Kristen Billiar

Kristen Billiar is a Professor and Department Head of Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), holding the John Woodman Higgins Professorship in Engineering Education. She leads the Tissue Mechanics and Mechanobiology (TM2) Lab under the Life Sciences & Bioengineering Center. Her research focuses on mechanobiology, exploring how mechanical forces regulate connective tissue development, healing, and disease pathogenesis. Key areas include soft tissue mechanics, biomaterials characterization, and functional tissue engineering.

Billiar holds a BS from Cornell University (1991), MSE (1992), and PhD (1998) from the University of Pennsylvania. She mentors undergraduate and graduate students, advising capstone teams and fostering independent research skills. Her educational contributions have earned awards like the Romeo L. Moruzzi Young Faculty Award and Trustees’ Award for Academic Advising.

Her lab’s work spans skin, heart valves, arteries, and lung tissues, with innovations in 3D constructs to study cell-matrix interactions. Recent studies include nondestructive tissue characterization via digital holography and antioxidant effects on calcific aortic valve disease models. She serves on the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Board and co-leads the NIH-funded U-RISE@Wπ program to support underrepresented biomedical students.

Professional accolades include Fulbright Scholar (2009), AIMBE Fellowship, and ASME Bioengineering leadership roles. Her research bridges biomechanics, cell biology, and clinical applications, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and grants totaling millions in funding.