Sara Pedron Haba

Sara Pedron Haba is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, affiliated with the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. She holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University Carlos III Madrid and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Valencia. Her research focuses on developing biomaterial-based platforms to study brain physiology and neurological diseases, particularly glioblastoma. Key research areas include biomaterials for tissue engineering, tumor microenvironment modeling, and hyaluronic acid's role in cancer progression.

Dr. Haba's work emphasizes creating microphysiological systems to bridge the gap between in vitro models and clinical applications. She has received notable awards, including the AACR NextGen Star (2021) and the Nature Publishing Award from the Society for Biomaterials (2016). Her lab collaborates widely, integrating expertise from chemical engineering, biomedical science, and oncology to advance therapeutic strategies for brain cancers.

• Education:
  • PhD, Materials Science and Engineering, University Carlos III Madrid (2004–2009)
  • BS, Chemistry, University of Valencia (2001)
• Awards:
  • NextGen Star, AACR (2021)
  • Nature Publishing Award, Society for Biomaterials (2016)
  • CPLC 10K Pilot Program (2014)
• Research Themes:
  • Biomaterials for brain tumor modeling
  • Extracellular matrix dynamics in glioblastoma
  • Therapeutic efficacy assessment platforms

Her lab's efforts aim to improve patient-specific therapies and understand tumor-stroma interactions through innovative biomaterial systems.