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Department Events

Events

• May

  20

  BTP Seminar Series: Ramille Shah, Dimension Bio

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  12:00 PM LR5, Technological Institute

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Biotechnology Training Program is pleased to present the following seminar by Ramille Shah:

  Bridging Cells, Materials, and Medicine: A New Paradigm for Tissue Therapeutics

  Despite major advances in stem cell biology, biomaterials, and tissue engineering, the translation of engineered tissues into clinically effective therapies has remained limited. A central challenge in cell therapy is not only the scalable generation of functional cells, but their ability to survive, integrate, and maintain function within the complex in vivo environment. Biomaterials offer a potential solution by providing structural and biochemical support; however, many current approaches fail to adequately address the dynamic interactions between engineered systems and the host. This seminar will first provide a broad overview of the evolution of biomaterials and tissue engineering strategies, highlighting key limitations in current approaches and emphasizing the roles of scaffold design, microenvironmental cues, vascularization, and host response in influencing therapeutic outcomes. The second part of the talk will focus on our work developing 3D-printed biomaterial scaffolds for cell delivery that are designed to promote rapid vascular integration and modulate host immune response to support high-density, functional cell engraftment. Mechanistic insights into how scaffold architecture influences macrophage behavior, tissue remodeling, and vascularization will be discussed. Finally, perspectives on bridging academic innovation to clinical application will be shared, including considerations related to manufacturing, regulatory strategy, scalability, and quality systems that are critical for translating next-generation tissue therapeutics.

  Dr. Ramille Shah is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Dimension Bio (formerly Dimension Inx), where she leads the development of next-generation regenerative biomaterial and cell-based therapies. Trained as a materials scientist and bioengineer, Dr. Shah is internationally recognized for her pioneering contributions to 3D printing and biofabrication for regenerative medicine, with expertise spanning biomaterials, tissue engineering, and translational biotechnology. Prior to co-founding Dimension Bio, Dr. Shah held faculty appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at University of Illinois Chicago. Her research has focused on engineering biomaterial systems that promote functional tissue integration and regeneration, with applications including liver, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and aesthetic tissue engineering. She has also been a leader in the development of advanced materials for 3D printing, including novel printable composites, porous biomaterial architectures, and unconventional materials such as lunar and Martian dust simulants. Dr. Shah’s work has resulted in numerous patents, high-impact scientific publications, and broad national and international recognition. She was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 Under 40” and has been featured in Forbes, NPR, Fox 32 News, and the National Science Foundation’s Science Nation, among other media outlets. She was also elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering for her contributions to bioengineering innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2016, Dr. Shah co-founded Dimension Bio to translate breakthroughs in biomaterials and biofabrication into clinically impactful therapies. As CSO, she oversees the company’s scientific strategy, product development, and translational efforts spanning research and development, manufacturing, regulatory, and quality systems. Dr. Shah received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering with a specialization in Biomaterials from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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  TIME Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

  LOCATION LR5, Technological Institute    map it

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  CONTACT Will Chaussee    william.chaussee@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Jun

  4

  Contextualizing Engineering Seminar: "HIDDEN FIGURES: The unseen power of gut microbes and a culture of inclusion advancing next gen biomanufacturing" | Kevin Solomon, University of Delaware

  McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

  9:30 AM Pancoe Auditorium, Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences Pavilion

  EVENT DETAILS

  The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering is pleased to present our annual Contextualizing Engineering Seminar with Kevin Solomon, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware.

  Dr. Solomon will present a seminar titled "HIDDEN FIGURES: The unseen power of gut microbes and a culture of inclusion advancing next‑gen biomanufacturing."

  Microbial chemical factories are sustainable biomanufacturing platforms that complement traditional petrochemical industries by using renewable and/or alternative carbon sources. Most attractive of these are those derived from unconventional microbes due to their rich repertoire of enzymes to efficiently process diverse carbon sources and unique capacity to catalyze certain industrial chemistries at scale. These properties are frequently a consequence of the high resource competition in their native exotic environments, such as animal microbiomes. However, these microbes remain poorly characterized with few tools to deploy them for industrial applications. In this talk, I will describe our progress towards the study and engineering of these systems for the use of post-consumer plastics and lignocellulosic biomass. I will also share some of our work building an inclusive community of scholars to foster development of a more creative next generation workforce.

  Dr. Kevin Solomon is the Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Career Development Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware. His work focuses on developing environmental microbes and microbiomes that are well-adapted for applications in sustainability, materials, and health via systems and synthetic biology approaches. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering from McMaster University, an MS in Chemical Engineering Practice from MIT, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from MIT. He has been recognized with multiple awards for research, teaching, and service including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Biden in 2025, a US Department of Energy Early Career Award (2019), an NSF CAREER Award (2022), the Society for Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (SIMB) Early Career Award (2022), the Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award from NOBCChE (2023), the American Chemical Society (ACS) Biochemical Technology (BIOT) Division Early Career Award (2023) and the AIChE Division 15 Early Career Award (2023). He has provided expert testimony before the 116th US House of Representatives on the convergence of engineering and biology and has coauthored several technology roadmaps for engineering biology.

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  TIME Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM

  LOCATION Pancoe Auditorium, Pancoe-NSUHS Life Sciences Pavilion    map it

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  CONTACT Olivia Wise    olivia.wise@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick-Chemical and Biological Engineering (ChBE)

• Jun

  14

  Spring 2026 Commencement

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Spring 2026 Commencement

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  TIME Sunday, June 14, 2026

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Jun

  15

  Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  9:00 AM

  EVENT DETAILS

  McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

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  TIME Monday, June 15, 2026 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

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  CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Jun

  15

  Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

  McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  2:00 PM

  EVENT DETAILS

  McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation. The most up to date information can be found on our graduation webpage.

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  TIME Monday, June 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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  CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

• Jun

  19

  Juneteenth - University Closed

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Juneteenth - University Closed

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  TIME Friday, June 19, 2026

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Jul

  3

  Independence Day (observed) - University Closed

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Independence Day (observed) - University Closed

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  TIME Friday, July 3, 2026

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar

• Sep

  23

  Fall 2026 Classes Begin

  University Academic Calendar

  All Day

  EVENT DETAILS

  Fall 2026 Classes Begin

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  TIME Wednesday, September 23, 2026

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  CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL

  CALENDAR University Academic Calendar