For more information regarding attending a specific event, contact BME Education Coordinator Denise Perea.
Upcoming Speakers | Seminar Archive
Every semester, the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering brings together biomedical engineers from across the United States for a series of speaking engagements describing ongoing research and novel contributions to this dynamic and engaging field.
Seminars will be held at alternating Marquette and MCW campus locations and are open to students, faculty, and staff from both institutions.
Ethan Whitman September 19, 2025
Ethan Whitman is a Clinical Psychology PhD student in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at Duke University. His research interests include understanding brain and cognitive aging through neuroimaging-based predictive modeling.
Learn more about Ethan Whitman
Brain-based predictive modeling to measure aging, predict disease, and identify targets for intervention
Abstract: Coming soon.
Jim Hokanson, PhD October 3, 2025
Dr. Jim Hokanson is an Assistant Professor in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at MU-MCW. He is the director of the Pelvic Diagnostics & Therapeutic Laboratory (PDAT), whose research focuses on advancing diagnostics and electrical stimulation therapies for pelvic floor diseases, especially urinary incontinence, using physiological testing, signal processing, and machine learning to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Learn more about Dr. Jim Hokanson
Abstract: Coming soon.
Elizabeth Asma, MS October 24, 2025
Elizabeth Asma is a Senior Research Engineer at Rice University's Institute for Global Health Technologies, whose mission is to innovate affordable healthcare solutions and train future leaders to improve global health through problem-based learning and research.
Learn more about Elizabeth Asma
Abstract: Coming soon.
Zahra Bassiri, PhD October 30, 2025
Dr. Zahra Bassiri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut. She is also Lead Engineer and Program Coordinator for the Center for Motion Analysis at Connecticut Children’s, whose research focuses on advancing the understanding and treatment of abnormal movement patterns in children through state-of-the-art motion analysis to develop personalized care and improve patient outcomes.
Learn more about Dr. Zahra Bassiri
Abstract: Coming soon.
Josephine Allen, PhD November 7, 2025
Josephine Allen, Ph.D. received her bachelor’s degree in biology from California State University Northridge, and her Ph.D. in 2009 from Northwestern University in Biological Sciences, and in 2010 she joined the Materials Science and Engineering Department at The University of Florida as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2017, and Full Professor in 2023. In 2024 Dr. Allen took on a leadership role as the Associate chair for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Florida. Most recently, in August 2025, Dr. Allen moved her research program to the Medical College of Wisconsin within the Department of Pediatrics and Division of Cardiology. Dr. Allen currently serves as Director for Pediatric Cell and Tissue Engineering at MCW, while maintaining an affiliate appointment within the Biomedical Engineering Department at Marquette University. Dr. Allen’s research is in the areas of vascular tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, with specific interest in controlling vascular cellular processes including progenitor cell differentiation. Her lab is also interested in understanding the effects of dynamic environmental conditions, including space, on cellular processes associated with cardiovascular deconditioning. Lastly, Dr. Allen’s research program also focusses on addressing sex based vascular health disparities through the engineering of personalized biomaterials. Dr. Allen has received numerous awards for her work including the prestigious National Science Foundation, Career Award in 2015 and in 2016 she received the University of Florida Office of the Provost Excellence Award for Assistant Professors. In 2018 Dr. Allen was named the Genzyme Professor of Materials and Engineering, and in 2020 she was inducted as an AIMBE fellow, and in 2021 a fellow of BMES. Allen’s research has been supported by the American Heart Association (AHA), National Science Foundation (NSF), The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the US. Army Department of Defense (DoD).
Learn more about Dr. Josephine Allen
Abstract: Coming soon.
Shue Wang, PhD November 21, 2025
Dr. Shue Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical & Biomedical Engineering at the University of New Haven. Her research focuses on biosensors, single-cell analysis, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, mechanobiology, lab-on-a-chip, synthetic biology, and micro-engineered tools for studying complex biological systems.
Learn more about Dr. Shue Wang
Abstract: Coming soon.
Bo Wang, PhD December 5, 2025
Dr. Bo Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at MU-MCW. She is the director of the Tissue Regenerative Engineering Lab (TRE Lab), whose research focuses on the study of biomaterials like placenta and bone matrices to develop therapies for bone and tissue damage.
Abstract: Coming soon.
View recently past speakers of the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering Graduate Seminar Series.
