Abstract:
Despite the centrality of microbes to human health, we know very little about how microbes interact with each other and their host. This lack of understanding is in large part due to limitations of tools to measure host-microbe interaction. In the first part of this talk, I will present liquid biopsy technologies to profile host-microbe interaction, with applications in the monitoring of COVID-19 and MIS-C. In the second part of this talk, I will share how we have used spatial transcriptomics to study the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis, and I will present a method to create intricate spatial maps of complex microbial communities.

Bio:
Iwijn De Vlaminck is an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Cornell University. Iwijn’s research is focused on the development of precision medicine technologies to monitor and study infectious and immune related disease. His research has led to noninvasive liquid biopsies to diagnose organ transplant rejection, urinary tract infection, blood-borne infection and complications of stem cell transplantation. He developed methods to spatially map the microbiome and the transcriptome. Iwijn’s research was recognized with the NIH New Innovator Award, the Noyce Foundation Assistant Professorship in the Life Sciences, and a Rainin Foundation Synergy Award. He received teaching excellence awards from the College of Engineering in 2017 and 2022. He is a co-founder of Kanvas Biosciences.

Zoom:
https://umich.zoom.us/j/91375430500