Bio

B.S. ​Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, 2007M.S. ​Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2010​​Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013Post-Doc ​Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2013-2016

"We design biomaterials to better understand the dynamic reciprocity between cells and their environment during disease progression and tissue regeneration."

Steven R. Caliari, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering

Steven joined the faculty of the University of Virginia in August 2016 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering with a secondary appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Prior to joining UVA he was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Steven completed his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida and received both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

His lab designs, synthesizes, and characterizes new biomaterials to explore the dynamic interplay between cells and their microenvironment, applying these platforms to address fundamental human health challenges in understanding disease and engineering tissues. Steven recently received the NIH (NIGMS) Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) and NSF CAREER Award. His lab is grateful for generous support from the NIH, DoD, NSF, V Foundation, and UVA-Coulter Translational Research Partnership.

Awards

  • NSF CAREER Award 2021
  • NIH (NIGMS) Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) 2020
  • Robert A. Moore, Jr. Award in Chemical Engineering 2020

Research Interests

  • Biomaterials
  • Mechanobiology
  • Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering
  • Materials and Advanced Manufacturing for Biological Applications

In the News

  • Researcher’s Dream

    Researcher’s Dream

    Prestigious NIH Award Frees Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering Investigator to Follow the Science

    The first proposal Steven Caliari submitted to a funding agency since becoming a father was a big one. He had reason to be hopeful.

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  • Crossing Domains

    Crossing Domains

    Two Senior Hires and a New Assistant Professor Add Depth that Spans Barriers

    The field of biomedical engineering—which itself is a hybrid of disciplines—calls for a unique blend of skills. The BME department at UVA is undergoing a 10-plus-year program to...

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Selected Publications

  • '3D hyaluronic acid hydrogels for modeling oligodendrocyte progenitor cell behavior as a function of matrix stiffness,' Biomacromolecules, 21(12): 4962-4971, 2020. ABS D.B. Unal, S.R. Caliari**, K.J. Lampe** (co-corresponding authors)
  • 'Spatiotemporal control of viscoelasticity in phototunable hyaluronic acid hydrogels,' Biomacromolecules, 20(11): 4126-4134, 2019. ABS E. Hui, K.I. Gimeno, G. Guan, S.R. Caliari
  • 'Engineering biomaterial microenvironments to promote myelination in the central nervous system,' Brain Research Bulletin, 152: 159-174, 2019. ABS D.B. Unal, S.R. Caliari, K.J. Lampe
  • ‘Matching material and cellular timescales maximizes cell spreading on viscoelastic substrates,’ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 115(12): E2686-E2695, 2018. ABS Z. Gong, S.E. Szczesny, S.R. Caliari, E.E. Charrier, O. Chaudhuri, X. Cao, Y. Lin, R.L. Mauck, P.A. Janmey, J.A. Burdick, V.B. Shenoy
  • 'Mechanically dynamic PDMS substrates to investigate changing cell environments,' Biomaterials, 145: 23-32, 2017. ABS Y.C. Yeh, E.A. Corbin, S.R. Caliari, L. Ouyang, S.L. Vega, R. Truitt, L. Han, K.B. Marguiles, J.A. Burdick
  • 'N-cadherin adhesive interactions modulate matrix mechanosensing and fate commitment of mesenchymal stem cells,' Nature Materials, 15(12): 1297-1306, 2016. ABS B.D. Cosgrove, K.L. Mui, T.P. Driscoll, S.R. Caliari, K.D. Mehta, R.K. Assoian, J.A. Burdick, R.L. Mauck
  • ‘Dimensionality and spreading influence MSC YAP/TAZ signaling in hydrogel environments,’ Biomaterials, 103: 314-323, 2016. ABS S.R. Caliari*, S.L. Vega*, M. Kwon, E.M. Soulas, J.A. Burdick (*co-first authors)
  • ‘Gradually softening hydrogels for modeling hepatic stellate cell behavior during fibrosis regression,’ Integrative Biology, 8(6): 720-728, 2016. ABS S.R. Caliari, M. Perepelyuk, E.M. Soulas, G.Y. Lee, R.G. Wells**, J.A. Burdick** (co-corresponding authors)
  • ‘A practical guide to hydrogels for cell culture,’ Nature Methods, 13(5): 405-414, 2016. ABS S.R. Caliari, J.A. Burdick
  • ‘Stiffening hydrogels for investigating the dynamics of hepatic stellate cell mechanotransduction during myofibroblast activation,’ Scientific Reports, 6: 21387, 2016. ABS S.R. Caliari, M. Perepelyuk, B.D. Cosgrove, S.J. Tsai, G. Lee, R.L. Mauck, R.G. Wells, J.A. Burdick
  • ‘Collagen scaffolds incorporating coincident gradations of instructive structural and biochemical cues for osteotendinous junction engineering,’ Advanced Healthcare Materials, 4(6): 831-837, 2015. ABS S.R. Caliari, D.W. Weisgerber, W.K. Grier, Z. Mahmassani, M.D. Boppart, B.A.C. Harley
  • 'Collagen scaffold arrays for combinatorial screening of biophysical and biochemical regulators of cell behavior,' Advanced Healthcare Materials, 4(1): 58-64, 2015. ABS S.R. Caliari, E.A. Gonnerman, W.K. Grier, D.W. Weisgerber, J.M. Banks, A.J. Alsop, J.S. Lee, R.C. Bailey, B.A.C. Harley
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Courses Taught

  • Tissue Engineering (BME/CHE 4417, CHE 5562/BME 6550) Spring
  • Transport Processes I: Momentum Transfer (CHE 3321) Fall