Welcome to the Byrne Lab!

Established in August 2021, the Byrne Lab is driven by our long-term interest: developing transformative technologies to improve patient care. Bridging the disciplines of biomedical engineering and oncology, our lab strives toward innovation. The Byrne Lab actively collaborates with other labs and investigators both at the University of Iowa and outside the campus.

We strive to be the most innovative biomedical engineering group internationally. Achieving that goal requires a daily commitment to learn, improve, and discover.

July 26th, 2024
kyle
Kyle was awarded the Iowa Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Research Scholarship -- Congratulations, Kyle!
July 26th, 2024
lab olympics
The Byrne Lab had so much fun competing against other labs in the 2024 Lab Olympics! We participated in exciting events like “The Killer Thumb,” where we aimed for the highest number of clicks in one minute with a tally counter. Our team also showcased their speed in “Fill Me In!” by racing to fill a box of 200µl tips. And let’s not forget the thrilling “How Far Can You Shoot?” contest, where we tested our skills in shooting tips with a P200 pipette. It was a fantastic day of friendly competition and team spirit!
July 23rd, 2024
lilly
Lilly did a great job presenting her research at the CROI presentation!
July 23rd, 2024
kyle and lilly
Kyle and Lilly did a great job presenting their posters at the CROI/FLASH poster session. 
June 18th, 2024
analy
Analy presented her poster, Creating an Electrolysis Device to Overcome Tumor Hypoxia, at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center summer retreat. 

May 20th, 2024

lab
We’re thrilled to welcome Kyle, a UIowa undergraduate student participating in the FLASH program, Lilly, an undergraduate from Wartburg College participating in the CROI program, and Ryan, a second year medical student here at UIowa, to our lab for the summer. Together, they’ll contribute to various ongoing research projects. Welcome to the lab!

May 11th, 2024

lab photo
Congratulations to Ashley, Megan, Swetha, and Lauren on their graduation! We’re immensely grateful for their contributions to the lab and wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
April 18th, 2024
Emily
The Byrne Lab was recognized with the Excellence in Safety award by the Laboratory Safety Committee at UIowa. 

April 16th, 2024

ashley

This week, Ashley showcased her research poster titled ‘Application of Formation and Surface Coating Solutions to Optimize Dissolution Kinetics and Delivery in Gas Entrapping Materials’ at the Iowa Space Grant Consortium Spring Research Symposium. Great work!

April 1st, 2024

lab photo

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Byrne’s achievement as the recipient of the 2024 Early Career Scholar of the Year award from OVPR. This prestigious award recognizes assistant professors actively engaged in research, scholarship, and creative endeavors, demonstrating the potential to make substantial contributions to their field. Read more here. 

March 12th, 2024

paper

Check out our most recent publication!

January 17th, 2024
lab
Check out our most recent publication!
December 12th, 2023
paper

Check out our most recent publication!

Want to know more? Check out this article!

November 9th, 2023
lab photo
Some of our outstanding undergraduates showcased their research prowess at the 2023 Fall Undergraduate Research Festival. Megan delved into the 'Impact of Formulation on Solid Oxygen-Entrapping Materials to Overcome Tumor Hypoxia.' Arielle and Lauren impressed with their poster, 'Tardigrade-Inspired mRNA Delivery for Radiation Protection,' while Ashley unveiled 'A Novel Device to Streamline Treatment of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.' Kudos to our talented students for their exceptional contributions!
September 15th, 2023
sam and ikenna
Congratulations to Sam and Ikenna, who both won awards for their posters at the 2023 Medical Student Research Conference! Sam was awarded the Donald D. Heistad Prize for Best Poster Presentation, and Ikenna was awarded the Larry W. Oberley Award in Radiation Oncology!
September 14th, 2023
sam and ikenna
Ikenna and Sam shared their summer research projects at the 2023 Medical Student Research Conference. Great work!
September 5th, 2023
megan
Megan was selected as one of the recipients of the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Awards, sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). This prestigious award, which includes an OUR fellowship and travel scholarship, is granted to five outstanding students each year who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and achievement in university research. Megan was presented with this esteemed award during the Spring 2023 semester, and the recognition ceremony took place on September 5th. Congratulations, Megan!
September 1st, 2023
JB

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Byrne on securing a V Scholar Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research! This grant supports young tenure-track faculty early in their cancer research careers by funding projects that are either laboratory-based fundamental research or translational research. Obtaining these awards is a highly competitive process, and V Foundation grant recipients have excellent reputations within the scientific community.

The title of Dr. Byrne’s grant is “Overcoming immunotherapy resistance using oxygen-entrapping materials” - you can read more about the grant here. 

August 7th, 2023
analy

Analy, the newest member of the Byrne Lab, is an ICARE Fellow here at UIowa. The ICARE (Iowa Cancer Research Experience) Program, hosted by Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, is a post-baccalaureate program that encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations. Click here for more information on the ICARE program.

Welcome to the lab, Analy!

August 2nd, 2023
lab photo
At the 2023 MSTP Retreat, Sam received the Scientific Communication Award, better known as "Linda's Choice Award" for effectively communicating his research project and goals to a variety of audience members. Great work, Sam!
July 26th, 2023
arielle
Arielle presented her poster, Orally Administered Carbon Monoxide Augments Autophagy Inhibition for Cancer Therapy, at the SCURPI poster presentation session here at UIowa, as well! 
July 25th, 2023
arielle
 Arielle presented an oral and poster presentation for the SCURPI Summer Program here at UIowa. Great work, Arielle!
July 10th, 2023
JB

We are thrilled to share the exciting news that Dr. James Byrne has been named a University of Iowa Rising Research Star!

This recognition comes on the heels of James’ achievement of securing a highly competitive $1.2 million K08 grant from the National Cancer Institute. This funding will support our lab’s groundbreaking research focused on the development of biofoams that hold great promise in enhancing the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for rectal cancer patients, ultimately improving patients' response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy, thereby reducing the necessity for surgical intervention. We invite you to read the full article to learn more about Dr. Byrne and his lab's accomplishments and the record number of talented young investigators securing prestigious funding in FY23.

May 22nd, 2023
ikenna and sam
Ikenna Nwosu and Sam Hatfield, both medical students here at the University of Iowa, are joining our lab this summer! They are working to create medical devices that bolster anti-cancer therapeutics. Welcome to the lab! 
March 29th, 2023
austin and ashley
Austin and Ashley did a great job presenting their research at the Iowa Space Grant Consortium and Spring Undergraduate Research Festival this week!
March 1st, 2023
STAT Madness
Vote for our research in the STAT Madness Competition!
February 17th, 2023
Megan and ashley
Ashley and Megan were awarded the 2023 Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award! Congratulations!
February 6th, 2023We are currently looking for undergraduate researchers!Want to join our lab? See more information here!
February 2nd, 2023
advanced science manuscript

Check out our most recent publication!

Want to know more? Check out this article!

November 2nd, 2022
megan and ashley
Megan and Ashley did a great job presenting their research at the University of Iowa Fall Undergraduate Research Festival!
September 16th, 2022
Alex's award
Alex was awarded the Larry W. Oberley Award for Best Oral Presentation of his research at the 2022 Medical Student Research Conference here at UIowa! Congratulations, Alex!
August 1st, 2022
Ashley
Ashley was awarded the Iowa Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Research Scholarship -- find out more here. Congratulations, Ashley!
July 27th, 2022
Megan
Megan concluded her time as a BSURP student researcher by sharing her findings at the UI Summer Undergraduate Research Conference. Great job, Megan!
June 29th, 2022
STM

Check out our new paper publication in Science Translational Medicine, and this brief animation of our work!

Want to learn how we applied molecular gastronomy techniques to the lab bench top? Read these articles from STAT News  and The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine to find out!

Still looking for more information? Additional articles are available here! 

March 31st, 2022
group photo at surf
Congratulations to our undergraduate researchers, Austin Cook, Ashley Rhodes, and Mackenzie Richardson on their fantastic presentations at the Spring Undergraduate Research Festival!
March 1st, 2022Vote for our lab in the STAT Madness Competition!

https://www.statnews.com/feature/stat-madness/bracket/

January 13th, 2022Check out our research position posting on the ICRU website:https://icru.research.uiowa.edu/news/2022/01/byrne-lab-radiation-oncology
November 22nd, 2021We are currently looking for new lab members!Contact us if you're interested!