Awarded in 2007
Home Department: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisors: Ellen Kuhl (Mechanical Engineering) and Beth Pruitt (Mechanical Engineering)

Research Title: Microfabricated tools for functional assessment of developing cardiomyocytes

Research Description: Stem cell-derived heart cells hold promise for creating therapeutic patches or "cellular bandaids" to heal the heart after a heart attack. In Rebecca’s research, she conditioned these cells using microfabricated, dynamic cell culture systems that mimic the electro-mechanical environment of the heart. She created tools to measure the forces generated by single stem cell-derived heart cells and to measure their electrical properties when cultured on heart-like soft stretching substrates. These measurements are critical for understanding the development and maturation in heart muscle. They can also tell us when stem cell-derived heart cells are ready for use in grafts and capable of assisting an ailing heart.

WHERE IS SHE NOW?

Rebecca is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.