-

-
  Home
  News and Events
  Research
  People
  Photo Album
  Facilities
  Affiliated Groups
 
lablogo

AFFILIATIONS

  
side arrow
 A. James Clark School of Engineering Home
side arrow

Fischell Department of Bioengineering

side arrow
 Department of Orthopaedics
Univ of Maryland, Baltimore
side arrow

Graduate Program in
Biological Sciences,
Physiological Systems

side arrow
 Department of Mechanical Engineering
 


dot

Poonam Sharma, B.S.

   

Graduate Research Assistant

Poonam came to the University of Maryland in the fall of 2012, after finishing her Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University. She joined the lab in Spring of 2013 and has been working on analyzing how the stem cell mechanobiology, specifically selective downregulation of cytoskeletal elements in human mesenchymal stem cells. The goal of this project is to better understand how the cytoskeleton is involved in mechanotransduction in stem cells and during chondrogenesis. Outside of the lab, she is an officer in the Bioengineering Graduate Student Society.

LinkedIn | Contact 

Education

  • Ph.D. in Bioengineering, University of Maryland (2017) - Thesis: The Influence of Vimentin Intermeidate Filaments on Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Response to Physical Stimuli
  • B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Concentration in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Drexel University (2012)

Research Interests

  • Mechanobiology of Stem Cells
  • Stem Cell Therapies
  • Chondrogenesis
  • Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials

Publications

  • Sharma, P., Bolten, Z.T., Wagner, D.R., Hsieh, A. H. Deformability of human mesenchymal stem cells is dependent on vimentin intermediate filaments. Ann Biomed Eng. 2017 May;45(5):1365-1374. doi: 10.1007/s10439-016-1787-z. Epub 2017 Jan 13.
  • Sharma, P., Twomey, J. D., Patkin, M., Hsieh, A. H. Layered Alginate Constructs: A Platform for Co-culture of Heterogeneous Cell Populations. J. Vis. Exp. (114), e54380, doi:10.3791/54380 (2016).

Posters/Presentations

  • Sharma, P, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Role of Vimentin intermediate filaments on mesenchymal stem cell spreading in response to environmental cues. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Conference. Poster. Charlotte, NC, December 3-6, 2017
  • Sharma, P, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Intermediate Filaments May Not Influence Chondrogenic Extracellular Matrix Deposition Over Time. Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Conference. Poster. Charlotte, NC, December 3-6, 2017
  • Sharma, P, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Role of Vimentin in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Area Changes in Response to Environmental Cues. Biomedical Engineering Society Conference. Poster. Phoenix, AZ, October 11-14, 2017
  • Sharma, P, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Knockdown Impairs Neo-Cartilage Formation in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Pellet Cultures. Orthopaedic Research Society. Poster. San Diego, CA, March 19-22, 2017.
  • Bolten, Z, Sharma, P, Luna, C, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Upregulation in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Increases Cell Traction. Orthopaedic Research Society. Poster. San Diego, CA, March 19-22, 2017.
  • Sharma, P, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Intermediate filaments alter substrate-specificity of adhesion and spreading in hMSCs. Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering. Poster. Big Island, HI, January 3-7, 2017.
  • Peesay, T, Luna, C, Sharma, P, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Affects Cellular Protrusion Formation in hMSCs During Transwell Migration. Biomedical Engineering Society. Poster. Minneapolis, MN, October 5-8, 2016.
  • Sharma, P, Bolten, Z, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Knockdown Alters Cytoskeletal Response to Deformation in Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Poster. Orthopaedic Research Society, Orlando, Fl, March 5-10, 2016.
  • Sharma, P, Bolten, Z, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Deformability is Dependent on Vimentin Intermediate Filaments. Poster. Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, New Orleans, LA, January 6-10, 2016.
  • Sharma, P, Bolten, Z, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Vimentin Knockdown in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modifies Cell Deformability. Oral Presentation. Biomedical Engineering Society, Tampa, FL, October 7-10, 2015.
  • Sharma, P, Patkin, M., Hsieh, AH. Layered Alginate Constructs: Platform Development for Co-cultures of Heterogenous Cell Populations. Poster 1138. Orthopaedic Research Society, Las Vegas, NV, March 27-31, 2015.
  • Sharma, P, Bolten, Z, Wagner, DR, Hsieh, AH. Cytoskeletal Response to Vimentin Knockdown and Disruption in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Poster. Maryland Research Fund Stem Cell Symposium, Silver Spring, MD, December, 2014.

Awards

  • RoosterBio Travel Award, February 2017, awarded by RoosterBio, Inc
  • Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant, October 2016, awarded by University of Maryland Graduate School
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, April 2014 - Honorable Mention, awarded by NSF GRFP
 
   
 

 
- Back to top Back to top    


-