Dr. Tohid Didar

Assistant Professor

My research interest is in the design and development of biofunctional interfaces for the production of a wide range of biomedical devices. The biological/non-biological interface is an important cornerstone for the fabrication of many biomedical devices. Platforms as diverse as microfluidics, lab-on-chip, 3D tissue culture scaffolds, and organs-on-chips all rely on the effective interaction of cells and/or bio-recognition elements (proteins/peptides, enzymes, antibodies, etc.) with non-biological surfaces.

The long-term objective of my research is to develop multifunctional, smart interfaces embedded in 2D or 3D microenvironments that mimic the natural micro environment of organs, provide qualitative and quantitative information about the immobilization of cells and/or biomolecules in an active state, minimize non-specific adhesion, and in effect guarantee reliability and performance of the final biomedical device. Due to the high complexity of all phenomena involved, this line of research requires a multidisciplinary approach including MEMS, nanotechnology, smart biomaterials, cellular biology, surface chemistry and development of ex vivo and in vivo models, which provides a robust platform for cutting-edge basic and translational research.