Kimberly Stroka

Kimberly Stroka is an Assistant Professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. She serves as Co-Director of the NCI-UMD Partnership for Integrative Cancer Research and leads the Cell and Microenvironment Engineering Lab. Her work focuses on understanding how mechanical and biochemical cues from cellular microenvironments influence cell behavior in health, disease, and therapeutic contexts.

Research interests include quantitative cell mechanobiology, biomechanics, and microfluidic device development for physiological system modeling. The lab employs advanced microscopy, computational analysis, and physics-based approaches to study cellular responses in controlled environments.

Key projects investigate cell-cell junction mechanics in vascular systems, aquaporin roles in cell migration, and BBB modeling using iPSCs. Over 50 publications span interdisciplinary topics like tumor metastasis, extracellular vesicle communication, and mechanotransduction. No specific awards are listed, but ongoing funding supports lab operations. Prospective students are encouraged to contact Dr. Stroka directly.

Lab activities emphasize team-based research with undergrad and graduate trainees addressing pressing biomedical challenges through engineering innovation.