Seminar by Dr. Shyni Varghese on Engineering the interface: From smart materials to devices to cell transplantation

Title: Engineering the interface: From smart materials to devices to cell transplantation

Abstract: 

“In this talk, I will discuss our efforts in engineering the bio-material interface to achieve unique biological functions and medical applications. First, I will talk about design of hydrogel matrices to control stem cell fate in vitro and in vivo and use of such engineered matrices to understand the molecular mechanism underlying stem cell differentiation (Ayala et al., Biomaterials, 2011; Shih et al., PNAS 2014; Zeng et al., Adv. Mater. 2020). I will next talk about developing biomaterial interfaces to support xenogeneic transplantation of cells, where the transplanted cells act as a “drug store” for biomolecules (Kumar et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 2021). Finally, I will talk about how interfacial engineering can be exploited to creating materials with “living” functions such as self-healing along with their applications in cartilage tissue repair and soft robotics (Phadke et al., PNAS, 2012; Kumar et al., Adv. Int. Syst. 2021; Gilpin et al., Adv. Healthc. Mater. 2021).”

About the Speaker:

Shyni Varghese, Ph.D., is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, and Orthopaedics Surgery at Duke University. She is the inaugural MEDx Investigator at Duke University. Prior to moving to Duke, she was a Professor of Bioengineering at University of California, San Diego. Dr. Varghese’s research covers a broad range of topics including stem cells, biomaterials, biologically inspired systems, tissue chips, and regenerative medicine. Her research activities have resulted in over 100 publications and over a dozen patent disclosures. Examples of ongoing research activities in her laboratory involve developing functional biomaterials such as self-healing hydrogels and biomineralized matrices; technologies to improve cell-based therapies including stem-cell differentiation, cell transplantation, activating endogenous stem cells, and engineered functional tissue grafts; and organ-on-a-chip technologies. She is a fellow of AIMBE and Royal Society of Chemistry. She is currently serving as an Associate Editor of Biomaterials Science (an RSC journal).