Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering

08/06/2026

Cell therapies have the potential to transform treatment for many diseases, but manufacturing them remains a major challenge.

Logicyte, winner of the inaugural Biolocity Pitch Competition Award, is working to change that. The startup is developing technology that can monitor cell therapy production, predict errors, and automate key manufacturing steps to improve efficiency and reliability.

The competition brought together innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, and commercialization experts to help move promising biomedical technologies closer to patient impact.

Learn more about Logicyte and its award-winning technology:
🔗 https://bit.ly/logicyte

08/06/2026

Vision scientist Machelle Pardue explains why continued investment in understanding vision and the causes of eye disease is critical for developing treatments for conditions that affect millions of people. Today’s research could lead to earlier diagnosis, better therapies, and preserved sight for future generations.

Listen to the full conversation on the Holy Shift! Podcast with Machelle Pardue and host Angela Gill Nelms: https://holyshiftresearch.transistor.fm/12

08/05/2026

Georgia Tech Alumni Association 2026 class of 40 Under 40 honoree Carla Kumbale, BME 15, PhD BioE 24, is changing the world by guiding dose selection, study design, and translational strategy across Pfizer’s vaccines and internal medicine programs.

Learn more about Kumbale’s achievements: https://bme.gatech.edu/news/bme-alum-carla-kumbale-named-georgia-techs-40-under-40

07/30/2026

Why invest in theory instead of just testing treatments?

Because without understanding why something works, you cannot improve it or apply it elsewhere. That is the power of scientific theory. It becomes a force multiplier for medicine.

When researchers uncover the mechanisms behind disease, they unlock multiple new treatment possibilities instead of relying on lucky discoveries. This is how long term innovation happens.

Listen to the full conversation on the Holy Shift! Podcast for more insights from Zach Danziger and host Angela Gill Nelms: https://holyshiftresearch.transistor.fm/11

07/29/2026

Some of the best startup ideas begin in the classroom.

Through the Advanced Capstone Design program, a team of recent graduates founded Team Leave No Trace and continued growing their venture beyond graduation. The team recently completed the Hult Prize Digital Incubator and is preparing for the University of Utah's Bench to Bedside APEX competition.

Read more about their entrepreneurial journey from capstone project to startup: https://bme.gatech.edu/news/coulter-bme-alumni-grow-surgical-safety-startup-through-global-competition

07/23/2026

Scientific discovery is expensive and someone has to decide what questions are worth asking.

Shella Kielholz breaks down how research funding works 💰, why public investment matters 🏛️, and how scientists stay accountable to the people who fund their work 🤝.

🎙️ Listen to the full conversation on the Holy Shift! Podcast for more insights from Shella Kielholz and host Angela Gill Nelms: https://holyshiftresearch.transistor.fm/10

07/22/2026

When Meghna Iyer's mother was diagnosed with ALS, she set out to better understand the disease and the science behind it.

That journey led Meghna to Coulter BME associate professor Cassie Mitchell's lab, where she worked on an AI-driven study exploring connections among ALS, Alzheimer's disease, and frontotemporal dementia.

Iyer served as the lead author for a recent publication in Biomedicines that identified shared patterns across the diseases

"I believe Meghna was put in my lab for a reason. It almost felt like divine intervention. It was a perfect fit," Mitchell said.

Read more: https://bme.gatech.edu/news/personal-connection-drives-meghna-iyers-contributions-als-research

07/17/2026

07/16/2026

🧠 The brain doesn’t speak English, so how do scientists figure out what someone wants to say or do just by reading electrical signals? ⚡️

Chethan Pandarinath explains the challenge behind brain-computer interfaces and why turning brain activity into meaningful action is like translating between two completely different languages.

He also shares how tools like artificial intelligence are helping researchers bridge that gap, opening new possibilities for communication, movement, and understanding the brain in powerful new ways.

🎙️ Listen to the full conversation on the Holy Shift! Podcast for more insights from Chethan Pandarinath and host Angela Gill Nelms: https://holyshiftresearch.transistor.fm/9

07/09/2026

Ever wondered what scientists mean when they talk about “microsystems”? David Myers breaks down the surprisingly tiny world he works in and explains what “micro” actually looks like in everyday terms.

Listen to the full conversation on the Holy Shift! Podcast for more insights from David Myers and host Angela Gill Nelms: https://holyshiftresearch.transistor.fm/8