Muhammad Rizwan

Dr. Muhammad Rizwan is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), with a secondary appointment in Ophthalmology. He holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the National University of Singapore (2017), followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Waterloo (2017–2019) and the University of Toronto (2019–2021). His research focuses on hydrogel-based biomaterials for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and precise cell/drug delivery for in-situ regeneration.

**Education & Training:**

• Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore (2012–2017)
• M.S., Bio-nano Engineering, Hanyang University (2010–2012)
• B.Sc., Materials Engineering, Punjab University (2004–2009)
• Postdoc, Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto (2019–2021)
• Postdoc, Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo (2017–2019)

**Research Interests:** His work emphasizes designing hydrogel-based biomaterials for ocular, neural, and liver tissue regeneration. Key areas include:

• Clinically translatable biomaterials
• Modulating cellular processes in 2D/3D environments
• Optimizing biomaterials for organ-specific regeneration

**Awards:**

• Singapore International Graduate Award (doctoral research)
• University of Toronto Research Excellence Award (postdoctoral work)
• NIH R01 (National Eye Institute) and NIDDK grants

**Lab Collaborations:** Partnerships with clinicians and institutions globally, including Terasaki Institute and UT Southwestern Medical Center. The lab is funded by NIH, UTSW startup funds, and other agencies.

**Grants & Future Work:** Active projects include NIH-funded studies on liver organoid development and ocular regeneration. The lab is expanding into granular bioinks, stem cell engineering, and in vivo biomaterial testing.