Michelle Oyen

Michelle Oyen is an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University. She previously held positions at the University of Cambridge (2006–2018), East Carolina University (2018–2021), and Washington University in St. Louis (2022–2024). She holds a PhD in Biophysical Sciences and Medical Physics from the University of Minnesota (2005), an MS in Engineering Mechanics from Michigan State University (1998), and a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Michigan State University (1996).

Her research focuses on bioengineering approaches to pregnancy and women’s health, particularly preterm birth prevention and diagnosis, and the mechanical properties of reproductive tissues. Her work also involves biomimetic materials inspired by natural tissues and computational models of pregnancy. She teaches courses such as Advanced Tissue Biomechanics (BME7210) and Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (BME5995).

Michelle is affiliated with professional societies including ASME, BMES, and AIMBE. She actively participates in conferences like the ASME SB3C Summer Bioengineering Conference, where she has chaired events such as the ERVA Women’s Health Outcomes session. Her lab website (oyenlab.org) details ongoing projects, including collaborations with researchers like Adrienne Scott and Samyuktha Kolluru on topics such as hydrogel phantoms for placental tissue mimicry.