Background
Hospital-and nursing home-acquired injuries adversely impact a patient’s mental, physical, social and emotional wellbeing, as well as those of immediate family. We intend to systematically modify the key physical parameters of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) to “tune” a device to initiate/sustain blood vessel growth. Waveforms will be evaluated using a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay, the most widely used in vivo model for investigating blood vessel growth. The challenge we are addressing is that chronic wounds are common, costly to treat (>$28 B/YR), and adversely impact the elderly.
Project Overview
Treatment of chronic skin ulcers in the elderly is mostly palliative, involving application of bandages or dressings, and wounds can require months to years to heal. Treatment of common ulcers afflicting the elderly represents an important unmet need as these injuries are the most common lower extremity wound type, representing 45-65% of all cases. We propose to actively treat chronic ulcers by regenerative medicine, growing collateral blood vessels at the site of injury.
Our target users include primary care physicians, geriatric nurse practitioners and home health care providers, treating older patients.
It is always rewarding to watch students’ faces light up as they realize that physics is not really memorization of facts and performance of endless problem sets. Students learn what actual practicing scientists do day-to-day and are energized by the thrill of discovery research. Students strongly agree that they learn a great deal from the Kilmer lab experience, learning that cannot be achieved in the traditional classroom.
Professor, Physics and Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty Bio
Dr. Linghong (Lily) Li, a distinguished physicist and materials scientist, has been an integral part of the SUNY Potsdam Physics department since 2013. Holding an M.Ed. in Physics Education from Beijing Normal University, an M.S. in Physics from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Rhode Island, Dr. Li is a recognized authority in analytical imaging, 3-D printing fabrication, and nanotechnology.
As a professor in Physics, Dr. Li has made significant contributions to interdisciplinary programs, co-founding the 3+2 programs with both Clarkson University and Binghamton University. Under her leadership, SUNY Potsdam's Society of Physics Students Chapter achieved Distinguished Chapter status in 2021.
With an impressive portfolio, Dr. Li has co-authored 60 peer-reviewed papers, authored three books, and contributed to an invention disclosure. Her research interests span the potentially beneficial and harmful interactions of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with biological organisms. Notably, she secured a 2022 NSF grant for her project on noninvasive wound healing using pulsating EMF.
Recognized for her excellence, Dr. Li was awarded the 2022 T. Urling and Mabel Walker Research Fellowship for her work on assessing the environmental risk of non-ionizing electromagnetic fields. Her multifaceted research spans various STEM disciplines, with the Medical Device R&D program gaining acclaim from the Central New York Biotech Accelerator.
In the realm of education, Dr. Li is a dedicated teacher, offering courses in physics, astronomy, and 3D modeling and printing, both online and in-person. She actively involves undergraduates in research at her Kilmer lab, spearheading projects such as "Optimizing Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (PEMF) to Promote Wound Healing in the Elderly (Electro-pharmaceuticals)." Additionally, she champions the Summer Stipend and Course Credit Support Program, fostering multidisciplinary STEM research.
Dr. Li's commitment to advancing scientific knowledge, coupled with her impactful teaching and research initiatives, solidifies her position as a distinguished leader in the field of physics and materials science.
Students
- Ryan Hagadorn ‘22
- Alexis Bessette ‘23
- Garrett Schnorr’ 24
- Luc A Thimot ‘24
- Zane I Moussa ‘24
Questions?
Students interested in participating in this project can contact Lily Li at lil@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2282.