McGowan Affiliated Faculty Promotions

McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine congratulates two of its affiliated faculty drs b and lmembers of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering on their most recent professorships.

Ipsita Banerjee, PhD, has been promoted to the position of Associate Professor with tenure.  Dr. Banerjee earned her BChE from Jadavpur University in Calcutta, India. She then received her MS from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India. She achieved her PhD in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from Rutgers University, from which she won the University and Bevier Fellowship for Excellence in Graduate Research.

Dr. Banerjee’s research interests and collaborations include:

  • cell-substrate interaction
  • nanotoxicity evaluation
  • inflammation modeling
  • metamodeling of inflammation
  • decellularized pancreatic matrix for stem cell therapy

Steven Little, PhD, has been promoted to tenured Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering effective September 1, 2015.  Dr. Little joined the McGowan Institute in 2006 after receiving his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Researchers in Dr. Little’s Lab focus upon therapies that are biomimetic in that they replicate the biological function and interactions of living entities using synthetic systems. The areas of study include bioengineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, ophthalmology, and immunology. The health issues addressed include autoimmune disease, battlefield wounds, cancer, HIV, ocular diseases, and transplantation. Some of the ongoing research projects in his lab include:

  • mimicking biological structure and behavior using polymeric release systems and carbon nanotubes
  • treatments for periodontitis that restore immunological homeostasis
  • sequential delivery of growth factors for regeneration of tissues
  • thermo-gelling eye drops for the delivery of ophthalmic therapies

Drs. Banerjee and Little’s continuing contributions to the Department, its students, and its reputation were cited by the Chancellor, the Dean, the Promotion and Tenure committee, and a number of leaders in their fields.

Congratulations, Drs. Banerjee and Little!