Marley Dewey

Marley Dewey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Engineering at UC Santa Barbara. She earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Dewey leads the Dewey Lab, which focuses on understanding how extracellular vesicles influence aging processes and developing biomaterial solutions for age-related diseases.

Her research combines biomaterials science with 3D-printing technology to create tissue mimics that model bone diseases and develop regenerative therapies. Key areas include:

• Role of extracellular vesicles in tissue repair and aging
• Development of mineralized collagen scaffolds for bone regeneration
• Antimicrobial strategies for implant-associated infections
• Coral reef restoration using tissue engineering principles

Recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on nanovesicle biology, particularly matrix-bound nanovesicles, and their therapeutic applications in neuroprotection and bone regeneration. Her work spans basic vesicle characterization, biomaterial development, and translational applications in ophthalmology and orthopedics.

Awards include the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and Annual Innovation Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis. She mentors graduate students Renata Dos Reis Marques and Andrew White, and undergraduates Georgia Edmondson, Ava Salami, Vidya Sundaram, and Catherine Zhu on projects involving bone repair, infection prevention, and coral restoration.