Award Data

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the bacterium most frequently isolated from the respiratory tract of ICU pa- tients in the US and is a major cause of pneumonia in intubated patients. Furthermore, infection with PA gener- ally has a poor prognosis, with an estimated 40-69% of PA ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) cases re- sulting in mortality, and more than 30% of survivors suffer recur ...

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is a rare genetic disorder that affects about 1 in 25,000 individuals globally. While usually benign, these tumors result in severe morbidity and mortality in affected individuals. Almost all NF2 patients lose their hearing, and many lose the ability to walk and even to see. NF2 patients’ average age at death is 36 years, many of whom die in adolescence or early ad ...

PROJECT SUMMARYRNA is a validated target for drug design, both as therapeutic and as a target. Targeting specific RNA, such as rRNA which are involved in proliferation and survival of bacteria is a promising approach. We are developing fast and low cost methods to screen sequence-specific small molecules for novel anti-ribosomal activities. We will construct sequence-specific chemically modified r ...

PROJECT SUMMARY . Collecting complete and accurate outcome data directly from research participants is becoming increasingly important. Clinical researchers needs a cost-effective approach to capture high-quality patient-reported outcomes. Typically, data captured directly from participants is through self-administered questionnaires or through a human interviewer, each with their own advantages ...

Project Summary/Abstract !Amblyopia is vision loss caused by neglect of a structurally normal eye due to strabismus, asymmetric refraction (anisometropia), or deprivation. It is irreversible if not treated by age 7, but half of all patients in the U.S. are undetected and untreated until after it is too late, making it the leading cause of preventable vision loss. Rebion (Rebiscan, Inc) has develop ...

Project Summary/AbstractDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major co-morbidity for patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The incidence and severity of DR increase with duration of diabetes and approximately 30 percent will experience vision-threatening deficits. Work over the past decade has shown that the neural deficits observed in DR occur early in the natural history of the disease and likely p ...

Rates of obesity have steadily increased in the United States, with approximately 50 percent of Americans projected to be classified as obese by 2030. Interestingly, obesity even seems to be a risk factor for the severity of illness in response to COVID-19 disease. Although behavioral (dieting and exercise), pharmacological, and surgical approaches exist for weight loss, many individuals who lose ...

Abstract In normal pregnancy, the cervix remains closed until term and then dilates under the influence of uterine contractions. In cases of cervical insufficiency (CI), the cervix dilates in the second trimester in the absence of uterine contractions, which leads to a preterm birth. Infants born prematurely are at risk of lifelong morbidities including chronic lung disease, feeding difficulties, ...

PROJECT SUMMARY The long-term goal of the current proposal is to generate a new class of small molecules to treat familial hypercholesterolemia. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients suffer from excessively high levels of Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), which if left untreated results in death from severe cardiovascular disease. FH is caused primarily by mutations in the LDL rec ...

Triton Systems, Inc. will work in collaboration with Professor Mark Yim of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) to design a viable, robust ground robot with novel, reconfigurable actuators. This robot can reconfigure from a wheeled state to a legged state, enabling it to overcome tall obstacles and rough terrain. This ground robot will also be of a modular nature, able to be combined with others ...