Ritu Raman, Ph.D.*
Postdoctoral Fellow
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 

“Biohybrid Design: Integrating Biological and Biomimetic Materials with Engineered Machines”

ABSTRACT
Biological materials dynamically sense and adapt their form and function to changing environments, but these capabilities have not been fully replicated in the synthetic materials traditionally used by engineers. My research has shown that integrating biohybrid and biomimetic materials with engineered systems yields devices capable of complex behaviors such as self-assembly, self-maintenance, and self-healing. These responsive behaviors are especially desirable in machines that interface with the dynamic human body, as they enable sensing and responding to individualized patient needs. This talk will cover my fundamental research in the field of biohybrid design, including: 1) Forward engineering of skeletal muscle bioactuators for adaptive biohybrid machines; 2) Design and implementation of smart responsive materials in implantable devices; 3) Micro-invasive tools for understanding cell-cell communication in complex 3D networks. These advances will enable my future lab to develop neuromuscular bioactuators for restoring motility in diseased or damaged bodily systems and actuating implantable devices. This talk will make the case that the next generation of biologically relevant machines must integrate our dynamic natural world with our own adaptive bodies.

BIOGRAPHY
Ritu Raman is an engineer, writer, and educator with a passion for introducing biohybrid materials and machines into the toolbox of every inventor. Ritu is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Langer Lab at MIT, funded by a Ford Foundation Fellowship from The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and a L’Oréal USA For Women in Science Fellowship. She holds many awards and honors, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Science list and the MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 list. Ritu is passionate about increasing diversity in STEM and has championed many initiatives to empower underrepresented groups in science, including being named a AAAS IF/THEN ambassador and founding the Women in STEM Database at MIT (WiSDM). Ritu received her B.S. magna cum laude from Cornell University in 2012, and her M.S. (2013) and Ph.D. (2016) as an NSF Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Host: Melissa Kemp

Thursday, January 23
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Emory HSRB bldg, E360
Video Conference: Whitaker 3115

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