While more than 25 faculty laboratories collaborate with the New Jersey Center for Biomaterials, the Center's resident faculty conducts the core research and provides the core technologies that support the Center's programs. For more information on the scientific projects led by these researchers please visit www.kohnlab.org.

Joachim Kohn
PhD, Weizmann Institute of Science
Director, New Jersey Center for Biomaterials
Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry   
Joachim Kohn is a leader in biomaterials science and widely known for the development of tyrosine-derived, resorbable polymers, one of which is now used in an FDA-approved medical device.  Kohn's current research efforts focus on the development of a new "discovery paradigm" for revolutionary biomaterials using combinatorial and computational methods to optimize the composition and properties of biomaterials for specific applications, particularly tissue engineering and drug delivery.  As a first demonstration of the utility of this approach, Kohn led a team of scientists who discovered an optimized
polymer for use in a fully degradable cardiovascular stent
which is about to enter clinical trials.

Durgadas Bolikal
PhD, Marquette University
Associate Research Professor   
Das Bolikal is an expert in the synthesis and modification of polymers used for biomedical applications. He works with polymer systems such as pseudo-poly(amino acids), poly(ethylene glycol)-based polymers, polymerized surfactants, and vesicles.  His collaborations with industrial sponsors provide the synthetic and analytic services needed for commercialization activities.
 

Jared Bushman,
PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center
Assistant Research Professor
Jared Bushman is a biomedical geneticist with broad experience and expertise in cell biology, neuroscience, and molecular genetics. His current research is focused on four main topics: covalently attaching full length proteins to polymer surfaces, understanding the genetic changes induced in cells and tissues by interaction with differing substratum, modulating polymers to induce desirable changes in cellular redox, and improving cell and polymer based methods for nerve regeneration


Aniq Darr
PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Aniq Darr is a biomedical engineer with experience in the development and commercialization of biomaterials for tissue repair and regeneration applications.  His expertise includes mechanical property characterization, and in vivo evaluation of degradable devices.  His current research efforts are focused on the advancement of new biomaterials for use in the treatment of orthopedic injuries. 


Bruce A. Doll
DDS, PhD The Pennsylvania State University
Chief Operating Officer, RCCC
Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Associate Research Professor
Bruce A. Doll is the COO for Rutgers-Cleveland Clinic Consortium – AFIRM.  Dr. Doll has been a practicing periodontist and bone research scientist, working with surgical placement of various scaffold constructs in animal models. He serves as a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy Reserve and has deployed to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in 2008.  He has had direct, frequent interaction with the wounded warriors returning from Theatre.  On several levels, Dr Doll has explored improvements to the wounded, ill and injured service members.

Carmine Iovine
MS, Rutgers – the State University
Assistant Research Professor   
Carmine Iovine was Group Vice President for Research at ICI/National Starch before joining the faculty of the Center.  He is an expert in the management of large research groups and the implementation of industry-academia interactions.  His research interests focus on the chemistry of synthetic, water soluble polymers including polyelectrolytes, and in the application of these materials to delivery systems, personal care, food and adhesive applications. He also has considerable expertise in the use of high throughput workflow techniques for the discovery of
unique formulated products.


Bozena Michniak
PhD, Leicester Polytechnic
Professor of Pharmaceutics   
Bozena Michniak’s research group focuses on biological membrane drug transport and delivery, involving principally topical and transdermal drug delivery. The main interest is the enhancement of drug permeation using chemical and physical techniques (iontophoresis, microneedles) as well as novel carriers (nanospheres).  She also works on the tissue engineering of a full-thickness human skin equivalent, based on the co-culture of fibroblasts and keratinocytes using collagen and novel polymer meshes as dermal matrices.


Sanjeeva Murthy
PhD, University of Connecticut
Associate Research Professor   
Sanjeeva Murthy has a broad background in materials science, biophysics and engineering, which he uses to develop and mine structure-property relationships with the goals of tailoring polymers for biomedical applications and studying interactions between cells and substrates at multiple length scales.  His expertise includes use of x-ray crystallography for characterization of polymer surfaces, thin films, and interfaces in order to study cell growth and adhesion. 


Pallassana V. Narayanan
PhD University of Wales, MBA Nova Southeastern University
Chief Operating Officer, RESBIO, a National Biomedical
Technology Resource
Associate Research Professor
Pallassana Narayanan is the COO for RESBIO, funded by National Institute of Health to accelerate the discovery of polymeric biomaterials that will contribute to the development of regenerative therapies and advance drug delivery systems.  Dr. Narayanan was an Engineering Fellow at Johnson & Johnson and led the project team that enabled the implantation of the first ever drug-eluting coronary stent in humans.  His experience is in the area of development of combination products and global R&D management.


Larisa Sheihet
PhD, Bar-Ilan University
Associate Research Professor   
Larisa Sheihet is a polymer chemist with expertise in the synthesis and characterization of nano- and microparticles.  Her current research efforts are focused on a unique nanosphere system based on a biodegradable, non-cytotoxic polymeric architecture that provides a high degree of structural versatility for complexing and delivering a wide array of therapeutics.