REU Site: Mechanobiology at VCU

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

The three-year REU site: Mechanobiology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) at the VCU College of Engineering is a 10-week program that will annually engage 10 undergraduates with faculty members in biomedical engineering research projects. Mechanobiology, which is the study of how mechanical signals are translated to chemical signals, is a rapidly expanding field of research. Every day, new studies demonstrate that mechanical signals affect cellular functions. These mechanical signals are critical players in understanding stem cell differentiation, embryonic development, fibrosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, immune response, lung disease, and many other biological processes. The field of mechanobiology requires a unique set of interdisciplinary skills. Each project will focus students on gaining interdisciplinary skills related to cell mechanics, drug delivery, pulmonary mechanics, and orthopedic regenerative medicine. Furthermore, participants will learn scientific methodology, statistics skills, research ethics, and the workings of collaborative biomedical research laboratories. All participants will become better prepared for graduate study or research careers in mechanobiology or related fields. A high priority is the recruitment and involvement of students from limited research institutions. The three-year REU site: Mechanobiology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) at the VCU College of Engineering is a 10-week program that will annually engage 10 undergraduates with faculty members in biomedical engineering research projects. This REU site has 3 goals: 1. To increase participation in mechanobiology research. 2. To provide opportunities to enhance scientific literacy and communication at the interface of engineering and life sciences. 3. To prepare participants for graduate study or research careers in mechanobiology or related fields. REU students will have access to developing cutting-edge research skills in mechanobiology including microfabrication techniques, mechanotransduction pathway analysis, cell-material interactions, and mechanically enabled drug delivery. Students will also participate in an outreach activity to develop and teach new hands-on activities to K-12 teachers so they can then teach engineering principles to K-12 students. At weekly meetings, participants will learn about research techniques, participate in journal clubs, and network with experts in mechanobiology. At the end of each summer, students will participate in a research symposium and submit abstracts to present their work at a national scientific meeting. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.