Convergence Seminar
Samira Musah, PhD
The groundbreaking advantages of microfluidic organs-on-chips (OOCs) are transforming biomedical research and improving the translational power of in vitro systems. Recognizing their potential to transform medicine, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OOCs for use as preclinical study models, eliminating the mandate for animal testing before in-human clinical trials. This presentation will highlight advances in stem cell biology and patient-specific disease modeling enabled by OOCs. The talk will span the design principles and microengineering of OOCs with in vivo-like tissue morphogenesis and organ-level functions, as well as the use of these dynamic platforms to induce stem cell differentiation into desired cellular and tissue structures, uncover human disease mechanisms, and discover new therapeutic targets.
About the Speaker
Dr. Samira Musah is an Assistant Professor at Duke University, jointly appointed in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology. Research in her laboratory aims to understand the roles of molecular and biophysical cues in organ development and how these processes can be harnessed to understand disease mechanisms and develop new therapeutic strategies. She is known for developing novel methods for stem cell differentiation and engineering functional models of human tissues and organs.
Dr. Musah is a recipient of many prestigious research awards including the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, a Whitehead Scholarship in Biomedical Research, Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Transition Award, Baxter’s Young Investigator Award, Genentech Research Award, MEDx Biomechanics of Injury Repair Award, Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative Award, and HHMI Gilliam Advisor Award. She was featured in Cell Stem Cell Early-Career Researchers, Nature Biotechnology Outstanding & Trailblazing Researchers. She was named among the inaugural “100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America” by Cell Press and named a Rising Star in Biomedical Engineering at MIT.
Details
Dates
March 24, 2025Time
11:00am-12:00pm PDTLocation
Mahley Auditorium & OnlineThe Convergence Seminar is organized by Gladstone’s Institute for Data Science and Biotechnology. This seminar series brings together scientists from varying disciplines to solve complex scientific questions and accelerate the path to cures.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
At Gladstone, we are committed to providing events and professional development activities that resonate with our community’s diverse members. Our goal is to develop creative programming that encompasses a wide variety of ideas and perspectives to inspire, educate, and engage with everyone within our walls.
We want to effect positive change through our events and activities by providing a platform for discussions on important topics related to increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the sciences.