Freddy Ward

The emergence of microphysiolgical systems made with human cells to mimic the structural and functional environment of human tissues and organs allows us to understand human health better and accelerate the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic tools. These systems are often installed with neural and brain cells to study brain physiology and pathogenesis. To produce such a “living” device, stem cells should be differentiated into neural cells in a defined and reproducible manner. Some protocols that are developed are given without robust scientific rationale and defined mechanisms. For instance, some people have been introducing an “induction” period between stem cell expansion and neural differentiation. What occurs differently on the biochemical and biophysical level during this induction phase, however, remains a black box. My current research focus is on characterizing and quantifying neural stem cell differentiation, especially during the induction phase. I leverage techniques and principles from biochemistry, chemical engineering, bioengineering, and mechanical engineering to try and open this black box to develop more efficient and reliable differentiation protocols for the production of neural networks.