Rebecca Willits
Professor and Chairperson, Chemical Engineering
Affiliated Faculty, Bioengineering
Office
- 201F Cullinane
- 617.373.2989
Lab
- 216 Egan
Related Links
Research Focus
Mechanobiology of neural systems; Systems for nerve regeneration; Diversity and equity in engineering
Education
- PhD, Cornell University, Chemical Engineering, 1999
- MS, The Johns Hopkins University, Chemical Engineering, 1996
Honors & Awards
- AIMBE Fellow
- BMES Fellow
- ELATE Fellow (2017-18)
Professional Affiliations
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- Biomedical Engineering Society
- Golden Key Honor Society
- National Center for Regenerative Medicine
- WEPAN
- Society for Biomaterials
Research Overview
Mechanobiology of neural systems; Systems for nerve regeneration; Diversity and equity in engineering
The overarching goal of my research team is to understand how mechanical, chemical, and electrical factors of three dimensional environments alter cell behavior. To this end, a focus has been to enhance neural cell response in 2D and 3D after biochemical and mechanical manipulations.
Selected Research Projects
- Toward a Mechanotransduction Mimic of the Neural Stem Cell Niche
- – Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Collaborative Research: Professional Preparation of Underrepresented Minority PhD’s and Post-Docs for a Career in Engineering Academia
- – Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
Selected Publications
Stevens KR, Masters KS, Imoukhuede PI, Haynes KA, Setton LA, Cosgriff-Hernandez E, Lediju Bell MA, Rangamani P, Sakiyama-Elbert SE, Finley SD, Willits RK, Koppes AN, Chesler NC, Christman KL, Allen JB, Wong JY, El-Samad H, Desai TA, Eniola-Adefeso O. Fund Black scientists. Cell. 2021;184(3):561-5. Epub 2021/01/28. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.011. PubMed PMID: 33503447.
- Jassim, A.H., Cavanaugh, M., Shah, J.S. et al. Transcorneal Electrical Stimulation Reduces Neurodegenerative Process in a Mouse Model of Glaucoma. Ann Biomed Eng 49, 858–870 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-020-02608-8
- Pylypiv, G., C. Fouad, W. Lanzinger, R. K. Willits. Effect of Intraoperative Electrical Stimulation on Recovery after Rat Sciatic Nerve Isograft Repair. Neurotrauma Reports, November 2020. https://doi.org/10.1089/neur.2020.0049
- Silantyeva, E., R.K. Willits, M.L. Becker. Post-fabrication Tethering of Molecular Gradients on Aligned Nanofibers of Functional Poly(ԑ-caprolactone)s. Biomacromolecules. 20(12):4494-4501, 2019. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01264
- Motta, Cecilia M.M., K.J. Endres, C. Wesdemiotis, R.K. Willits and M.L. Becker. Enhancing Schwann Cell Migration Using Concentration Gradients of Laminin Derived-peptides. Biomaterials. 218:119335, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119335
- Cavanaugh M, Silantyeva E, Pylypiv Koh G, Malekzadeh E, Lanzinger WD, Willits RK, Becker ML. RGD-Modified Nanofibers Enhance Outcomes in Rats after Sciatic Nerve Injury. J Funct Biomater. 2019 May 29;10(2) PubMed PMID: 31146396; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6637389.
- Philip, D.#, Silantyeva, E.#, Becker, M.L., and R.K. Willits. RGD-functionalized nanofibers increase early GFAP expression during neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Biomacromolecules, #co-first authors. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00018
Apr 26, 2021
Congratulations RISE: 2021 Winners
Congratulations to our engineering students who won awards at the RISE:2021 Research, Innovation and Scholarship Expo!
Sep 02, 2020
New Faculty Spotlight: Rebecca Willits
Rebecca Willits joined the Chemical Engineering department in July 2020 as Professor and Chair.
Aug 03, 2020
Willits Selected as a BMES Fellow
ChE Professor and Chair Rebecca Willits selected as a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society.