News

CARE Director Guillermo Ameer elected to the National Academy of Medicine. Congratulations to Dr. Ameer for his election to the NAM. Read more, National Academy of Medicine. Read more, Feinberg School of Medicine, Read more, McCormick School of Engineering.

Ameer lab invented biomaterial technology moves from lab bench to the orthopaedic market. Read more.

Former Ameer lab member, Josephine Allen, won 2021 BMES award. Congratulations to Dr. Allen. Read more.

Dr. Ameer Named Fellow of Materials Research Society. Read more.

Dr. Ameer Named 2021 Honoree, Academy of Distinguished Chemical Engineers. Read more.

De. Ameer Receives Clemson Award for Contributions to the Literature. Read more.

An innovative orthopedic medical device fabricated from a novel biomaterial pioneered in the laboratory of Northwestern University professor Guillermo A. Ameer has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in surgeries to attach soft tissue grafts to bone. Read more.

CARE will join UCLA, Harvard, and more at the Regenerative Engineering Society Symposium. This is a virtual symposium on December 1-3, 2020. Please register and submit your abstract soon! Read more.

After working in the Ameer lab first as a Postdoc, then as a Research Assistant Professor, Dr. Bin Jiang started her new career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern University beginning on September 1st, 2020. Congratulations to Dr. Jiang! Dr. Jiang’s contribution to the Ameer lab is not only limited to her publications. She showed other young scientists how to think, how to work, and how to apply for grants from different funding sources. Most importantly, she showed other young scientists how to improve themselves step by step to become a faculty member. Thanks to Dr. Jiang for all your efforts to the Ameer lab and the CARE center. Best wishes to your future career! Visit her new lab!.

Professor Ameer has been named 2019 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Read more.

Summer studnets present their work at the CARE REM Luncheon. Congratulations! See photo.

Former undergraduate researchers Wenzel and Ali graduate from Northwestern University! Congratulations! See photo.

Prof. Ameer receives University’s annual Walder Award Congratulations, Prof. Ameer!Read more.

PhD student Jacqueline Burke was awarded the Dr. John N. Nicholson Fellowship! Congratulations, Jacquelilne!

Dr. Bin Jiang received a Career Development Award from the American Heart Association for her project titled “Restoring vascular endothelial functions for diabetic patients with peripheral artery disease.” Congratulations, Dr. Jiang!

Ameer lab alumn, Dr. Simona Morochnik was accepted as a summer research scholar at UCSF's RIDR program for Biomedical Imaging. Congratulations, Dr. Morochnik!

Prof. Ameer and Prof. Cao receive pins and certificates at American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. See photo.

PNAS article showcased in 2018 in Stricking Scientific Images Read more.

Ameer Lab Alumn Jian Yang named National Academy of Inventors fellow Read more.

Prof. Ameer has been elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Read more.

Assistent Professor Bin Jiang: ATVB Early Career Investigator Award Finalist at American Heart Assocation Scientific Sessions. See photo.

Post-doc Xinlong Wang was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship by the American Heart Association. Congratulations Xinlong!

Post-doc Anthony Petty joins the Ameer Group! Welcome Anthony! Learn more about Anthony.

Prof. Ameer was awarded "Key to the City" of Panama City, Panama! Congratulations Prof. Ameer! Read more.

Sherry Zhu’s paper on peptide-functionalized PPCN for wound healing in diabetes was accepted to PNAS. The work was also featured by McCormick News in Engineering here. Read more.

Banu Akar was awarded a Postdoctoral Fellowship by the American Heart Association. Congratulations Banu!

A paper in collaboration with Drs. Russell Reid and Tong-Chuan He at The University of Chicago was accepted to ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Read more.

Dr. Ameer’s center, the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering (CARE) officially launched today. Find out more about this exciting new initiative.

The Symposium on Regenerative Engineering, the inaugural event of Dr. Ameer’s Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering (CARE), concluded successfully today! Read more.

Dr. Ameer and his work establishing the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering (CARE) were featured in McCormick Engineering’s magazine for the spring issue. Read more.

Paul Puglisi successfully defended his thesis for his Master’s in Biomedical Engineering today. Congrats Paul!

Dr. Ameer was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. Congratulations! Read more.

Jacqueline Burke was awarded a Graduate Research Fellowship by the National Science Foundation. Congratulations Jacqueline! Read more.

Banu Akar and Robert van Lith’s work on vascular grafts preventing intimal hyperplasia is featured on the cover and in an editorial in Journal of Controlled Release. Read more.

Our work on 3D-printed stents was featured by Materials Today. Read more.

A paper by Sherry Zhu, titled “Copper Metal–Organic Framework Nanoparticles Stabilized with Folic Acid Improve Wound Healing in Diabetes,” was accepted to ACS Nano. Read more.

Simona Morochnik’s paper, titled “A Thermoresponsive, Citrate-based Macromolecule for Bone Regenerative Engineering,” was accepted to Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. Read more.

A paper in collaboration with Dr. Melina Kibbe’s group, titled “Inhibiting intimal hyperplasia in prosthetic vascular grafts via immobilized all-trans retinoic acid,” was accepted to Journal of Controlled Release. Read more.

Dr. Ameer was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Congratulations! Read more.

Dr. Ameer and our lab were featured by Northwestern Engineering!

Northwestern Engineering feature video on the Ameer Lab.

Dr. Ameer’s article on regenerative engineering was featured in R&D magazine. Read more.

Banu Akar’s paper in collaboration with Dr. Cheng Sun’s group, titled “High-speed on-demand 3D printed bioresorbable vascular scaffolds,” was accepted to Materials Today Chemistry. Read more.

A paper by Simona Morochnik was accepted to Soft Matter, titled “Structural behavior of competitive temperature and pH-responsive tethered polymer layers.” Read more.

Bin Jiang’s paper, titled “Vascular scaffolds with enhanced antioxidant activity inhibit graft calcification”, was accepted to Biomaterials. Read more.

A paper in collaboration with Dr. Russell Reid’s group at the University of Chicago, titled “Neural EGF-like protein 1 (NELL-1): Signaling crosstalk in mesenchymal stem cells and applications in regenerative medicine,” was accepted to Genes & Diseases. Read more.

Dr. Ameer was appointed to the Daniel Hale Williams Professorship. Congratulations! Read more.

A paper by Bin Jiang, titled “Assessment of an engineered endothelium via single-photon emission computed tomography,” was accepted in Biotechnology and Bioengineering. Read more.

A paper in collaboration with Dr. Cheng Sun in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern, titled “3D-printed bioresorbable vascular scaffolds: an important step towards personalizing vascular medical devices?” was accepted for publication in Expert Review of Precision Medicine and Drug Development. Read more.

A paper by Banu Akar in collaboration with Dr. Cheng Sun in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern, titled “Fabrication Speed Optimization for High-resolution 3D-printing of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds,” was accepted for publication in Procedia CIRP. Read more.

Eunji Chung’s work on ligament reconstruction materials featured on the cover of the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. Read more.

Our work in bone regeneration was featured in Science Daily and Futurism magazine!

Sherry Zhu’s work on a paper titled “Repair of critical sized cranial defects with BMP9-transduced calvarial cells delivered in a thermoresponsive scaffold,” in collaboration with the University of Chicago was accepted for publication in PLOS One. Read more.

A paper titled “A Tailorable In Situ Light-Activated Biodegradable Vascular Scaffold” in collaboration with Dr. Melina Kibbe at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern was accepted in Advanced Materials Technologies. Read more.

A paper titled “Notch Signaling Augments BMP9-Induced Bone Formation by Promoting the Osteogenesis-Angiogenesis Coupling Process in Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs)” in collaboration with Drs. Tong-Chuan He and Wei Huang at the Univeristy of Chicago was accepted in Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. Read more.

A paper by Jisheng Xiao, titled “A Cooperative Copper Metal–Organic Framework-Hydrogel System Improves Wound Healing in Diabetes,” was accepted in Advanced Functional Materials. Read more.

A paper by Bin Jiang, titled “Targeting Heparin to Collagen within Extracellular Matrix Significantly Reduces Thrombogenicity and Improves Endothelialization of Decellularized Tissues,” was accepted in Biomacromolecules. Read more.

A paper by Robert van Lith was accepted in Advanced Materials Technologies, titled “3D-Printing Strong High-Resolution Antioxidant Bioresorbable Vascular Stents.” Read more.

Our work in 3D printing in collaboration with Dr. Cheng Sun was featured on 3DPrint.com and 3Ders.org.

UV-initiated 3D printing of a vascular stent from biomaterial “ink.”

Dr. Ameer discussed our work in diabetic wound healing with Northwestern McCormick News and Med Device Online.

Sherry Zhu’s paper, titled “Sustained release of stromal cell derived factor-1 from an antioxidant thermoresponsive hydrogel enhances dermal wound healing in diabetes,” was accepted to the Journal of Controlled Release. Read more.

Sherry Zhu’s work in collaboration with Drs. Tong-Chuan He and Russell Reid at the University of Chicago and Dr. Dongsheng Zhou at Shandong Provincial Orthopaedics Hospital, titled “Sustained release of stromal cell derived factor-1 from an antioxidant thermoresponsive hydrogel enhances dermal wound healing in diabetes,” was accepted to the American Journal of Translational Research. Read more.

A paper by Bin Jiang, titled “Mechanocompatible Polymer-Extracellular-Matrix Composites for Vascular Tissue Engineering,” was featured in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Read more.

A paper titled “A thermoresponsive polydiolcitrate-gelatin scaffold and delivery system mediates effective bone formation from BMP9-transduced mesenchymal stem cells” including the work of Sherry Zhu in collaboration with the University of Chicago was accepted to Biomedical Materials. Read more.

Our work on hydroxyapatite-composite polymers for bone and tendon repair was featured on ABC News! Read more.

Science Daily featured our work on engineering vascular grafts to reduce post-operative scarring. Read more.

A paper by Robert van Lith and Xuesong Wang titled “Biodegradable Elastomers with Antioxidant and Retinoid-like Properties” was accepted in ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering. Read more.

Robert van Lith received an honorable mention award in the NUANCE Center's scientific images contest. Read more.

A paper in collaboration with Dr. Russell Reid at the University of Chicago, titled “Stem cells, growth factors and scaffolds in craniofacial regenerative medicine,” was accepted to Genes & Diseases. Read more.

Another paper by Bin Jiang was accepted to Stem Cells and Development, titled “SIRT1 Overexpression Maintains Cell Phenotype and Function of Endothelial Cells Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.” Read more.

Mazen Albaghdadi has finished his research fellowship and is moving to Boston to start as an Interventional Cardiology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. It was great having you in the lab, Mazen, and good luck in this next step!

Jian Yang is leaving the lab and moving back to China to pursue his next career steps. Great work developing new materials in our lab Jian, and good luck

Zdravka Cankova is leaving the Ameer lab to pursue a career in industry. You will be missed in the lab, Zdravka, but we wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

Our research on transforming commonly-used drug protamine was highlighted by: eurekalert.org, sciencedaily.com, and surgicalproductsmag.

A paper by Bin Jiang was accepted to Acta Biomaterialia, titled “A polymer-extracellular matrix composite with improved thromboresistance and recellularization properties.” Read more.

Another paper by Robert van Lith was accepted, this time in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, titled “Diazeniumdiolation of protamine sulfate reverses mitogenic effects on smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts.” Read more.

Our work on biomaterials with intrinsic antioxidant properties was featured in Biomaterials Forum 39(4), the quarterly magazine from the Society for Biomaterials (pp. 14–15). Read more.

Michele Jen successfully defended her PhD thesis: “Investigating the role of Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) in the context of regenerative medicine for vascular and dermal wound healing.” Michele will move back to Dallas to start her career in industry. Congrats Michele, fantastic work and we will miss you!

Our research was featured in national news media! Fox News highlights our recent research on ACL replacements. Read more.

Dr. Ameer was named a BMES Fellow for demonstrated exceptional achievement and experience in Biomedical Engineering. Congrats!

A paper co-authored by Robert van Lith and Jian Yang was accepted in Biomacromolecules, titled “A thermo-responsive biodegradable polymer with intrinsic antioxidant properties.” Read more.

Jian Yang received a postdoctoral research award from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, nice work Jian!

Robert van Lith successfully defended his PhD thesis: “Developing biomaterials for the attenuation of oxidative stress.” Robert will stay on to continue work on antioxidant products. Congrats Robert, great work!

Another paper by Gali Baler was accepted, this time to Biomacromolecules, titled “Albumin hydrogels formed by electrostatically triggered self-assembly and their drug delivery capability.” Read more.

Our lab’s research on intrinsically antioxidant biomaterials was highlighted by: sciencedaily.com, eurekalert.org, bio-medicine.org, sciencenewsline.com, R&D Magazine, medicalxpress.com, and others.

A paper by Gali Baler was accepted to Biomaterials Science, titled “Advanced Nanocomposites for Bone Regeneration.” Read more.

A paper by Robert van Lith was accepted to Biomaterials, titled ”Engineering biodegradable polyester elastomers with antioxidant properties to attenuate oxidative stress in tissues.” Read more.

Bin Jiang received the prestiguous Postdoctoral Fellowship from the American Heart Association, as well as a postdoctoral award from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, fantastic work Bin!

At BME Research Day 2014, Gali Baler won the Research Progress Award. Congratulations; a great way to get recognition for his awesome Ph.D. work!

Sherry Zhu successfully defended her M.S. thesis. Congratulations Sherry on getting your M.S. degree! We’re happy to announce that Sherry will continue her work in our lab as a Ph.D. student.

Gali Baler successfully defended his thesis on April 9, 2014. Congratulations Gali on getting your Ph.D.!

Robert van Lith received a STAR Award from the Society for Biomaterials for his submission to the Annual Meeting 2014. Congratulations!

A paper by Gali Baler was accepted in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B, titled “Electrostatic unfolding and interactions of albumin driven by pH changes: a molecular dynamics study.” Read more.

A paper by former postdoc Elaine Zhang and former research professor Karen Lapidos was published in Artificial Organs, titled “A receptor-based bioadsorbent to target advanced glycation end products in chronic kidney disease.” Read more.

Karen Lapidos will leave the Ameer Lab to start her role as Associate Director at NU’s Office of Research Development. Congrats Karen on your new job, you will be thoroughly missed!

Jian Yang, Gali Baler, Robert van Lith and Dr. Ameer all gave well-received talks at BMES 2013 in Seattle.

Ryan Lam won the poster award in the Comprehensive Transplant Center's Basic Science category. Congrats!

Robert van Lith was featured in the spring issue of McCormick Magazine. Read more.

Raman Michael was selected as a Chemistry of Life Processes Summer Scholars Fellow; congrats!

Ryan Lam received First Place with his poster in the 2013 Undergraduate Research and Arts Exposition, in the Natural Sciences and Engineering category. Congrats!

A paper was accepted by Proceedings of the National Academies of Science USA, titled “Cotransplantation with specific populations of spina bifida bone marrow stem/progenitor cells enhances urinary bladder regeneration.” Read more.

A paper by former post-doc Ying Wang was accepted for publication in Biomaterials Science, titled “Photo-crosslinked biodegradable elastomers for controlled nitric oxide delivery.” Read more.

Ryan Lam won the MSSRP Outstanding Poster Award for his poster titled “Donstruction of Thromboprotective Grafts Using Tissue Decellularization.” Congrats Ryan!

At BME Research Day 2012, Gali Baler received 2nd place in the poster competition, while Robert van Lith received the Thomas K. Goldstick award for BME teaching. Congratulations to both, a nice haul for the Ameer lab!

Michele Jen received the American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship. Great news, congratulations!

Ryan Hoshi successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis on May 25th, a fantastic accomplishment! Ryan will start his new job at the FDA in November. Congrats Ryan and all the best in your future career!

Gali Baler received the Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) for his project titled “Electrostatically triggered hydrophobic self-assembly of protein hydrogels.” A great feat, congratulations!

Robert van Lith has been selected for the Kellogg Management for Scientists and Engineers program, congratulations!

Eunji Chung’s paper on the new “Low pressure foaming” technique was featured on the cover of the journal Tissue Engineering Part C: Methods. Read more.

Yi Ai graduated with a M.S. degree in Biotechnology and will start as a lab technician at Rush University in December. Congratulations on this achievement and we wish Yi all the best in her future career!

Elaine Zhang started her new position at Nanosphere Inc. We thank Dr. Zhang for all her hard work the past years and wish her all the best in her future endeavors!

Michele Jen received her M.S. Degree, congratulations! She will continue to pursue her Ph.D. Degree in the Ameer lab.

4 students of the Ameerlab received their degrees! Congratulations to Andrew McGrain (BS), Matt Sugimoto (BS), Gali Baler (MS) and Eunji Chung-Yoo (PhD) with their amazing achievements! Gali Baler will remain in the Ameerlab pursuing his PhD.

Frontispiece Feature article in the May 2011 issue of Advanced Materials: “Shape-Memory Polymers: Novel Biodegradable Shape-Memory Elastomers with Drug-Releasing Capabilities” with first author Conchi Serrano. Congratulations! Read more.

Dr. Ameer has been appointed a full professor, an enormous achievement, congratulations!

Tony Webb has been appointed Associate Professor in Biochemical Engineering at the University of Georgia, a big step in his career! Congrats to Tony and all the best in his future endeavors!

Conchi Serrano started her new position as a Post Doctoral Associate at the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid in December. Congratulations!

Michele Jen received an NIH Biotechnology Program Fellowship.

Elaine Zhang received the 2010 Baxter Innovation Award for her research in developing a novel extracorporeal bioadsorbent to selectively remove advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Gali Baler and Robert van Lith both passed their Ph.D. qualifying exams, congrats to both!

Gali Baler received his M.S. degree, congrats!

Tony Webb was named the 2010 Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Emerging Postdoctoral Entrepreneur. Tony won this award for being the co-founder, senior scientist, and lead development engineer of VesselTek (co-founded with Dr. Ameer).

Ryan Hoshi received an NIH-BTP Cluster Fellowship.

Michele Jen received a Professional Development award.

Dr. Ameer received a American Recovery and Reinvestment Act NIH Challenge Grant for the project: “A Revolutionary Therapy for Atherosclerosis: Liquid Cast Arterial Stents.”

Robert van Lith received an AHA Predoctoral Fellowship

Karen Lapidos received an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act NIH Award: “Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Diabetes and Renal Failure.”

Adam Matsil, working for Karen Lapidos, received a $4000 CLP Undergraduate Summer Scholars Fellowship.

Josephine Allen left the Ameer-lab to start her own lab as an assistant professor at the University of Florida. An amazing achievement, congratulations!