Bio

B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, 2004Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2012Post-Doc in Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2017

Christopher Highley develops materials and fabrication technologies to enable the design and construction of complex cellular and material systems, with the goal of addressing fundamental and translational problems in biomedicine. Research in the Highley Lab focuses on the design, application, and continued development of technology for building material and cellular systems that address biological, medical, and societal needs. We aim to design in vitro models of biological systems and to create cell and materials-based therapies to address injury and disease. A central focus of the lab's work is the use and development of biomanufacturing technology, including materials and hardware, to build constructs based on engineering principles.

Chris joined the faculty in the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in January 2018 as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, after doing post-doctoral research in the Bioengineering Department at the University of Pennsylvania. He received a B.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Awards

  • International Society for Biofabrication, Young Investigator Award 2017

In the News

Selected Publications

  • Jammed Microgel Inks for 3D Printing Applications. Advanced Science, 2018: 1801076. ABS C.B. Highley*, K.H. Song*, A.C. Daly, J.A. Burdick (* shared authorship)
  • A Generalizable Strategy for the 3D Printing of Hydrogels from Non-viscous Photocrosslinkable Inks. Advanced Materials, 2017, 29: 1604983. ABS L. Ouyang, C.B. Highley, W. Sun, J.A. Burdick
  • 3D Printing of Shear-Thinning Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels with Secondary Crosslinking. ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering, 2016, 2: 1743-1751. ABS L. Ouyang*, C.B. Highley*, C.B. Rodell, W. Sun, J.A. Burdick (* shared authorship)
  • Recent Advances in Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogels for Biomedical Applications. Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 2016, 40: 35-40. ABS C.B. Highley, G.D. Prestwich, J.A. Burdick
  • Direct 3D printing of shear-thinning hydrogels into self-healing hydrogels. Advanced Materials, 2015, 27: 5075-5079. ABS C.B. Highley, C.B. Rodell, J.A. Burdick