Jefferson employees, students and alumni are on the frontlines of change in many areas — including health care, industry and public policy. The passion for discovery and collaboration we foster at Jefferson, along with our diverse areas of expertise, have led to interesting partnerships resulting in real-world solutions. Jefferson continues to encourage new ways of thinking to promote further discovery and innovation.
Developing new strategies for fighting cancer is a long-term, multigenerational endeavor. Researchers build on discoveries that came before them and collaborate with their contemporaries to design, test and refine potential treatments.
GUCY2C is a protein expressed only in the intestines. Dr. Waldman was studying GUCY2C in the realm of infectious disease when he realized that it shows up in nearly all colon cancers, including colon cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It was the perfect molecule to sic the immune system on, but Dr. Waldman is not an immunologist.
Adam Snook joined Dr. Waldman’s lab to create a vaccine to find and kill chemotherapy-resistant cancer cells. Snook was working on his PhD in immunology and microbial pathogenesis and had a passion for the cancer-fighting potential of vaccines.
As research to improve the vaccine continued, more promising discoveries were made. GUCY2C was only thought to be present in colorectal cancer, but gastric and esophageal cancers evolve from pre-cancerous cells that look like intestinal cells. The team found that gastric and esophageal cancers make GUCY2C like colon cells do, while healthy esophagus and stomach cells do not. Researchers also uncovered that some pancreatic cancers express GUCY2C as well.
of all cancer-related deaths (colorectal, esophageal, gastric and pancreatic cancers combined) in the U.S. result from cancers that express GUCY2C.
Dr. Waldman and Dr. Snook are investigating another new immunotherapy technique called CAR-T, short for chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Unlike vaccines that are designed for everyone, CAR-T is designed individually for each patient by genetically modifying a patient’s own immune cells to target a particular cancer antigen and kill the cancer cell attached to it. Could GUCY2C be one of those antigens? Dr. Waldman and Dr. Snook think it is, and research is starting to bear that out. The team is close to initiating a clinical trial.
men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and some 29,000 die from the disease
of men do not get screened due to fear or worry about digital rectal exams and feeling uncomfortable – though the PSA test (prostate specific antigen) is the most widely used to detect prostate cancer
of prostate cancer cases are found in men older than age 65
"One of the strengths of retrospective studies of patient data is that it reveals what happens in the real world, rather than the carefully controlled context of a clinical trial."
Climate change may affect everyone, but it doesn’t affect everyone the same. Jefferson researchers are finding new ways to design and construct cities to be equitable, sustainable and energy efficient.
Trees and green spaces help to alleviate both high temperatures and flooding. Neighborhoods that have more buildings, pavement and black rooftops are warmer than those with more trees and parks.
range of unequal tree canopy distribution across Philadelphia
are more likely to be found in lower income and minority communities
temperature difference from the hottest to coolest neighborhoods on a peak summer day
“It is urgent that we take action now, or the most vulnerable will continue to pay the price. Drawing on different areas of expertise and experiences, we can strive to build equitable climate resilience.”
Rainwater coming from storm grates infiltrates tree trench underground storage areas. This stored water soaks into the soil where it is taken up by the tree roots to encourage tree growth and slows the release of the storm water into the sewers, preventing overflows.
The trees intercept the sun’s powerful rays and provide shade from direct heat. Water taken up by the tree roots is released as moisture-rich vapors by the leaves, cooling the surrounding air. Trees also absorb rainwater with their canopies, which reduces the amount of water entering storm grates.
A sidewalk without trees gets uninterrupted heat from the sun and is much hotter than a shady sidewalk. The heat absorbed by the sidewalk during the day is then radiated back into the air at night, dangerously increasing nighttime temperatures.
Dr. Bhaskar wanted to research the cooling reach and magnitude from small urban green spaces, especially heat differences at night. Urban surfaces like concrete and asphalt heat up to 140°F during the day and radiate stored heat into the night air.
The team needed to place sensors right where people live to measure the true on-the-ground temperatures. The sensors needed to be placed in versatile locations from soil to concrete and protected from harsh elements, tampering and theft.
Two of their designs won out over the rest. One could be inserted into soil and made to resemble a plant label or stake.
The other design looked like a small, rusted utility box, getting little notice from passers-by. Both designs functioned as intended when deployed into the field.
Dr. Bhaskar’s team chose to focus on the effects of two green spaces, the Panati Playground, which has a rain garden with trees, and the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center, which has tree trenches incorporated into the sidewalk. Both locations are in Upper North Philadelphia, which is an area that is both very hot and has a population who are more sensitive to the effects of high heat — for instance, older citizens, people with pre-existing medical conditions and those who don’t have access to air conditioning.
cooler at night: average temperatures within both green sites when compared to the adjacent sidewalk
cooler: the Panati Playground rain garden temperature vs. the sidewalk across the street
distance the cooling effects may reach, according to analysis trends
“This magnitude of cooling was quite surprising, especially considering how small these green spaces are and how hot the study locations are. It shows us that, at least on a short time scale, these green tools have a measurable cooling effect at night.”
—Dr. Radika Bhaskar
Engineering professor at Thomas Jefferson University
of the world’s population live in cities today, and it is projected that 2.5 billion more people will be living in cities by the year 2050.
"Against the background of climate change and rapid urbanization, the cities we build today urgently need to minimize carbon emissions wherever possible."
In the classroom, Dr. Du has implemented mixed reality technologies, combining augmented reality, virtual reality, urban design and analytics.
I firmly believe technology-driven urban design can help build more livable, equitable, resilient and efficient cities for our futures.
Modern cities are centers for innovation and prosperity, but rapid urbanization creates environmental, social and health challenges in cities around the world. Traffic congestion, air pollution, street noise and the disappearing biodiversity and natural landscapes are all issues that Dr. Stach’s research hopes to address.
"The urban environment is a complex interwoven system of different factors, all affecting human health and well-being. A better understanding of these linkages and effects provides the necessary insight to plan future actions and solutions for health-centric urban planning."
"I look forward to collaborating with experts [and students] across campus to respond to current socio-economic and ecologic pressures. My vision is to transform urban environments into smart, healthy cities through learning, innovation, teaching, research, industry partnership and community engagement."
Energy is our most precious global resource and buildings are the largest consumers of energy. As architects, we are at the center of decision-making in this arena and play a key role in saving energy and making buildings more efficient and even capable of generating energy.
The overclad buildings will use less energy for heating and cooling, which decreases the overall carbon footprint without the additional monetary and carbon costs of constructing brand-new buildings. The team is working to identify the best fabrics to withstand high levels of sun, wind, rain and general weathering to last 20 or more years.
The pycnocline lies about two hundred feet below the ocean’s surface where there is a sudden change from less dense warmer water toward the surface to more dense colder water toward the ocean’s floor.
The pycnocline actually acts as a physical barrier preventing any chemicals or free floating life forms from crossing from one side to the other.
Turbulence caused by underwater waves opens doorways in the brick wall of the pycnocline, sending nutrients from the deep to the shallower waters and CO2 absorbed from the atmosphere at the surface down to the lower abyss to be permanently stored.
Dr. Edward Santilli, assistant professor of physics, is making breakthroughs in knowing how unseen internal ocean waves are affecting our climate. His simulations show how much transfer is taking place to nourish the coast and clean the atmosphere. Fully understanding these waves will identify the impact to the environment and may lead to discoveries to combat climate change in the future.
The Jefferson community is improving lives by creating innovative solutions to mobility challenges. Thomas Jefferson University researchers are exploring new treatments for stroke patients with mobility impairments, while some University alumni are building on the unique opportunities they received as students to create innovative mobility solutions of their own.
it is estimated that someone has a stroke in the U.S.
people worldwide have a stroke that leads to permanent disability every year
of stroke cases cause permanent disabilities - more often than any other medical condition
In 2019, at the age of 39, Aaron Ulland suffered a stroke that paralyzed his left side and made it more difficult for him to speak, swallow, walk and see. Two months of intense rehabilitation and physical and occupational therapy allowed him to walk short distances with a cane, speak and swallow. Through grit and tenacity, Aaron eventually walked the full 1.2-mile loop of his neighborhood, but the use of his left arm was still basically nonexistent.
Aaron’s disability along with his determination made him an excellent candidate for the Cortimo clinical trial at Jefferson – a study where the implantation of brain electrodes and the use of AI could work together to improve his mobility. He would need to undergo two brain surgeries - one to implant the electrodes and one to remove them three months later. And in those three months, he would meet with the team every day for training and monitoring.
With his electrodes connected to a computer, Aaron learned to use his thoughts alone to control movement on a simple video game. This helped researchers determine which of his individual neuronal cells produced the strongest signals in preparation for the next step.
The Jefferson research team learned a lot from Aaron. Improvements in machine learning and wireless devices may mean that within the next decade stroke patients could be implanted and then train hard with an AI specialist and team of occupational and physical therapists to leave the hospital with restored brace-assisted mobility.
We have a lot more to explore and are starting to do that through our Center for Neurorestoration. But we couldn’t have gotten here without Aaron’s altruism, his persistence and commitment to helping others.
Also inspired to help others, 2020 Jefferson Industrial Design graduates Zachary Samalonis and Yuhan Zhang teamed up for their senior capstone project to get amputees their stoke back. They researched and designed Swell Surf Foot, an innovative prosthetic foot made specifically for surfing.
The final design utilized a dual urethane sole and bushing system that can be easily adjusted at the beach, allowing users to fine-tune their desired performance. The projected retail price was $500 to $600, a relatively affordable price point for prosthetics and surf gear.
The Swell Surf Foot won first place in the sports and recreation student category of the Core77 Design Awards, which honor excellence in the design field. Swell’s design also earned gold in the student category for the Industrial Designers Society of America’s International Design Excellence Award (IDEA). Apple’s original iPhone and Tesla’s Model S are past IDEA winners.
"At Jefferson, I learned every part of creating a project—the marketing, the research, and the business sides. I feel like I can start a company by myself with all these skills."
Waddles is the best. I don’t think anyone ever thinks they will create a prosthetic for a duck…but here we are. We definitely let out screams of joy when we got the video of him walking for the first time.
Founded by Derrick Campana in 2004, Bionic Pets specializes in custom-made prosthetics for animals. Campana had created over 25,000 prosthetic devices when a friend introduced him to Hecht and Tholl and gave DiveDesign a glowing referral.
3D printing shortens the entire process. Hecht and Tholl collect the completed initial mold from the owner and take a 3D scan with an iPad. Then their specially designed algorithm determines how the prosthetic will most comfortably fit the animal’s body. After the 3D printer constructs the device, it is smoothed out by hand and the attachments are added.
Their passion for innovation, design, and animals led Hecht and Tholl to create a subsidiary of DiveDesign called 3D Pets, which allows them to expand their reach to even more animals and to continually pioneer new advancements in animal prosthetics. The entrepreneurial spirit fostered by Jefferson when they were just friends and classmates continues to grow and serve them well in their professional lives.
We love it when we get a call or tagged on an Instagram post of a dog—or a duck—walking on one of our prosthetics. We send it around to everyone. It’s a dream. In middle school, I wanted to have my own firm doing prosthetics. I couldn’t be happier.
While we celebrate our past achievements, Jefferson understands the importance of constantly moving forward into new realms of discovery and innovation. We recognize the important changes we’ve helped to create in the past 200 years, and we embrace the challenge of collaborating for continued improvements into our next century and beyond.
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