🌟 Congratulations to Fang Zhou on Receiving the Edward K. Rice Outstanding Master’s Student Award!

We are delighted to share that Fang Zhou, M.S. ’25, has received the Edward K. Rice Outstanding Master’s Student Award from UCLA Samueli. Fang earned her master’s degree in chemical engineering in 2025 and is now a doctoral student in the Annabi Lab, advised by Professor Nasim Annabi. Her research focuses on developing conductive biomaterials and biofabrication strategies for cardiovascular tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

During her master’s studies, Fang developed a multifunctional nanocomposite hydrogel to fabricate 3D-bioprinted patches for electroactive tissue repair. She is now advancing vascularized and anisotropic platforms to better mimic native cardiac tissue architecture, with the long-term goal of developing translational biomaterials for cardiac tissue repair and bioelectronic tissue interfaces.

Beyond her research, Fang serves as publicity coordinator for the graduate student committee of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at UCLA. She has also mentored undergraduate students, served as a teaching assistant in chemical engineering courses, and contributed to STEM outreach programs for K–12 students through UCLA’s Nanoscience Lab.

We are proud to celebrate Fang’s achievements in research, mentorship, and service, and look forward to her continued contributions to the Annabi Lab and the field of regenerative medicine!

🌟 Congratulations to Professor Nasim Annabi and Annabi Lab on Receiving Nearly $2.5 Million in NIH Funding to Advance Bioadhesive Biomaterials for Corneal Repair and Wound Healing!

We are delighted to share that Professor Nasim Annabi has received nearly $2.5 million in new funding from the National Institutes of Health to support the development of innovative bioadhesive biomaterials for corneal tissue regeneration and chronic wound healing  (Link: UCLA Engineering Professor Nasim Annabi Receives Nearly $2.5 Million in NIH Funding to Develop Tunable Biomaterials for Corneal Repair and Wound Healing | UCLA Samueli School Of Engineering).

The first award, a four-year grant of more than $2 million from the National Eye Institute (NEI), will support the development of light-curable adhesive hydrogels for the delivery of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to injured corneal tissue. These tunable biomaterials, engineered from chemically modified gelatin and hyaluronic acid, are designed to enhance cell retention and survival on the ocular surface while promoting corneal repair and regeneration. The project is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Reza Dana, an internationally recognized leader in corneal diseases and ocular inflammation, and Dr. Ali Djalilian, a leading expert in corneal and limbal stem cell transplantation and the surgical management of severe ocular surface disorders.

The second award, a two-year grant of approximately $368,000 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), will support the development of an advanced bioadhesive wound dressing based on the UgiGel platform, developed in the Annabi Lab by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Ronak Afshari. Built on an innovative multicomponent reaction (MCR) chemistry approach, UgiGel enables the rapid one-pot synthesis of multifunctional biomaterials with highly tunable properties. This project seeks to create a next-generation wound dressing with enhanced antioxidant and immunomodulatory functions, as well as temperature-responsive detachability for painless removal, offering a promising new strategy for the treatment of chronic wounds.

We are proud to celebrate these significant achievements and look forward to the impact these projects will have in advancing regenerative medicine, corneal repair, and wound-healing therapies.

🌟 Congratulations to Dr. Saumya Jain on Winning the UCLA MedTech Demo Track Award at LABEST 2026 🚀

Huge congratulations to our former PhD student, Dr. Saumya Jain, for winning the UCLA MedTech Demo Track Award for her startup, Arogya Biotechnologies, at LABEST 2026! 🏆✨

Saumya developed a multifunctional bioadhesive technology during her PhD training in the Annabi Lab at UCLA, and it is exciting to see her research moving toward real-world clinical translation and commercialization. Her dedication, innovation, and hard work truly paid off, and we are incredibly proud to see her representing the lab on such an inspiring stage.

Congratulations, Saumya, this is just the beginning! 🚀