Our primary research interest is the development of biomaterials that mimic the complex structure and biochemistry of human tissues. We are particularly interested in understanding how properties of a three-dimensional environment impact cell behavior. By correlating theoretical and experimental data about cell-microenvironment interactions, we plan to establish design principles that will aid in the development of tissue engineering scaffolds, in vitro models of tissue biology, and the development of improved therapies. In collaboration with biophysicists, neurobiologists, cancer cell biologists, and polymer chemists, we are developing novel biomaterials that will enable the discovery of new insights into the tissue physiology of nerve repair and tumor growth

Current Research Areas:

• Cell Physiology in Engineered Microenvironments
• Tissue-Mimetic Scaffolds
• Sensors for Tissue Engineering Microenvironments

Collaborators:

• Daphne Blumberg (UMBC, Biological Sciences)
• Hacene Boukari (NICHD, NIH)
• Keith Gooch (Ohio State University, Biomedical Engineering)
• Jeffrey Jacot (UCSF, Bioengineering)
• Yordan Kostov (UMBC, Chemical Engineering)
• Yaakov Nahmias (Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Engineering in Medicine)
• Elizabeth Powell (University of Maryland at Baltimore, Neurobiology)
• Suzanne Rosenberg (UMBC, Biological Sciences)
• Binil Starly (Oklahoma University, Industrial Engineering)

Current Funding:

• Henry Luce Foundation (Clare Boothe Luce Professorship)
• UMBC DRIF/SRIS Award