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.