Conference Schedule

Friday, April 10, 2026

9:00 – 10:00 AM
Breakfast, Registration, & Poster Setup
Mounting of posters for Poster Session I Location: BRC Pre-Function & Event Space
10:00 – 10:10 AM
Opening Remarks Location: BRC Auditorium
10:10 – 10:55 AM
Invited Speaker Session I
Location: BRC Auditorium
10:10 AM
“Engineering Therapeutic Technologies at the Interface of Biomaterials Science, Immune Engineering, and Reproductive Medicine”
Kelsey Swingle
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering
Rice University
10:25 AM
“3D-Salivary Tissue (3D-ST) Constructs Designed to Achieve Optimal Neurovascularization in Parotid Gland”
Cindy Farach-Carson
Professor, Associate Dean of Research
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
10:40 AM
“Engineering Brain-like Tissues to Study Neurological Diseases”
Dany Muñoz-Pinto
Associate Professor, Engineering Science
Trinity University
10:55 – 11:45 AM
Rapid Fire Session I Location: BRC Auditorium
10:55 AM "Vapor Phase Deposition of Electroactive Polymers on Electrospun Commodity Polymer Nanofibers for Energy Storage"
Shuvo Brahma
Texas State University

11:00 AM "Suspension Fabrication of Hydrogel Foams from Decellularized Tissue"
Madeline Laude
The University of Texas at Austin

11:05 AM "Poly (ethylene glycol) Immunogenicity: Does it Impact the Host Response to Hydrogels?"
Mahmood Zabihi
Texas A&M University

11:10 AM "Hemostatic Polyurethane Shape Memory Polymer Foams for Infection Prevention in Traumatic Wounds"
Ernest Emmanuel Obeng
Texas A&M University

11:15 AM First Session Q & A

11:20 AM "Local Immunomodulatory Patch (LIP): A Mannose-Functionalized Collagen Dressing to Reprogram Innate Immunity, Control Infection, and Accelerate Chronic Wound Healing"
Julia Enterria-Rosales
Baylor College of Medicine

11:25 AM "Biodegradable Microparticles for Controlled Release of Polio Virus-Like Particles in Combination Vaccines"
Erin Nicole Shen
Rice University

11:30 AM "Breast Cancer Mechanotype and How It Governs Each Step of the Metastatic Cascade"
Katie Young
Rice University

11:35 AM "3D Tumor-Mimicking Phantom Models for Assessing NIR I/II Nanoparticles in Fluorescence-Guided Surgical Interventions"
Indrajit Srivastava
Texas Tech University

11:40 AMSecond Session Q & A
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Poster Session I Location: BRC Event Space
12:45 – 1:45 PM
Lunch Location: BRC Event Space / Outside Patio
1:45 – 2:30 PM
Invited Speaker Session II
Location: BRC Auditorium
1:45 PM
“Role of Smooth Muscle and Elastic Fibers in Reproductive Biomechanics”
Kristin Miller
Associate Professor of Bioengineering
University of Texas at Dallas
2:00 PM
“Pathology Informed Biomaterials for Stem Cell Delivery”
Mykel Green
Assistant Professor, School of Engineering
Tulane University
2:15 PM
“Unlock the Subdominant B Cell Repertoire with Polymeric Nanoparticle Adjuvant for the Next-Generation Vaccine Development”
Qian Yin
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
2:30 – 3:15 PM
Keynote Speaker
"Regenerative Medicine: Current Concepts and Changing Trends"
Dr. Anthony Atala
G. Link Professor
Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
W. Boyce Professor of Urology
Wake Forest University Location: BRC Auditorium
3:15 – 3:30 PM
Coffee Break Location: BRC Pre-Function Space
3:30 – 4:15 PM
Invited Speaker Session III
Location: BRC Auditorium
3:30 PM
“Engineering Better Medicines: Tunable bioinspired materials from drugs to scaffolds”
Vivek Kumar
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
University of Houston
3:45 PM
“Bacteria-Responsive Wound Dressings for Infection Surveillance and Treatment”
Mary Beth Monroe
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Texas A&M University
4:00 PM
“Biomaterials for Orthopaedic Issues: Beyond Just Tissue Regeneration”
Joseph Wenke
Professor, UTMB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
University of Texas Medical Branch
4:15 – 5:05 PM
Rapid Fire Session II Location: BRC Auditorium
4:15 PM "Linking Lipid Nanoparticle Formulation and Physicochemical Properties with Protein Adsorption-Mediated Endogenous Targeting"
Neha Krishnan
Rice University

4:20 PM "An Injectable Semi-Permeable Microparticle Reservoir Enabling Zero-Order Release of High-Potency Hydrophobic Therapeutics"
Heather Chia-Chien Hsu
Rice University

4:25 PM "Long-Term Sustained Release of MK-8527 from a Refillable Nanofluidic Implant for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis"
Thi Thao Link Nguyen
Houston Methodist Research Institute

4:30 PM "Shear–cytokine crosstalk is a determinant of SARS-CoV-2 induced endothelial pathophysiology and thrombosis in human vessel-chips"
Steelakshmy Suresh
Texas A&M University

4:35 PMFirst Session Q & A

4:40 PM "Uterine Peristalsis Drives Unique Mechanobiological Responses in the Endometrial Epithelium"
Abigail McCollum
Texas A&M University

4:45 PM "Sexual Dimorphic Dose-Dependent Effects of Extracellular Matrix Motifs on Promoting Bone Regeneration"
Victoria Garza
The University of Texas at San Antonio

4:50 PM "Design of a Conductive Hydrogel Coating to Improve Tissue Contact in Radiofrequency Ablation"
Derek Bashe
The University of Texas at Austin

4:55 PM "Void Shape Affects Fibroblast Alignment and Contractility, But Not Closure Rate"
Sarah Libring
Rice University

4:15 PMSecond Session Q & A
5:05 – 6:05 PM
Poster Session II Location: BRC Event Space
6:20 – 8:35 PM
Dinner, Networking Reception & Awards Location: TBA