Kareen L K CoulombeView profile
Associate Professor
Kareen L.K. Coulombe is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Brown University, affiliated with the Institute for Biology, Engineering and Medicine . She collaborates with researchers from the Department of Medicine and institutions like the University of Edinburgh and ScitoVation, Inc . Education: B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Summa Cum Laude (University of Rochester, 2001) Ph.D. in Bioengineering (University of Washington, 2007) Her research focuses on cardiovascular regenerative engineering , including: Developing human iPSC-derived cardiac tissues for heart attack therapy Creating anisotropic biomaterial scaffolds to enhance tissue integration Designing in vitro cardiotoxicity testing platforms for pharmaceuticals and environmental chemicals Optimizing electrical coupling between engineered and native heart tissue Recent publications highlight advancements in: Predictive 3D cardiac microtissue models for arrhythmic risk assessment Custom polycaprolactone scaffolds for tailored mechanical properties Immunomodulatory biomaterials that reshape cardiac repair processes Computational strain continuum modeling of cardiac tissue mechanics Scientific Awards: 2023 - Brown University Innovation of the Year 2021 - NSF CAREER Award & Young Innovator Award (BMES) 2019 - Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentoring 2017-2012 - Rising Star Award & NIH Pathway to Independence K99/R00 Dr. Coulombe mentors students through programs like: Brown Leadership Alliance (undergraduate research) Tougaloo College Partnership (student development) NIH-IMSD Programs (graduate mentoring)








