Name: Alexander Heilman

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Reason for Participation: I am very interested in this project because of its potential to remove the need for an invasive, costly gastric bypass surgery and replace it with a very simple procedure that can revolutionize a patient’s life. Obesity is becoming an epidemic in the United States, and it is becoming more and more crucial to develop interventions such as this to treat this disease.

Contact Information: alexander.m.heilman@vanderbilt.edu

Name: Graham Husband

Hometown: Acworth, GA

Reason for Participation: I think that is a very interesting project because I have several family members who are afflicted with type II diabetes. I believe this feeding tube provides an amazing opportunity to address a need for my family members.

Contact Information: graham.w.husband@vanderbilt.edu

Name: Katherine Jones

Hometown: Glenside, PA

Reason for Participation: I want to be involved in this project because of the potential to impact millions of peoples lives. The American Diabetes Association reports that in 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. The total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 was $245 billion. There is an incredible need for this product that will save both money, and more importantly, lives.

Contact Information: katherine.t.jones@vanderbilt.edu

Name: Ying Lin

Hometown: Fuzhou, China

Reason for Participation: I hope this project will make the placement of feeding tubes an outpatient procedure without exposure to radiation, alleviating feeding tube users’ pain and discomfort.

Contact Information: ying.lin.1@vanderbilt.edu