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INFORMATION ABOUT:
Faculty Directory
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Connie Gomez, Ph. D. Assistant Professor Mechanical Engineering Engineering Building, Room A-111 cgomez17@utep.edu (915) 747-6015 (915) 747-5019 Fax Curriculum Vitae Full Profile |
Research Interests:
- Develop interdisciplinary based design tools and bio-mechanical manufacturing systems to fabricate biocompatible micro-scale devices and structures for use in biomedical and tissue applications.
- Develop a computational and optimization model for degradation of multi-material tissue engineered scaffolds.
- Study theoretical models and conduct experimental studies of bulk material as release agents for growth factors in tissue engineering applications.
- Construct an interdisciplinary information system to study cellular response due to mechanical and chemical environmental factors and to further scaffold design.
Research Description:
My research focuses on the design and fabrication of scaffolds for tissue engineering for bone applications. In order to produce an effective scaffold design, the scaffold must function throughout the tissue regeneration process as well as degrade away, leaving only a functional tissue. One of my primary goals is the development of efficient methodologies for tissue scaffold design, with constraints due to the biological, structural, and fabrication requirements of tissue regeneration. This requires a fundamental understanding of design, solid mechanics, and computer science. Tools from these fields can be used in conjunction with each other to produce scaffold designs in a relatively short time frame compared to traditional scaffold design processes. My secondary goal is to improve scaffold design by understanding and have the ability to model scaffolds under degradation conditions. By combining efficient design methods and constraints due to degradation, the overall scaffold design should prove functional throughout the tissue regeneration process.
Degrees:
| Year | Degree | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Ph.D | Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA |
| 2002 | B.S | Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA USA |
Academic Honors & Awards:
| 2006-2007 | National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellowship, NSF | |
| 2006-2007 | Coach/Adult Mentor Award, Philadelphia First Lego League | |
| 2003-2006 | National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, NSF | |
| 2005-2006 | College of Engineering Outstanding Service Award, Drexel University | |
| 2004 | Dean’s Fellowship, Drexel University | |
Selected Publications:
1. Zhou, X., Gomez, C., Denton, T., Shokoufandeh, A., and Sun, W. Data Exchange for Unit-Cell Based Tissue Scaffold Design, Analysis and Fabrication. 32th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology. Easton, PA. April 1–2, 2006.
2. Demirci, M.F., Gomez, C., Shokoufandeh, A., and Sun, W. Connectivity for Mass and Fluid Transport in Three-Dimensional Two-Phase Structures. 31th Annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology. Hoboken, NJ. April 2–3, 2005.
3. Sun, W., Starly, B., Darling, A., and Gomez, C. Computer–Aided Tissue Engineering, Part II: Application to biomimetic modeling and design of tissue scaffolds. J. Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, Vol. 39, Issue 1, pp. 49–58.
4. Gomez, C., Demirci, M.F., Shokoufandeh, A., Sun, W., and Regli, W. Two- Phase Structure Representation and Design: Tissue Engineered 3-D Construct Connectivity Study. Proceedings of Bio-Medical Engineering Society Annual Meeting – BMES 2004. Philadelphia, PA. October 13–16, 2004.
5. Starly, B., Darling, A., Gomez, C., Sun, W., Shokoufandeh, A., and Regli, W. Image Based Bio-CAD Modeling and Its Application in Biomedical and Tissue Engineering. ACM Symposium on Solid Modeling and Applications 04, Genova, Italy, June 9–11, 2004.