Dr. Chien-Chi Lin

Areas of Research 

Polymeric biomaterials for cancer bioengineering and tissue regeneration

Projects

• Dynamic hydrogels for studying cell-matrix interactions in pancreatic cancer

Cancer progression is guided by complex cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. ​We are particularly interested in developing technologies to study pancreatic cancer as few anti-pancreatic cancer therapeutics have progressed to clinical success. Studying the complex cellular and molecular event in stromal tissues (i.e., desmoplasia) requires a well-defined and tunable 3D cell-laden matrix. The objective of this project is to use adaptable matrices with spatial-temporally tunable properties for elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing pancreatic cancer cell progression and for identifying novel molecular targets against this deadly disease. Additional efforts are devoted to synthesizing injectable nanoparticle-loaded matrices for delivering multiple anti-tumor or other therapeutic agents.

The Lin Research Group is located adjacent to Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis. All research activities are conducted at the Indianapolis campus. 

Recruitment Needs

Looking for one or two highly motivated PhD students in the areas of biomaterials and cancer bioengineering.