ABOUT THE SEMINAR
Designing Dynamic In Vitro Models of Pancreatic Cancer and Lymphatic Vasculature
Tissue engineering strategies can be used to design in vitro models that capture complex changes in pathological tissue microenvironments. We are primarily interested in fibrosis, which causes significant extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling that impacts disease progression and treatment, specifically in pancreatic cancer and conditions affecting lymphatic vasculature. This remodeling is dynamic and produces altered bulk and local ECM biophysical properties (e.g., stiffness, microstructure, biodegradability), and our current focus is to control progressive ECM stiffening of methacrylated type I collagen to mimic fibrosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and fibrotic tissue surrounding lymphatic vessels. We investigate the overall impact of temporal changes in ECM stiffness on invasive cell phenotypes, malignant transformation in pancreatic cells, cell-cell interactions and crosstalk, and lymphatic capillary growth and function. With controlled manipulation of biomaterial properties, we aim to improve in vitro model design to increase understanding of fibrosis in disease for improved patient care.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Catherine Whittington, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Dr. Catherine F. Whittington is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) where her research group uses biomaterials to capture dynamic physical changes in tissue microenvironments surrounding pancreatic tumors and lymphatic vasculature. Dr. Whittington’s research is funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award, Genentech Research Award, National Science Foundation, and National Cancer Institute. Dr. Whittington completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Cancer Cell Signaling at Eli Lilly and Company after receiving her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University. She also holds a BS in Biomedical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University.
ABOUT THE BME SEMINAR SERIES
The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University is proud to host an annual weekly seminar series on the latest developments and research in Biomedical Engineering. The weekly series takes place on Friday mornings at 11:00 AM Eastern and includes a variety of renowned academics from top universities to talk about their specific research and experience. This is a hybrid event.
