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Background
Shahana Khurshid (maiden
name Jamil) grew up in Karachi, Pakistan
where she completed her A-Levels in 2000.
She graduated with a B.S. in Environmental
Engineering from MIT in 2003. She then spent
a few years working for engineering consulting
firms in Boston, Karachi, and Austin. In
2006 she joined the Biomedical Engineering
Department at the University of Texas at
Austin to pursue a Ph.D. under the joint
supervision of Dr. Christine Schmidt and
Dr. Nicholas Peppas.
Research Summary
We are developing a novel recognitive biomaterial based on hyaluronic
acid (HA). Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring hydrophilic, anionic
glycosaminoglycan that is part of the extracellular matrix. HA is
inherently biodegradable and biocompatible, and it creates an
environment conducive to tissue regeneration. While many recognitive
materials have been made with different synthetic polymer networks, we
are working on improving upon the biocompatibility of these recognitive
polymers by incorporating HA. The recognitive component is chemically
bound to hyaluronic acid. The material is of varying thickness and
contains molecular sized cavities in a highly cross-linked polymer
network. These cavities are complementary to the shape, size, and
polarity of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter and hormone linked
with many body functions.
This recognitive biomaterial is also being developed for other molecules
of interest in the central nervous system, such as l-dopa. Hyaluronic
acid hydrogels resist protein adsorption and cell adhesion which
minimizes biofouling of the biomaterial surface. The non-biofouling
property of the hydrogel, along with the specific recognitive cavities,
also makes it appropriate as a platform for drug delivery.
Publications
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