The translation of in vivo biological processes—like tissue culturing, organoid development, and vasculature growth— to ex vivo microfluidic platforms for research applications has facilitated a greater understanding of human anatomy and pathology. I have been able to work on a multitude of biologically-inspired microdevices, most notably: a gut-on-a-chip, a lung-on-a-chip, a bacterial bioreactor, and a capillary bed for drug testing.

During my term as a laboratory manager at Washington University in St. Louis, I led several collaborative projects bringing together different disciplines to develop experimental microfluidic devices that replicate anatomical functions. By replicating in vivo conditions, with devices such as the µBEC platform, researchers can get a better understanding of cell-level events.

Use of biomimetic microdevices has assisted the testing of candidate pharmaceutical compounds through preliminary phases of the FDA process by receiving critical Phase 0 data.