The Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design at Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering

CBID People

Director

Youseph Yazdi, Ph.D., MBA: Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
yousephyazdi@jhu.edu

Clinical Director

A. Jay Khanna, M.D., M.B.A.: Associate Professor, Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering
akhanna1@jhmi.edu

Program Faculty

Soumyadipta Acharya, M.D., Ph.D.: Assistant Research Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
acharya@jhu.edu
Robert Allen, Ph.D., P.E.: Associate Research Professor, Biomedical Engineering
rha@jhu.edu
Lawrence Aronhime, M.B.A., M.S.: Senior Lecturer, Center for Leadership Education, WSE
aronhime@jhu.edu
Murray Sachs, Ph.D.: University Distinguished Service Professor of Biomedical Engineering
msachs@bme.jhu.edu
Artin Shoukas, Ph.D.: Professor, Biomedical Engineering
ashoukas@jhu.edu

Program Staff

Marybeth Camerer: Academic Program Manager
camerer@jhu.edu

Sarah Edebe, M.S: Administrative Coordinator
sedebe1@jhu.edu

Industrial Liaison

Aditya Polsani: Industrial Liaison Associate
apolsan1@jhu.edu

Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering undergraduates developed a quick-dissolving film that may someday deliver rotavirus vaccine to infants in impoverished areas. Co-team leader Christopher Yu holds a sample of the material. Behind him are team member Dhanya Rangaraj, co-team leader Rohan Agrawal and Hai-Quan Mao, the team's faculty advisor.

Oral Quick-Dissolve Strips for Rotavirus Vaccine

A team of Hopkins undergraduate biomedical engineering students developed a potentially revolutionary way to inoculate infants and children against rotavirus, a disease that kills some 600,000 children worldwide each year. The novel system they created would deliver life-saving medicine on a thin strip that dissolves in a child’s mouth (think breath-freshener technology) in a matter of seconds.

The seven Hopkins students, working with Professor H. Q. Mao, of Hopkins’ materials science and biomedical engineering departments, and Aridis Pharmaceuticals, devised a coating for the medicinal strips that would remain intact at room temperature and when exposed to a child’s stomach acid, but would dissolve in the chemically neutral environment of the small intestine. A provisional patent has been filed. Additionally, the Gates Foundation announced that it will provide Aridis with $2 million for testing and refinements of the students’ invention.