Vasiliki Kolliopoulos is a graduate student in the Harley lab at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. In the inaugural Young Innovator Program in 2021, she won first place for her proposal to develop a novel platform to screen biomaterials for bone injuries.

The first Young Innovator Program concluded in August 2021. It was a ten-week summer program that was designed to teach trainees how to become innovative leaders in their fields. The program concluded with an idea competition, where the participants showcased the skills that they learned over the summer.

Bone injuries in the face and skull—known as craniomaxillofacial defects—can be caused by sports injuries, vehicle accidents, or battlefield injuries. Repairing such defects is complicated because different types of cells need to interact with each other. In a new study, researchers are investigating the types of material used in reconstruction to see which one works best.