Nicole H Urban (she/her)
Professor College of Arts & Sciences Department of Biological and Physical Sciences Providence
Biography
Nicole Urban received her B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University and her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her undergraduate research focused on orthopaedic surgical techniques, while her work at UAB included the design of a novel component for a knee arthroplasty system. She received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School for her work in cardiovascular physiology and cell signaling.
Her postdoctoral research at Virginia Commonwealth University included orthopaedic device failure analysis and prostate cancer cell signaling projects for the departments of biochemistry and orthopaedics. Additionally, she consulted on various confocal microscopy and quantitive image analysis projects across departments. Her research at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs included mathematical modeling of complex cell signaling cascades.
In 2014, she dove into the Intellectual Property arena, working for a contractor to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a medical, biotechnology, and mechanical device patent analyst. She has conducted international stage analysis of over 500 novel devices and technologies and continues to consult on biotech and medical device intellectual property projects supporting determinations of patentability, freedom to operate and validity.
In 2016, she joined JWU where she strives to find ways to bring science to life in the classroom. She established her Bioinnovation Research Team in the fall of 2021 with the generous seed funding from the Provost’s Innovation Fund. The interdisciplinary team includes students and faculty from the Biology Department as well as the College of Engineering & Design, and the team works together to design and develop medical devices including assistive communication and musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation technologies. She will present the four Patent Pending prototypes at the Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting in October 2022. She was also recently awarded Pilot Project funding through the RI-INBRE to continue the development of the device prototypes throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. She is developing a series of free course supports to provide just-in-time remediation of the common algebraic techniques critical to success in general physics. She will launch a Physics You Tube channel in 2023 to further support learners needing a distraction-reduced learning environment.
Education
PhD, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Old Dominion University
Biomedical Science
MS, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Mechanical Engineering
BS, Tulane University
Biomedical Engineering
Certificate in MedTech Leadership
NEMIC – New England Medical Innovation Center
First Place, Masters Student Competition, ASME Fall International Conference and Exposition
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Graduate Student of the Year
UAB, Department of Materials and Mechanical Engineering
“Women in Science.” Urban, N. (January, 2024)
“Faculty Feature.” Urban, N. (December, 2023)
Ri BIO
Center for Engineering MechanoBiology
Rhode Island IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excelence
Biomedical Engineering Society
American Association of Physics Teachers
National Science Teaching Association
Urban, N. (October (4th Quarter/Autumn), 2019). Physics Kinematics 1A – Uniform Motion Concept Map. (Instructional Material).
Life Science Teaching Resource Community – Life Science TRC.
Urban, N. (September, 2019). Motion with Constant Acceleration Concept Map Solving for Final Velocity. (Instructional Material).
Life Science Teaching Resource Community – Life Science TRC.
Urban, N. (September, 2019). Physics Kinematics 2B -Acceleration, Velocity, Change and Position Concept Map. (Instructional Material).
Life Science Teaching Resource Community – Life Science TRC.
Urban, N. (September, 2019). Physics Kinematics 2C -Acceleration, Velocity, Change in Position Concept Map – Solve for Initial Velocity. (Instructional Material).
Life Science Teaching Resource Community – Life Science TRC.
Almemar, Z. & Urban, N. & Lauderbaugh, L. (October (4th Quarter/Autumn) 4, 2013). Metabolic State Alterations of Neural Stem Cell Controls Fas-mediated apoptosis and neurogenesis. (Journal Article).
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology, 4(10C), 1-8.
Urban, N. & Chamberlin, B. & Ramage, S. & Roberts, Z. & Loria, R. & Beckman, M. (June, 2008). Effects of alpha/beta androstenediol immune regulating hormones on bone remodeling and apoptosis in osteoblasts. (Journal Article).
Journal of Steroid Biochem Molecular Biology, 110(3-5), 223-9.
Ramage, S. & Urban, N. & Jiranek, W. & Maiti, A. & Beckman, M. (April (2nd Quarter/Spring), 2007). Expression of RANKL in osteolytic membranes: association with fibroblastic cell markers. (Journal Article).
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 89(4), 841-848.
Ratz, P. & Berg, K. & Urban, N. & Miner, A. (April (2nd Quarter/Spring), 2005). Regulation of smooth muscle calcium sensitivity: KCL as a calcium-sensitizing stimulu. (Journal Article).
American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology, 288(4), 769-783.
Urban, N. & Berg, K. & Ratz, P. (December, 2003). K+-Depolarization (KCl) induces RhoA Kinase (ROK) Translocation to Caveolae and Ca2+-sensitization of Arterial Muscle. (Journal Article).
American Journal of Physiology Cell Physiology, 285(6), C1377-85.
Inclusive Academy Symposium, “Preparing Young Scholars,” The Graduate School, Princeton, NJ, United States. (April 25, 2025).
JWU Expo, “Decreasing the Performance Gap in Introductory Physics: A Sustainable JWU Physics Accelerator Program,” JWU, Providence, RI, United States. (February, 2025).
National Science Teachers Association Annual Conference, “Decreasing the Performance Gap in Introductory Physics: A Sustainable JWU Physics Accelerator Program,” NSTA, New Orleans. (November, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Hidden, wearable, touch-sensing AACs – on-demand communication designed for social anxiety, ASD, selective mutism, and language learners,” Biomedical Engineering Society, Baltimore, MD, United States. (October, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Reimagining BME Capstone and Summer Research Experiences – Roadmap for a Robust, In-Semester Device Design Program,” Biomedical Engineering Society, Baltimore, MD, United States. (October, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Reimagining medical device user interfaces- Tactile and visual discrimination strategies to support users with mechanosensory, visual, and auditory disabilities,” Biomedical Engineering Society, Baltimore, MD, United States. (October, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “The Bear Paw – Customizable assistive grip devices for low-cervical spinal cord injury patients,” Biomedical Engineering Society, Baltimore, MD, United States. (October, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Universal Kitchen Assistant – Novel device for single-handed, low-force stovetop to oven transfer,” Biomedical Engineering Society, Baltimore, MD, United States. (October, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Using sparce inferred dynamics to estimate acoustic Forces in 12-well plates,” Biomedical Engineering Society, Baltimore, MD, United States. (October, 2024).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Accessible, Game-based, Touch-sensing Devices for Rotator Cuff and Fine Motor Assessment and Therapy,” BMES, San Antonio, TX, United States. (October 15, 2023).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Computational Model to predict the pressure effects of ultrasonic waves on cytoskeletal reorganization in plant cells,” BMES, Seattle, WA, United States. (October 14, 2023).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Portable, touch-based, multi-modal assessment and therapy device (MAT) for post-surgical, neurological, and TBI assessment and rehabilitation,” BMES, Seattle, WA, United States. (October 13, 2023).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Wearable, accessible, assistive communication device providing customized, non-auditory communication and support for left- or right-handed users,” BMES, Seattle, WA, United States. (October 13, 2023).
Center for Engineering MechanoBiology IRT, “Novel Device and Assay for exploring the role of resonance on cellulose deposition, tip growth, and cell viability in moss,” CEMB, Philadelphia, PA, United States. (May 5, 2023).
Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting, “Smart Textile Array Devices for Assistive and Augmented Communication,” BMES, San Antonio, TX, United States. (October 14, 2022).
Computer Science Forum 2019, “AI in IP – Emerging applications of artificial intelligence in biotechnology, the basics of patent applications, and hurdles to obtaining a patent,” JWU, Providence, RI, United States. (March, 2019).