T32 Trainee Publications
Al Kindi A, Courelli NS, Ogbonna K, Urueña JM, Chau AL, Pitenis AA. Bioinspired Lubricity from Surface Gel Layers. Langmuir. 2024 May 14;40(19):9926-9933. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03686. PMID: 38683632.
 
Atkins DJ, Chau AL, Rosas JM, Chen YT, Chan ST, Urueña JM, Pitenis AA. Silicone Implant Surface Roughness, Friction, and Wear. Surf Topogr. 2023 Mar;11(1):014010. doi: 10.1088/2051-672x/ac9f5a. PMID: 37193116.
 
Atkins DJ, Rogers AE, Shaffer KE, Moore I, Miller WD, Morrissey MA, Pitenis AA. Pro-inflammatory response to macrotextured silicone implant wear debris. Tribology Letters. 2025;73(1). doi: 10.1007/s11249-025-01965-6.
 
Atkins DJ, Rosas JM, Mansson LK, Shahverdi N, Dey SS, Pitenis AA. Survival-associated cellular response maintained in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) switched between soft and stiff 3D microgel culture. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. 2024;10(4):2177-2187. doi: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01079.
 
Baude JA, Li MD, Jackson SM, Sharma A, Walter DI, Stowers RS. Engineered basement membrane mimetic hydrogels to study mammary epithelial morphogenesis and invasion. Sci Adv. 2025 Sep 26;11(39):eadx2110. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adx2110. PMID: 41004587.
 
Clark H, Taylor A, Yeung E. Modeling Control of Supercoiling Dynamics and Transcription Using DNA-Binding Proteins. IEEE Control Syst Lett. 2024;8:2253-2258. doi: 10.1109/lcsys.2024.3406268. PMID: 39391807.
 
Dos Reis Marques R. & Dewey, M.J. (2026). The Placenta as a Biomaterial. In S.G. Zambuto & M. L. Oyen (Eds.), Biomaterials for Women’s Health Engineering. Springer Nature.
 
Gabbert AM, Mitchell NP, Gemmill EG, Campanale JP, Mondo JA, Montell DJ. Protocol for 3D surface texture modeling and quantitative spectral decomposition analysis in Drosophila border cell clusters. STAR Protoc. 2024 Sep 20;5(3):103048. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103048. PMID: 39068652.
 
Gathman GM, Patel MM, Walter DI, Stowers RS. Matrix viscoelasticity regulates dermal fibroblast activation in a three-dimensional fibrillar microenvironment. bioRxiv. 2026. doi: 10.64898/2026.03.02.709111.
 
Gionet-Gonzales M, Gathman G, Rosas J, Kunisaki KY, Inocencio DGP, Hakami N, Milburn GN, Pitenis AA, Campbell KS, Pruitt BL, Stowers RS. Stress relaxation rates of myocardium from failing and non-failing hearts. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology. 2024. doi: 10.1007/s10237-024-01909-4.
 
Kim D, Nagella SG, Choi K, Takatori SC. Direct experimental measurement of many-body hydrodynamic interactions with optical tweezers. Physical Review Fluids. 2025. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevFluids.10.064301.
 
Kim DY, Nagella SG, Malik S, Park N, Nam J, Shaqfeh ESG, Takatori SC. Colloidal hydrodynamic interactions in viscoelastic fluids. Soft Matter. 2025. doi: 10.1039/d5sm00874c.
 
Shaffer KE, Bagorio BL, Al Kindi A, Ong JJ, Rhode AR, Watkins EB, Welbourn RJL, Pynn R, Urueña JM, Pitenis AA. Linear Reciprocating Tribometer for In Situ Neutron Reflectometry of Soft Matter. Tribology Letters. 2025. doi: 10.1007/s11249-025-02049-1.
 
Sharma A, Steger RF, Li JM, Fong SY, Saxena N, Baude JA, Heom KA, Stowers RS, Dey SS. Sp1 mechanotransduction regulates breast cancer cell invasion in engineered viscoelastic extracellular matrices. Biomaterials. 2026. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123755.
 
Nagella SG, Takatori SC. Colloidal transport phenomena in dynamic, pulsating porous materials. AIChE J. 2023 Dec;69(12):e18215. doi: 10.1002/aic.18215. PMID: 38074409.
 
Rosas JM, Atkins DJ, Chau AL, Chen YT, Bae R, Cavanaugh MK, Lima RIE, Bordeos A, Bryant MG, Pitenis AA. In vitro models of soft tissue damage by implant-associated frictional shear stresses. Proc Inst Mech Eng Part J J Eng Tribol. 2023 May;237(5):1264-1271. doi: 10.1177/13506501221132897. PMID: 38024847.
 
Xu Y, Choi KH, Nagella SG, Takatori SC. Dynamic interfaces for contact-time control of colloidal interactions. Soft Matter. 2023 Aug 2;19(30):5692-5700. doi: 10.1039/d3sm00673e. PMID: 37409349.
T32 Trainee Conference Abstracts and Presentations

Al Kindi A, Ogbonna K, Urueña JM, Pitenis AA. Gradient hydrogels reduce cell damage in vitro. Presented at: Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Center (BIC) Symposium; 2023 Jun; Berkeley, CA.

Atkins DJ, Rosas JM, Chan S, Lima RE, Semaan D, Dey S, Pitenis AA. Pancreatic cancer and mechanical microenvironments. Presented at: STLE Annual Meeting; 2023 May; Orlando, FL.

Atkins DJ, Rosas JM, Shahverdi N, Månsson LK, Dey S, Pitenis AA. Mechanical memory in pancreatic cancer. Presented at: BMES Annual Meeting; 2023 Oct; Seattle, WA.

Dos Reis Marques R, Baude JA, Stowers RS, Dewey MJ. Controlling matrix-bound extracellular vesicle release to guide wound repair using alginate biomaterials. Oral presentation at: BMES Annual Meeting; 2025; San Diego, CA.

Dos Reis Marques R. Investigating coral cell-biomaterial interactions to drive coral reef repair. Oral presentation at: TERMIS-AM; 2025; Detroit, MI.

Dos Reis Marques R. Incorporation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles within collagen I biomaterials for musculoskeletal tissue repair. Poster presented at: ISSCR Annual Meeting; 2025; Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. 

Evensen E. Tracking particle transport in microgel scaffold. Poster presented at: Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Center (BIC) Symposium; 2025 Jun 17-18; Irvine, CA.

Gemmill EM. Texture analysis and the intricacies of rho-associated genes in border cell clusters. Poster presented at: Bioengineering Interdisciplinary Center (BIC) Symposium; 2023 Jun; Berkeley, CA.

Gemmill EM. RhoA and its effectors uniquely modulate border cell cluster texture and mechanics. Invited speaker at: T32 Symposium; 2024 Oct; Santa Barbara, CA.

Gemmill EM. Rho1 and its effectors uniquely modulate border cell cluster texture and mechanics. Poster presented at: MCDB/BMSE Retreat; 2024 Oct; Santa Barbara, CA.

Gemmill EM. Rho1 and its effectors uniquely modulate border cell cluster texture and mechanics. Poster presented at: 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference; 2025 Mar; San Diego, CA.

Gemmill EM. Rho1 and its effectors in collective migration: emerging roles for septins. Invited speaker at: FASEB SRC: Septins, Spatial Regulators of Biology; 2025 Jun; Niagara Falls, New York.

Gemmill EM. Modulation of membrane curvature and septin organization by Rho1 and its effectors. Poster presented at: MCDB/IPQB Retreat; 2025 Oct; Santa Barbara, CA.

Gemmill EM. Septin cytoskeleton organization is directed by upstream regulators. Poster presented at: BioEngineering Institute of California (BIS) Symposium; 2025 Nov; Santa Barbara, CA.

Nagella SG. Fluid-mediated forces enhance colloidal diffusion in pulsatile, ”dynamic” porous materials. Presented at: American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics (APS DFD) Annual Meeting; 2023 Nov 19-21; Washington D.C.

Ramirez C. Tuning network elasticity by controlling constituent filament geometry. Presented at: APS March Meeting 2026; March 18, 2026; Las Vegas, NV.

Rogers A. Utilizing a genome-wide CRISPR screen to identify genes that inhibit trogocytosis lethality. Poster presented at: MCDB Department Retreat; 2023 Oct 13; Santa Barbara, CA.

Rogers A. A genome-wide screen identifies factors affecting trogocytosis lethality. Oral and Poster Presentation at: Phagocytes Gordon Research Conference; 2025 Jun; Waterville Valley, NH.

Ruffin I. Microtubules in viscoelastic networks. Presented at: APS March Meeting; 2023 Mar; Las Vegas, NV. (Note: Also presented at APS March Meeting 2024, Minneapolis, MN and 2025, Anaheim, CA).

Taylor A, Zheng M, Yeung E. Characterization of CRISPR CasRx for translational actuation and growth control within gram negative bacteria. Poster presented at: SEED Conference; 2023; Los Angeles, CA.

White A. Antibiotic-loaded extracellular vesicles from Staphylococcus aureus biofilm as "Trojan Horse" antimicrobial agents in bioresorbable biomaterials. Presented at: LatinXinBME Symposium; 2025; San Diego, CA.

White A. Antibiotic-loaded extracellular vesicles from Staphylococcus aureus biofilm as "Trojan-Horse" antimicrobial agents. Presented at: BMES Annual Meeting; 2025; San Diego, CA.

White A. Extracellular vesicles as antibiotic delivery systems against implant-associated infections. Presented at: UC Systemwide Bioengineering Symposium; 2025; Irvine, CA.

Awards and Honors

Al Kindi A. T32 Training Grant Fellowship

Al Kindi A. CIRM Fellowship.

Chavez I. Purdy Foundation Fellowship. 2025.

Dos Reis Marques R. Doctoral Student Travel Award (x2), UCSB Academic Senate. 2025–2026.

Dos Reis Marques R. Connie Frank Fellowship, Connie Frank Foundation. 2025.

Dos Reis Marques R. ISSCR 2025 Travel Award, Purdy Foundation. 2025.

Rogers A. Graduate Opportunity Fellowship, UCSB Graduate Division. 2025.

White A. Heeger Travel Fellowship Award. 2025.

White A. Purdy Summer Fellowship. 2025.

White A. Proteintech Product Grant. 2025.

White A. Mentor Leadership Fellowship, Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP). 2026.

Alumni Placement

Meet our alumni:

Dixon Atkins- Dixon was a trainee from the T32 Cohort 1. Dixon graduated 2025, and is now a Postdoctoral researcher at Amgen.

Sara Gonzalez- Sara was a trainee from the T32 Cohort 1. Sara graduated 2025, and is currently finishing a manuscript with her PI.

Sachit Nagella- Sachit was a trainee from the T32 Cohort 1. Sachit graduated 2025, and is now a Postdoctoral researcher at Stanford.

Metrics

In alignment with our core objectives, we are committed to tracking trainee success by providing up-to-date alumni placement information and transparent, publicly accessible data on our website.

Objective

Metric

Target*

PhD completion rate

% trainees completing PhD

≥85%

Time to degree

Median years to PhD

≤6.0 years

Publications

% trainees with ≥1 peer-reviewed pub by graduation

≥75%**

Career outcomes

% in research-intensive careers within 1 year of graduation

≥75%

Fellowship pipeline

% of trainees in PhD submitting ≥1 external fellowship application by year 3   

≥65%

IDP completion

% completing IDPs during their program

100%*

Mentor training - floor

% active mentors completing CIMER online training

100%

Mentor training - engagement   

% active mentors completing in-person training/refreshers per 2-year cycle

≥80%

 

*Targets set to meet or exceed national benchmarks (NIH NRSA trainee outcomes; NIGMS T32 norms), national or UC system norms. Our program is still young, but we are on track to exceed these metrics. Fellowship application targets reflect realistic expectations for experimental, cross-disciplinary mechanobiology training with a mid-program cohort. **Studies of STEM predoctoral scholarly dissemination find rates cluster around 60–70% at research-intensive institutions, but vary by discipline and demographic group.(doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174296, doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154741). Publication target of 75% is 10% above mean norm.