2025 BMES Conference

On October 11, Juliana Norman ('27) was the only student to represent Wheaton College in the BioMedical Engineering Society (BMES) Conference 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. BMES Conference is the premier gathering of biomedical engineers and allied fields, bringing together over 5,500 attendees focusing on health and wellness through engineering innovation and Norman is the only student from Wheaton College who attended the conference! This was not her very first conference to attend, however, it was her first conference that addressed only Bio-Medical engineering research. She says, "it was nice to see the variety of fields Biomedical engineering has to offer." Biomedical is a vast branch that primarily combines biology, chemistry and engineering to advance human health, focusing on diagnosing, treating and researching disease.

With the 2025's theme of "Bridging Healthcare Gaps: The Role of Biomedical Engineering," Norman got a rare opportunity to present her research titled "The influence of Mechanical Stimuli on Islet Cell function, Calcium oscillations, and cytoskeletal architecture" in front of experts and professionals in the biomedical field.

What is BMES?

BMES has been the lead Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Society accrediting biomedical engineering educational programs. This means that the conference is full of top biomedical engineers, sitting at the center of the biomedical engineering ecosystem, connecting academia (research), industry, government, clinicians and biomedical engineering philanthropy. Attendance at the annual meetings hover around 5,500 attendees who attend more than 2,500 scientific presentations on areas ranging from cancer treatment, to heart disease, health challenges in various regions, and more. The meeting enables members to advocate for their innovative solutions and shares scientific information to inspire the up-and-coming generation worldwide. Norman was able to get this rare opportunity with the help of Dr. Kelly Vazquez as its research came from the Vazquez lab.

Dr. Kelly Vazquez and Juliana Norman ('27) Presenting on BMES Conference 2025

About The Research

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreas, preventing proper control of blood glucose levels. According to the International Diabetes Federation, it is a growing global health issue that affects about 9.5 million people worldwide right now, with 1.8 million under the age of 20 in 2024. Each year, over 500,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 2.1 million people, in the United States alone, live with the condition according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report as of March 11, 2026. Because insulin is essential for survival, dysfunction in these cells can lead to serious complications, making it critical to understand the underlying mechanisms of β-cell behavior.

Norman’s research investigates the mechanosensitivity of islet cell function, specifically calcium (Ca²⁺) oscillations and the cytoskeletal protein F-actin. Calcium signaling drives insulin release, while F-actin supports cell structure and communication, acting as dynamic structural regulator. By modifying the cells’ mechanical environment, the research shows improved coordination of Ca²⁺ oscillations and significant changes in cytoskeletal organization, suggesting that islet cell function and cytoskeletal structure are mechanosensitive. The biomechanical environment is modified through extracellular-matrix coating, which is the process of applying a thin layer of extracellular matrix, specifically 804G and Poly-L-lysine (PLL), to Mouse-Insinoma-6 (MIN6) β-like cells and alpha-tumor cell-1 (αTC1) cells. These findings highlight that, beyond biology, the mechanical environment plays a key role in regulating islet cell function, offering important insights for advancing diabetes research and treatment strategies.

She felt the conference was valuable for her. “It gave me a great chance to showcase my work, meet professionals in the field I hope to enter, and have meaningful discussions with them about my future plans.” Norman encourages students interested in biomedical fields to attend and explore the wide range of opportunities available. In her closing thoughts, she adds, “the conference was a really helpful experience in understanding what biomedical engineers actually do.”