Kristi Anseth, PhD

Kristi Anseth, PhD

Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator

Kristi Anseth, who earned her doctorate at the University of Colorado in 1994 (just two years after earning her bachelor’s at Purdue), is a pioneer in the field of tissue engineering. Anseth is very interested in collaborations across all branches of science to help people with Down syndrome.

“I believe that the most innovative and creative advancements for impacting the lives of people with Down syndrome lie in interdisciplinary research. It is at the interface of disciplines that we can begin to recognize and develop paradigm-shifting strategies,” says Anseth.

She and her team developed a way to use light to construct an injectable, biodegradable biomaterial that can be used to deliver cells and regenerate tissue. One goal is to design smarter biomaterials that can promote cells to repair tissues that have been injured or suffer from debilitating diseases. Other applications would be to control delivery of drugs.

In 2000, Anseth was named a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator. Four years later, she received the National Science Foundation’s highest honor, the Alan T. Waterman Award, which recognizes an outstanding young researcher with a $500,000 grant. Anseth is one of six scientists in the world who is an elected member of both the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine.