K. Jane Grande-Allen

K. Jane Grande-Allen is the Associate Dean for Faculty Development and the Isabel C. Cameron Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University's George R. Brown School of Engineering. Her research focuses on applying engineering principles to understand and combat heart valve disease, particularly through mechanistic studies of extracellular matrix components and their roles in valve function, disease progression, and therapeutic development.

Education: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1998–2000), Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington (1998), and B.A. in Mathematics & Biology from Transylvania University (1991).

Research Interests: Biomaterials, biofabrication, mechanobiology, computational bioengineering, and tissue engineering applied to heart valves, soft tissues, and regenerative medicine. Her lab develops novel biomaterials and in vitro models to study valve disease mechanisms and translate findings into clinical therapies.

Awards & Honors:

• 2020 Diamond Award for Distinguished Achievement in Academia
• Multiple teaching and mentoring awards, including the George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching (2014)
• Recognition as a Fellow in multiple prestigious organizations, including AIMBE, AAAS, and the Biomedical Engineering Society

Advising & Service: Directed the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering (2016–2017), advised Rice University’s president (2014–2016), and holds editorial roles in journals like the Annals of Biomedical Engineering and Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Integrative Matrix Mechanics Laboratory, which investigates heart valve biology, tissue engineering, and medical device innovation to improve patient outcomes in cardiovascular diseases.