Advancing the frontiers of regenerative medicine means more than pushing scientific boundaries — it means improving and extending human life. The Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center (REM) is a partnership with Georgia Tech, Emory University, and the University of Georgia (UGA) that supports this mission through inter-institutional collaborations in research in regenerative medicine.  

Since 2010, competitive peer-reviewed seed grants have been awarded annually to interdisciplinary teams with representation from at least two of the three institutions, leading to clinical trials, licensed technologies, start-up companies, and external funding for additional research. The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) is excited to announce the 2026 REM Collaborative Seed Grant awardees: Melissa Kemp (Georgia Tech) and Rabindra Tirouvanziam (Emory); Yang Liu (UGA) and Yong Teng (Emory); and Steven Stice (UGA) and Zhexing Wen (Emory). 

Kemp and Tirouvanziam were awarded funding for their proposal, “Predicting Personalized Extracellular Vesicle (EV) Responses for Directed Myeloid‑Targeted Immunotherapy.” Their project combines computer modeling and lab‑grown lung tissue to better understand how immune cells communicate during lung infections and inflammation in different people. This research could help scientists design more precise, patient‑specific therapies for respiratory diseases, potentially improving treatments for conditions ranging from viral infections to chronic inflammation. 

"We are grateful for the support from REM that allows us to extend our labs into new, interdisciplinary research,” Kemp said. “This pilot project will allow us to develop and experimentally validate multicellular models of the lung environment. Our goal is to use our platforms to test potential therapeutics that operate by controlling communication between cell types." 

“It is wonderful to be supported by REM for this collaboration between Georgia Tech and Emory labs,” Tirouvanziam agreed. “We hope to turn this pilot into a large extramural project with a focus on novel immunotherapy.” 

Liu and Teng were awarded funding for their proposal, “AI‑Guided Profiling of Migratory Cancer Stem Cell Communication in Head and Neck Cancer.”  Their project aims to uncover how the most aggressive cancer stem cells move and “talk” to nearby immune and tissue cells, using advanced microfluidic tools and artificial intelligence to study how these cells help cancer spread and resist treatment.  Understanding these hidden communication pathways could lead to earlier detection of dangerous cancer cell types and inspire new therapies that prevent recurrence and improve survival for patients with head and neck cancer. 

“We combine microfluidic tools with artificial intelligence to monitor individual cancer cells in action and study how they interact with the immune microenvironment — capturing behaviors that are missed in bulk experiments and shedding light on how aggressive cancer cells escape therapy,” Liu said of the project.  

Stice and Wen were awarded funding for their application, “Use of Alzheimer’s Disease Organoids to Assess Mesenchymal Stromal Cell–Derived Extracellular Vesicles Mechanism of Action.”  Their project uses lab‑grown human brain organoids to study how tiny therapeutic particles called extracellular vesicles that are released by stem cells might reduce brain inflammation and protect neurons affected by Alzheimer’s disease.  Revealing how these vesicles work at a molecular level could help advance new treatments that go beyond symptom management and move toward slowing or preventing Alzheimer’s progression. 

“Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are used in the body to communicate with cells around an injury and are known to repair brain tissue in Alzheimer’s animal models,” Stice said.  “Understanding the signaling mechanisms used by EVs in Alzheimer’s brain organoids will directly lead to better EV manufacturing processes and potency for neurodegenerative diseases, and ultimately better therapies.” 

This year’s funded work illustrates how collaboration across institutions accelerates discoveries. Together, these teams are pushing healing technologies closer to real‑world impact, where they can make a tangible difference for patients affected by serious illness.