Stay up to date with the latest research highlights, student achievements, grants, and events from our lab.
Welcome to Jianyu Hao, who joined the Leipzig Bioengineering Group in January 2026 to pursue doctoral research. It's great to have Jianyu joining us, and we look forward to the impact his contributions will have on the lab's projects.
Rounak Pokharel, Ahmed Usaid, and Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare represented the Leipzig Bioengineering Group at the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The team presented their latest work on biomaterial strategies for spinal cord injury repair and tissue engineering.
Vasanti Dhakate, Hannah Durr, and Katherine Bradshaw showcased their research at the University of Akron's Graduate Research Day, highlighting ongoing work from the lab on wound healing hydrogels and CNS injury repair strategies.
Katherine Bradshaw and Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare presented at the University of Akron's Biomedical Engineering Research Day in March 2025, presenting their research on biomaterial scaffolds for spinal cord injury and tissue regeneration.
The Leipzig Bioengineering Group is part of an awarded ReDDDoT Phase 1 Planning Grant for the project Materials Advancement through PRECEDE-PROCEED for Safety (MAPPS). The project addresses a critical need for responsible development of advanced personal protective equipment (PPE) for hazardous materials (hazmat) operators — including emergency medical technicians, police, fire, and nursing personnel.
The project applies the evidence-based PRECEDE-PROCEED framework combined with a gamified design process to engage end users and materials scientists at the University of Akron. The resulting action plan will guide the design and deployment of smart, responsive PPE incorporating mechanochemical and Ohmic sensing of mechanical failure alongside colorimetric indicators for chemical and biological exposure — leveraging UA expertise in polymer design, additive manufacturing, and printed electronics. The project is also integrated with the NSF i-Corps™ program to bridge research ideation and real-world stakeholder needs across the full disaster cycle.
Katherine Bradshaw and Hannah Durr delivered podium presentations at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Conference in October 2024. Podium presentations reflect the strong impact and significance of the research being conducted in the lab.
Congratulations to Dr. Nic D. Leipzig on his promotion to Full Professor in the Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering at the University of Akron. This achievement reflects Dr. Leipzig's outstanding contributions to research, teaching, and service throughout his tenure at UA.
Lab members took a break from the bench to enjoy a group kayaking outing on the Cuyahoga Valley River. Team outings help strengthen the collaborative and supportive culture that makes the Leipzig Bioengineering Group a great place to do science.
Welcome to Oluwaseyi Shofolawe-Bakare, who joined the Leipzig Lab in July 2024 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate supported by the Department of Defense Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. We look forward to the expertise and new perspectives Oluwaseyi brings to the team.
Welcome to Ahmed Usaid, who joined the Leipzig Bioengineering Group in August 2023 to pursue doctoral research. We are excited to have Ahmed on board and look forward to seeing the contributions he will make to the lab's research programs.
The Leipzig Bioengineering Group received a $750,000 three-year Investigator-Initiated Research Award from the Department of Defense (DoD) Spinal Cord Injury Research Program. This competitive award will support the lab's work developing novel biomaterial strategies to promote repair and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
