PhD
Associate Professor, Chemistry
UNC-Chapel Hill
Molecular Therapeutics
Area of Interest
Tissues and organs are three-dimensional structures of multiple cell types and extracellular matrices. These structures are spatially and temporally dynamic, with cells receiving regulatory cues from abiotic factors and intracellular signaling molecules. Current methods of cell culture rely on monolayers of cells grown on plasticware. While these cultures are easily prepared and analyzed, they lack the realistic tissue architectures and physiologically relevant microenvironments found in vivo. These simplistic models often cannot predict cellular responses to drugs, environmental toxins, or other extracellular signals.
We are preparing and characterizing new 3D culture platforms and measurement tools to meet these needs, focusing on tissue-representative microenvironments with materials and techniques readily accessible to any laboratory working with cells. We are particularly interested in answering questions about oxygen’s role in maintaining tissue homeostasis, directing cellular movement, and promoting aggressive and drug-resistant cancer phenotypes. In one approach, we construct thick tissue- or tumor-like structures by stacking paper layers containing cell-laden hydrogels. We can generate defined microenvironments with these paper-based cultures and relate oxygen tension to cellular responses to drugs or other external stimuli.
Awards and Honors
- Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility Rising Star Award, 2019
- Top 40 under 40 Power List, The Analytical Scientist, 2018
- BioAnalysis Zone New Investigator Award, 2017
- Eli Lilly Young Investigator Award in Analytical Chemistry, 2016
