(4op) Designing Polymeric Hydrogel Scaffolds to Direct Cell Fate and Behavior

The materials toolbox for designing synthetic matrix microenvironments for specific tissue and/or disease applications is still limited. Typically, researchers choose to modify the functional groups of existing biocompatible polymer backbones, e.g., poly(ethylene glycol) being the most ubiquitous, to vary biofunctionality as well as physical or mechanical properties for interacting with cells and influencing their behavior in vitro or in vivo. Using this strategy, often only one or two properties of the material can be independently modified, limiting its function and generalizability. I am interested in broadening the biomaterials toolbox by exploring novel block copolymer backbone formulations to enable the next generation of biomaterials that have: (i) true multi-functionality (i.e., three or more distinct, independent functionalization sites), (ii) tunable degradation rates, (iii) immuno-inert and biocompatible degradation products, and (iv) tunable mechanical and physical properties. Importantly, at least two or more material properties will be independent of each other (e.g., stiffness independent of degradation rate). Such a class of polymers displaying all these properties has not yet been described. I am motivated to explore such a class of polymers to address unmet highly desired material behavior for complex and dynamic tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, such as for spinal cord injury repair, that require the material to behave in different and specific ways that vary both spatially and temporally. My ultimate research goal is to develop a novel class of backbone copolymers via systematic engineering design for use as the biomaterial basis for a dynamically responsive multifunctional scaffold to facilitate full functional regeneration after spinal cord injury.

With my interdisciplinary background in polymer science, biomaterials, neural development and regeneration, tissue engineering, bioprinting, hydrogels, and cell culture, my goal is to join a chemical engineering, bio(medical)engineering, or materials science & engineering department. I am seeking a department and university environment that values and enables collaboration between PIs, values and rewards high-quality mentoring of trainees and undergraduate students, and has access to world class medical, engineering, and materials characterization facilities. My goal of becoming a PI is motivated by my desire to continue to mentor the next generation of scientists and engineers as none of my personal achievements bring me career satisfaction as much as actively training students to conduct rigorous scientific experiments and mentoring them to achieve their career goals. I want to remain in academia and become a PI to practice the positive change I want to see in academia, such as active mentoring, hands-on experiential learning, and ensuring an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment for both trainees and PI colleagues alike.

Teaching Interests

I have extensive experience in teaching and pedagogy. I began as a math instructor at The Mathnasium at the age of 16 in high school. There, I taught fundamental and advanced math concepts to a diverse range of students, from preschoolers to adult nursing students. I learned that it is significantly more difficult to teach fundamental concepts such as basic addition and subtraction than calculus as the student does not yet have the language to build understanding upon. Teaching students how to understand a concept can be more important and significant to the student than the concept itself. In college, I immediately applied for a supplemental instructor (SI) position to continue exploring my passion for teaching. I received the position as a first semester freshman, which was not typical; I began the position as a second semester freshman for Chemistry of Materials (a core introduction to materials science course), where I instructed my freshman peers. The SI program director provided us formal training in pedagogy and active learning techniques. This experience required that I give a weekly one-hour review session on the course material. Typically, 25-50 students showed up to my sessions. The SI position was distinct from a TA; my job was to provide supplemental review of the course material to improve understanding. An SI was not involved with grades. I wrote my own problem sets and incorporated active learning strategies to have the students teach each other the course material with my guidance. I also TA’d for three semesters as an undergrad. Twice for Chemistry of Materials and once for Polymer Properties and Design. For both courses, I was responsible for teaching a weekly recitation session, generating, giving, and grading quizzes in my recitation session, and grading homework, term papers, and exams. During my PhD, I was a TA for Nanomanufacturing, a nanoengineering core graduate course. I led weekly office hours for material review and evaluated exams and term projects.

I am highly interested in and would be competent in teaching classes on polymer science and engineering, polymer physics, polymer chemistry, biomaterials, soft matter mechanics, tissue engineering, bioprinting, additive manufacturing, and related subjects.