BIOE 500 Fall 2025 - Dr. Ketul Popat

Biomimetic Nanostructured Interfaces for Enhanced Integration and Healing in Medical Implants 

Abstract: Surfaces that contain micro- and nanoscale features in a well-controlled, “engineered” and biomimetic manner have been shown to significantly affect cellular and subcellular function of various biological systems.  Our research is focused towards using the tools of micro- and nanotechnology for applications in biomaterials and tissue engineering. The goal of current research is to design material surfaces that induce controlled, guided, and rapid healing in medical devices such as orthopedic implants, stents and heart valves.  In addition to acceleration of normal wound healing phenomena, these implants should result in the formation of a characteristic interfacial layer with adequate biomechanical properties.  To achieve these goals, however, a better understanding of events at the tissue-material interface is needed, as well as the development of new materials and approaches that promote biointegration.  Our work proposes the use of well-controlled biomimetic nanostructured interfaces to enhance implant integration. We hypothesize that controlled biomimetic nanoscale architectures can promote cell differentiation and matrix production and enhance short-term and long-term integration, while preventing undesired responses such as infection and inflammation.  Moreover, the ability to create model nano-dimensional constructs that mimics physiological systems can aid in studying complex tissue interactions in terms of cell communication, response to matrix geometry, and effect of external chemical stimuli. By understanding how physical surface parameters influence cells, we can more effectively design material surfaces that can be used in a clinical setting for medical devices. 

Biography: Dr. Popat is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Bioengineering at George Mason University.  Prior to coming to George Mason University, he was Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering/School of Biomedical Engineering at Colorado State University for 16 years. His laboratory focuses on developing biomimetic surfaces with controlled biological functions towards development of orthopedic and cardiovascular medical devices. He has authored over 180 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Advanced Materials Interfaces, Materials Advances, etc. and has an h-index of 55.  He has presented his work at numerous national and international level conferences, has established strong research as well as educational collaborations with researchers from Brazil, India, South Africa, Italy, etc. He has also received several awards, namely, Office of International Programs Distinguished Service Award, Outstanding Mid-Career Award, Teaching Excellence Award, Outstanding International Contributions Award and Outstanding Early Career Award from Colorado State University. He received his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2003, M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago in 2000 and B.E. in Chemical Engineering from M. S. University in India in 1998.