TIE Affiliation

Environmental Research Fellowship

Research

Silk fibroin is a biologically-derived protein that can be converted from its native state as a cocoon of the domestic silkworm into many different useful devices in biomedical engineering due to its ability to be processed in aqueous solutions, its biocompatibility, and its biodegradability. Many biomedical devices such as diagnostic sensors or implantable therapeutic devices utilize silk fibroin in the film format, which permits multilayer, complex architectures to be constructed necessary for these devices. Despite the many unique applications that have been developed with silk fibroin films, most utilize preparation methods that are impractical for producing more than a handful of samples. However, methods for producing products as diverse as coated paper and flexible solar cells efficiently have been developed by various industries. My work involves the development of an efficient and scalable means of processing silk fibroin films based on these industrial methods that is transferable beyond the laboratory scale.

Experience

Jeff is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Engineering, in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He expects to complete his studies in May of 2023. Jeff earned a B.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Cornell University. Jeff has worked as process engineer at Unilever. At Tufts, he is a member of the cycling team.

Current Studies and Future Goals

When asked what he found most meaningful about his field of study, Jeff responded with the following: “There are so many different ways to combine new materials and techniques to solve so many different problems humans face, from medical diagnostics to reducing waste."

When asked what interested him in becoming a TIE Fellow, Jeff responded with the following: “The opportunity to pursue a meaningful sustainability-focused project separate but related to my own research project."

After Tufts, Jeff plans to return to the industry by either a biomaterials or industrial biotechnology firm.

Fun Facts!

When not doing school work, Jeff enjoys cycling and tinkering.

Favorite food/drink: Pizza

Favorite Tufts Class Taken: Microfluidics

Dream Job: Biomaterial Scientist