Friday, May 26, 2023
12–12:30 p.m. Presentation by Kaden Rawson and Travis Neuberger
12:30–12:45 p.m. Questions & Dialogue
Join us in person at the Medical Sciences Building Lecture Hall (Room 274)
Or attend virtually via Zoom call-in here!
Register for lunch here (Registration closes at noon Monday, May 22)
Negative pressure wound therapy uses a special vacuum dressing to enhance and promote wound healing, but current polyurethane-based foams used to pack the wound do not target or dramatically reduce bioburden. In this talk, Carle Illinois College of Medicine students Kaden Rawson and Travis Neuberger will present results of a study designed to develop an open-cell polyurethane (PU) foam (V.A.C.® GranufoamTM) loaded with a first-in-class compound (CZ-01179) and to determine its antibiofilm efficacy. The research team observed statistically significant reduction of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms with the CZ-01179 antibiofilm foam in comparison to current standard of care foams across in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo studies.
Kaden Rawson is a third-year student at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. He received an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in chemical biology with a minor in Russian literature from the University of Utah. As an undergraduate, his research explored the synthesis of bioactive organic compounds, release kinetics of therapeutic hydrogels, and translational surgical research. Rawson plans to pursue a career in pediatric surgery.
Travis Neuberger is fourth-year student at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Utah. Neuberger has extensive research experience in wound modeling, chemical kinetics, and translational surgical research. He plans to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery.
