Students earn raves for diabetes research presentation

Two Arizona State University biomedical engineering students have drawn praise for their research presentation at a recent international medical conference.

Senior Teagan Adamson and junior Zachary Decke presented their work at the 2nd World Congress on Diabetes & Metabolism in Philadelphia in early December.

Adamson and Decke are part the Multiplexed Diabetes Management team, which is pursuing technological advances to produce a next-generation electrochemical diabetes monitoring meter and test strip.

The team of six students is working in the lab of Jeffrey Labelle, an assistant research professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, one of ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.

Collaborating with Curtiss Cook, an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, they are developing techniques to enable the monitoring devices to simultaneously detect signs of the various health problems for which people with diabetes are at increased risk, including cardiovascular problems.

Adamson’s and Decke’s presentation on the project “was raved about” and drew invitations to speak at other medical research conferences, LaBelle says.

“Typically, it is faculty members or grad students who are presenting at such high-level conferences,” he says. “It’s almost unheard of for undergraduates to present. They did an excellent job that reflects on the quality of work ASU engineering undergrads are doing.”

Other members of the research team are electrical engineering junior Diane Wu, junior computer science and engineering major Chris McBride, along with senior Anabel Murrillo and sophomore Francis Eusebio, who are biomedical engineering majors.

Adamson, Decke and some of the other team members are involved in the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative, which enables ASU engineering undergrads to participate in advanced university research.

The Multiplexed Diabetes Management team has earned support for its endeavor through the ASU Innovation Challenge. The entrepreneurship program gives students opportunities to submit business proposals to compete for funding awards.