Naghmeh Abbasi

Scientist with 10+ years of experience in stem cells, cell therapy and translational tissue regeneration across academic and preclinical R&D environments. Expertise in stem cells differentiation applications, cell & molecular biology, immunostaining, histology, and in vitro disease-model development for vascular, retinal, craniofacial, neural and spinal cord regeneration. Experienced in experimental design (DOE), assay validation, statistical analysis, and SOP-driven workflow optimization, grant and publication writing supporting translational biomaterial product development.

Proven track record leading multidisciplinary collaborative R&D projects, authoring over 10 first-author peer-reviewed publications, and training researchers in workflows.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow & Lab Manager - University of Pittsburgh, Faculty of Medicine - PA, USA

(2024-08)

• Lead development of 3D bioprinted hydrogel scaffold platforms for pulmonary hypertension modeling and vascular mechanobiology studies
• Designed multi-material and mechanically heterogeneous constructs using DLP-based bioprinting and grayscale photopatterning approaches
• Optimized hydrogel formulations, surface modification strategies, and scaffold mechanical properties to enhance endothelial and smooth muscle cell integration
• Designed and validated dynamic mechanobiology assays simulating respiratory strain and rotational shear stress
• Performed scaffold characterization using mechanical testing, SEM imaging, fluorescence imaging, histology, and biomaterial surface analysis, alongside mammalian cell culture, immunostaining, and RT-qPCR workflows
• Lead 4 active collaborative translational biomaterials projects spanning vascular therapeutics, nuclear mechanobiology, imaging-enabled scaffold systems, and predictive biofabrication modeling
• Initiated development of AAV-loaded hydrogel scaffold platforms for localized vascular gene delivery
• Established industry collaboration with CELLINK to validate predictive mechanical modeling across biomaterial systems
• Managed laboratory operations, including procurement, inventory oversight, experimental resource planning, and grant-supported budget allocation to ensure uninterrupted research execution

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Bond University, Faculty of Medicine - GC, AU

(2021-01 - 2023-12)

• Led regenerative medicine research focused on retinal tissue engineering and Bruch's membrane regeneration
• Developed and optimized electrospun biomaterial scaffolds to support long-term retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell viability and functionality
• Designed and executed experimental workflows for scaffold fabrication, physicochemical characterization, and biological validation
• Conducted stem cell-based in vitro assessments including cell viability, differentiation assays, immunostaining, fluorescence microscopy, and gene expression analysis
• Evaluated scaffold–cell interactions and biomaterial performance through microscopy-based imaging and quantitative biological analyses
• Contributed to grant applications, ethics submissions, technical documentation, and translational research planning
• Coordinated multidisciplinary collaborations across academic and clinical research teams

Ph.D. Research Scholar - Griffith University, Faculty of Dentistry & Oral Health - GC, AU

(2016-03 - 2019-12)

• Designed and fabricated melt electrowritten (MEW) PCL scaffolds with gradient and offset architectures for bone regeneration applications
• Engineered biomimetic scaffold systems with tunable structural and mechanical properties to enhance osteogenic differentiation
• Performed biomaterial characterization using SEM, μCT, mechanical testing, microscopy, and biological assays
• Investigated relationships between scaffold architecture, mechanical performance, and cellular responses
• Published multiple first-author peer-reviewed articles in biomaterials and regenerative medicine journals

Master student Research Associate - Azad University of Tehran, Faculty of Science - Tehran, IR

(2010-04 - 2012-02)

• Fabricated electrospun scaffold systems with aligned and random fiber orientations for neural tissue engineering and spinal cord regeneration research
• Developed 3D scaffold-based culture platforms to investigate neural cell growth, differentiation, and scaffold-guided tissue formation
• Evaluated scaffold-mediated neural differentiation and cell–material interactions using fluorescence microscopy and biological assays
• Investigated the influence of scaffold architecture and fiber orientation on cellular behavior and neural tissue development
• Contributed to experimental analysis, scientific reporting, manuscript preparation, and conference publications

Ph.D. - Medical Science - Griffith University (2016-03 - 2020-05)

M.Sc. - Cellular & Molecular Biology - Azad University of Tehran (2009-09 - 2012-02)

B.Sc. - Microbiology - Azad University of Karaj (2002-09 - 2007-07)