Sidi A. Bencherif
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Affiliated Faculty, Bioengineering
Contact
- s.bencherif@northeastern.edu
- 360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Office
- 336 Mugar
- 617.373.7103
Lab
- 111 Mugar
Research Focus
polymer chemistry and engineering; biomaterials; biomedical engineering; drug delivery; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; immunotherapy; immunoengineering; vaccines
About
Joined the Chemical Engineering Department in Fall 2016.
Education
- 2009 PhD in Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
- 2009 MS in Polymer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
- 1999 B.S. in Physics and Chemistry from University of Montpellier II, France
Honors & Awards
- 2021 Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research Influential Researcher Award – Th Americas
- 2021 Biomedical Engineering Society CMBE Rising Star Award
- 2021 Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigator
- American Chemical Society PMSE Young Investigator Award
- National Science Foundation CAREER Award
- Thomas Jefferson Award
- Burroughs- Wellcome Fund Travel Award
- DFCI/Northeastern University Joint Program Award
- GapFund360 Award
- MTTC Acorn Award
- Acta Biomaterialia Outstanding Reviewer Award
- AAI Early Career Faculty Travel Award
- Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship
Professional Affiliations
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Materials Research Society (MRS)
- Society for Biomaterials (SFB)
- Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
- American Association of Immunologists (AAI)
- Scientific Research Society (Sigma Xi)
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Research Overview
polymer chemistry and engineering; biomaterials; biomedical engineering; drug delivery; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine; immunotherapy; immunoengineering; vaccines
Laboratory for Advanced and Multifunctional Polymeric Biomaterials
The overall focus of the research in the Bencherif LAMP Biomaterials Laboratory is the fundamental understanding and development of polymeric materials for biomedical applications with a specific emphasis on tissue engineering, drug delivery, and cancer immunotherapy.
Selected Research Projects
- Overcoming vaccine-associated hypoxia with advanced biomaterials to enhance cancer immunotherapy
- – Principal Investigator, National Institute of Health
- Biomaterials for Wound Healing and Diabetic Ulcer Treatment
- – Co-Investigator, King Abdulaziz University
- Hypoxia-Inducing Cryogels: A Hassle-Free and Low-Cost Hypoxic Cell Culture Solution
- – Principal Investigator, Center for Research Innovation, Northeastern University
- Hypoxia-Inducing Cryogels As a Fast and Inexpensive Technology for Hypoxic Cell Culture Conditions
- – Principal Investigator, Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC)
- Modulating Local Tumor Hypoxia using Cryogel Scaffolds to Regulate Dendritic Cell Function and Activity
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Oxygen-controlling Cryogels for Cell Culture Applications
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Overcoming Vaccine-Associated Hypoxia with Advanced Biomaterials to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy
- – Principal Investigator, National Institutes of Health
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- T. Colombani, L.J. Eggermont, Z.J. Rogers, L. McKay, L. Avena, R. Johnson, N. Storm, A. Griffiths, S.A. Bencherif. (2021). Biomaterials and Oxygen Join Forces to Shape the Immune Response and Boost SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines. Advanced Science, 10.1002/advs.202100316
- T. Colombani, S.M. Hatfield, M. Rezaeeyazdi, L.J. Eggermont, A. Memic, M.V. Sitkovsky, S.A. Bencherif. (2021). Oxygen-generating Cryogels Restore T Cell-Mediated Antitumor Cytotoxicity in Hypoxic Tumor. Advanced Functional Materials, 10.1002/adfm.202102234
- L.J. Eggermont, T. Colombani, Z.J. Rogers, A. Memic, S.A. Bencherif, Injectable Cryogels for Biomedical Applications, Trends in Biotechnology, 38, 2020, 418–431
- P. Villard, M. Rezaeeyazdi, T. Colombani, K. Joshi Navare, D. Rana, A. Memic, S.A. Bencherif, Autoclavable and Injectable Cryogels for Biomedical Applications, Advanced Healthcare Materials, 8, 2019, 1900679
- A. Memic, T. Colombani, M. Rezaeeyazdi, L. Eggermont, J. Steingold, Z. Rogers, K.J. Navare, H.S. Mohammed, M. Sitkovsky, S.A. Bencherif, Latest Advances in Cryogel Technology for Biomedical Applications, Advanced Therapeutics, 2019, 1800114
- S.A. Bencherif, R.W. Sands, O. Ali, S.A. Lewin, A. Li, T. Braschler, T. Shih, D. Bhatta, G. Dranoff, D.J. Mooney Injectable Scaffold-Based Whole Tumor Cell Vaccines, Nature Communications, 6, 2015, 7556
Oct 08, 2021
ChE Student Selected as Future Leader in Chemical Engineering
Lauren Gerbereux, E’21, chemical engineering, was selected for the 2021 Future Leaders in Chemical Engineering Symposium organized by North Carolina State University. This highly selective research symposium recognizes the finest undergraduate researchers in chemical engineering in the United States.
Sep 27, 2021
Bencherif’s Research Featured on Front Cover of Advanced Science
ChE Assistant Professor Sidi A. Bencherif’s research on “Biomaterials and Oxygen Join Forces to Shape the Immune Response and Boost COVID-19 Vaccines” was featured on the front cover of Advanced Science.
Sep 21, 2021
Bioengineering Master’s Alumna is Lead Co-Author of Research Paper Published on Cover of Tissue Engineering Part A Journal
While conducting research, Boting Li, ME’19, bioengineering, harvested biomaterials from Assistant Professor Sidi Bencherif’s lab and cell cultures from Assistant Professor Ambika Bajpayee’s lab to create a model to rebuild tissues caused by cartilage defects. While working on this project she developed a more effective protocol to harvest cells from bovine tissue. Her work to her becoming the lead co-author on a paper that was published in the June 2021 issue of Tissue Engineering Part A and featured on its cover.
Sep 21, 2021
Bencherif’s Research Featured on Cover of Advanced Functional Materials
ChE Assistant Professor Sidi A. Bencherif’s research on “Oxygen-Generating Cryogels Restore T-Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity in Hypoxic Tumors” is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Advanced Functional Materials.
Aug 12, 2021
Developing Biomaterial-based Vaccines for Cancer Immunotherapy
ChE Assistant Professor Sidi A. Bencherif received a $2M R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health for “Overcoming vaccine-associated hypoxia with advanced biomaterials to enhance cancer immunotherapy.“
Aug 12, 2021
Research to Boost COVID-19 Vaccines Published in ‘Advanced Science’
Could there be an even more effective vaccine? This professor thinks so. Main photo: Existing COVID-19 vaccines have far surpassed public health officials’ expectations. But could they be improved upon even further? Yes, says Sidi Bencherif, assistant professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern. Here’s how. Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University The COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized […]
Aug 09, 2021
Undergraduate Student in Bencherif Lab Wins Honors Early Research Award
Joyce Shen, S’23, a third-year biochemistry undergraduate student in the Bencherif Lab, was recently awarded an Honors Early Research Award for her work on the project “Engineering Polyester-coated Nanoparticles for Extended Oxygen Release.”
Jul 26, 2021
Bencherif Publishes “Oxygen-Generating Cryogels Restore T Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity in Hypoxic Tumors” in Advanced Functional Materials
ChE Postdoctoral Research Associate Thibault Colombani (lead author), Loek Eggermont, Stephen Hatfield, Zachary Rogers, PhD’23, Mahboobeh Rezaeeyazdi, PhD’19, Adnan Memic, Michail Sitkovsky, and Assistant Professor Sidi A. Bencherif) published their article Oxygen-Generating Cryogels Restore T Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity in Hypoxic Tumors in the Advanced Functional Materials journal.
Jun 23, 2021
COE Research Featured on Cover of Tissue Engineering Part A
Research from Assistant Professors Sidi A. Bencherif (ChE) and Ambika G. Bajpayee (BioE) on “Hyaluronic Acid-Based Shape-Memory Cryogel Scaffolds for Focal Cartilage Defect Repair” was featured on the cover of the June 2021 Tissue Engineering Part A journal.
Jun 17, 2021
Bencherif’s Research Featured on the Front Cover of Biomaterials Science
ChE Assistant Professor Sidi A. Bencherif’s research on “Engineering a macroporous fibrin-based sequential interpenetrating polymer network for dermal tissue engineering” was featured on the front cover of Biomaterials Science.