Samira Musah

Research Interests

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), disease mechanisms, regenerative medicine, molecular and cellular basis of human kidney development and disease, organ engineering, patient-specific disease models, biomarkers, therapeutic discovery, tissue and organ transplantation, microphysiological systems including organs-on-chips and organoids, matrix biology, mechanotransduction, mechanobiology, and disease biophysics.

Bio

The Musah Lab is interested in understanding how molecular signals and biophysical forces can function either synergistically or independently to guide organ development and physiology, and how these processes can be therapeutically harnessed to treat human disease. Given the escalating medical crisis in nephrology as growing number of patients suffer from kidney disease that can lead to organ failure, the Musah Lab focuses on engineering stem cell fate for applications in human kidney disease, extra-renal complications, and therapeutic development. Dr. Musah’s research interests include stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, molecular and cellular basis of human organ development and disease progression, organ engineering, patient-specific disease models, biomarker identification, therapeutic discovery, tissue and organ transplantation, microphysiological systems including Organ Chips (organs-on-chips) and organoids, matrix biology, mechanotransduction and disease biophysics.

Education

• Ph.D. University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2013

Positions

• Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Assistant Professor in Cell Biology
• Assistant Professor in Medicine
• Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center
• Member of the Duke Cancer Institute

Courses Taught

• ME 718S: Biological Engineering Seminar Series (CBIMMS and CBTE)
• ME 717S: Biological Engineering Seminar Series (CBIMMS and CBTE)
• EGR 393: Research Projects in Engineering
• CELLBIO 493: Research Independent Study
• BME 792: Continuation of Graduate Independent Study
• BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
• BME 790: Advanced Topics for Graduate Students in Biomedical Engineering
• BME 712S: Biological Engineering Seminar Series (CBIMMS and CBTE)
• BME 711S: Biological Engineering Seminar Series (CBIMMS and CBTE)
• BME 644: Physiology for Engineers
• BME 590: Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering
• BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
• BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
• BME 394: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)