News

Brendan was recently invested as the Robert W Schaefer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (department new release). The whole lab got to celebrate with Brendan at a department event honoring the investiture. Thank you to all HarleyLab members past and present who helped make this honor possible!

Samantha’ smost recent paper titled “Effects of Pregnancy-Specific Glycoproteins on Trophoblast Motility in Three-Dimentional Gelatin Hydrogels” will be featured as cover art for the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Vol. 15, Issue 2.

Ali Nunes, an outstanding undergraduate in our lab attended the  Materials Science & Technology 2021 Technical Meeting & Exhibition (MS&T21). She won 1st place in the Material Advantage Undergraduate Student Speaking Contest with her presentation titled “Determining the effects of mesenchymal stromal cell remodeling on hematopoietic stem cell maintenance”. Congrats Ali!

Track: Women’s Health
Presentation Title: Modelling of Female Organs/Diseases, Endometriosis, Tissue Engineering, and Sex
Presenter: Samantha Zambuto
Session Time: 8 – 9:30 am EST, Friday, Oct 8th
Room Assignment: Crystal KL

Track: Biomaterials Scaffolds 1
Presentation Title: Formation of a Primary Murine Perivascular Model to Study Hematopoietic Stem Cells In Vitro
Presenter: Tori Barnhouse
Session Time: 8 – 9:30 am EST, Thursday, Oct 7th
Room Assignment: Crystal A

Title of Abstract: Gelatin Hydrogel to Benchmark Patterns of Glioblastoma Invasion and Chemotherapeutic Resistance
Poster Hall Assignment Number:103
Title of Session:Poster Session F with Refreshment Break – Saturday PM
Session Date: 10/9/2021
Session Room Assignment:Exhibit Hall
Time:3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Track: Biomaterials
Theme: Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine
Presentation Title: Isolating the Effects of Amnion and Chorion Soluble Factors and Matrix on hMSC Osteogenic Response
Presenter: Vasiliki (Aliki) Kolliopoulos, Ph.D. candidate
Session Time: Throughout BMES conference
Room Assignment: Virtual

Aliki, Alec, and Victoria each won research funding to help develop and commercialize a new technology. Aliki pitched a three dimensional high-throughput array based on the mineralized collagen scaffolds for the rapid downselection of structure-property relationships. Alec pitched a gradient hydrogel platform for the regeneration of cartilage inspired by the growth plate. Victoria pitched a hydrogel platform for high-throughput glioblastoma research. Congratulations!

Dr. Harley is the PI of a new R01 research award from the National Institutes of Health entitled, ‘Mineralized collagen composite to accelerate craniofacial bone regeneration.’ Dr. Harley is leading a team, including Co-Investigators Dr. Justine Lee (UCLA) as well as Dr. Ramille Shah and Dr.  Adam Jakus (Dimension Inx) to develop a composite  biomaterial that blends surgical practicality and bioactivity so that it can be used off-the-shelf to improve implant integration and accelerate bone regeneration. Brendan, Justine and Ramille have been collaborators extended back almost two decades, and the #harleylab team is finally getting a chance to link the work of these great collaborators!

Congratulations to Samantha for winning the Society for Biomaterials 2021 Annual Meeting STAR award! The Student Travel Achievement Recognitions (STARs) recognize research excellence and develop future leaders within the Society for Biomaterials. Samantha won the STAR award with her amazing abstract and presentation titled “A Gelatin Hydrogel Model of the Endometrium and Trophoblast Invasion”.

Marley Dewey – she/her/hers (rapid fire, 3MT): “Antimicrobial drug delivery in infectious diseases” number 302

Vasiliki “Aliki” Kolliopoulos – she/her/hers (oral): “Modifying Mineralized Collagen Scaffolds to Modulate the Inflammatory Response in Craniomaxillofacial Defects and Enhance Bone Regeneration” session: Biomaterials-based strategies for endogenous tissue regeneration – 1

Samantha Zambuto – she/her/hers (oral): “A Gelatin Hydrogel Model of the Endometrium and Trophoblast Invasion” section: Biomaterials for Women’s and Fetal Health

Tori Barnhouse – she/her/hers (rapid fire): “Formation of a Primary Murine Perivascular Model to Study Hematopoietic Stem Cells In Vitro” number 519

Aleczandria Tiffany – she/her/hers (rapid fire): “Bioactive Alterations to Mineralized Collagen Scaffolds to Enhance Craniofacial Bone Repair” number 352

Sara Pedron – she/her/hers (oral): “Bioengineered Tissue Mimetic Hydrogels to Study Brain Tumor BiologyBioengineered Tissue Mimetic Hydrogels to Study Brain Tumor Biology” session: Engineered biomaterials for neural applications – 1

Congratulations to Aliki for passing her preliminary exams!