{"681986":{"#nid":"681986","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Newly Named Children\u2019s PTC at Georgia Tech Peterson Professorship Recipients Work to Improve the Lives of Kids in Georgia and Beyond","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech professors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/5337\u0022\u003EMichelle LaPlaca\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2943\u0022\u003EW. Hong Yeo\u003C\/a\u003E have been selected as recipients of Peterson Professorships with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ptc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta Pediatric Technology Center\u003C\/a\u003E (PTC) at Georgia Tech. The professorships, supported by the G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson and Valerie H. Peterson Faculty Endowment Fund, are meant to further energize the Georgia Tech and Children\u2019s partnership by engaging and empowering researchers involved in pediatrics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a joint statement, PTC co-directors \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/winshipcancer.emory.edu\/profiles\/lam-wilbur.php\u0022\u003EWilbur Lam\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/3731\u0022\u003EStanislav Emelianov\u003C\/a\u003E said, \u201cThe appointment of Dr. LaPlaca and Dr. Yeo as Peterson Professors exemplifies the vision of Bud and Valerie Peterson \u2014 advancing innovation and collaboration through the Pediatric Technology Center to bring breakthrough ideas from the lab to the bedside, improving the lives of children and transforming healthcare.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELaPlaca is a professor and associate chair for Faculty Development in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003EDepartment of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, a joint department between Georgia Tech and Emory University. Her research is focused on traumatic brain injury and concussion, concentrating on sources of heterogeneity and clinical translation. Specifically, she is working on biomarker discovery, the role of the glymphatic system, and novel virtual reality neurological assessments. \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am thrilled to be chosen as one of the Peterson Professors and appreciate Bud and Valerie Peterson\u2019s dedication to pediatric research,\u201d she said. \u201cThe professorship will allow me to broaden research in pediatric concussion assessment and college student concussion awareness, as well as to identify biomarkers in experimental models of brain injury.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the research lab, LaPlaca will work with an undergraduate research class called Concussion Connect, which is part of the Vertically Integrated Projects program at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThrough the PTC, Georgia Tech and Children\u2019s will positively impact brain health in Georgia\u2019s pediatric population,\u201d said LaPlaca.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYeo is the Harris Saunders, Jr. Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the director of the Wearable Intelligent Systems and Healthcare Center at Georgia Tech. His research focuses on nanomanufacturing and membrane electronics to develop soft biomedical devices aimed at improving disease diagnostics, therapeutics, and rehabilitation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am truly honored to be awarded the Peterson Professorship from the Children\u2019s PTC at Georgia Tech,\u201d he said. \u201cThis recognition will greatly enhance my research efforts in developing soft bioelectronics aimed at advancing pediatric healthcare, as well as expand education opportunities for the next generation of undergraduate and graduate students interested in creating innovative medical devices that align seamlessly with the recent NSF Research Traineeship grant I received. I am eager to contribute to the dynamic partnership between Georgia Tech and Children\u2019s Healthcare of Atlanta and to empower innovative solutions that will improve the lives of children.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Peterson Professorships honor the former Georgia Tech President and First Lady, whose vision for the importance of research in improving pediatric healthcare has had an enormous positive impact on the care of pediatric patients in our state and region.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Children\u2019s PTC at Georgia Tech brings clinical experts from Children\u2019s together with Georgia Tech scientists and engineers to develop technological solutions to problems in the health and care of children. Children\u2019s PTC provides extraordinary opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration in pediatrics, creating breakthrough discoveries that often can only be found at the intersection of multiple disciplines. These collaborations also allow us to bring discoveries to the clinic and the bedside, thereby enhancing the lives of children and young adults. The mission of the PTC is to establish the world\u2019s leading program in the development of technological solutions for children\u2019s health, focused on three strategic areas that will have a lasting impact on Georgia\u2019s kids and beyond.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessors Michelle LaPlaca and W. Hong Yeo are recognized for their innovative contributions to pediatric healthcare research.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Professors Michelle LaPlaca and W. Hong Yeo are recognized for their innovative contributions to pediatric healthcare research."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2025-04-23 15:09:52","changed_gmt":"2025-04-23 15:20:49","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676910":{"id":"676910","type":"image","title":"LaPlaca-Yeo.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMichelle LaPlaca (left), associate chair for Faculty Development and professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; W. Hong Yeo, Harris Saunders, Jr. Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1745421013","gmt_created":"2025-04-23 15:10:13","changed":"1745421013","gmt_changed":"2025-04-23 15:10:13","alt":"Michelle LaPlaca (left), associate chair for Faculty Development and professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; W. Hong Yeo, Harris Saunders, Jr. Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.","file":{"fid":"260759","name":"LaPlaca-Yeo.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/23\/LaPlaca-Yeo.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/23\/LaPlaca-Yeo.png","mime":"image\/png","size":136318,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/23\/LaPlaca-Yeo.png?itok=Y4tpGaSP"}}},"media_ids":["676910"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/tbi","title":"This Small Sensor Could Make Huge Impacts on Brain Injury Treatment"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/pacifier","title":"This Pacifier Could Monitor Babies\u2019 Vitals in the NICU"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-tech-partners-uh-brain-center","title":"Georgia Tech Partners With UH BRAIN Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"187582","name":"go-ibb"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39451","name":"Electronics and Nanotechnology"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}