Aaron Morris

Aaron Morris, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on engineering biomaterial-based systems to study and modulate the immune system in autoimmune diseases, cancer metastasis, and organ transplantation. Dr. Morris leads the PRIME Lab, which develops innovative biomaterial sensors and scaffolds for in vivo disease monitoring and therapeutic intervention.

Education: He earned a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech, followed by a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University. His postdoctoral training included work with Dr. Lonnie Shea at the University of Michigan on immunomodulatory biomaterials and with Dr. Joshua Leonard at Northwestern University on synthetic biological systems.

Research Interests: Morris’s work spans biomaterial design, immunological engineering, and synthetic biology. His lab creates implantable sensors to detect early signs of autoimmune flare-ups, metastatic cancer progression, and organ rejection. Recent projects include developing cytokine-responsive cellular sensors and antigen-conjugated scaffolds for T-cell enrichment. His team also investigates neutrophil-driven mechanisms in breast cancer metastasis using synthetic tissue models.

Scientific Contributions: His publications highlight breakthroughs in biomaterial-based disease surveillance systems, such as subcutaneous engineered tissues predicting allograft rejection and lung-mimicking niches revealing neutrophil roles in cancer dormancy. Morris’s interdisciplinary approach combines materials science with immunology to address unmet clinical needs in autoimmune and oncologic conditions.

Grants & Partnerships: While specific grant details are not listed, his work suggests involvement in NIH-funded projects given the translational focus of his research. He collaborates with clinical and engineering teams across institutions, as evidenced by his postdoctoral partnerships and multi-author publications.

Labs/Teams: The PRIME Lab at the University of Michigan serves as his primary research hub, fostering collaborations between biomedical engineers, immunologists, and clinicians to advance diagnostic and therapeutic technologies.