Invisible Organ: The Next Level of Human Health and Resilience

Executive Summary

We will leverage the capabilities of advanced machine learning and next-generation bioengineered systems to develop an integrated modeling and experimental platform that will serve as a testbed to evaluate the human microbiome in order to more effectively predict infection and disease. The technology will enable accelerated development of new solutions for improving human health and maximizing resilience to disease through microbe-driven, precision medical practice for military service members and civilians. 

Publications, Presentations, and Patents

Andre R. Goncalves, Hiranmayi Ranganathan, James B. Thissen, Nisha J. Mulakken, Jose M. Marti Martinez, Crystal J. Jaing, Nicholas A. Be, "Microbiome Data Integration via Data Fusion and Multitask Learning for Disease Risk Prediction" (Presentation, ASM Microbe, Washington, D.C., June 2022).

Camilo Valdes, Andre Goncalves, James B. Thissen, Jose Manuel Marti Martinez, Car Reen Kok, Nisha Joy Mulakken, Crystal Jaing, Nicholas Be,"Learning Gut Microbiome Representations in Human Diseases with Vision and Hierarchical Models" (Presentation, Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) Conference, Machine Learning in Computational and Systems Biology track, Lyon, France, July 2023).

Andre R. Goncalves, Camilo Valdes, Jose M. Martí, James B. Thissen, Nisha J. Mulakken, Car Reen Kok, Crystal J. Jaing, Nicholas A. Be, "Meta-Training Convolutional Neural Networks for Microbiome Data Classification: Addressing Small Sample Size Challenges" (Presentation, Intelligent Systems for Molecular Biology (ISMB) Conference, Machine Learning in Computational and Systems Biology track, Lyon, France, July 2023).

Lindy K. Jang, Michael G. Triplett, Aubree Hinckley, Car Reen Kok, Victoria Lao, Claire J. Robertson, Erica S. Bowers, Monica L. Moya, Feliza A. Bourguet, Nicholas A. Be, and William F. Hynes, "Biofabrication of functional human intestinal tissue with villi and crypts using high-resolution 3D printing technology" (Presentation, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERMC), Slough UK. Aug 2023).

Camilo Valdes, Andre Goncalves, James B. Thissen, Blake W. Stamps, Michael S. Goodson, Surg Cdr Joanna Halford, LT Neal D. McNeal, LT Mahamat Babagana, Crystal Jaing, Nicholas Be, "Learning Predictive Microbial Representations of Military-relevant Microbiomes with Hilbert Curve Visualizations and Machine Learning" (Poster Presentation, Military Health System Research Symposium, Kissimmee, FL, Aug 2023).

Andre Goncalves, William F. Hynes, Lindy Jang, Claire Robertson, Michael Triplett, Hiran Ranganathan, Jose Manuel Marti Martinez, James Thissen, Car Reen Kok, Monica Moya, Aubree Hinckley, Camilo Valdes, Haonan Zhu, Erica Bowers, Feliza Bourguet, Nisha Mulakken, Michael Morrison, Kyra Henderson, Mariam Mohagheghi, Aram Avila-Herrera, Crystal Jaing, Nicholas A. Be, "Microbiome Focused Machine Learning and 3D Printed Bioengineered Platforms for Prediction of Military Health" (Oral Presentation, Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS). Kissimmee, FL, Aug 2023).