Fabrication Strategies of Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

The field of biomedical engineering has progressed immensely with the advancement of biomaterials. Biomaterials can be derived from biological sources or can be chemically synthesized. Hydrogel, a type of biomaterials, is water soluble and forms a three-dimensional, porous network. Hydrogels can be easily engineered by physical or chemical cross-linking in order to achieve the optimal mechanical strength for various applications. Due to its high water content, biocompatibility, and crosslinking ability, hydrogel has been widely explored in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering. In this presentation, I will discuss our effort to utilize hydrogels in the development of various biomedical and surgical applications including drug delivery systems, tissue scaffolds, and surgical meshes.

Bio

Crystal Shin is an assistant professor in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. Originally from South Korea, Crystal graduated from Purdue University in 2007 with a B.S. in Food Science. She worked as a food scientist and a research scientist prior to joining Purdue University as a graduate student where she earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2014. Crystal then joined the Department of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine as a postdoctoral associate. Her current research interests focus on developing broadly applicable biomaterials for biomedical applications by integrating nanotechnology and 3D fabrication technologies.