Dr. Janet Zoldan
Seminar Information
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have become a crucial element in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. However, unlocking their full therapeutic potential requires new approaches for in-situ growth and differentiation into functional tissue. In this presentation, I will describe my labs efforts to control cell fate with material design. Toward this goal, we design three dimensional (3D) matrixes with tunable physical, chemical, and biological properties, providing a range of control signals. Utilizing these tools, my research program is centered around two specific goals: (i) deciphering the role of physical cues in the complex process of iPSCs differentiation into cardiovascular lineages, and (ii) developing microenvironments that mimic embryonic cardiovascular development and cardiovascular tissue formation. Our approach highlights the synergistic use of engineering and stem cell biology to create microenvironments conducive to developing specific cell types. These engineered environments provide a platform for fundamental research in tissue development, investigation of disease mechanisms, testing of drugs, and the development of solutions for regenerating ischemic tissue.
Dr. Zoldan earned her BSc degree in Chemistry from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and pursued her Master's degree and Doctorate in the Department of Materials Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, specializing in polymer science. Following her doctoral studies, she completed her postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she joined Dr. Robert Langer's lab. Her work in the Langer lab focused on delivering nucleic acids to human embryonic stem cells and microfluidic delivery of proteins.
In 2013, Dr. Zoldan joined The University of Texas at Austin as an Assistant Professor. Her lab's research centers around the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate the fundamental principles involved in cardiovascular tissue formation processes and regenerating ischemic tissue. Dr. Zoldan has received several prestigious awards for her research, including the Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association, the Alliance of Regenerative Rehabilitation Research and Training grant, and being named a 2017 Emerging Investigator by the Journal of Biomaterials Science.
Recently, she became an NIH Trailblazer awardee, recognizing her as an early-stage investigator with the potential to open new areas of biomedical investigation. In 2020, Dr. Zoldan was promoted to Associate Professor and now holds the Endowed William J. Murray, Jr. Fellowship in Engineering No. 3.