DMSE Fall 2026 Seminar Series: Designing Materials for Human Tissue Mimics

Sarah Heilshorn, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, will give a talk titled "Designing Materials for Human Tissue Mimics" as part of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering's Fall 2026 Seminar Series. Abstract: During development and disease, a cell's behavior is directly influenced by the biochemistry and biomechanics of its surrounding material. Thus, when designing human tissue models, ideally each tissue type would be cultured in its own customizable biomaterial that matches the specific developmental stage or disease state found in vivo. To fulfill this need, my lab is designing bespoke biomaterials with tunable biochemical and biomechanical properties that can be tailored to mimic a range of conditions. In one demonstration, I present a family of dynamic biomaterials that support the growth of patient-derived pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma \(PDAC\) organoids. Through control of the matrix, we find that PDAC becomes significantly more resistant to chemotherapy in response to stiffer materials. Excitingly, this chemoresistance is reversible, with PDAC regaining sensitivity to frontline chemotherapy upon softening of the matrix. In a second example, I present a protein-engineering strategy to design biomaterials that "trick" cells into signaling as if they are surrounded by other cells. These materials create artificial stem cell niches that preserve the stemness of encapsulated neural progenitor cells, enabling the scalable biomanufacturing of neural spheroids and organoids. Biography: Sarah Heilshorn is a professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University, where she is also a Bass University Fellow in Undergraduate Education. Her laboratory integrates concepts from materials science and protein engineering to design new, bioinspired materials for 3D bioprinting, regenerative medicine, and human tissue modeling. Her recognitions include the Senior Scientist Award from the International Society for Biofabrication, a New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health, and the Career Award from the National Science Foundation. She is an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and serves as an editor for Acta Biomaterialia and on the board of directors for the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Americas chapter.