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:

• Tissue-Mimetic Scaffolds
• Cell Physiology in Engineered Microenvironments
• Sensor Platforms for Mapping Tissue Hypoxia
• Nano-Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Collaborators:

• Eben Alsberg (Case Western Reserve University, Biomedical Engineering)
• Charles Bieberich (UMBC, Biological Sciences)
• Daphne Blumberg (UMBC, Biological Sciences)
• Hacene Boukari (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Anatomy & Structural Biology)
• Shashi Murthy (Northeastern University, Chemical Engineering
• Yaakov Nahmias (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bioengineering)
• Elizabeth Powell (University of Maryland School of Medicine, Neurobiology)
• Adam Puche (University of Maryland School of Medicine, Neurobiology)
• Suzanne Rosenberg (UMBC, Biological Sciences)
• Julia Ross (UMBC, Chemical & Biochemical Engineering)

Current Funding:

• Henry Luce Foundation (Clare Boothe Luce Professorship)
• National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (1R01NS065205)
• National Science Foundation (0821236 with Liang Zhu, PI)
• Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (with Elizabeth Powell, PI)

Prior Funding:

• UMBC Special Research Initiative Award
• UMBC Writing Board Award
• UMBC Undergraduate Research Assistantship