The heart has limited ability to regenerate itself, and as a result, heart disease has permanent, often life-threatening effects on cardiac function. An emerging technology to regenerate the diseased heart is an engineered cardiac tissue (ECT), which is implanted onto the myocardial surface of the heart in order to introduce viable cardiomyocytes and improve cardiac function. However, the ECT’s minimal resistance to the hypoxic conditions of the diseased heart results in limited engraftment and long-term viability in vivo. This project will investigate in vitro maturation of cardiomyocytes to improve long-term success in the environment of the diseased heart. In parallel to this experimental work, I will interview physicians about the implementation of regenerative medicine in a clinical setting. This will provide valuable insight as to how open clinicians are to the idea of stem cell-based therapies, and how best to tailor ECT bench research to clinical implementation at the bedside.

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kareen Coulombe

Caroline Snyder ’24 is a Biomedical Engineering concentrator from Bethesda, Maryland. A member of the Coulombe Lab for Heart Health and Regeneration since the beginning of her sophomore year, she focuses on the mechanics and contractility of engineered cardiac tissues. Caroline hopes to attend medical school after graduation, while continuing to contribute to biomedical research as a physician-engineer. Outside of academics, Caroline volunteers at Rhode Island Hospital, serves as the Outreach Director for Society of Women Engineers, and is a member of the varsity field hockey team.