Professor and Chair of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences
Bioengineering & Therapeutic Sciences
Dr. Desai’s research brings together advanced micro and nanotechnologies, fundamental insight into cellular behavior in engineered environments, and novel pharmacologic delivery approaches to address disease treatment and clinical translation. Currently, her laboratory focuses on four highly interdisciplinary directions: 1. Hierarchical devices for enhanced cellular adhesion and paracellular drug transport; 2. Injectable and flexible nanoporous devices for rate-controlled long term release of therapeutics; 3.
The Ahituv lab is focused on understanding the role of regulatory sequences in human biology and disease. Through a combination of comparative genomic strategies, biochemical assays, regulatory element analysis, human patient samples, mouse and fish genetic engineering technologies, and massively parallel reporter assays they are working to elucidate mechanisms whereby genetic variation within these sequences lead to changes in human phenotypes.
