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Research

Health and Biotechnology

microglia cells

Overview

The skills of chemical engineers are uniquely suited to developing next-generation solutions to persistent health challenges. UW ChemE boasts strong cross-disciplinary collaborations with medical researchers in the design of smarter therapeutics, targeted drug delivery systems, and improved diagnostics. Our faculty also conduct research in systems and synthetic biology, as well as metabolic, biomolecular, and protein engineering.

Image: A Euclidean distance transform of a confocal microscopy image of microglia cells taken in a rat organotypic brain slice model. The colors are scaled to represent the distance away from a cell surface. Created by Chad Curtis for the 2019 Science & Engineering as Art Competition

Research Topics

  • Regenerative medicine
  • Neuromedicine
  • Nanomedicine
  • Metabolic engineering
  • Synthetic biology
  • Systems biology
  • Biomolecular engineering
  • Protein engineering
  • Environmental engineering
  • Medical diagnostics
  • Sensing technologies

Featured Research Clusters

Biomaterials
Faculty: Baneyx, DeForest, Nance, Ratner, Posner, Pozzo
With several field-defining visionaries in the biomedical sciences having cultivated their careers in UW ChemE, our department holds one of the longest and richest histories in biomaterial innovation. With creativity more fervent than ever, we employ current tools to engineer functional tissue, guide immune responses to medical implants, and probe stem cell fate in 4D.

Synthetic biology
Faculty: Bagheri, Beck, Carothers, DeForest, Marchand
Deciphering, retooling, and reinventing the tricks of basic biology, our faculty engineer versatile approaches to synthesize industrially and medically important chemicals and materials at scale. These efforts are complemented with advanced computational modeling to shed light on the inner workings of cellular bioprocesses.

Advanced therapeutic delivery
Faculty: DeForest, Nance, Ratner, Pozzo
From coercing nanoparticles past the blood-brain barrier, to identifying and treating disease with ultrasound theranostics, to confining therapeutic payload delivery to tissue-barcoded bodily locations, the University of Washington is developing real-world solutions to advance medical treatment. Studies are performed in close collaboration with field-leading partners in UW Medicine, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Campus Opportunities

Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
ISCRM's mission is to turn fundamental discoveries in stem cell science into therapies for patients

Center for Dialysis Innovation
CDI develops and tests novel treatment technologies in order to improve the health and well-being of people receiving dialysis therapy

Institute for Protein Design
The institute develops and applies methods for designing a whole new world of synthetic proteins to address today's complex challenges

Center for Synthetic Biology
The center's mission is to provide a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment for research, education, innovation, safety and responsibility in synthetic biology at the UW and in the Seattle area

Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge
The Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge is an entrepreneurship competition run by the UW Foster School of Business that gives students the opportunity to come up with meaningful solutions to big problems the world faces today related to health

Learn More

Careers in nanomedicine and drug delivery
By Elizabeth Nance

Related News

Tue, 01/23/2018

ChemE Faculty Play Key Roles in Two New UW Research Centers

Two New UW research centers ignite collaborative efforts. The secret ingredient? Chemical engineers.

The recent opening of the Molecular Engineering Materials Center (MEMC), a new Materials Science Research & Engineering Center (MRSEC), and of the Center for Dialysis Innovation (CDI), a joint venture between UW medicine and engineering, is accelerating the pace of cross-disciplinary research on campus.  Working at the interface of disciplines has always been a hallmark of Chemical Engineering and it is no surprise that our faculty are playing key roles in both efforts. 

Wed, 10/04/2017 | UW Medicine | Advanced Materials

DeForest Lab Advances Research in Synthetic Vascular Networks

Network of Synthetic Blood Microvessels Built
UW Medicine | Oct 4, 2017 | Barbara Rodriguez
To sustain engineered organs, the ability to generate vascular systems similar to parts of the body's own circulation will be critical. Researchers are reporting significant progress in generating a 3-dimensional network of blood vessels that can be grown and manipulated in a laboratory.  Building vascular support for stem-cell repaired tissues or replacement organs will be vital to such regenerative therapies. Read More
Advanced Materials - Read abstract of cover article | above - DeForest Lab's Advanced Materials magazine cover 

Fri, 09/01/2017

University of Washington Chemical Engineering Faculty Collects Bumper Crop of Awards and Honors

Congratulations to our stellar faculty members whose work has been recognized with awards and honors so far this year.  From early career recognition to honors for outstanding research and contributions to the field of Chemical Engineering, UW ChemE faculty continue to excel among their peers.