BME7900 Seminar Series - Ahmet Coskun, PhD

Description

We welcome Dr. Ahmeet Coskun from Georgia Tech & Emory Univeristy as our next speaker in our seminar series. Dr. Coskun is the Bernie-Marcus Early-Career Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

 Single-cell Spatial Omics Journey to Signaling and Metabolism of Immunity, Cancer, and Aging

Abstract: The spatial organization of cells in tissues and subcellular networks provides a quantitative metric for determining health and disease states. Single-cell analyses of molecular profiles with in-situ detection methods dissect spatial heterogeneity of distinct cell types. Such detailed cellular digital maps shed light on the spatial regulation mechanisms of many disorders. The next challenge in spatial biology is to link the cellular functional responses to the cell identities in their native three-dimensional (3D) environments. To achieve this important goal, image-based multiparameter molecular profiling has the potential to decode “high-dimensional dynamics of signaling and metabolism” at the subcellular and molecular levels in complex tissues. In this talk, I will introduce spatial omics modalities (spatial genomics, spatial proteomics, and spatial metabolomics) to decipher and model the spatio-temporal decision-making of single cells at macromolecular resolution in engineered organoids and human tissues for (1) systems immuno-engineering and immune-aging, (2) subcellular precision oncology, and (3) personalized regenerative medicine applications. Automated machine learning algorithms (Graph networks, generative mathematics, and gene neighborhoods) in this single-cell big data impact biomedical practice and clinical care. In the last part of the talk, digital technologies interfacing with cellular interactive media will be presented using the virtual reality of 3D spatial omics. Single-cell biotechnologies and digital cellular media tools synergistically complement each other for next-generation bioengineering, crowd-sourced education, and collaborative discovery platforms.

Bio: Dr. Coskun is a Bernie-Marcus Early-Career Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. Dr. Coskun is a systems biotechnologist and bioengineer, working at the nexus of multiplexed cell imaging and quantitative tissue biology. Dr. Coskun directs an interdisciplinary research team at the Single Cell Biotechnology Laboratory, an interdisciplinary program strategically positioned for multiparameter imaging one cell at a time by spatial context and function. Dr. Coskun holds 5 issued patents and is also the co-author of more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in major scientific journals. Previously, Dr. Coskun was an Instructor at Stanford University. Dr. Coskun received his postdoctoral training from the California Institute of Technology. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a recipient of the NIH R35 MIRA Award 2023, BMES-CMBE Rising Star Award 2023, American Lung Association Innovation Award 2022, and Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Award, among other research and teaching awards. His research has been supported by Federal and Private grants, including the National Institutes of Health (NIA, NIAID, NCI, NIDCR, OD, and ORIP), Wellcome LEAP, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (CASI), NSF CMaT, American Cancer Society IRG, Multi-cellular engineered living systems (M-CELS), and Regenerative Medicine Center. In addition, he leads outreach programs to engage K12 students and undergraduate students through BioCrowd Studio, an innovative crowd-sourcing program bringing together interactive virtual media, distributed biokits, and collaborative spatial discovery.