Name: Melanie Coathup
Position(s): Professor of medicine and lead of the Biionix Cluster

Why are you interested in this research?
Exposure to ionizing radiation can affect so many people from different walks of life such as cancer survivors to the those in the military to astronauts and our plans for deep space exploration. From the physics, chemistry and biological aspects of it, it’s an area where there’s still so much to learn and understand, and if we can figure out a way to prevent the harm and injury it can cause, it will positively impact so many lives.

Who inspires you to conduct your research?
The enthusiasm and hard work of my postdocs and students in the lab plays a huge part in this. But also, everyone I see who chooses to keep going after a setback. I think every job or ambition comes with its challenges and despite how it may sometimes seem, the path forward isn’t always so smooth. I’m inspired to conduct this research through remembering past trailblazers such as Marie Curie, as well as directly by those I see who keep on striving despite difficulties — particularly those who do it with grace and generosity to others.

How does Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ empower you to do your research?
Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is a really great place to work and the resources and support that I’ve received from so many individuals in the various departments and services has been so critical in progressing the day-to-day aspects of the research.

What major grants and honors have you earned to support your research?
To date, this research has been supported by NASA, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Why is this research important?
Exposure to ionizing radiation can be highly damaging to the body. Even if a localized area of the body is exposed, it can cause systemic injury and significant ill health. The development of a radioprotective agent would be helpful for cancer survivors undergoing radiotherapy and to warfighters or civilians in anticipation of radiation exposure. However, at the moment, there are no effective FDA-approved medications that can be given either before or indeed after accidental exposure to high-doses of radiation. Finding such countermeasures could help prevent injury and potentially, death due to radiation.

Founded in 1963 with the mission to provide talent for Central Florida and the growing U.S. space program, the university’s extensive involvement in space research and education not only drives innovations in space technology but also prepares the next generation of leaders in the field.

With more than 40 active NASA projects totaling more than $67 million in funding, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ continues to push the frontiers of space research, and its contributions promise to help shape the future of humanity’s presence in the cosmos.

±«°äąó’s cutting-edge areas of space expertise include:

Space Medicine

±«°äąó’s College of Medicine is pioneering new frontiers in aerospace medicine, positioning itself as a leader in space health research and education. Spearheaded by initiatives to create an interdisciplinary curriculum, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is integrating expertise from engineering, medicine and nursing to address the unique health challenges of space exploration.

The college is building on existing research in space health, including innovative studies on the effects of microgravity on bone health, which could lead to improved protection for astronauts. Collaborations across disciplines, such as testing therapeutics for radiation protection and developing antimicrobial solutions for space station environments, highlight ±«°äąó’s commitment to advancing astronaut health and shaping the future of space medicine.

Space Propulsion and Power

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is advancing space propulsion with groundbreaking research that could make space travel more efficient and viable for future missions. Researchers are developing innovative hypersonic propulsion systems, such as rotating detonation rocket engines, which harness high-speed detonations to increase propulsion efficiency and reduce fuel consumption — an advancement that could significantly lower costs and emissions associated with space travel, creating new commercial opportunities in the industry. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is taking its hypersonics research even further with its recently launched Center of Excellence in Hypersonic and Space Propulsion — the HyperSpace Center.

Additionally, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ teams are exploring novel power systems for spacecraft venturing far from the sun, where solar energy becomes impractical. With funding from NASA, researchers are creating storable chemical heat sources capable of providing essential heat and power in extreme environments, from the icy surfaces of distant moons to the intense heat of Venus.

Space Technology and Engineering

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is forging the future of space technology with innovations that push the boundaries of lunar and deep space exploration. Through advancements in lunar resource utilization, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ has developed methods to efficiently extract ice from lunar soil so that it can be transformed into vital resources like water and rocket fuel, while new techniques for processing lunar soil drastically reduce construction costs for infrastructure such as landing pads.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers are also pioneering 3D-printed bricks made from lunar regolith that withstand extreme space conditions, setting the foundation for resilient off-world habitats. Lunar regolith is the loose dust, rocks and materials that cover the moon’s surface.

±«°äąó’s Exolith Lab, part of the , continues to lead in space hardware testing, advancing resource extraction and lunar construction technologies. Meanwhile, FSI’s CubeSat program is opening new doors in space exploration with compact, affordable satellites that give students and researchers access to microgravity and beyond.

Space Commercialization

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s new space commercialization program — led by , College of Business professor of practice and associate provost for space commercialization and strategy — positions the university as a leader in space-related business education.

Autry will guide the college’s efforts to deliver Executive and MBA programs in space commercialization, driving curriculum development and establishing space-focused programs that equip students to lead in the growing commercial space industry.

In addition to the space commercialization program, Autry will be working with external stakeholders, including NASA, the U.S. Space Force and commercial firms like Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, to develop opportunities to advance mutual interests in space.

This includes working with Kennedy Space Center to lead a State University System partnership with the state of Florida to develop the necessary talent to maintain and expand Florida’s leadership in space exploration and commercialization.

Autry will also be leading ±«°äąó’s effort to develop and execute a roadmap for the university’s SpaceU brand through targeted investments in talent and facilities.

Space Domain Awareness

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is advancing space domain awareness research to protect critical assets in orbit by developing sophisticated algorithms for tracking and predicting the movement of objects such as satellites and asteroids, so they don’t collide with spacecraft. Under the guidance of aerospace engineering expert Tarek Elgohary, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers are creating a computational framework to rapidly and accurately track space objects in real time. This initiative is backed by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Dynamic Data and Information Process Program.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is also addressing the growing issue of orbital debris through a NASA-funded study that includes researchers from ±«°äąó’s FSI and . This project seeks to increase public awareness and support for managing space debris, a hazard to satellites and potential space tourism ventures.

Workforce Development

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is propelling students toward dynamic careers in the space industry with hands-on programs and sought-after internship opportunities. Through the new engineering graduate certificate in electronic parts engineering, developed in collaboration with NASA, students are gaining essential skills in testing and evaluating space-ready electronic components — a key advantage for aspiring space professionals.

Additionally, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ students can benefit from hands-on internships at Kennedy Space Center, where they gain real-world experience in various fields, from engineering to project management.

At the , students gain direct experience in microgravity research and robotics. The center embodies ±«°äąó’s commitment to democratizing space access, offering pathways for students from all backgrounds to participate in and contribute to the growing space industry.

FSI’s CubeSat program further immerses students in satellite design and operation, offering direct involvement in active space missions.

Planetary Science

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝’s planetary science program is driving breakthroughs in space exploration with projects spanning the moon, Mars and beyond. The NASA-funded Lunar-VISE mission, led by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, will explore the Gruithuisen domes on the far side of the moon to understand their volcanic origins, potentially unlocking insights crucial for future space exploration.

Complementing this, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers are contributing to NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer mission, which will map water ice deposits on the moon — an essential resource for sustained stays in space. On another front, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ scientists are studying dust behavior in microgravity through experiments that flew on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, potentially leading to strategies for mitigating lunar dust, a challenge for electronics and equipment on future missions.

Expanding its reach beyond the moon, ±«°äąó’s planetary science research involves asteroid studies, including the high-profile OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu and examining seismic wave propagation in simulated asteroid materials to understand asteroid evolution and early planetary formation. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is also home to the , a node of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, which facilitates NASA’s exploration of deep space by focusing its goals at the intersection of surface science and surface exploration of rocky, atmosphereless bodies.

Additionally, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers are studying trans-Neptunian objects and using the James Webb Space Telescope to explore the solar system’s outer reaches, analyzing ancient ices to uncover clues about the solar system’s history, while also investigating exoplanets to advance our understanding of other planets and to search for life beyond Earth.

In parallel, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers are also advancing bold ideas for terraforming Mars through nanoparticle dispersion to create warming effect, making the Red Planet potentially more habitable.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers have also contributed their expertise to multiple high-profile NASA missions, including Cassini, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Curiosity, and New Horizons.

Advancing Astrophotonics, History and Policy

±«°äąó’s space research spans pioneering astrophotonics technology, studies in space history and critical analyses in space policy, each offering unique insights into the universe. The within CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics, is pushing the boundaries of photonics and astronomy, using tools like photonic lanterns, fiber optics, and hyperspectral imaging to detect cosmic phenomena and address profound questions about dark energy.

Meanwhile, delves into space history, exploring the cultural and scientific impacts of milestones like the Apollo missions and the Space Shuttle program, helping illuminate humanity’s journey into space.

The contributes to this comprehensive approach with its broad studies of space policy, both domestically and internationally, including examining military space policy and rising space powers. The work involves studying space law, international agreements, and policy frameworks that guide space activities, which is essential for addressing the governance and strategic planning needed for space exploration and utilization.

Pioneering Tomorrow’s Space Exploration

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ is pushing the frontiers of space research and education, tackling today’s challenges while preparing for the demands of future space missions. As the new space race continues, ±«°äąó’s forward-thinking approach will continue to drive progress, inspire new possibilities and expand humanity’s reach into the universe.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers aim to prevent such bleeding in potentially deadly situations with a new hemostatic spongelike bandage with antimicrobial efficacy that they recently developed and detailed in a newly published study in the journal Biomaterials Science.

“What happens in the field or during an accident is due to heavy bleeding, patients can die,” says Kausik Mukhopadhyay, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and study co-author. “These fatalities usually occur in the first 30 minutes to one hour. Our whole idea was to develop a very simple solution that could have the hemostatic efficacy within that time. If you can save the patient, then the doctors and the nurses can then save the patient.”

Chemistry and Mechanisms

The method Mukhopadhyay and his team developed is called SilFoam as it’s more of a foam than a traditional bandage wrap. SilFoam is a liquid gel comprised of siloxanes (silicon and oxygen) that is delivered via a special two-chamber syringe which rapidly expands into a spongy foam upon exposure to each other within the wound in under one minute. The sponge applies pressure to restrict the hemorrhage at the delivery site while also serving as an antibacterial agent because of the silver oxide in it.

For every five milliliters of gel injected, you can expect an expansion of about 35 milliliters, Mukhopadhyay says.

“Anytime you have a profuse bleeding or bleeding, you want to press on top and stop the bleeding,” he says. “So, what we did here is actually the same thing. Instead of putting the hand, we injected it, and it creates a voluminous expansion.”

Mukhopadhyay and his collaborators found that their sponge also resulted in a more gentle removal.

“The adhesive property of this bandage is optimized so that when you take it out from the system, the smaller vessels don’t get ruptured, but it has the right amount of addition that can adhere to the muscles, veins and the arteries so that the blood doesn’t leak,” he says.

The sponge’s porosity and adhesion properties help it expand and seal the wound, allowing the body’s natural clotting process to take over, Mukhopadhyay says.

“During the reaction, it generates a little bit amount of heat that helps the process very fast,” he says. “On top of that, oxygen gas as part of the reaction’s byproduct, tries to come out. So instead of making it a cross-linkable rubber, it’s a soft sponge with a lot of internal porosity.”

Experimentation and Methods

Researching ways to address wounds requires special care and consideration to ensure no harm comes to test subjects, however, the researchers were able to bypass this by using a functional anatomic model to test their methods.

They used specially crafted mannequins designed with realistic blood vessels and wounds developed by a local company called SIMETRI to test their foam on in hopes the preliminary results were promising enough to proceed with further testing.

“One of the most important parts of this was that we used non-invasive models,” Mukhopadhyay says. “At this phase, we can get approvals and move forward to study the in vivo models. At this stage, there are no psychological effects on vets or surgeons either.”

The experimentation showed promise, especially when the researchers compared SilFoam to five other existing treatment methods.

They found that SilFoam had many advantages such as significantly less leakage, room-temperature storage versus requiring cold temperatures, ultimately lower cost of materials, little to no training requirements to use the syringe.

Pritha Sarkar, a graduate student in the materials science department at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, assisted with the experimentation.

“We had to check the reactivity of the two parts, because we wanted enough oxygen gas that can expand the sponge, but at the same time, we didn’t want the material to get too hot, because the reaction itself generates heat,” she says.

Sarkar texted the toxicity and strength of the materials as well to ensure it was safe for human bodies and durable yet not too rigid.

She also worked to make sure the composition of the SilFoam doesn’t harm the patient upon removal.

“If you have something that’s very sticky, like a bandage that you can slap onto your wound, that that will prevent blood from coming out, but if you want to remove that bandage, it can cause tissue damage or pain,” Sarkar says. “Our polymer system doesn’t stick to your skin, so it’s very easy to remove. We have a dressing that can expand onto your wound and seal it shut, but at the same time, once it’s done its job, you can remove it very easily.”

Reducing Infections and Next Steps

The antibacterial component of the research was through Melanie Coathup, a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ College of Medicine professor and director of the Biionix Cluster at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝.

She works alongside material scientists and mechanical engineers with the goal of creating new medical technologies and therapies.

“My post-doc Dr. Abi Sindu Pugazhendhi and I worked alongside Dr. Mukhopadhyay and team to investigate the potency of his material and how well it stopped bacterial growth,” Coathup says. “We assessed bacteria that would typically infect a traumatic injury to the torso, and our results showed that the material was highly effective and so utilizing this material within the bandage system developed by Dr. Mukhopadhyay and confirming its efficacy as a novel hemostatic and antibacterial strategy is a great and important find.”

She says the opportunity to save lives as part of this research was extremely rewarding.

“The research is significant, because at the moment, there are no effective treatments available to treat people with these conditions, and new strategies are really needed,” Coathup says. “This means that teaming up with Dr. Mukhopadhyay to investigate a novel antibacterial sponge that could in the future provide life-saving treatment following major traumatic injury, was an absolute pleasure and right up my street.”

Mukhopadhyay also recently received a GAP award to assist in licensing SilFoam and deploying it. He says the next step is to collaborate with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and perform in vivo studies at their facilities.

Those interested in licensing this technology may .

Researcher’s Credentials

Mukhopadhyay is an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, and he directs the Hybrid Materials and Surfaces Laboratory. He received his doctoral degree in chemistry in 2004 from the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, India. Mukhopadhyay joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in Fall 2017 as a senior lecturer and researcher.

Coathup joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2017 and is a professor of medicine and director of Director of the Biionix (Bionic Implants, Materials and Interfaces) Cluster. Prior to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, she was an associate professor at University College London where she also earned her doctoral degree in orthopedic implant fixation.

This is the sixth time Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ has had experiments fly aboard New Shepard, with previous flights in August 2021, January, May and December of 2019 and April 2016. The studies are among several dozen research payloads on NS-24, New Shepard’s 24^th mission.

Bone Loss in Space

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ College of Medicine biomedical engineer Melanie Coathup is partnering with Michael Kinzel, an associate professor in ±«°äąó’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, to understand how the absence of gravity in space impacts the bones of space travelers.

“When you’re in microgravity, there’s a change in characteristics of fluid flow and we’re trying to find out if that includes the fluid flow in our bodies, particularly through our bones,” says Coathup, who heads ±«°äąó’s Biionix faculty cluster initiative, an interdisciplinary team developing innovative materials, processes, and interfaces to support health and well-being.

Microgravity-induced bone loss is a health risk for space travelers and long-term goals of human space exploration and colonization. NASA research has shown that astronauts who stay in space for extended periods can lose up to 1% to 2% of bone density per month, primarily in weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips and legs. That compares to bone loss of 0.5% to 1% per year in aging men and post-menopausal women on Earth. This significant bone loss can place space travelers at risk for bone fracture and an early-onset spaceflight-induced osteoporosis.

Coathup theorizes that while on Earth, gravity exerts a constant mechanical load to the skeletal system whenever we sit, walk or stand, which causes a tiny amount of fluid to flow in and out of bones.

“On Earth, when we bear weight on our bones, it forces fluid into the tissue and then as we take off the ground, water draws back out. So that applies a mechanical stimulus to our cells that sends nutrients into the bone and then removes waste products as well,” Coathup says.

“We predict that in microgravity, in the absence of weight-bearing, there’s very little fluid movement, which stops or reduces that mechanical stimulus that sends nutrients in and stops waste products from going out and we believe this may contribute to bone damage,” she says.

This New Shepard mission does not have crew, but human subjects are highly complex and difficult to understand. So, the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ researchers are combining medical and mechanical engineering technology to develop novel models that directly focus the study of human bone behavior to fluidic character in microgravity. Coathup is gathering the small-scale porous structure of bones using medical technology (CT Scans). These geometries are being used by Kinzel’s group to create a microfluidic chip to represent this geometry. These microfluidic chips are miniature flow channels that include artificial capillaries using advanced 3D printing technology. Fluid and tiny beads are pumped through the chip to mimic the proteins and solutes in blood. The goal is to develop comparisons of the flow in these bone-like chips in microgravity to the behavior in various orientations in normal gravity on Earth.

“We expect to see that the presence of gravity enhances micro-scale mixing needed to support healthy bones,” Kinzel says.

The experiment is not a perfect representation of a real bone, but rather a simplified model to help researchers understand mechanisms. The size of the beads and capillaries are much larger in the experiment than in people’s bodies.

“To accommodate this, we plan to use high-end computational modeling to scale down the experiment to a real human bone,” Kinzel says.

Kinzel, an expert in computational fluid dynamics, leads the team that is creating the microchip and its platform.

The overall study is led by imec, an international nano- and digital technology research organization. The study is primarily focused on demonstrating imec’s lens-free microscope technology in a space environment. Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and imec collaborated to formulate research questions to demonstrate the added value of these new microscopes, which are both smaller and lighter than conventional ones, for future biological testing on the International Space Station.

Coathup has dedicated much of her research to figuring out how bones are impacted by aging and environmental stressors such as space flight, and is working on developing new technologies and therapies that can protect, repair or rebuild damaged bones.

Her collaboration with Kinzel is one of numerous payloads on this flight funded by NASA primarily through the NASA Flight Opportunities program. These payloads are helping researchers better understand the capabilities of living and working in space.

Dust Behavior in Microgravity

This project — titled Electrostatic Regolith Interaction Experiment (ERIE) — examines charged dust behavior in microgravity and also tests sensors that will characterize the charging behavior of dust in a lunar-like environment.

Key to these experiments is the several minutes of microgravity provided by the Blue Origin flight.

The research is led by Adrienne Dove, an associate professor in ±«°äąó’s Department of Physics, in collaboration with researchers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

The sensors are being developed by collaborators at Kennedy to be used on lunar missions, such as on rover wheels, where they could measure charge on dust grains in natural lunar environments.

The results can inform strategies to keep lunar dust from damaging electronics, solar cells and mechanical equipment, and even human suits and systems during lunar missions.

The research is funded through NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program within its Space Technology Mission Directorate.

Seismic Wave Propagation in Asteroids

This project, titled Microgravity Experiment for the Speed of Sound (MESS), is examining how seismic waves and shaking can modify the surface and interior of an asteroid, and impact-induced seismicity can dictate surface features as well as overall shape and compactness changes within the asteroid.

The research is led by Julie Brisset, a research scientist and interim director of the Florida Space Institute (FSI) at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝. Brisset researches dust behavior under microgravity conditions for the study of planet formation and regolith.

This work is important since the mechanical structure and dynamical behavior of small asteroids can retain clues to the early processes taking place during planet formation times.

In this experiment, simulated asteroid granular material that had been placed into three separate containers has sound waves generated into them, and their speeds are recorded while in the microgravity environment of the New Shepard rocket.

Three types of asteroid material simulant are used in the experiment: fine grains (about 0.1 millimeter), millimeter-, and centimeter-sized grains.

These simulants are routinely prepared at principal investigator Brisset’s lab at ±«°äąó’s Florida Space Institute.

Undergraduate students assembled the payload, and over the course of its design and implementation, a total of about 10 undergraduate students participated for a project duration of five semesters, with graduating students training new arrivals on the team.

“Students were not only trained in hands-on skills in their respective areas of expertise and integrated teamwork, but also in mentoring and project management as well,” Brisset says. “They learned to handle deadlines and project documentation, and overall, had an exceptional experience preparing them for their post-graduation professional life.”

Researchers’ Backgrounds

Coathup received her doctorate in orthopedic implant fixation from University College London and joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2017. Before coming to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, she worked at the University College of London for 17 years. Her work includes the development of a novel synthetic bone substitute material Inductigraft to boost bone repair and regeneration, which is mainly used in spinal fusion surgery and marketed by Baxter Healthcare. Her research excellence has been recognized internationally through her publications and through receiving several prestigious UK, European and international prizes from her peers.

Kinzel received his doctorate in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University and joined Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in 2018. In addition to being a member of ±«°äąó’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a part of ±«°äąó’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, he also works with ±«°äąó’s Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research.

Dove received her doctorate in astrophysical and planetary sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her bachelor’s degree in physics and astronomy from the University of Missouri. She joined ±«°äąó’s Department of Physics, part of the College of Sciences, in 2012. In 2017 Dove was awarded the Susan Niebur Early Career Award by the NASA Solar System Exploration Virtual Research Institute (SSERVI) for her contributions to the science and exploration communities. She has also received ±«°äąó’s Reach for the Stars Award and Luminary Award.

Brisset earned her master’s degrees in aerospace engineering in 2005 from the Institut SupĂ©rieur de l’AĂ©ronautique et de l’Espace in Toulouse, France, and the Technical University of Munich. After working for several years as an aerospace engineer on European Space Agency International Space Station payload operations, she started graduate studies in astrophysics at the University of Braunschweig, Germany and received her doctoral degree in 2014.

As head of the Biionix Cluster at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ and professor of medicine, Coathup’s work focuses on orthopedic innovation — developing new technologies and therapeutics to rebuild and repair bone tissues lost due to aging, cancer therapy, degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, or exposure to environments like space orbit.

“Being recognized by AIMBE for my research is so phenomenal, it’s difficult to fully capture with words. I am ecstatic, excited and inspired for the future,” she says. “Carrying out research is a humbling experience, as there are always ups and downs and often with more challenges than successes. It’s been an immense pleasure to work with my amazing post-docs and students over the years to create this body of research.”

Coathup was elected by her peers and members of the College of Fellows “for pioneering research in developing biomaterials for orthopedics and providing International leadership in translational medicine.” She was honored at a formal induction ceremony in Arlington, VA on March 27 — one of 140 inductees to the College of Fellows Class of 2023.

AIMBE Fellows represent the top two percent of medical and biological engineers who have made outstanding contributions to engineering and medicine through research, practice, or education. Three are Nobel Prize laureates, and 11 have received the Presidential Medal of Science and/or Technology and Innovation.

Associate Dean and Director of the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences Griff Parks congratulated Coathup on her induction.

“This award highlights both the outstanding research that is ongoing in her lab, as well as her long term commitment to training the next generation of biomedical scientists in areas of high impact to human health, ” he says.

Coathup’s research has led to new implant designs to replace bone lost to cancer, and the development of a new kind of synthetic bone material to help patients with skeletal injuries regenerate their tissue for a speedier recovery.

“I have always had a deep fascination with medical science,” she says. “One of my earliest memories as a child was reading books on science along with a (failed) attempt to read and learn the entire medical dictionary.”

Through the Biionix Cluster, Coathup leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers working to develop innovative materials, processes and interfaces for advanced medical implants, tissue regeneration, prostheses and other future high-tech products.

Before joining Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝, Coathup was a professor and researcher at University College London’s Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science, serving as head of the Centre for Cell and Tissue Research. Born in the U.K., Dr. Coathup completed undergraduate studies in medical cell biology at the University of Liverpool, U.K. before furthering her knowledge with a Ph.D. in orthopedic implant fixation. A first-generation graduate, she is passionate about encouraging and inspiring future generations of scientists, particularly young women and was previously honored by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ă˝ in March 2019 for Women’s History Month.

“Three weeks ago, I learned that a 6-year-old girl in Wales named Lilly who was researching me for a class project wouldn’t believe that I was a doctor working in STEM,” Coathup says. “This was because ’she is a girl.’  She told her teacher that she had made a mistake and that I couldn’t be a doctor. To Lilly, and all young girls, I want you to know that you can do it. Allow yourself to dream, and follow your beliefs, passion, and heart, and with hard work, you can achieve all. I look forward to celebrating your future successes.”

Their study, a collaboration with Oakland University, North Carolina A&T University, the University of Sheffield and University of Huddersfield in the U.K., was published in Bioactive Materials.

Approximately 50% of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy — a treatment that uses electrically charged particles to kill cancer cells. About 40% of patients are cured with this therapy. However, bone damage is a side effect, impacting about 75% of patients receiving radiation.

“Because of its high calcium content, bone absorbs 30-40% more radiation than other tissues and so it is a common site of injury,” says Coathup, director ±«°äąó’s Biionix faculty cluster. “Radiation makes the bone brittle and easily fractured. And due to the damage caused by radiation, many people are then unable to repair their bone fracture. In some people, this leads to having an amputation to resolve the complication.”

While radiotherapy beams are directly aimed at the tumor, surrounding healthy tissue also gets damaged and can cause many additional health issues for patients.

“At the moment, there is no real drug or therapy to protect healthy tissue from the damage caused by radiation,” Coathup says. “This is not only a problem for cancer patients who undergo radiotherapy but also poses problems for astronauts and future deep space exploration.”

The body’s natural defense against radiation is a group of enzymes called antioxidants — but this defense system gets easily overwhelmed by radiation and on its own cannot protect the body from damage. Seal, a leading nanotechnologist, designed the cerium oxide nanoparticle — or nanoceria — that mimics the activity of these antioxidants and has a stronger defense mechanism in protecting cells against DNA damage.

“The nanoceria works with a specifically designed regenerative lattice structure responsible for destroying harmful reactive oxygen species, a byproduct of radiation treatment,” Seal says.

Working with postdoctoral researcher Fei Wei, Coathup tested the nanozyme in live models receiving radiation therapy.

“Our study showed that exposing rats to radiation at similar levels to those given to cancer patients led to weak and damaged bones,” Coathup says.  “However, when we treated the animals with the nanozyme, before and during three doses of radiation over three days, we found that the bone was not damaged, and had a strength similar to healthy bone.”

The study also showed that the nanozyme treatment helped kill cancer cells, possibly due to an increase in acidity, and protected against the loss of white and red blood cells that usually occurs in cancer patients. A low white and red blood cell count means the patient is more susceptible to opportunistic infection, less able to fight cancer and is more fatigued. Another interesting find is that the nanoparticle also enhanced healthy cells’ ability to produce more antioxidants, reduced inflammation (which also leads to bone loss) and promoted bone formation.

Future research will seek to determine appropriate dosage and administration of the nanozyme and further explore how nanozyme helps to kill cancer cells. The researchers will also focus their studies in the context of breast cancer, as women are more susceptible to bone damage than men.

“Cancer patients are already struggling with fighting one disease,” Coathup says. “They shouldn’t have to be worried about bone fractures and tissue damage. So we’re hoping this breakthrough will help survivors go back to living a normal and healthy life.”

Coathup completed her undergraduate studies in medical cell biology and earned a Ph.D. in orthopedic implant fixation at University College London in the U.K. In 2017 she joined the  and became the director of ±«°äąó’s Biionix faculty cluster — a multidisciplinary team of researchers working to develop innovative materials, processes and interfaces for advanced medical implants, tissue regeneration, prostheses, and other future high-tech products.

Seal joined ±«°äąó’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 1997. He has an appointment at the College of Medicine and is a member of ±«°äąó’s prosthetics Cluster Biionix. He is the former director of ±«°äąó’s NanoScience Technology Center and Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center. He received his doctorate in materials engineering with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.