| |  | | Dear All,
On behalf of Purdue University's Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, we are pleased to announce an upcoming faculty candidate visit.
Faculty participation in meetings with the candidate is strongly encouraged, as these interactions are an important part of our evaluation process. We kindly ask that all faculty sign up for a meeting time and indicate their availability, including interest in attending the faculty lunch, by completing the survey linked below no later than end of day February 17, 2026.
Thank you in advance for your time and engagement in this process.
Sincerely,
ChE Main Office Team
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Dr. Kaustav Bera | |
Postdoctoral Fellow
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Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
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University of Colorado Boulder
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Host: Dr. Xiaoping Bao
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Bio: | Kaustav Bera is a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow
in the lab
of Professor Kristi Anseth at the University of Colorado Boulder. Kaustav utilizes
phototunable hydrogel systems, in combination with three-dimensional organoids
and advanced microscopy, to develop tissue-mimetic in vitro models for
studying mammalian gut architecture and deciphering how the cellular
composition and function of the intestine are maintained. Prior to joining CU
Boulder, Kaustav obtained a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from
Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of Professor Konstantinos
Konstantopoulos. Kaustav’s graduate work focused on how physical forces,
especially those from body fluids, regulate cell movement and cancer
metastasis. Kaustav received several recognitions for his research, including a
travel award to the World Biomaterials Congress, the Whiting School of
Engineering Research Trainee Award, and a Poster Award at the National Cancer
Institute’s Junior Investigators Meeting. Kaustav is passionate about teaching
and mentoring the next generation of engineers, a highlight of which has been
his development and instruction of the Hopkins Engineering Applications and
Research Tutorials (HEART) freshman course, where he designed a hands-on
curriculum introducing engineering methods for studying cell biology. Kaustav
also contributes to the engineering community through leadership roles at the
local and national levels through the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
(AIChE) and the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado Boulder (PAC).
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"Shining Light on Complex Tissues: Engineering Strategies for Modeling Development and Disease across Time and Scale"
| Tuesday, February 24, 2026 | |
9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. ET
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FRNY 3059
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Abstract: | During development, aging, and disease progression, tissues undergo continuous changes in
their mechanical properties. Landmark studies have shown that both the solid and fluid surroundings play central roles in regulating cell behavior. Although in vitro tissue models have enabled fundamental and translational insights into pathophysiology, most fail to capture the temporally evolving dynamics of in vivo tissues. Accurately modeling physiological processes therefore requires accounting for relevant tissue components across length scales and incorporating their dynamic evolution over time. This talk will focus on recently developed tools to control and study the effects of the fluid and solid aspects of the tissue microenvironment. The first part will describe how microfluidic platforms can uncover previously underappreciated physical cues, such as the viscosity of extracellular fluids, that influence cell behavior and cancer progression. I will then show how biophysical modeling can be used to identify new
sensory mechanisms by which cells probe their surroundings, and how predictions from these models can be experimentally validated using advanced microscopy, bioengineering tools, and animal models. The second part will focus on engineering the solid microenvironment of tissues using phototunable biomaterials whose mechanical properties can be altered with spatiotemporal precision. By combining these materials with miniature three-dimensional tissues known as organoids, multicellular tissue behavior can be controlled and studied in
vitro. I will demonstrate how changes in tissue shape generate mechanical forces that are sensed by cell nuclei and influence cell fate decisions. Finally, I will show how phototunable hydrogels provide a powerful in vitro platform to model and study intestinal crypt fission, a key process underlying intestinal development and regeneration. Overall, this work demonstrates how engineered in vitro models can unravel novel insights into cell behavior during healthy functioning and diseased states. It also establishes the
foundation for building platforms with physiologically relevant components and spatiotemporal tunability that can uncover fundamental biological mechanisms and enable translational studies, informing not only the design of effective treatments but also the optimal timing of intervention.
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| | | | | Davidson School of Chemical Engineering
chemain@purdue.edu
(765) 494-4050 |
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