Mugdha Pol successfully defended her thesis "Directing Cell Differentiation and Tissue Morphogenesis Using a Bioorthogonal Hydrogel Platform." Congratulations, Dr. Pol!

Our paper entitled "Dynamic modulation of matrix adhesiveness induces epithelial–to–mesenchymal transition in prostate cancer cells in 3D" is recognized by the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware as the best paper published between January 2023 and March 2024. Congratulations, Mugdha Pol and Hanyuan Gao! Mugdha, a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences, is noted as the recipient of the 2024 Carsons Best Graduate Student Publication Award.

Aditya Natu is selected as one of two inaugural Rama Marda Scholars, a new graduate fellowship at UD. Congratulations, Aditya!

Samiksha Udan, Stephen Frazier and Chris Duda joined the Jia Group. Welcome Samiksha, Stephen and Chris!

Olivia George successfully defended her thesis "Novel Hydrogel Microfibers and Microparticles via Interfacial Bioorthogonal Tetrazine Ligation." Congratulations, Dr. George!

Daniel Slusaw and Nayantikakumari Chaudhari joined the Jia Group. Welcome Daniel and Nayantika!

Eric successfully defended his thesis "Fine Tuning Matrix Structure and Bioactivity to Mediate 3D Assembly of Human Salivary Progenitor Cells." Congratulations, Dr. Fowler!

Our interdisciplinary project entitled "A Hydrogel-Based Cellular Model of the Human Vocal Fold" has been funded by NIH. Collaborators on this grant include Drs. Joseph Fox (University of Delaware, Chemistry and Biochemistry), Charles Dhong (University of Delaware, Materials Science and Engineering) and Susan Thibeault (U of Wisconsin Madison, Surgery). We welcome interested graduate students and postdocs to join us. See the NIH announcement.

Olivia George is a recipient of the 2019–2020 University Graduate Doctoral Fellowship. Congratulations, Olivia!

Anitha successfully defended her thesis "Regulating Cell Phenotype and Function Using Custom–Designed Synthetic Matrices." Congratulations, Dr. Ravikrishnan!

Aidan successfully defended his PhD thesis entitled "Directing Stem Cell Behavior in an Engineered Vocal Fold–Like Microenvironment". Congratulations, Dr. Zerdoum!

Eric Fowler is a recipient of the 2019–2020 University Dissertation Fellowship. Congratulations, Eric!

Anitha Ravikrishnan is a recipient of the 2018–2019 University Graduate Doctoral Fellowship Award. Congratulations, Anitha!

Dr. Xinqiao Jia is promoted to Full Professor.

The National Institutes of Health awards an R01 grant entitled "A Hydrogel–Based Cellular Model of the Human Vocal Fold" to the University of Delaware. Led by Prof. Xinqiao Jia and in collaboration with Profs. Joseph Fox (UD), Randall Duncan (UD), Susan Thibeault (University of Wisconsin) and Luc Mongeau (McGill University), this project seeks to develop an in vitro model of the human vocal fold using multilayered synthetic matrix with well–defined spatial gradients and tissue–like anisotropy and a dynamic culture device that recaptures the mechanical environments of the native tissue. The engineered tissue model can be used as a reliable platform for studying vocal fold physiology and pathology, as well as for the screening and testing of new treatment options. Please see the UDaily article for full details.

Our collaborative project with Drs. X. Lucas Lu, Joseph M. Fox and John Vorrasi, entitled "A Biomimetic Heterogeneous Synthetic Matrices for TMJ Condylar Cartilage Repair", has been funded by the Osteo Science Foundation. Please see the UDaily article for full details.

Vinu Krishnan successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis entitled "Bioengineering Targeted Nanodrugs for Hematologic Malignancies". Congratulations, Dr. Krishnan!

Sarah Geiger has been awarded the 2014 George W. Laird Merit Fellowship. Congratulations, Sarah!

Vinu Krishnan received the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) graduate award at the international Student Research Poster Presentation Competition held at ISPE's annual meeting in Washington, DC, November 3–6, 2013.

Longxi Xiao's work on "Hyaluronic Acid–Based Hydrogels Containing Covalently Integrated Drug Depots" is featured on ACS Weekly PressPac.

Swati Pradhan Bhatt’s work on salivary gland tissue engineering has been selected as the cover images for Tissue Engineering Part A, B and C. Congratulations Swati!

The Jia Group welcomes our new postdocs: Drs. Shuang Liu and Sam Lahasky.

Xian Xu's paper entitled "Hyaluronic Acid–Based Hydrogels: from a Natural Polysaccharide to Complex Networks" is one of the top 10 accessed Soft Matter articles of 2012. Congratulations Xian!

Xian Xu's paper entitled "Recreating the Tumor Microenvironment in a Bilayer, Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Construct for the Growth of Prostate Cancer Spheroids" has been highlighted in Prostate cell News (3.37, September 28) and Extracellular Matrix News (3.37, October 4), both published by Connexon Creative. Congratulations, Xian!

Xian Xu has been selected for a TA Instruments Graduate Student Presentation Award for his talk at the Polymeric Biomaterial Symposium at The 244^th American Chemical Society Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Congratulations, Xian!

UD partner in $2.5 million NIH grant to produce artificial salivary glands, UDaily

Xian Xu's paper entitled "Hyaluronic Acid–Based Hydrogels: from a Natural Polysaccharide to Complex Networks" has been identified as a ‘hot article’ for Soft Matter. Congratulations Xian!

Xian Xu is awarded the competitive UD Graduate Fellowship for the 2012/2013 academic year. Congratulations, Xian!

Alexandra Farran successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis entitled "Tissue Engineering of Vocal Fold Lamina Propria". Congratulations Dr. Farran!

Alexandra Farran and Sarah Grieshaber received 2011 MSEG Chairman's Award and Teaching Award, respectively.

Xinqiao Jia received the Delaware BioScience Association's Academic Research Award. "UD's Xinqiao Jia recognized for biomaterials research", UDaily

Amit Jha was selected to present his work at the "Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research" Symposium sponsored by the ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry (POLY). The symposium will take place at the Anaheim ACS meeting on Monday, March 28, 2011. The title of Amit's presentation is "Engineered Extracellular Matrices for Soft Tissue Engineering". Congratulations Amit!

Longxi Xiao won the MSEG Teaching Award for his excellent performance as a teaching assistant for MSEG 630/CHEG600.

Adyta Bose successfully defended his senior thesis entitled "Synthesis and Characterization of Block Copolymer Nanoparticles for the Controlled Release of Cancer Therapeutics".

Xiaoying Wang’s paper entitled "Amphiphilic Block Co–polyesters Bearing Pendant Cyclic Ketal Groups as Nanocarriers for Controlled Release of Camptothecin" was accepted for publication on Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition.

Xinqiao Jia gave an invited talk entitled "Synthesis and Characterization of Elastin Mimetic Hybrid Polymers with Alternating Molecular Architecture and Elastomeric Properties", at the Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting in San Francisco, CA.

Xinqiao Jia, together with 10 other researchers at UD, won a $10.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish UD’s Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) focusing on molecular Design of Advanced Biomaterials.

Sarah Grieshaber and Alexandra Farran’s work on the synthesis of elastin mimetic hybrid polymers and the engineering of functional vocal folds highlighted in the American Chemical Society weekly magazine, Chemical & Engineering News, "Hybrid Polymers for Healing Voices".

Xinqiao Jia receives a five–year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to develop technologies for the regeneration of vocal fold tissues. Link: Vocal Harmony, News Journal; "New UD Tissue–Engineering Research Focuses on Vocal Cords" UDaily.