(4g) Hydrogel Biomaterials As Model Systems for Cancer and Stem Cell Engineering

Research Overview:

I am a broadly trained bioengineer interested in developing new synthetic biomaterials for fundamental studies in cancer and stem cell biology and applications in regenerative medicine.

My graduate training in Chemical Engineering in the laboratory of Prof. Matthew Tirrell was focused on engineering the self-assembly of peptide amphiphiles into multi-functional nanostructures. I developed a facile method to display peptide ligands on surfaces by incorporation of peptide amphiphiles in solid-supported lipid bilayers. In collaboration with Prof. David Schaffer and Prof. Kevin Healy at UC Berkeley, this platform was used to screen peptides for their ability to support neural progenitor cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation into neurons and astrocytes. I also worked on tailoring the structure and stability of micellar nanoparticles composed of peptide amphiphiles for drug delivery applications.

My post-doctoral training with Prof. Sanjay Kumar at UC Berkeley aims to delineate the role of cell-matrix mechanobiology in brain physiology and pathology. To this end, I developed a synthetic hydrogel based on hyaluronic acid (HA) as a brain matrix-mimetic model system and showed that glioma cell motility in HA hydrogels displays patterns strikingly similar to those seen in vivo. My current work aims to dissect the cell-matrix interactions and intracellular signaling pathways that underlie this distinct motility phenotype, with the aim of discovering new drug targets. I am also developing novel HA hydrogels based on click chemistry to enable rapid gelation and cell encapsulation. In collaboration with Prof. David Schaffer’s group, I am employing these fully defined matrices for differentiation and transplantation of human embryonic stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons as a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease.