PIRE: Synthesis of Optical Materials for Bioapplications: Research, Education, Recruitment and Outreach (SOMBRERO)

生物应用光学材料的合成：研究、教育、招募和推广。非技术性摘要：这笔赠款为加州大学河滨分校(UCR)--美国为数不多的研究密集型拉美裔服务机构(HSI)之一--与梅西科的三所顶尖机构--恩塞纳达的CICESE(CICESE)、墨西哥城的墨西哥国立大学(UNAM)和普埃布拉的高等教育学院(INAOE)--之间的研究和教育国际伙伴关系的发展提供了资金。Sombrero旨在进一步开发一种由纳米晶氧化钛稳定的氧化钛(NC-YSZ)制成的透明颅骨植入物(NC-YSZ)-所谓的脑之窗(WttB)平台-以取代部分头骨，从而允许对大脑进行非侵入性光学询问，从而促进对各种大脑病理和神经疾病的诊断和治疗，如创伤性脑损伤和中风。尽管许多材料(例如，钛、氧化铝、丙烯酸等)虽然已被评估用于颅骨重建，但没有一种能提供临床上可行的透明植入物所需的必要性能组合。我们的初步努力已经表明，NC-YSZ在这方面提供了重大前景。此外，该奖项的教育部分旨在联合培训来自美国和墨西哥的学生，以符合两国目前的各种教育政策倡议，包括：a)通过推进创新神经技术(BRAN)计划进行大脑研究，以及“美洲100,000人强”计划，以增加在拉丁美洲和加勒比地区的学习，特别是在墨西哥大学和加州大学系统内的学习。Sombrero的创新将提供一个新的神经技术平台，最终将成为大脑纵向研究的关键推动因素，以及开发一系列新兴的基于激光的神经疾病诊断和治疗技术。与此同时，Sombrero将为不同类型的美国学生提供研究机会，为他们作为独立的、参与全球事务的工程师进行创新做好准备。技术这项研究涵盖了UCR与墨西哥三个主要机构之间的国际合作研究：恩塞纳达的Científica和教育高级研究中心(CICESE)；墨西哥城的墨西哥国立自治大学(UNAM)；以及普埃布拉的国家航天和电子研究所(INAOE)。到目前为止，这些合作已经在光学陶瓷领域取得了许多进展。尤其值得注意的是，最近报道了第一个能够取代部分头骨以实现对大脑的非侵入性光学询问的透明纳米晶氧化钇稳定氧化锆(NC-YSZ)颅骨植入物，即大脑之窗(WttB)平台，这是该项目的主要综合技术目标。Sombrero的重要意义在于WttB平台最终可能提供的潜力：a)通过促进脑计划中正在开发的新兴光遗传神经技术的临床翻译，促进对大脑的了解；以及b)促进各种大脑病理和神经疾病的诊断和治疗，如创伤性脑损伤和中风。尽管许多材料(例如，钛、氧化铝、丙烯酸等)虽然已被评估用于颅骨重建，但没有一种能提供临床上可行的透明植入物所需的必要性能组合。因此，该奖项建议通过在这一背景下促进我们的基本理解和技术能力，朝着WttB概念的临床翻译迈出下一步。Sombrero的创新将提供一个新的神经技术平台，最终将成为大脑纵向研究的关键推动因素，以及开发一系列新兴的基于激光的神经疾病诊断和治疗技术。Sombrero的影响将在于它将为神经科学界提供独特的能力，这将增进人们的理解，改善疾病管理，从而提高生活质量并降低医疗成本。此外，在新型光陶瓷科技方面取得的进步将有可能扩展到许多其他领域，包括医疗激光、国防、能源等。最后，Sombrero将在两国招募多学科的UCR STEM学生进行培训，并通过利用加州大学少数族裔参与联盟(CAMP)、加州大学领导力卓越高级学位(UC Leads)和西班牙裔专业工程师协会(SHPE)等成熟的项目和学生组织，巩固UCR在少数族裔本科生保留和毕业生招生方面的良好记录。

PIRE: Synthesis of Optical Materials for Bioapplications: Research, Education, Recruitment and Outreach (SOMBRERO). PI: Guillermo Aguilar, University of California, Riverside (UCR)Non-Technical Abstract: This award grant provides funding for the development of an international partnership for research and education between UCR - one of America's few research-intensive Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) - and three premier institutions in México: Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE) in Ensenada; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City; and Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) in Puebla. SOMBRERO aims at further developing the concept of a transparent cranial implant made of nanocrystalline yttria-stabilized-zirconia (nc-YSZ) - the so called Windows to the Brain (WttB) platform - to replace portions of the skull and thus allow non-invasive optical interrogation of the brain facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of brain pathologies and neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke. Although a number of materials (e.g., titanium, alumina, acrylic, etc.) have been evaluated for use in cranial reconstruction, none provide the requisite combination of properties required for clinically-viable transparent implants. Our preliminary efforts have already demonstrated that nc-YSZ offers significant promise in this regard. Furthermore, the educational component of this award aims at jointly training students from the US and México in line with various current education policy initiatives in both countries, including: a) the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) initiative, as well as the "100,000 strong in the Americas" initiative to increase study in Latin America and the Caribbean, among others in México and within the UC system. SOMBRERO's innovations will provide a new neurotechnology platform that will eventually serve as a critical enabler for longitudinal studies of the brain, as well as the development of a host of emerging laser-based diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for neurological disorders. Concurrently, SOMBRERO will provide research opportunities to a diverse cadre of US students, preparing them to innovate as independent, globally engaged engineers. TechnicalThis study encompasses international collaborative research between UCR and three premier institutions in México: Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE) in Ensenada; Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City; and Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica (INAOE) in Puebla. So far, these collaborations have produced numerous advances in opto-ceramics. Particularly noteworthy is the recent report of the first transparent nanocrystalline yttria-stabilized-zirconia (nc-YSZ) cranial implants capable of replacing portions of the skull to allow non-invasive optical interrogation of the brain on an ongoing recurring basis, i.e. the Windows to the Brain (WttB) platform, which is the primary integrative technology goal of the project. The significance of SOMBRERO lies in the potential the WttB platform may eventually afford for: a) advancing understanding of the brain, by facilitating the clinical translation of emerging optogenetic neurotechnologies under development in the BRAIN Initiative; and b) facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of brain pathologies and neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury and stroke. Although a number of materials (e.g., titanium, alumina, acrylic, etc.) have been evaluated for use in cranial reconstruction, none provide the requisite combination of properties required for clinically-viable transparent implants. As such, this award proposes to take the next steps towards clinical translation of the WttB concept by advancing both our fundamental understanding and technological capabilities within this context. SOMBRERO's innovations will provide a new neurotechnology platform that will eventually serve as a critical enabler for longitudinal studies of the brain, as well as the development of a host of emerging laser-based diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for neurological disorders. The impact of SOMBRERO will lie in the unique capabilities it will provide to the neuroscience community, which will advance understanding and improve disease management, thus improving quality of life and reducing healthcare costs. Furthermore, the advances made in the science and technology of novel opto-ceramics will have potential to extend to numerous other fields, including medical lasers, defense, energy, etc. Finally, SOMBRERO will recruit UCR STEM students in multiple disciplines for training in both countries, and build upon UCR's strong record of minority undergraduate retention and graduate recruitment by leveraging well-established programs and student organizations, such as the California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP), UC Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UC LEADS), and the Society for Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).