Halcomb Family Endowed Fellowship in Medicine and Engineering

The Halcomb Family Endowed Fellowship in Medicine and Engineering, established in 2009 through a generous gift from Dr. F. Joseph and Mrs. Joan Halcomb III, M.D., and Kentucky’s Research Challenge Trust Fund (RCTF), honors the late Dr. Francis Joseph (“F.J.”) Halcomb, Jr., and the Halcomb family.

Dr. F.J. Halcomb, Jr. (1918–2013) dedicated more than 60 years to the health and well-being of Scottsville and Allen County in south-central Kentucky. A World War II Army surgeon and pioneering family physician, he championed patient-focused care, advanced family medicine as a specialty, and left a lasting legacy in his community and the medical profession.

F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D., son of Dr. F.J. Halcomb, Jr., is a physician-engineer who earned degrees from the University of Kentucky and pursued advanced study at MIT. Throughout his career, he has held numerous leadership roles, including a senior executive position at Amgen, and has maintained a steadfast commitment to advancing health care innovation. The F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering, named in his honor, continues the family legacy by preparing future healthcare leaders through interdisciplinary education and fostering innovative solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s health care challenges.

Since 2010, the Halcomb Family Endowed Fellowship in Medicine and Engineering has been awarded to graduate students in research-based doctoral programs in engineering and medicine to incentivize the development of patient-centered clinical solutions that advance health care and improve patient outcomes.

Award Period: 2025-2026

Fellowship Project: Human Heart Slices to Model Cardiac Physiology

Mentors:

• Kenneth Campbell, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Physiology
• Jonathan Wenk, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Award Period: 2024-2026

Fellowship Project: An Innovative PS-DSCI for Real-Time Imaging of Neonatal Cerebral Blood Flow and Functional Connectivity 

Mentors:

• Guoqiang Yu, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, MD Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Henrietta S. Bada., M.D., M.P.H., College of Medicine, Department of Neurology

Award Period: 2023-2025

Fellowship Project: Sensor Gloves for Objective and Accurate Assessment of Hand Function in Stroke

Mentors:

• Sridhar Sunderam, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, MD Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Amanda Glueck, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Neurology

Award Period: 2022-2024

Fellowship Project: A Novel Depth-sensitive Optical Imaging Device to Measure Blood Flow and Oxygenation in the Injured Newborn Brain    

Mentors:

• Guoqiang Yu, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Kathryn Saatman, Ph.D. College of Medicine, Department of Physiology   

Award Period: 2021-2023

Fellowship Project: Designing Private and Trustworthy Opportunistic Health Applications for Symptom Management in Rural Cancer Patients

Mentors:

• Corey Baker, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Computer Science
• Timothy Mullett, M.D. College of Medicine, College of Medicine, Department of Surgery

Award Period: 2021-2023

Fellowship Project: A Wireless Wearable Optical Sensor for Continuous Monitoring of Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygenation in Freely Behaving Subjects    

Mentors:

• Guoqiang Yu, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, MD Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Kathryn Saatman, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Physiology  

Award Period: 2020-2021

Fellowship Project: Modeling Brain Signals Associated with Graded Effort and Fine Motor Control for Neurorehabilitation          

Mentors:

• Sridhar Sunderam, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Lumy Sawaki, M.D., Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation     

Award Period: 2019-2021

Fellowship Project: Enhanced Multi-Scale Modeling of Cardiac Function    

Mentors:

• Jonathan Wenk, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Kenneth Campbell, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Physiology

Award Period: 2018-2020

Fellowship Project: Biodegradable Polymer to Enhance Mesenchymal Stem Cells Therapeutic Potential 

Mentors:

• Brad Berron, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Material Engineering
• Ahmed Abdel-Latif, M.D., College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine

Award Period: 2017-2019

Fellowship Project: Noncontact Diffuse Optical Imaging of Skin Flap Hemodynamics for Intraoperative Prediction of Skin Flap Necrosis

Mentors:

• Guoqiang Yu, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, MD Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Lesly Wong, M.D., College of Medicine, Department of Surgery

Award Period: 2016-2018

Fellowship Project: Endothelial Progenitor Cell Isolation for Heart Disease Therapy

Mentors:

• Brad Berron, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Material Engineering
• Ahmed Abdel-Latif, M.D., College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine

Award Period: 2015-2017

Fellowship Project: Variability in Blood-Brain Partition Coefficient and Its Effect on Quantitative Measures of Cerebral Blood Flow

Mentors:

• Guoqiang Yu, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, F. Joseph Halcomb III, MD Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Ai-Ling Lin, Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Award Period: 2015-2017

Fellowship Project: Self-image technologies for feedforward learning in gamified interventions

Mentors:

• Samson Cheung, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Lumy Sawaki, M.D., Ph.D., College of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Award Period: 2012-2014

Fellowship Project: Mg-Ti alloys as new implant materials for biodegradable fracture fixation devices

Mentors:

• YT Cheng, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
• David Puleo, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
• Todd Milbrandt, M.D., College of Medicine, Department of Surgery

Award Period: 2010-2012

Fellowship Project: Interactive Decision Aid for Rhematoid Arthritis Patients

Mentors:

• Judy Goldsmith, Ph.D., Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, Department of Computer Science
• Kristine Lohr, M.D., College of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine