Update: Dr. Jillian Tengood Hillman has joined the laboratory of Dr. Robert Levy at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute as a Postdoctoral Fellow. Jillian will be researching the use of magnetic nanoparticles in combination with drug and cellular therapies for heart disease.
Research: Dr. Tengood's current research focuses on the use of magnetic nanoparticles in combination with drug and cellular therapies for heart disease. Her former research focused on the development of an externally regulated "synthetic capillary system" capable of providing angiogenesis promoters to a wound site in a temporal manner. This construct is expected to facilitate early tissue growth via the development of native vasculature. Porous hollow fibers fabricated from natural (e.g., cellulose) and custom-developed biodegradable elastomers will be used for this purpose. Specific Aims: (1) Fabrication and characterization of hollow fibers from natural and synthetic materials that demonstrate triggerable dissolution, (2) Controlled release from hollow fibers in vitro, and (3) In vitro and in vivo temporal delivery to promote angiogenesis using a "synthetic capillary.
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