom he has formed a long-standing friendship.

“I think one reason Jeremy and I work so well together is that we approach problems differently,” Hamilton said. “He’s extremely detail-oriented, while I’m more of a big-picture person. He thinks bottom-up, I think top-down, and that balance has made our research and friendship really strong. He’s the last person still here from when I joined the lab, and I’m probably closer to him outside of work than I am at work.”

A senior member of the CompuMAINE lab, Hamilton also mentors undergraduate, master’s and fellow Ph.D. students while collaborating closely with Khalil and Tilbury. Outside the lab, Hamilton is deeply involved in teaching and mentoring. He recently took on full lecturer responsibilities for courses in medical image analysis.

“I’m teaching Dr. Khalil’s medical image analysis courses while he’s on sabbatical, so it’s just me now,” Hamilton said. “I’m not the teacher’s assistant or the tutor; I’m the teacher. That was a big milestone for me, and I’ve really enjoyed it. I think you need empathy to be a good teacher, and I love seeing that light bulb moment when someone finally gets a concept.”

Hamilton first came to 91�� as an undergraduate in 2017 because of scholarships, such as the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Scholarship, and programs that allowed him to combine his interests in music and bioengineering. He has stayed for his master’s and Ph.D., drawn to the opportunities of conducting cutting-edge research in a smaller, rural university environment.

Outside of research and teaching, Hamilton maintains an active extracurricular life. A percussionist, he was formerly part of 91��’s pep band. He is also a competitive “Super Smash Bros. Melee” player, organizing tournaments and managing the state community.

It’s Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and as Hamilton works to develop tools to detect this disease faster, anyone interested in learning more about it and contributing to the fight against it can visit the website.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

BDN features 91�� Machias program to address Maine nursing shortage

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 19:30:26 +0000

Maine’s struggle to keep nurses within the state continues, especially in highly affected regions like Washington and Hancock counties. The reported the 91�� Machias, in collaboration with the 91�� at Augusta, has added a new program this year for students to partner with the local hospital and get four-year nursing degrees without having to leave Washington County.

Renewed NIH grant to expand 91��’s impact on biotech workforce��

mike.kirby — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 19:22:17 +0000

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) renewed the 91��’s first T32 institutional predoctoral training grant, expanding support for doctoral students in biomedical science and engineering.

91��’s T32 program, launched in 2019, was the first of its kind at the state’s flagship university and remains one of only two active programs in Maine. Led by co-principal investigators Clarissa Henry of 91�� and Lucy Liaw of the MaineHealth Institute for Research (MaineHealth), the five-year renewal award expands annual slots from six to eight doctoral students.

91��’s program has already delivered dividends for the Pine Tree State’s innovation economy:

80% of graduates remained in Maine, now working at top labs including The Jackson Laboratory’s (JAX), Maine Health and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, bolstering the state’s biotech sector.
25% of trainees secured their own NIH fellowships (F31s).

The program provides competitive fellowships that allow students like Ashley Soucy (‘23G) to gain hands-on experience by working at medical research labs across Maine. Before graduating, Soucy worked in Liaw’s lab at MaineHealth during her fellowship.

“Dr. Liaw continuously encourages her trainees to apply for opportunities that enhance their scientific education and professional development. Her guidance, combined with the opportunities provided through the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering and the T32, helped me to grow as a scientist and prepared me for the next steps in my career. I am grateful to have been part of a program that invests so strongly in its students and the future of biomedical research,” said Soucy, who is now a senior project manager at JAX’s Rare Disease Translational Center.

The program is administered through 91��’s Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE), a statewide Ph.D. initiative that brings together faculty and resources from 91��, the MaineHealth, JAX, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory and the University of New England. Students will tap into GSBSE’s robust network of co-mentors as they learn to pursue the transdisciplinary collaboration that propels modern biomedical research.

“This renewal attests to the quality of innovation and mentorship opportunities created by our robust network of collaborators on campus and across the state,” said Clarissa Henry, 91�� professor of biological sciences and principal investigator on the project. “We are proud that the majority of our graduates are building their careers here in Maine, fueling the growth of the biosciences sector and advancing research focused on pressing health challenges.”

Liaw, faculty scientist at the MaineHealth and co-principal investigator, spoke to the value of the program’s collaborative model. “The T32 has created a true statewide training network. By connecting students with mentors and resources across Maine’s institutions, we’re equipping the next generation of scientists with the skills to thrive in a team-based, transdisciplinary research environment,” she said.

Eligible GSBSE students may apply for a T32 fellowship in their second or third year of study. The most recent call for proposals was issued this summer, and new fellows will be selected in September 2025 for the 2025–26 academic year.

Contact: Erin Miller, erin.miller@maine.edu, Caroline Cornish, Caroline.Cornish@mainehealth.org

91�� opens its labs to SMCC students for hands-on biomedical engineering research

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:30:40 +0000

Students will present their findings Sept. 24–25 at the Statewide Biomedical Science and Engineering Research Symposium at the University of Southern Maine

Inside the 91��’s Tissue Culture Teaching Lab, Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) students leaned over microscopes, carefully pipetting fluorescent dyes onto living cells.

This was the first time that these students had a chance to work in a cell culture environment and see advanced equipment such as plate readers and electron microscopes.

The weeklong short course gave six SMCC students a hands-on entry into biomedical engineering, testing whether new materials are safe for patients while learning aseptic technique and cell culture. It’s part of 91��’s commitment to real-world, problem-based research that connects community college students to Maine’s growing biomedical community.

“Participating in the SMCC-91�� course will build on this foundation and help me further develop critical thinking, problem-solving and lab skills that will support my future studies in pharmacy and pharmacology,” said Tatiana Muteba, a health science student at SMCC, during the course.

Over the week, students designed cytotoxicity experiments on four candidate biomaterials. Using MTT assays — MTT is a tetrazolium dye — to track metabolic activity and Live/Dead cell assays with fluorescent imaging, they measured cell viability and growth while practicing precision pipetting, microscopy and sterile technique.

The course was led by SMCC professors Daniel Moore and Erin Adams in partnership with Karissa Tilbury, associate professor of biomedical engineering at 91��, as a part of a university-led initiative known as Maine-SMART, or Strengthening Maine’s Research Ecosystem and Pathways Through Strategic Capacity Building. Further instructional support was provided by Adeola Fadahunsi, a biomedical science and engineering Ph.D. student and future faculty fellow with the Maine College of Engineering and Computing.

“Students taking this short course have a week to experience what it is like to do the work of scientific research,” said Moore. “It is a great opportunity for a student to see if this is the career path that they would like to pursue, as well as having a chance to learn and observe research techniques that are not available at the community college, such as electron microscopy and cell culture.”

Students will present their findings Sept. 24-25 at the third Statewide Biomedical Science and Engineering Research Symposium at the University of Southern Maine campus, gaining experience in scientific communication and networking.

SMCC plans to offer a Biology Research Experience Short Course annually and open it to students from other community colleges. In fall 2026, 91�� will integrate the biocompatibility module students experienced this summer into its Introduction to Biomedical Engineering course.

The program is part of the Maine-SMART Community College Research Experience Short Course. Maine-SMART is supported through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) new Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Collaborations for Optimizing Research Ecosystems Research Infrastructure Improvement Program (E-CORE RII). Additional support comes through the 91�� Institute of Medicine, the Maine College of Engineering and Computing and the 91�� System’s UMS TRANSFORMS initiative.

Story by Nathan Deveney, research media intern

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

New 91�� research could help lower prescription drug costs

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:20:21 +0000

Thomas Schwartz

One of the main factors driving prices in pharmaceuticals, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs and antibiotics, is the cost of production and materials. Researchers at the 91�� Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI) have discovered a sustainable method to produce the key ingredient in a broad range of pharmaceuticals, which could help address high prescription drug costs in the U.S.��

Among some of the most expensive medications are those that require a chiral center ― a property in which a molecule cannot be superimposed with its mirror image, like right and left hands. Chirality can direct a drug’s biological effects including efficacy, side effects and metabolization. The price of chiral drugs is greatly contributed to the building blocks used during synthesis, which are costly to produce due to complex reaction and purification pathways.

In a new study recently published in , FBRI researchers explore a new, cost-reducing pathway to produce one of these crucial building blocks, (S)-3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone (HBL), from glucose at high concentrations and yields.

According to researchers, HBL is a chiral species used for the synthesis of an array of crucial drugs such as statins, antibiotics and HIV inhibitors. Because glucose can be derived from any lignocellulosic feedstock ― such as wood chips, sawdust, tree branches or other woody biomass ― this process opens a new door for the sustainable production of HBL. This approach could also potentially be used to produce other types of important consumer products.

“If we use other kinds of wood sugars, like xylose that is an unneeded byproduct from making pulp and paper, we expect that we could produce new chemicals and building blocks, like green cleaning products or new renewable, recyclable plastics,” said Thomas Schwartz, associate director of FBRI and associate professor in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing who was a lead author for the paper.

In addition to its use as a chiral species, HBL has been identified as a highly valuable precursor to a variety of chemicals and plastics by the . Previous attempts to produce HBL sustainably achieved only limited success due to safety issues, ineffectiveness or a lack of cost-efficiency.

“The competing processes either lead to low yields, use hazardous starting materials or are just generally costly because of the chosen production scheme and low output,” said Schwartz. “The commercial process is expensive because you have to add the chiral center to the molecule, which doesn’t occur naturally with most petrochemicals.”

Not only does this new approach result in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but the production costs are also reduced by more than 60% compared to current methods that use petroleum-derived feedstocks. The process can also yield other commercially important chemicals, such as glycolic acid (GA), which presents additional economic opportunities.

The research included work from students in the led by Schwartz and was conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Products Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Funding for the project was provided by the USDA, U.S. Forest Service and the National Science Foundation.

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

91�� co-hosts third annual statewide biomedical research symposium, registration closing soon

mike.kirby — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:05:25 +0000

The 91�� Institute of Medicine and organizing committee partners the Jackson Laboratory, MDI Biological Laboratory, MaineHealth, Northern Light Health, the Roux Institute at Northeastern University and University of New England are hosting the third Statewide Biomedical Science and Engineering Research Symposium on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 24-25 in Hannaford Hall on the University of Southern Maine campus.

Students can attend the symposium at no cost, but is required and will close Monday, Sept. 8. It is $45 for staff, faculty or industry professionals to attend both days.��

Wednesday’s events begin at 9:30 a.m. with speaker presentations on neuromodulation and vision and metabolic factors in aging and disease. The day will end with a banquet hosted in the McGoldrick Salon from 5-7 p.m. Thursday will begin at 8:45 a.m. with a keynote presentation titled “State of Biomedical Science & Healthcare in Maine” given by Dr. Clifford Singer, Dr. James Jarvis and Dr. Douglas Sawyer. Presentations throughout the day will include topics on genetic and epigenetic influences on aging and disease, skeletal and cardiac muscle, cell signaling and tissue regeneration. Integrated into these themes will be presentations on stem cells and tissue regeneration.

During lunchtime both days of the symposium, judges will evaluate student posters and how well their research is presented. The top 10 will receive a $300 award. The call for poster abstracts, of no more than 500 words, closes Sept. 8 along with event registration. The portal to submit poster abstracts is available on the 91�� Institute of Medicine website.

Wednesday’s banquet is $25 for anyone who wishes to attend and is added during event registration. Seating is limited. This portion of the event will be held in McGoldrick Salon, across from Hannaford Hall.

Additional information on the symposium is available online.

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Did you have an experience at 91�� that shaped or changed how you see the world?

Describe 91�� in one word and explain.

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Press Herald features 91�� alum, student on developing AI tool to improve breast cancer detection

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91�� co-hosts third annual statewide biomedical research symposium, registration closing soon