Title: The Force Awakens: Interfacial Transport and Mechanics in Soft Biomaterials

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2021 11:00AM-11:50AM

Abstract: Soft biomaterials are critically important in numerous applications, including healthcare, food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic products. Recent advances in polymer sciences enable a wide variety of novel hydrogels for new emerging applications, including tissue engineering, controlled drug delivery, smart sensors, stretchable and wearable electronics, and energy storage and conversion devices. However, it is still extremely challenging to design and engineer functional products and manufacturing processes of these soft materials. This is largely due to a limited understanding of interfacial transport and mechanics in soft materials. Moreover, the significance of transport and mechanics begins to be recognized in disease development and progression, so-called "mechanobiology." In this talk, I will present my group's research to understand and manipulate the transport and interfacial interactions in soft biomaterials. These include the development of microfluidic tumor models for drug discovery and screening for anti- cancer drugs, measurement of injection-induced pain of biologics, and 3D printing of hydrogels.