Abstract:  Self-induced cellular confinement has been shown to play a role in a wide variety of biological processes, including cancer invasion and metastasis, immune cell navigation, and mechanosensitive gene expression and localization. However, the ability of adult stem cells to enter tight confinements has been less studied, despite the fact that stem cells are capable […]

Speaker Name and Affiliation: Dr. Vinaya Simha, Mayo Clinic (currently Satish Dhawan visiting professor at IISc) Seminar Title: Lipodystrophy and Insulin Resistance: Lessons learned and to be learned Abstract: Lipodystrophy syndromes are a diverse group of congenital and acquired disorders characterized by selective fat loss and features of marked insulin resistance including early-onset diabetes, hyperlipidemia […]

Title: Mechanics of Cancer Abstract:  Cancer is a disease rooted in genetic mutations and epigenetic regulation of cell biology. There is extensive heterogeneity in the biological drivers of this disease across cancer types, across patients with one type of cancer, and even within tumors within a single patient, making early cancer diagnosis, accurate prognosis and treatment […]

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 […]

Title: Ex vivo 3D tumor models to study cancer cell invasion and T cell recruitment Abstract:  “Advancement in three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures and microfabrication has led to the development of physiologically relevant ex vivo models to understand the interdependency between cells and their microenvironment as well as various cellular functions involved in development and pathogenesis. In […]