Comparing Pericyte and Fibroblast Growth in Engineered Vascular Models
Mentors Project Description This project focuses on identifying the proliferation differences between pericytes and fibroblasts in co-culture with endothelial cells. The primary objective is to evaluate how different culturing methods, such as encapsulating stromal cells in bulk collagen gels versus layering them with endothelial cells on top of the gels, influence cell proliferation rates and […]
Engineering 3D Cardiac Muscle Rings (RET)
Mentors Project Description 3D engineered cardiac tissues are effective models for drug testing, disease modeling, understanding cardiac biomechanics, and biorobotics. However, building durable 3D standalone tissues and manipulating them for use in different assays are challenging due to insufficient or permanent anchoring. This project aims to propose an alternative anchoring strategy based on generating for […]
Video: Research Experiences for Teachers
Hear from past RET participants to learn about our Research Experiences for Teachers program!
Fabricating customizable anisotropic phantoms for the assessment of clinical optical technologies
Mentors Project Description Phantoms are used as analogues for tissue when testing and calibrating biomedical optical technologies. Most modern phantoms fail to replicate optical anisotropy found in tissues. As differences in anisotropic properties can be diagnostically relevant, producing phantoms with tunable anisotropy is a valuable unmet need. This project will involve iterative prototyping, testing, validation, […]
Explainable foundation model framework for Autism characterization from EEG signals.
Mentors Project Description Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is challenging to diagnose and characterize due to its heterogeneous behavioral presentation and complex neurobiological underpinnings. Electroencephalography (EEG) has shown promise for ASD characterization by capturing atypical neural oscillations and sensory processing dynamics that may serve as objective biomarkers of underlying brain function. However, traditional EEG analysis methods […]
Soft Robotic Gripper for Safe Manipulation
Mentors Project Description Our lab is developing large soft robotic arms for everyday manipulation tasks, incorporating safety-verified automation into their motions. We have prototypes of a large arm, but there is no gripper (robotic hand) at the end. This project will develop a three-fingered pneumatic soft gripper, made from the same manufacturing style as the […]
Building Better Tissues: Understanding Exercise-Induced Remodeling
Mentors Project Description RET educator will explore how mechanical loading from exercise fundamentally changes tissue structure and function—from the molecular signals that initiate remodeling to the cellular mechanisms that drive adaptation. Our lab investigates these questions across different tissues, ages, and conditions, examining both the beneficial adaptations that occur with appropriate exercise and the maladaptive […]
Developing biocompatible gold nanoparticles for non-invasive retinal stimulation
Mentors Project Description Retinal degenerative diseases are a leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Current retinal prostheses are predominantly solid-state implanted devices designed to evoke visual sensations in affected individuals. However, the resolution of existing systems remains severely limited. In addition, solid-state implants are constrained in size by the need for invasive surgical incisions, […]
Multimaterial 3D Printing of Multifunctional Materials
Mentors Project Description The Additive Assembly Laboratory (AAL) at BU has a variety of active projects that focus on multimaterial 3D printing of multifunctional materials, ranging from 4D printing (3D printing materials that change shape over time in response to a stimulus – time being the fourth axis), 3D printed optics, robots, soft electronics, and […]
In a Heartbeat
Mentors Project Description Engineered heart tissue holds promise as a key enabler to repair damaged human hearts. In his doctoral dissertation work our colleague Ruifeng Hu has discovered that we can improve the performance of these tissues by subjecting them to combined and synchronized electrical and mechanical stimulation that mimics the in vivo environment. That […]