CAREER: Integrated Research and Educational Program in Cellular Mechanics in Biomedical Engineering

9985338 Wong这个职业项目涉及细胞力学的综合研究和教育计划的发展。这项研究的中心假设是，细胞具有一种特殊的机制来感知环境的顺应性。为了验证这一假设，将开发具有定义的化学和机械性质的基质，并使用光学显微镜、图像处理和数据分析来评估各种细胞系的反应。这项工作将有助于推进我们对基质的化学和物理性质在控制细胞-基质相互作用中的相对重要性的理解。教育计划的目标是在本科和研究生阶段发展生物材料科学和工程的教育重点。学生将获得与生物医学应用相关的聚合物材料的各种特性的实验室实践经验。具体的教育创新包括采用互动式教学方法，从同侪指导;文献的批判性审查;和互动与外部代表从生物医学工程的各个方面。外联将通过波士顿大学的路径计划实现，该计划鼓励当地高中女生从事科学和工程职业。

9985338WongThis career project involves the development of an integrated research and educational program in cellular mechanics. The central hypothesis of the research is that cells possess a specific mechanism to sense the compliance of their environment. To test this hypothesis, substrata with defined chemical and mechanical properties will be developed, and the responses of a variety of cell lines will be evaluated using optical microscopy, image processing and data analysis. This work will help advance our understanding of the relative importance of chemical and physical properties of the substrata in governing cell-substrate interactions. The goal of the education plan is to develop an educational thrust in biomaterials science and engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Students will gain hands-on laboratory experience with the various properties of polymeric materials relevant for biomedical applications. Specific education innovations include incorporation of interactive teaching methods adapted from Peer Instruction; critical review of the literature; and interactions with outside representatives from the various aspects of biomedical engineering. Outreach will be achieved via Boston University's Pathways Program, which encourages local high school women to pursue careers in science and engineering.