End of Semester Lab Wrap Up

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As we near the end of the semester, it is important to look back and reflect on our lab members’ accomplishments this spring. Marylyn presented her research titled, “Machine Learning-Powered Support for Extrusion Bioprinting” at undergraduate research day on campus. (See picture below for her research poster). Another one of our other undergrads, Niva, won the ASPIRE award this semester! The ASPIRE program seeks to broaden the educational experience of undergraduate engineering students through direct involvement in real-world engineering projects. The ASPIRE award offers students the resources needed to engage in meaningful research under the guidance of an engineering faculty or staff mentor.

Graduate students Ryan, Lexi, and Pieper will also give oral presentations at the International Biomedical Engineering conference in Greece in late May, so look forward to another update later on their trip.

Kristen Bradish, Julia Fitlin, Sarang Han, and Paige Wilcox are all graduating this semester with undergraduate degrees in engineering. As Kristen has been the lab website manager for the past three years, undergraduate Henry will now take over website updates.

Shannon has published her last paper from the lab! “Osteoblast-Mesenchymal Stem Cell Coculture Drives In Vitro Osteogenesis in 3D Bioprinted Periosteum” is now online in Tissue Engineering Part A! This work was led by PhD student Shannon McLoughlin and her undergraduate student Paige Wilcox. They explored which cell types are critical to incorporate into tissue-engineered periosteum to enhance osteogenesis in the adjacent bone tissue. This was modeled in 2D and 3D bioprinted co-cultures. They observed that a mixed population of osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells upregulates runt-related transcription factor (RUNX2) expression and matrix mineralization, which are key markers of bone matrix development. Congratulations to all the authors, and check out the paper at: https://doi.org/10.1089/ten.tea.2025.0038!

Congrats to everyone on their accomplishments this spring!

Shannon McLoughlin Aces Defense

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On March 13th, Shannon McLoughlin successfully defended her dissertation and was awarded her PhD! Shannon started in the lab in the fall of 2019 right after finishing her undergraduate degree in Bioengineering at Syracuse University. Shannon earned the Clark Doctoral Fellowship and began her research in 4D bioprinting for the generation of tissue-engineered periosteum. Her work was published in a review paper in ACS Applied Bio Materials, as well as 3 first-author publications in Advanced Healthcare Materials, the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, and Tissue Engineering Part A (In press). She also published a book chapter and 7 other co-authored publications throughout her time in the lab. Shannon presented her research at 8 different international and national conferences, including in Italy and New Zealand! Her graduate research also awarded her the Fischell Doctoral Fellowship in the fall of 2023. Beyond her work in the lab, Shannon served on the BIOE Graduate Student Society board (BGSS) for 3 years, participated in various mentoring programs, and was the social media editor for the Tissue Engineering Journals. After graduation, she intends to work in industry to further her research skills and interests. Congrats, Shannon!

Story provided by Shannon McLoughlin

Celebrating New and Current Graduate Students

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The past few months have been brimming with exciting news. From breakout BMES presentations to thoughtful thesis proposals, here’s a look at what the lab’s students have accomplished this academic year.

The BMES conference last fall allowed many members of the lab to present their cutting-edge research to a wide audience of scientific minds. From undergraduate to graduate students, here are the people who made a splash at the 2024 BMES conference held in Baltimore, Maryland:

Pieper Holeman presented his work on placenta transport, specifically looking at sexually dimorphic in vitro models. Amal Shabazz, Lexi Christensen, and Ryan Felix are three other graduate students who participated in the poster session. Undergraduates Laena Nho and Sarang Han presented work related to their independent study and summer lab work.

Pieper Holeman describes his
research to conference attendees
Sarang Han presents her work from the
University of Maryland, School of Medicine

More recently, Ryan Felix successfully proposed his thesis, officially making him a PhD candidate. More information about Ryan’s Machine Learning project can be found in the Research section of the website.

Shannon McLaughlin also published her second paper and is on her way to publishing her third. We wish Shannon the best of luck as she prepares to defend her thesis later this spring.

Featured in Engineering at Maryland: Built for Breakthrough

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In the latest issue of Engineering at Maryland: Built for Breakthrough, Amal Shabazz and Lexi Christensen are acknowledged for their work in advancing breast reconstruction. See below for the entire story:

More than 100,000 women undergo mastectomies each year to treat or prevent breast cancer. Though the procedure can be lifesaving, its emotional toll can be devastating: More than two-thirds of patients say the changes in their bodies led them to experience significant psychological distress. While breast reconstruction can help, the process is incomplete at best, in part because there are few methods to effectively recreate the pigmented area of the breast known as the nipple-areolar complex (NAC). Many women feel that tattoos, a common solution, are a far from perfect replacement. That may soon change, thanks to efforts led by graduate students Lexi Christensen and Amal Shabazz, who work in John Fisher’s laboratory within the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. Christensen, Shabazz, and Fisher have developed a promising 3D-printed NAC that pairs non-degradable materials to support the NAC’s shape and mechanical properties with degradable biomaterials that support the growth of connective tissue and blood vessels within the implant. The work offers a level of sophistication that was all but impossible to create previously, says Fisher. “3D printing can precisely assemble many materials and many cell types into an object in ways that can’t be replicated by other processes,” he says. “We can use printing to build tissues that approach the complexity of our own tissues.” Their efforts are gaining momentum: After securing initial support from an NIH grant, Fisher and his team are partnering with a local Maryland company to help build implants ready for FDA approval—and patient use—before 2030.

The story was adapted from the Engineering at Maryland Fall/Winter 2024 issue.

BIOE Ph.D. Student Elected to BMES Board of Directors

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Bioengineering Ph.D. student Amal Shabazz was recently elected as a Student Representative to the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Board of Directors.

Shabazz is a graduate researcher in the Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials Lab (TEBL), led by Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) Chair and Distinguished Professor John P. Fisher. In the lab, Shabazz works to 3D print tissue and implants for breast cancer patients. An active student, NSF GRFP fellow, researcher, and advocate, Shabazz is excited to join the BMES Board of Directors to amplify the voices of students and promote ideas that support underrepresented groups in biomedical engineering.

Shabazz’s journey into biomedical engineering began from birth, inspired by her mother’s development of Rh-incompatibility, a potentially life-threatening condition that causes the immune system to attack the fetus’ red blood cells during pregnancy. She enrolled at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) with the intention of understanding the function of the body and the role of the immune system in recognizing and responding to foreign substances. As she progressed into more specialized classes in tissue engineering during her junior and senior years, her interest and comfort with the material grew. Shabazz was particularly drawn to tissue engineering as it aligned with her goal of directly impacting the lives of underrepresented patients through innovative medical solutions.

During her undergraduate years, Shabazz joined a research lab focused on tissue engineering, where she worked on projects related to osteochondral and neural tissue engineering. This hands-on experience solidified her desire to pursue a Ph.D., where she could have greater autonomy and contribute meaningfully to research projects.

Shabazz’s decision to pursue a Ph.D. was influenced by mentors like her undergrad research advisor, Dr. Treena Livingston Arinzeh, a trailblazer, accomplished researcher, and professor in biomedical engineering who inspired Shabazz. “I think a lot of what held me back—and what pulls other people back—is not having the experience of working with somebody that looks like them in the field, which makes them feel like their goals are unattainable,” Shabazz explains. “I think that having an opportunity to work with somebody like Dr. Arinzeh was very inspirational for me.”

Dr. Fisher—Shabazz’s current Ph.D. research advisor at UMD—recommended her for the BMES Board of Directors election. He highlighted her dedication, leadership, and passion for addressing health disparities through her research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. He emphasizes Shabazz’s commitment to advancing underrepresented students in STEM fields and her proactive involvement in promoting diversity and inclusion within the bioengineering department, where she is a member of the BIOE Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee.

“From the first time I spoke to her during the graduate school interview process, she expressed her curiosity by asking thought-provoking questions about my research and about how she could lead the UMD bioengineering community,” Fisher says. “I quickly recognized her unwavering inclination toward learning and her genuine interest in working toward the creation of life-changing medical solutions.”

In addition to her academic journey, Shabazz was actively involved in organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) as an Academic Excellence Chairperson and the Black Student Union (BSU) as the Vice President during her undergraduate years. These experiences provided her with a supportive community and leadership opportunities that strengthened her skills academically and personally.

Shabazz’s current research at UMD focuses on 3D printing nipple-areola complexes for breast cancer patients who have undergone mastectomy surgeries. Her project aims to develop a functionalized implant that can integrate with host tissue and maintain projection over time, offering an alternative to current surgical approaches.

Looking ahead, Shabazz envisions using tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to address healthcare disparities in minority communities. She aims to develop therapies that are accessible and effective across diverse populations, emphasizing the importance of representation and inclusivity in biomedical research.

Congrats, Amal!

Story adapted from the Fischell Department of Bioengineering.