Biography

Professor Nathan Sniadecki's research is in the areas of cell biomechanics, mechanobiology, and bioMEMs. Specifically, his lab is developing micro- and nano-scale tools to understand the mechanical properties of cells. His lab uses arrays of flexible silicone posts to measure the contractile forces of cells, computational modeling to examine cell mechanics, and microfluidic devices to investigate the cardiovascular system. The long-term goals of his work are to understand the ways in which mechanics plays a role in tissue growth and cardiovascular disease and how cell mechanics can be used to improve human health through better diagnostic systems and improved tissue engineering. Professor Sniadecki is the CTO and co-founder of Stasys Medical Corporation and scientific advisor for Curi Bio and Micro Phone Lens.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Maryland at College Park, 2003
• M.S., University of Maryland at College Park
• B.S. University of Notre Dame, 2000

Select publications

1. Ting, L.H., Feghhi, S., Taparia, N., Smith, A.O., Karchin, A., Lim, E., St. John, A., Wang, X., Rue, T., White, N.J., Sniadecki, N.J. (2019) Contractile Forces in Platelet Aggregates Under Microfluidic Shear Gradients Reflect Platelet Inhibition and Bleeding Risk. Nature Communications. 10:1204 [Pubmed]
2. Leonard A., Bertero A., Powers J.D., Beussman K.M., Bhandari S., Regnier M., Murry C.E., Sniadecki N.J. (2018) Afterload promotes maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes in engineered heart tissues. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. 118:147-158. [PubMed]
3. Bielawski, K.B., Leonard, A., Bhandari, S., Murry, C.E., Sniadecki, N.J. (2016) Real-Time Force and Frequency Analysis of Engineered Heart Tissues Derived from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using Magnetic Sensing. Tissue Engineering Part C: Methods. 22(10): 932-940. [PubMed]
4. Feghhi, S., Munday, A.D., Tooley, W.W., Rajsekar, S., Fura, A.M., Kulman, J.D., López, J.A., Sniadecki, N.J. (2016) Cytoskeletal Forces Transmitted through Glycoprotein Ib-IX-V Complex Enhance Platelet Adhesion. Biophysical Journal, 111:601-8. [PubMed]
5. Rodriguez, M.L., McGarry, P., Sniadecki, N.J. (2013) Review on Cell Mechanics: Experimental and Modeling Approaches, Applied Mechanics Reviews. 65(6), 060801. [Abstact]
6. Han, S.J., Ting, L.H., Bielawski, K.S., Rodriguez, M.L., Sniadecki, N.J. (2012) Decoupling Substrate Stiffness, Spread Area, and Micropost Density: A Close Spatial Relationship Between Traction Forces and Focal Adhesions. Biophysical Journal. 103(4): 640-8. [PubMed]
7. Ting, L.H., Jahn, J.R., Jung, J.I., Shuman, B.R., Feghhi, S., Han, S.J., Rodriguez, M.L. Sniadecki, N.J. (2012) Flow Mechanotransduction Regulates Traction Forces, Intercellular Forces, and Adherens Junctions. American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 302:H2220-H2229. [PubMed]
8. Rodriguez, A.G., Han, S.J., Regnier, M., Sniadecki, N.J. (2011) Substrate Stiffness Increases Twitch Power of Neonatal Cardiomyocytes in Correlation with Changes in Myofibril Structure and Intracellular Calcium. Biophysical Journal. 101(10):2455-2464. [PubMed]
9. Liang, X.M, Han, S.J., Reems, J.A., Gao, D., Sniadecki, N.J., (2010) Platelet Retraction Force Measurements Using Flexible Post Force Sensors. Selected for the Cover of Lab on a Chip. 10(8): 991-8. [PubMed]

Honors & awards

• Lloyd Hamilton Donnell Applied Mechanics Review Paper Award, 2014
• Albert Kobayashi Professorship, 2013
• DARPA Young Faculty Award, 2011
• NSF CAREER Award, 2009

News