Join the 🍊🍊C∪TE lab🍊🍊 [Santana]

tl;dr: To apply, complete this form by the URO deadline.

The Cell Biology, μfluidics, and Tissue Engineering (C∪TE) lab is hiring for next semester (and beyond)! Our interdisciplinary work focuses on designing tissue-engineered platforms and microfluidic technologies to understand cell biology and engineer solutions for human health.

As a researcher on this team, you will have the opportunity to collaborate on multidisciplinary teams to develop tools and generate knowledge:

• for investigating cellular function in biomimetic microenvironments (with the EV team) to uncover truths about cell-cell communication as mediated by extracellular vesicles. [hiring for the SPRING + SUMMER terms through NSF funding]

  • Through this work, the team:

    • designs and measures the properties of hydrogels using a shear rheometer 

    • cultures glial cells on the engineered hydrogel substrates

    • collects and examines the cargo of vesicles produced by cells in response to the hydrogel

  • Today we work to UNDERSTAND the relationship between cells and hydrogels on vesicle cargo. In the future we will work to CONTROL what cells produce by deploying material-associated signals. Information like this has the potential to inform future treatments for disease.

• Depending on interest, there are opportunities to participate in K12 outreach events associated with this work!

• for creating complex tissue models via bioprinting, to design a system that can produce complex biomaterials and tissue models. [hiring for the SPRING term, summer decisions pending]

  • Through this work, two teams:

    • build and evaluate electromechanical systems on a bioprinter for use with photoinitiated hydrogels (with the Bioprinter Team)

    • build and evaluate microfluidic devices for combining bioinks and use these models to validate results from computational fluid dynamics models that optimize their design (with the Micromixer team)

    • Today we have functioning printers and mixers that handle core functions and we are looking to expand the capabilities of the printer. In the near future, we will print complex, multi-material models and evaluate their performance through mechanical testing and cell-studies

To learn more about the lab's work, attend an Open House+Q&A Session (C∪TE lab Open House
Wednesday, November 19 at 5:30 – 6:30pm in Parsons 2390/2393). The goal of this session is to get your acquainted with the work and to get your questions answered.

To apply, complete this form by the URO deadline (Sunday, December 1 at 11:55PM). Submit a letter of intent, updated CV, and unofficial transcript.Submit a letter of intent, updated CV, and unofficial transcript. You must also provide the name of two references who can comment on your technical abilities and team work (especially on collaborative projects).

Once you apply, your materials will be reviewed and you may be invited to schedule an interview.

Note that students participating in research during the academic year will enroll in E191 (Advanced Problems in Engineering) during each term they are a member of the research team. Students should budget three hours, in addition to meetings, per week for each credit:

• 1 credit ≥ 3 hours/week + meetings

• 2 credits ≥ 6 hours/week + meetings

• 3 credits ≥ 9 hours/week + meetings

Participating students are encouraged to enroll in E191 for 2-3 credits per semester but, in certain limited cases, 1 credit per semester may be considered.