Experience and Education

• Instructor and Research Specialist III, Biomedical Engineering, 2015-Present
• Research Assistant Professor, College of Engineering and Computing, University of South Carolina, 2014
• Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, 2007-2013
• Research Associate, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 2004-2007
• Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas, 2004
• Cancer Research Training Award, National Cancer Institute, 1998-2000
• B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 1998

Research

My research interests fall into the areas of: design of cell-instructive materials, delivery of therapeutics and tissue engineering. Specific projects include: developing responsive delivery systems to expand the spectrum of chemotherapeutics which can be administered orally; extending proper function of pancreatic islet cells following transplantation through genetic engineering and design of instructive hydrogel materials; tracking hypoxic signaling in three-dimensional cell aggregates; and transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells to enhance vascularization.

Selected Publications

Skiles M L, Hanna B, Rucker L, Tipton A, Brougham-Cook A and Blanchette J O. ASC spheroid geometry and culture oxygenation differentially impact induction of pre-angiogenic behaviors in endothelial cells. Cell Transplantation, 24(11), 2323-35, 2015).

Skiles M L, Sahai S, Rucker L and Blanchette J O. Use of culture geometry to control hypoxia-induced VEGF secretion from ADSCs: optimizing a cell-based approach to drive vascular growth. Tissue Eng Part A, 19(21-22), 2330-8, (2013).

Sahai S, Williams A, Skiles M L and Blanchette J O. Osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells is HIF-1 independent. Tissue Eng Part A, 19(13-14), 1583-91, (2013).

Sahai S, McFarland R, Skiles M L, Sullivan D, Williams A and Blanchette J O. Tracking hypoxic signaling in encapsulated stem cells. Tissue Eng Part C Methods, 18(7), 557-565, (2012).

Brannon-Peppas L and Blanchette J O. Nanoparticles and targeted systems for cancer therapy. Adv Drug Del Rev, 56, 1649-1659, (2004).

Teaching

• BMEN 101 – Introduction to Biomedical Enigneering
• BMEN 211 – Computational Toold for Modeling of Biomedical Systems
• BMEN 212 – Fundamentals of Biomedical Systems
• BMEN 271 – Introduction to Biomaterials
• BMEN 290 – Thermodynamics of Biomolecular Systems
• BMEN 546 – Delivery of Bioactive Agents

Honors and Awards

• Promising Investigator Award (University of South Carolina)
• “Nanoparticle and targeted systems for cancer therapy” selected for 25th anniversary edition of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. Recognized as one of the most highly cited articles in the journal’s history.
• Capsugel Grand Prize (from Controlled Release Society) – International award for outstanding research in oral drug delivery by graduate student/postdoc
• Geddes-Laufman-Greatbatch Award (Purdue University) – The outstanding Biomedical Engineering graduate student
  Outstanding Research Award (from Biomedical Engineering Society)