Rebecca Willits

Rebecca Willits is a Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering at Northeastern University, with an affiliation in Bioengineering. She holds leadership roles in academic mentorship and diversity initiatives.

• Education: PhD in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University (1999), MS from Johns Hopkins University (1996).

Research Interests: Her work focuses on mechanobiology of neural systems, nerve regeneration strategies, and promoting diversity in engineering. She leads the Materials for Tissue Engineering Lab, developing biomaterials for nerve repair and stem cell niches. Her research bridges cell biology, material science, and clinical application.

Articles Trends: Recent work emphasizes diversity accountability frameworks, RGD-functionalized nanofibers for nerve repair, and mechanotransduction in neural stem cells. Her studies frequently use in vivo models and advanced biomaterials.

• Awards: 2023 Diversity Recognition Award, AIMBE Fellow, BMES Fellow, AIMBE Board Member (2024–2026).

Mentoring & Grants: Led NSF-funded initiatives like the Engineering Academic Mentoring Collective and BPE Track 3. Mentored students including Narges Yazdani (2024) and Caterina Bartomeu Garcia (2022). Collaborates on projects involving electrical stimulation and hydrogel technologies.

Labs/Teams: Materials for Tissue Engineering Lab, Institute for Mechanobiology. Active in WEPAN and National Center for Regenerative Medicine.