Holly Senebandith

 About Holly

• Advisor: Samavanya Srivastava
• Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Campus: UCLA
• BioPACIFIC MIP Research: SET 3 - Functional Biomimics

 What is your research focus?

My research investigates the bulk properties of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) hydrogels in an effort to create bioactive bioadhesives. These hydrogels have a myriad of potential applications due to their unique properties (rapid self-assembly, self-healing, salt/pH responsivity, hierarchical microstructure, and tunable mechanical, swelling/degradation, and microstructural properties) and are also very useful as bioinks for extrusion-based 3D-printing, which will be a major focus of Set 3 BioPACIFIC MIP research. PEC hydrogels are an ideal system to advance the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) due to the various parameters which can be altered to tune the materials properties. My research is heavily focused on mapping out the material properties (microstructure and moduli) related to incorporating proteins into PEC hydrogels, as well as determining the properties of these hydrogels as a function of varying the block polyelectrolyte lengths and concentrations. As there is plenty of opportunity to map out the bulk properties PEC hydrogels (e.g., mapping the moduli and microstructure of mixed PEC hydrogel systems as a function of block polyelectrolyte length and concentration, with and without proteins), my research well-aligns with Set 3 goals and the overall BioPACIFIC MIP mission as it relates to the MGI.

 What excites you about NSF BioPACIFIC MIP?

I am interested in becoming a BioPACIFIC MIP Fellow because my research aligns well with the SET 3 and overall mission of BioPACIFIC MIP related to the MGI. Additionally, I think BioPACIFIC MIP is unique in that it gives Fellows the opportunity for professional and scientific development by allowing access and training on instrumentation in the MIP and more importantly, the ability to collaborate with exceptional project scientists, some of whom I have already had the chance to work with. Furthermore, I will be entering the job market soon, and I think being a BioPACIFIC MIP Fellow will be helpful to me as I navigate my job search by offering helpful workshops, other career development opportunities, but more importantly, a network of scientists.