11/14 – Shelly Peyton, Tufts University
Biomedical Engineering Seminar
November 14, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location
BME Seminar in SEO 236
Address
851 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607
Calendar
Download iCal FileSpeaker:
Shelly R. Peyton, PhD
Professor and Department Chair
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (Adjunct)
Member, Genetics, Molecular & Cellular Biology graduate program
Tufts University
Title: Tissue-Inspired Synthetic Biomaterials and Applications in Cancer
Abstract: Improved experimental model systems are critically needed to better understand cancer progression and bridge the gap between lab bench proof-of-concept studies, validation in animal models, and eventual clinical application. Many methods exist to create biomaterials, including hydrogels, which we use to study cells in contexts more akin to what they experience in the human body. Our lab has multiple approaches to create such biomaterials, based on combinations of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with peptides and zwitterions. In this presentation, I will discuss our synthetic approaches to building life-like materials, how we use these systems to grow cells and understand how a cell’s environment, particularly the extracellular matrix regulates cancer cell growth, dormancy, and drug sensitivity.
Date posted
Aug 14, 2025
Date updated
Sep 5, 2025