HIGHLIGHTED NEWS
Esfandiari Lab was awarded a $2 million NIH/NIGMS MIRA to "decode" the role of extracellular vesicles in nerve regeneration
Dr. Esfandiari received the CEAS Distinguished Research Award
Esfandiari Lab and collaborators were awarded NIH/NINDS R01 to develop a tissue engineering platform for peripheral nerve regeneration
Dr. Esfandiari received the National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Award
Welcome to the Esfandiari Lab
An Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory Where Microtechnology Meets Medicine
Who We Are
Esfandiari Lab strives to develop new micro and nanotechnologies to promote a fundamental understanding of cellular communication in regenerative medicine and disease progression. The primary aim of the research is to investigate the biophysical properties of cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) in diverse microenvironments.
Biosensors and smart biomimetic scaffolds are fabricated and characterized at the Esfandiari Lab. Their design enables highly accurate sensing and stimulation of cellular activities in situ. Knowledge obtained through these technologies can be used in diagnosing diseases, developing new therapies, and regenerating tissues.
FLUIDNATEK® LE-50 Electrospinning equipment by Bioinicia
Current Projects
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Principal Investigator
Leyla Esfandiari, Ph.D.
Dr. Esfandiari is a distinguished associate professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati and a faculty member of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM) program. She is highly regarded for her work in developing miniaturized technologies for biomedical applications. Her research is mainly focused on developing micro- and nano-scale devices, such as sensors and actuators, that can be applied in liquid biopsy and regenerative medicine. Her research has been supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense (DoD). Dr. Esfandiari has won many awards, including the NIH Maximizing Investigator Research Award (MIRA), the NSF CAREER Award, the Engineering and Applied Sciences Distinguished Research Award, and the Restemeyer Teaching Excellent Award.
Dr. Esfandiari received her B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the California State University of Long Beach (CSULB) and her M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California Irvine (UCI). She completed her doctoral degree in Bioengineering from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). While at UCLA, Esfandiari also conducted research at the California Nano-System Institution (CNSI), School of Medicine Neuroscience and Orthopedic Surgery Departments. During her academic training, Dr. Esfandiari has given back by leading and training graduate and undergraduate students. Besides her academic experiences, she has 3 years of industrial experience working at the tech companies in southern California.
