Lakeshia J. Taite

Lakeshia J. Taite is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science, holding a Research Track position within the Academic General Faculty. Her research focuses on designing biomaterials to engineer cell-instructive microenvironments for tissue regeneration, particularly in cardiovascular applications. She has held prior academic roles at Georgia Tech, City College of New York, and Texas A&M University.

Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering (University of Alabama, 2001), Ph.D. in Bioengineering (Rice University, 2006), Postdoctoral Research (University of Washington, 2006–2007).

Research interests include biomaterials synthesis, targeted drug delivery systems, and polymer characterization, with a focus on cardiovascular tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Her work bridges polymer chemistry and biomedical applications, aiming to develop materials that modulate cellular behavior for therapeutic purposes.

Publications span biomaterials design, hydrogel platforms for disease modeling, and computational models of microvascular dynamics. Her recent work emphasizes fibrosis treatment and angiogenesis modulation through engineered materials.

Contributions include developing nitric oxide-releasing polymers for vascular healing and peptide-functionalized biomaterials for targeted therapies. She collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, including vascular nanomedicine and decellularized matrix engineering for clinical translation.