About
Kimberly Weirich is an Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University. She is an interdisciplinary researcher in experimental biological materials, focusing on self-organization and mechanics in soft materials inspired by biology. She has bachelors degrees in Physics and Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her Ph.D. in Biomolecular Science and Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara, developing model biological membrane systems, for applications in bio-compatible surface coatings and developing liposomal based therapeutics that could be rapidly tailored for novel viruses. Then, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Chicago in the James Franck Institute and the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, where she developed model cytoskeletal systems to investigate physical mechanisms underlying cellular mechanics, organization, and transport. She joined Clemson University in 2020, where her current research focuses on mechanisms of regulating microstructure and mechanics in cytoskeletal assemblies, as well as physical mechanisms of self-organization and shape regulation in biology.
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How their research is transforming health care
Weirich develops model experimental systems and uses state of the art microscopy and image analysis techniques to uncover physical mechanisms underlying the regulation mechanics and self-organization of subcellular assemblies. This research could further understanding of underlying mechanisms for cytoskeletal related diseases, advance development of therapeutics and biomedical devices.
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Biomaterials, Actin, Cytoskeleton, Vesicles, Liposomes, Cell Mechanics, Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy, Image Analysis
