This distinction allows Spine by Design to focus on standardizing imaging metrics, a critical step toward broad functionality and clinical adoption. Today, the company is in its early stages but its vision is bold: to integrate predictive modeling into hospital systems and electronic medical records, helping physicians make datainformed decisions. Having already developed their alpha software in collaboration with Romania-based Synaptiq.io, the team’s next step is planning a multi-institutional trial to validate their models across diverse patient populations and imaging systems. The company has received grants from the National Science Foundation and the Oregon State Advantage Accelerator and is preparing for its first formal fundraise. PHENOTYPING AND MACHINE LEARNING Another frontier in Giers’ research is phenotyping degenerative disc disease. By analyzing 21 variables from 95 pre-surgical patients, her team, led by former postdoctoral researcher Liudmila Bardonova and Joseph Chen, M.S. three distinct clusters with different tissue characteristics, demographics, and outcomes. This work could revolutionize treatment selection, allowing physicians to tailor interventions based on a patient’s unique pathology rather than generalized symptoms. “We treat all spine patients the same,” Giers said. “But not all back pain is the same. We need to understand where the degeneration starts and how it progresses to know the best course of treatment.” A VISION FOR INTELLIGENT SPINE CARE Ultimately, Giers envisions a future where spine care is intelligent, personalized, and predictive. Patients would be evaluated using standardized metrics, matched to the best procedure, and monitored with AI-driven tools. “We’re many years away,” she said. “But that’s my career goal, building a comprehensive system that guides each patient to their best possible outcome.” CRYOPRESERVATION AND THE FUTURE OF SPINE RESEARCH In collaboration with Adam Higgins, associate professor of bioengineering, Giers’ lab is working to improve the way that scientists study spinal disc degeneration — a leading cause of disability — by developing a method to preserve donated human intervertebral discs for research. Picking up work initiated by Ward Shalash, Ph.D. bioengineering ’22, bioengineering Ph.D. student Rachel Thompson is now leading the way in applying a technique called cryopreservation, which involves freezing discs to -135°C to bring the cells into a suspended state. A major challenge is that without proper preparation, the chemicals used in the cryopreservation process can damage cells. To overcome this problem, Thompson applies compression to the discs before freezing, allowing the protective chemicals to penetrate more effectively—much like how a sponge soaks up liquid. The results have been striking. Discs that are both compressed and cryopreserved show significantly higher cell viability compared with those that are frozen without compression. This breakthrough could dramatically improve the reliability of spine research and accelerate the development of new treatments for chronic back pain. OREGON STATE ENGINEERING WINTER 2026 9
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