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George Mason bioengineering team’s start-up is the next wave of athletic rehabilitation and performance

Shayla Brown — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 21:09:36 +0000

George Mason bioengineering team’s start-up is the next wave of athletic rehabilitation and performance Shayla Brown Tue, 04/22/2025 - 17:09

Based on their years of research studying how student-athletes move, George Mason �鶹�� bioengineering professors Parag Chitnis and Siddhartha Sikdar have created a start-up called Myokinetics LLC with the goal of providing personalized rehabilitation programs for injured athletes that can help them recover faster and prevent them from getting injured in the future.

Erica King (left) and researcher testing the Myokinetics device. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding.

This effort builds on more than $5 million in funding from the Department of Defense for developing wearable ultrasound technologies that help rehabilitate musculoskeletal injuries through a Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs grant, and two Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium awards, which is a funding mechanism that supports fast translation and development of new technologies relevant for military health.

For the past 10 years, Chitnis and Sikdar have been developing the Myokinetics device “to understand not only when musculoskeletal injuries occur, but to help track the recovery process from the injury as well as prevent re-injury,” said Chitnis, who along with Sikdar, co-directs George Mason’s Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation (CASSBI), formerly the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions.

Their device personalizes the treatments and rehabilitation that's provided so that users can recover in the most optimal manner. Chitnis and Sikdar are also working with multiple collaborators including George Mason PhD students, George Mason Athletics, and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

Margaret T. Jones is the director of the Patriot Performance Lab within CEHD’s Center for Sport Management. The lab conducts research and provides services that focus on athlete health and performance.

Margaret T. Jones (center right) with student athletes. Photo provided.

“The wearable ultrasound allows you to look at what the muscles are doing underneath the skin when they contract and what the contraction looks like,” said Jones, who has been working with the George Mason men’s and women’s volleyball teams since August 2024.

“The research methods vary based on the sport, but [the volleyball players] wear the ultrasound device and we go to their practice facility once a week. Since the sport involves a lot of jumping, we have them jump on what's called a force plate, which is sort of a fancy scale, and collect data to share with the bioengineering team that way,” she said.

In addition, Jones and the team monitor the athletes during their practices and games via the wearable microsensor, which assist in the interpretation of their findings from the weekly jumps and ultrasound tests.

As the team’s research scientist, fourth-year PhD bioengineering student Erica King, BS Bioengineering ’21, works closely with Jones and the Patriot Performance Lab.

“I’m using the device for specific applications and testing and validating against other gold standards that are currently in the market,” said King, who spent all four years of her undergrad on George Mason’s women’s swim and dive team.

“I've seen my fair share of injuries as an athlete, either my own or my friends, and it’s a continuous cycle. You'll rehabilitate the injury, feel better, and then when you go back to your sport or activity, you'll get injured again,” said King, who was in the Honors College.

“Being able to have a device to help understand what's going on at the muscle level during your rehabilitation to ensure that you're doing the exercises correctly to get the desired results and perform your sport while mitigating the risk of reinjury is so beneficial,” she said.

Partner collaborators include North Carolina State �鶹��, Cephasonics Ultrasound, and Infinite Biomedical Technologies (IBT). IBT CEO Rahul Kaliki is also a co-founder of Myokinetics LLC.

A close up of the device. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of �鶹�� Branding.

“At CASSBI, different people and resources are pulled in to work on multidisciplinary projects like this one. This collaboration enables a lot of iterative prototyping efforts, which would not have been possible without the center,” said Abhishek Aher, MS Bioengineering ’24.

“I would like to see the Myokinetics device being used nationwide on the fields of major sports leagues. This should enable more metrics for the players,” said Aher, who is the Myokinetics team’s research engineer.

“For example, metrics such as how many points a player scored or how many minutes they ran are discussed pregame or postgame, but with our device, Myokinetic metrics can become an essential conversation point. That’s where I would like to see this go in the next five years,” he said.

King hopes to continue researching human performance after injury and focus on the most safe and effective ways that athletes can get back to their optimal performance.

“I hope to stick with Myokinetics and implement the devices and the metrics that we're currently developing into the rehabilitation setting. This is for the general population, but athletes will always have a special place in my heart,” said King.

In This Story

Siddhartha Sikdar

Parag Chitnis

Learn the origins of Myokinetics LLC

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Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy shares gun violence research at congressional briefing

Katarina Benson — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:04:07 +0000

Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy shares gun violence research at congressional briefing Katarina Benson Mon, 04/21/2025 - 11:04

In February, George Mason �鶹��’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy (CEBCP) within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted its 12th congressional briefing at the U.S. Capitol, focused on “Preventing Gun Violence.” The event, led by Criminology, Law and Society Professors Cynthia Lum and Christopher Koper, and held in partnership with the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, highlighted research on evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence, reduce the illegal supply of firearms, strengthen investigations, support victim recovery, and address risks of high-risk individuals and groups.

Featured speakers included several of the nation’s leading experts on firearms violence. They presented to an audience of more than 230 registrants including congressional staff, federal agency representatives, researchers, and advocacy organizations.

The congressional briefing at the U.S. Capitol. Photo provided

“The CEBCP continues to invest in generating, translating, and disseminating research on preventing firearms violence, which remains a high priority in many U.S. jurisdictions,” said Lum, CEBCP director. "Its faculty are committed to maintaining a steady focus on research and applying scientific knowledge in this and other critical areas of criminal justice.”

Koper is a nationally recognized expert on firearms policy and policing and a CEBCP Principal Fellow. He has studied crime and justice issues for more than 30 years and is widely known for his research on the 1994 federal assault weapons ban.

“The briefing addressed several issues important to federal policy and to gun violence prevention efforts supported at the state and local levels,” he said. “I hope it helps federal policymakers evaluate the efficacy of these initiatives and find areas of common ground in the ongoing gun policy debate.”

Daniel F. Wilhelm, president of The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, praised the CEBCP’s contributions to the field:

“George Mason’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy is a national leader in advancing important research on crime and effective responses to it,” he said. “It holds the highest scholarly standards while engaging directly with practitioners, policymakers, and citizens working to address crime and violence in communities across the United States. It has been a longstanding and essential partner to The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation in our mission to develop and deploy knowledge that deepens our understanding of violence and how to control and prevent it.”  

Videos from the briefing are now available on the event's webpage. A special Spring 2025 issue of the CEBCP’s Translational Criminology magazine, currently in production, will include summaries of each research presentation.

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4-VA team studies wastewater treatment systems

Katarina Benson — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:17:50 +0000

4-VA team studies wastewater treatment systems Katarina Benson Wed, 04/16/2025 - 12:17

Editor’s note: This story references a grant awarded in 2023. Furst is now at 4Va partner school Virginia Tech.

One of the most pressing issues in human and ecological health is the abundance of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and phthalate esters (PAEs) in our ecosystem—two classes of synthetic chemicals known as “forever chemicals.” In addition to their destructive nature affecting wildlife, soil, and agriculture, they are also responsible for causing human health problems such as liver damage, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues, and cancer.

While scientists worldwide are racing to learn more about how to combat PFAS and PAEs in a variety of settings, George Mason �鶹�� researcher Kirin Emlet Furst has been focused on PFAS AND PAEs in water treatment and wastewater reuse.

Working at the site. Photo provided

Furst, an assistant professor in George Mason’s Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering Department, reasoned that wastewater treatment facilities are a major avenue through which PFAS and PAEs can contaminate drinking water and air, as many of these compounds are insufficiently removed by typical treatment processes. Furst specifically wanted to explore the air-water interface. PFAS have a high surface activity, which results in their attraction to the air-water interface. And while PAEs have a lower surface activity, they might be attracted to other materials that accumulate at the air-water interface. Research in full-scale treatment systems was needed to understand these interactions.

The 4-VA@George Mason Advisory Board recognized the importance of this research and awarded Furst’s 4-VA proposal, “The role of the air-water interface in breakthrough of PFAS and phthalate esters during wastewater treatment.”

Joining Furst in the research was 4-VA partner Zhiwu (Drew) Wang, a specialist in wastewater treatment and biological processes at Virginia Tech. Furst also tapped Mason graduate student Meghana Kuppa who was already developing analytical methods to measure PFAS and PAEs. Ethan Gasper, an undergraduate in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, assisted Kuppa with much of the bench work on the project.

Meghana Kuppa using the sink. Photo provided

Kuppa collected water samples and scum, which is the material that accumulates at the air-water interface, from process unit tanks at a wastewater treatment plant to measure the target contaminants and water quality parameters known to impact partitioning behavior. Their goal? Quantify the role of the air-water interface in enabling breakthrough of PFAS and PAEs in wastewater treatment facilities and identify potential engineering solutions.

Although developing the complex methodologies for the project was a challenge, several important outcomes were realized. First, high levels of multiple PFAS were found in the scum from both the primary and secondary treatment processes. The team concluded that the PFAS levels in the primary scum samples were much higher than they could accurately measure due to interference from particulates and oily substances in the water. However, analysis of the secondary treatment determined any PFAS present are more likely to be found in the treated water and may also contaminate the facility air.

While fewer PAEs were found in the scum samples, Kuppa’s experiments show that phthalates can bind to organic material in the scum. This may contribute to the difficulty in removing phthalates during wastewater treatment.

“The 4-VA award empowered my group to pursue this new line of research and helped to support Kuppa’s innovative thesis projects,” said Furst.

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The global repercussions of failing to stop the measles outbreak now

Taylor Thomas — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 13:18:21 +0000

The global repercussions of failing to stop the measles outbreak now Taylor Thomas Wed, 04/16/2025 - 09:18

As of April 15, 2025, measles continues to spread across the nation and does not appear to be slowing down, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data. In addition to outbreaks in the U.S., international public health organizations are reporting rises in cases across the globe. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has confirmed cases in Argentina, Canada, and Mexico. The highly contagious nature of the virus coupled with outbreaks in multiple countries raises concerns about measles spreading globally and becoming more difficult to contain.

In an updated interview, George Mason �鶹�� epidemiologist and infectious disease expert Amira Roess answers questions about the evolving measles situation. She outlines how the United States is at risk of losing its status as a country that had eliminated the measles virus. Read the interview with Roess, Measles elimination versus eradication: the difference and why it matters. Roess shares concerns about the strain outbreaks could have on global public health systems and warns of the danger of the virus mutating [developing in a manner that results in changes from the original strain].

What is unique about the current measles outbreak?

This outbreak emerged in a somewhat rural part of the U.S. and then quickly spread to neighboring states, then Mexico and to other countries. This is happening just as the U.S. is reshaping how we approach prevention, detection, and response to new and emerging diseases, and scaling back our infectious disease research and surveillance infrastructure. In addition, the U.S. health system is already strained following a large tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas, bird flu (H5N1) across the country, and the highest number of flu cases we've seen in 15 years. Health care providers and public health workers are reporting that their facilities are understaffed and that they are exhausted.

Does this affect the U.S. and Mexico’s efforts to maintain elimination status?

In 2000, measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. and it was considered unthinkable that we would see a measles outbreak of this magnitude here, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. In 2016, measles was declared eliminated in the Western Hemisphere (from North to South America). This was largely due to countries combining efforts to improve vaccination and surveillance. It was an incredible multi-national accomplishment by governments and health care professionals. We are at risk of reversing that progress to eliminate measles from our hemisphere, because the presence of the virus in one region places the others at risk of it spreading there as well.

Why is it important to stop the spread now?

Preventable deaths

Hospitalizations and deaths from measles are preventable. There is no reason that in 2025 we should accept that measles is making a comeback in the U.S. We have a vaccine that has been shown to be effective in preventing measles infection and has been shown over and over again to be safe. The good news is that most people in the U.S. are already vaccinated, and most parents want to vaccinate their kids. There are small groups of individuals who oppose vaccination and they are fueling this outbreak, which is sickening and killing mainly unvaccinated individuals.

Immunocompromised individuals

One of the things we worry about is that there are a lot of immunocompromised individuals who are at risk of severe illness if they get measles. Think about how many people you know who are on immunosuppressive medications, who have heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. It represents a growing percentage of the U.S. population.

Possible strain mutations

We also have to consider what this growing outbreak means for the risk of mutations arising that can lead to an even more infectious virus. So far, no concerning mutations have been found. For decades, measles has been a relatively stable virus, so the same vaccine has been in use and has been very safe and effective. If measles is allowed to spread unchecked, we could be in serious trouble of risking the virus mutating, leading to the vaccine becoming less effective in protecting against the virus. Why risk it?

What can we expect now that the virus has crossed international borders?

We should expect to see more cases. Measles vaccination coverage is lower in Mexico than in the United States. That means that the virus will likely spread faster in Mexico unless a robust response is put into place immediately to stop transmission and improve vaccination. In addition, like in the U.S., there is a growing number of immunocompromised individuals in Mexico. A large-scale measles outbreak in Mexico can result in hundreds of severe cases that will be difficult to treat. If the outbreak grows, their health system will be under tremendous strain, which will mean a potentially higher death rate than what we have seen in the U.S.

Since the beginning of the current U.S. outbreak that started in 2024, we have seen how difficult it has been for clinics and hospitals to prevent and slow the spread of measles. I have the same concerns for Mexico. In the U.S., many of us are immunocompromised or are using medications that can weaken the immune system, which is partly why we have seen more than 10 percent of measles patients become hospitalized. Mexico also has a large number of immunocompromised individuals. If the outbreak grows, they will have to consider setting up separate measles units, because you don't want a highly infectious pathogen like measles in your hospitals where there are immunocompromised patients, especially if you have limited resources.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: For reporters who wish to speak to Amira Roess about measles or other emerging diseases, please email media contact Michelle Thompson at mthomp7@gmu.edu.

Amira Roess is a professor of global health and epidemiology at George Mason �鶹��'s College of Public Health, Department of Global and Community Health. She is an epidemiologist with expertise in infectious diseases epidemiology, multidisciplinary and multi-species field research and evaluating interventions to reduce the transmission and impact of infectious diseases. Roess currently oversees several longitudinal studies to understand emergence and transmission of zoonotic infectious diseases globally, including the emergence and transmission of Campylobacter (with support from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), MERS-CoV (with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation), and the development of the microbiome during the first year of life. She studies links between food animal production and emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases emergence globally, and mHealth (especially apps) technology integration and evaluations to reduce the impact of infectious disease outbreaks, promote health care, and help reduce disparities.

About George Mason �鶹��

George Mason �鶹�� is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About College of Public Health at George Mason �鶹��

The College of Public Health at George Mason �鶹�� is the first College of Public Health in Virginia and a national leader in inclusive, interprofessional, public health research, education, and practice. The college is comprised of public health disciplines, health administration and policy, informatics, nursing, nutrition, and social work. The college offers a distinct array of degrees to support research and training of professionals dedicated to ensuring health and well-being for all. The college’s transdisciplinary research seeks to understand the many factors that influence the public’s health and well-being throughout the lifespan.

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

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The Ozempic shortage is over. What now?

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 20:00:56 +0000

The Ozempic shortage is over. What now? Mary Cunningham Fri, 04/11/2025 - 16:00

After nearly three years of backorders and pharmacy scrambles, the high-demand weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are finally back in full supply.

Martin Binks. Photo by Mary Cunningham/CPH

The FDA recently declared an end to the nationwide shortage of their active ingredients, semaglutide and tirzepatide. During the shortage, pharmacies were temporarily allowed to sell “compounded” versions—custom-mixed alternatives made from raw ingredients. But now that the FDA-approved brands are widely available, patients are facing new questions about access, safety, and ongoing care.

Martin Binks, chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason �鶹�� and a researcher and clinician with expertise in obesity, explains what this moment means for patients, providers, and public health.

Can people still get compounded versions of these drugs?

In most cases, no. The FDA rule is very clear. Now that the shortage is resolved, prescribers are only allowed to prescribe the safe and effective FDA-approved versions of these medicines—meaning pharmacies are prohibited from creating off-label compounded versions, even so-called “exact copies.” 

There will be rare exceptions when compounded versions are allowed. For example, if a patient has a specific medical need, such as an allergy, which can be resolved through minor changes in the drug’s formulation. 

If the FDA were to declare another shortage of these drugs, pharmacies would be allowed to sell compounded versions again. But this is very unlikely to happen given the huge investments companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are making in these medications.

Why are the compounded versions no longer allowed? What are the risks for patients?

Compounded versions are not approved by the FDA, meaning they are not subject to testing for safety and efficacy. This creates a lot of risks when the products are used by large populations. Also, the FDA versions are subject to post-approval monitoring for any new safety issues, compounded versions are not.

While many compounding pharmacies did act ethically during the shortage, and within the scope of the FDA’s temporary rules, the public can’t always identify the difference between those and “bad actors” selling dangerous counterfeits.

Will “bad actors” continue to sell the non-FDA approved versions?

Given the nature of demand for these weight loss medications, it’s very likely dangerous entities will continue to sell unapproved compounded versions of these drugs, creating a risk to public health until or unless we can improve access to the FDA-approved medicines. A recent JAMA Network Open study showed that nearly half of all online pharmacies selling semaglutide were illegal operations, with some products containing dangerous impurities or excessive doses. Beyond the adverse effects a patient could directly suffer from this, it may also deter people from using the well-tested, well-controlled FDA versions of these drugs that could actually improve their health, essentially creating a double-edged threat to public health.

What’s the right way to use weight loss medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide?

These medications are intended to be used alongside overall healthy habits. Used appropriately, they can help manage appetite and metabolism for people with obesity, but they’re most effective when combined with lifestyle changes like healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, and stress management. It’s also essential that patients meet medical criteria for use.

How can patients protect themselves now?

Be cautious about where you get your medication. Don’t rely on online sources that promise cheap or no prescription access. Talk to a licensed health-care provider about safe, approved options. And keep in mind that bad actors may continue trying to sell counterfeit products even as legitimate compounding operations shut down.

Martin Binks, Ph.D., MBA, is professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason �鶹��’s College of Public Health. A metabolic disease scientist and clinician who is recognized as an international expert on obesity science and practice. Binks has spent more than 25 years treating patients with obesity through behavioral, pharmacologic, and surgical approaches. His research spans brain health and cognition, 3-D food printing, and nutrition’s role in chronic disease. Binks previously held academic and leadership positions at Texas Tech �鶹��, Duke �鶹�� Medical Center, and he is a fellow of The Obesity Society, the European Society of Preventive Medicine, World Obesity and the New York Academy of Medicine.

Media inquiries: To schedule an interview with Martin Binks, contact Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

Disclosures:

Martin Binks has interacted with a wide range of pharmaceutical companies in his fundraising role as Secretary Treasurer at The Obesity Society

Martin Binks has also received research funding from Novo Nordisk related to earlier versions of the GLP-1 medicines (liraglutide) and served on the speaker’s bureau at Novo Nordisk during the launch of Saxenda®

Martin Binks holds common stock in Eli Lily, Novo Nordisk and Aardvark Therapeutics.

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Criminology, Law and Society researcher studies impact of high school principal-led interrogations

Katarina Benson — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 16:52:39 +0000

Criminology, Law and Society researcher studies impact of high school principal-led interrogations Katarina Benson Mon, 04/07/2025 - 12:52

Wrongful convictions upend lives, particularly those of youth, and can result in students becoming part of the school-to-prison pipeline. Talley Bettens, a doctoral candidate in George Mason �鶹��’s Department of Criminology, Law and Society, seeks to trace this issue to its roots: adolescent behavior and the school environment.

Talley Bettens. Photo provided

Bettens has received a graduate research fellowship from the National Institute of Justice to support her dissertation titled “Schoolhouse Interrogations and Confessions: Perspectives from Principals and Students.” Her research will advance the understanding of school disciplinary practices and provide important insights into the factors that may contribute to wrongful convictions of youth. Allison Redlich, Distinguished �鶹�� Professor of Criminology, Law and Society, is the chair of Bettens’s dissertation committee.

“This research will help us learn more about how principals investigate misconduct before deciding to discipline students. It will hopefully lead to the development of tools that improve the system and ensure that innocent youth are protected,” Bettens said.

Bettens will examine how high school principals interrogate students about potential misconduct and how these interrogation practices may influence the likelihood of coerced or false confessions from students. Bettens's study has two major phases. The first phase involves a survey of high school principals across the United States. Participants will be asked about the interrogation methods they use when questioning students and their knowledge of adolescents’ vulnerabilities when being interrogated.

The second phase involves direct work with students in Northern Virginia high schools. This phase involves a hypothetical interrogation scenario between the principal and a student. This will lead to more insight into how likely students are to confess under these circumstances. It also examines the problems faced by students in interrogations.

“We aim to gain information from both sides of the interrogation: from the principals and from the students,” Bettens said. “The use of guilt-presumptive, confession-driven interrogation methods when questioning students could increase the chance that students, even innocent ones, fall into the school to prison pipeline. By addressing the root of the issue from both sides, we can better understand how to prevent these numbers from increasing.”

The interdisciplinary approach combines criminal justice studies and psychological studies, finding common ground in how the school-to-prison pipeline may be initiated in these interrogations. Bettens said she takes a special interest in innocence, given an apparent lack of presumption of innocence for students at school, which may affect their view of themselves and their surroundings. This impact could play a large role in the students’ futures. which leads to the question Bettens aims to explore: How do we improve the tools for these educators who investigate misconduct while simultaneously protecting students?

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DOJ grant supports study of the effects of school security equipment on student outcomes

Katarina Benson — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 16:17:09 +0000

DOJ grant supports study of the effects of school security equipment on student outcomes Katarina Benson Wed, 04/02/2025 - 12:17

George Mason �鶹�� professor Samantha Viano is leading a multi-university team to assess the impact of school security equipment (SSE) grants on school violence, safety, and related outcomes. The team has received a $1.7 million grant from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) of the U.S. Department of Justice to support of the project, “The Impact of School Security Equipment on Students and Schools.”

Samantha Viano. Photo provided

Working with Viano are Lucy Sorensen of �鶹�� at Albany, Trevor Fronius of WestEd, Benjamin W. Fisher of �鶹�� of Wisconsin–Madison, and Meagan Call-Cummings of Johns Hopkins �鶹��. The study focuses on the impact of SSE on school- and student-level safety, climate, disciplinary, and juvenile justice outcomes at all levels of K-12 education.

“This initiative is crucial because it addresses whether the billions of dollars U.S. schools are spending on security equipment is leading to the intended outcomes,” said Viano, an associate professor in the School of Education at George Mason. “Despite the substantial funding, there is limited causal evidence on the effectiveness of SSE in improving school safety. This study aims to fill this gap by providing rigorous, mixed-methods research to inform educational policy and practice.”

The goals of this project are to identify the impact; determine how the impact of these grants varies depending several factors; compile a security contract database; understand the reasons why schools apply for SSE grants; and contextualize study findings through participatory action research with youth.

A unique aspect of this initiative is the direct involvement and engagement of students through Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) within George Mason’s Youth Research Council. YPAR is a type of community-engaged research designed and conducted by youth, in collaboration with adult mentors. Approximately 50 youth from more than 20 high schools in Virginia will participate in co-designing and co-facilitating research as part of Viano’s study.

Viano said this approach will ensure that the findings of the study include the perspectives of students who are the individuals most significantly affected by the installation of school security measures.

When asked why she became involved in this project, Viano said her “motivation stems from what I believe is an urgent need to address school violence and the lack of empirical

evidence on the effectiveness of school security equipment. This project aligns with my interest in educational policy, school safety, and equity, aiming to provide actionable guidance for schools and policymakers.”

This study is one of several important research initiatives led by Viano that will help close the gap in the available data and evidence needed to enhance our understanding of how security measures can affect student outcomes in K-12 schools.

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Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation (CASSBI) takes on a new focus

Martha Bushong — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 11:51:21 +0000

Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation (CASSBI) takes on a new focus Martha Bushong Sat, 03/29/2025 - 07:51

Marvel superheroes use their superpowers to leap tall buildings and break through walls. Heroes at George Mason �鶹��'s Center for Advancing Systems Science and Bioengineering Innovation (CASSBI) heroes use their "superpowers" to break through disciplinary silos and improve human health.

“It’s very unique the way CASSBI brought so many disciplines together,” said Amy Adams, executive director of the Institute for Biohealth Innovation. “Their human-centered approach has attracted faculty from all over the university, leveraging the expertise from so many fields of study.”

Professor Siddhartha Sikdar. Photo by Office of �鶹�� Branding

CASSBI leaders have always understood research efforts don’t take place in a vacuum—the more collaboration, the better. And since its inception in 2019, CASSBI has leveraged faculty from disciplines as diverse as mathematics and social work, or kinesiology and mechanical engineering, all to improve human health.

Professors Siddhartha Sikdar and Parag Chitnis, both from the Bioengineering Department in the College of Engineering and Computing, are co-leaders of the center that recently refreshed its mission and zeroed in more tightly on its translational research. They say that the new vision of CASSBI is advancing system science and integrating innovation with medical technologies.

“�鶹�� work has always been translational,” said Sikdar, “In our earlier version, the translational focus was more on centering the priorities of our community partners and addressing their needs through research and creating and disseminating tools that would benefit them directly right now. For example, one success story is a nonprofit we created called iConnect, which works with our community partners to support individuals in recovery from substance misuse. Now we are also working on supporting translation of technologies from the lab to the marketplace, and we will prioritize that equally," he said.

The center will emphasize spin-offs and start-ups from the technology developed at CASSBI in addition to community-engaged research.

Parag Chitnis. Photo by Office of �鶹�� Branding

Sikdar and Chitnis are off to a good start with a new company that grew out of a Department of Defense grant on tendon and joint injury prevention and reduction using wearable ultrasound systems. In this case, the researchers saw that what they had developed for the military had a broader use and could improve more people's lives by marketing it to a civilian population.

“We’re trying to pursue research of consequence in a way where we are trying to understand the entire pipeline A-Z and how the activities that can be pursued at the academic level and the research lab or center level can eventually be brought to real world,” said Sikdar.

To the CASSBI team, this means all aspects of translation including preclinical, translational studies, clinical trials, commercialization, development of patents, and intellectual property.

Another important aim for CASSBI is to create a support structure for faculty, staff, and researchers to engage in these additional activities. Sikdar and Chitnis want to build out the enhanced support system for devise fabrication, and for navigating the regulatory pathway when working with federal agencies, or for obtaining grant funding that is not traditional academic grants. “We’re becoming more geared towards translational, entrepreneurial, and industrial activities,” said Chitnis.

Chitnis summarizes the new direction: "We're looking at a more holistic approach and how the impact of our science, research, and development can be felt outside of the university.”

In This Story

Siddhartha Sikdar

Parag Chitnis

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Students present research at Inaugural Undergraduate Research Showcase in Richmond

Katarina Benson — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:27:27 +0000

Students present research at Inaugural Undergraduate Research Showcase in Richmond Katarina Benson Thu, 03/27/2025 - 10:27

In February, George Mason �鶹�� students attended the first Undergraduate Research Showcase held by the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) in Richmond. The event was an opportunity for students to present their research as well as share their work with state legislators.

Undergraduates Luciano Byrd, Angela Rojas, and Fatima Majid, all researchers working with faculty through George Mason’s Office of Student Creative Activities and Research (OSCAR), were selected for the event.

“The showcase was monumental for me as a student. It was exhilarating to engage in real intellectual sparring with professionals in my field,” said Majid, a senior cyber security engineering major.

Majid worked on her project in a George Mason Summer Impact research group, “Addressing the International Artificial Intelligence Cyber Question with the United States Cyber Command,” led by Professors Brian Ngac and Nirup Menon of Costello College of Business. This was her first time presenting research.

Majid (left), Byrd (center), and Rojas Rivera (right) at the showcase. Photo provided

Working with fellow students Brian Lemus, Bella Nguyen, and MinhQuan Vo, Majid studies how countries are using artificial intelligence (AI) for national cybersecurity. “The incorporation of AI into cybersecurity is not only revolutionizing the way these countries defend against cyber threats but also serves as a catalyst for strengthening their strategic alliances with the United States,” she said.

Sophomore government and international politics major Luciano Byrd’s research focuses on presidents’ use of executive power and executive orders. His project, “The Evolution of U.S. Presidential Executive Orders from 1936 to 2024: Historical Trends and New, Modern Changes,” could have important implications for the political science field.

He credits his mentor, psychology professor Adam Winsler, for encouraging him to pursue his research. “Without him, I would not have gotten as far as I have. [This] project started off as a simple literature review for my Honors 110 [Principles of Research and Inquiry] class and has turned into a multi-year research project.”

Angela Victoria Rojas Rivera, a junior majoring in medical laboratory science, has been working on her research since she was a freshman. Her research, “Primary Breast Cancer Communication with the Sentinel Lymph Node via Extracellular Vesicles Regulates Distant Metastasis,” addresses triple-negative breast cancer. Her work with Lance Liotta, Marissa Howard, and PhD student Purva Gade in the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine could lead to new approaches to combat the disease.

For Rivera, the most meaningful part of the showcase was the confirmation that her research could help people in the future. After graduation, she plans to pursue a PhD in proteomics or cancer biology.

During the 2023-24 academic year, 428 undergraduates were funded by several OSCAR programs, including the OSCAR Federal Work Study Research Assistant Program, the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, and the Summer Team Impact Projects.

“The importance of events like the Inaugural Showcase at the Capitol is twofold: first, for students, sharing the results of research or creative projects is part of the whole experience. Second, this particular event allowed students to show what amazing work they have done to members of the General Assembly and their staff, who might not have any other opportunity to see what undergraduates can accomplish,” said Karen T. Lee, associate director of OSCAR.

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Nonprofits are in trouble. Could more sensitive chatbots be the answer?

Jennifer Anzaldi — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:48:25 +0000

Nonprofits are in trouble. Could more sensitive chatbots be the answer? Jennifer Anzaldi Tue, 03/18/2025 - 10:48

In today’s attention economy, impact-driven organizations are arguably at a disadvantage. Since they have no tangible product to sell, the core of their appeal is emotional rather than practical—the “warm glow” of contributing to a cause you care about. But emotional appeals call for more delicacy and precision than standardized marketing tools, such as mass email campaigns, can sustain. Emotional states vary from person to person—even from moment to moment within the same person.

Photo by Getty Images

Siddharth Bhattacharya and Pallab Sanyal, professors of information systems and operations management at the Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason �鶹��, believe that artificial intelligence (AI) can help solve this problem. A well-designed chatbot could be programmed to calibrate persuasive appeals in real time, delivering messaging more likely to motivate someone to take a desired next step, whether that’s donating money, volunteering time or simply pledging support. Automated solutions, such as chatbots, can be especially rewarding for nonprofits, which tend to be cash-conscious and resource-constrained.

“We completed a project in Minneapolis and are working with other organizations, in Boston, New Jersey and elsewhere, but the focus is always the same,” Sanyal says. “How can we leverage AI to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve service quality in nonprofit organizations?”

Siddarth Bhattacharya. Photo provided

Sanyal and Bhattacharya’s working paper (coauthored by Scott Schanke of �鶹�� of Wisconsin Milwaukee) describes their recent randomized field experiment with a Minneapolis-based women’s health organization. The researchers designed a custom chatbot to interact with prospective patrons through the organization’s Facebook Messenger app. The bot was programmed to adjust, at random, its responses to be more or less emotional, as well as more or less anthropomorphic (human-like).

“For the anthropomorphic condition, we introduced visual cues such as typing bubbles and slightly delayed response to mimic the experience of messaging with another human,” Sanyal says.

The chatbot’s “emotional” mode featured more subjective, generalizing statements with liberal use of provocative words such as “unfair,” “discrimination” and “unjust.” The “informational” modes leaned more heavily on facts and statistics.

Over the course of hundreds of real Facebook interactions, the moderately emotional chatbot achieved deepest user engagement, as defined by a completed conversation. (Completion rate was critical because after the last interaction, users were redirected to a contact/donation form.) But when the emotional level went from moderate to extreme, more users bailed out on the interaction.

The takeaway may be that “there is a sweet spot where some emotion is important, but beyond that emotions can be bad,” as Bhattacharya explains.

Pallab Sanyal. Photo provided

When human-like features were layered on top of emotionalism, that sweet spot got even smaller. Anthropomorphism lowered completion rates and reduced the organization’s ability to use emotional engagement as a motivational tool.

“In the retail space, studies have shown anthropomorphism to be useful,” Bhattacharya says. “But in a nonprofit context, it’s totally empathy-driven and less transactional. If that is the case, maybe these human cues coming from a bot make people feel creepy, and they back off.”

Sanyal and Bhattacharya say that more customized-chatbot experiments with other nonprofits are in the works. They are taking into careful consideration the success metrics and unique needs of each partner organization.

“Most of the time, we researchers sit in our offices and work on these problems,” Sanyal says. “But one aspect of these projects that I really like is that we are learning so much from talking to these people.”

In collaboration with the organizations concerned, they are designing chatbots that can cater their persuasive appeals more closely to each context and individual interlocutor. If successful, this method would prove that chatbots could become more than a second-best substitute for a salaried human being. They could serve as interactive workshops for crafting and refining an organization’s messaging to a much more granular level than previously possible.

And this would improve the effectiveness of organizational outreach across the board—a consummate example of AI enhancing, rather than displacing, human labor. “This AI is augmenting human functions,” says Sanyal. “It’s not replacing. Sometimes it’s complementing, sometimes it’s supplementing. But at the end of the day, it is just augmenting.”

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