Voices of STEM October 28, 2021

Penelope Georges

Assistant Director, STEM Education

Princeton University, Council on Science and Technology

Penelope holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia University. Her research interests include the study of cell mechanics and how the relationship with the mechanical environment can drive cell structure and function. Past work includes the study of cells interacting with soft materials - both synthetic and naturally-derived polymers - showing that tissue-specific cells have a unique response to substrate stiffness that closely matches that of the host tissue.  Her research also involves the use of rheological measurements to study the viscoelastic properties of tissue in both healthy and pathophysiological conditions. These studies aim to contribute to the development of biocompatible materials for the fabrication of medical devices, and to improve tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Haina Wang

Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry

Princeton University

Haina is a third year graduate student in the Chemistry department. She is working on inverse problems in statistical mechanics of soft matters, where she designs "polls" to molecules in order to understand their collective properties. She is also a blogger and vlogger on science and has published a book on biochemistry for children in China. More info and Bio.