Research Distinction Awards Presented at BioInspired Symposium

The BioInspired Institute’s third annual research symposium was held Oct. 24-25, bringing together undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty from Syracuse University, SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, along with other regional research and industry partners.


Doctoral student Cijun Zhang explains his research to BioInspired Symposium attendees. Zhang studies in the Xiaoran Hu functional organic materials lab.

The event featured poster presentations by 79 undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Several researchers presented “lightning talks” on topics such as how diseases develop and how the human body reacts; fabricating and creating smart materials; and new technologies to address problems from clean energy to robotics to medicine. Guest speakers from several universities made special presentations. Awards were presented to recognize researchers in multiple ways.

Three recipients were chosen in the Best Overall Poster category:

Two presenters were recognized as Stevenson Biomaterials Poster Award winners:

Two researchers received awards recognizing Best Lightning Talks:

A project by Sevde Can, “Smart Foams Tackle Wounds: Vanillic Acid-Incorporated Shape Memory Polymer Foams for Hemorrhage and Infection Control,” was recognized as having the best commercialization potential. Can is a biomedical and chemical engineering doctoral student in ECS. (Principal investigator is Mary Beth Monroe.)

Receiving honors for her “social impact” initiative was Kiana Memaran Dadgar, G ‘22, an assistant teaching professor in the School of Architecture, for her work, “IMPACT: Empowering Architecture Students through Interdisciplinary Mentorship in Sustainable Material Innovation.” The project explored an interdisciplinary collaboration between the University’s Departments of Chemistry and Architecture that aimed to foster societal impact through sustainable innovation in architectural materials. (Her collaborator was Davoud Mozhdehi, associate professor of chemistry in A&S.)

Dr. Soboyejo and Alexia Chatzitheodorou at poster
Winston Oluwole Soboyejo, SUNY Polytechnic Institute President, asks Alexia Chatzitheodorou, a graduate research assistant, about her work on “Shape Morphing of Twisted Nematic Elastomer Shells.” Soboyejo was one of several university representatives to speak at the symposium.

Winner of the People’s Choice Award was Ernest Obeng, a biomedical and chemical engineering doctoral student in ECS. His project, “Antimicrobial Hemostatic Shape Memory Polymer Foams for Infection Prevention in Traumatic Wounds.

His research examines how hemostatic materials with antibacterial and antibiofilm properties can reduce infection rates and enhance the healing of traumatic wounds. (Principal investigator is Mary Beth Monroe.)

Best Publication Awards went to:

Student presenting poster
    Students at symposium

    Student presenting poster