User:Earla Walworth/Treena Livingston Arinzeh

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Dr. Arinzeh is the daughter of a biochemist and a retired high school teacher. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University in 1992, her M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1994, and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999. Dr. Arinzeh has made significant contributions as an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on stem cell therapy, particularly in the areas of spinal cord injuries, bone and cartilage damage, and related diseases. Her dedication to education is evident in her participation in curriculum development for biomedical engineering programs and community outreach to encourage minority students to pursue careers in science and engineering.

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Early Career and Education

At the age of 34, Dr. Arinzeh achieved two significant breakthroughs in stem cell research. Firstly, she conducted pioneering experiments on implanting one person's stem cells into another person's body, demonstrating remarkable acceptance and efficacy. Secondly, her research delved into the regenerative potential of stem cells in bone tissue, leading to innovative techniques for bone repair and regeneration. These breakthroughs not only propelled her career but also significantly advanced the field of stem cell therapy, opening new avenues for treating injuries and disease related to bone and tissue damage. By the time she turned 36, she had become an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. She became project manager at Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. A stem cell technology company. She joined New Jersey Institute of Technology as an associate professor and became chairperson and graduate director of the university to then become part of Columbia University's faculty in 2022.

Research

Arinzeh has been actively participating in authoring and co-authoring articles since 1999. She has been mostly active in 2015 with about 16 article publications. Her most cited work is from 2003 titled "allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells regenerate bone in a critical-sized canine segmental defect" with about 769 citations. There are about 142 articles in total that contribute to the ongoing research efforts aimed at developing advanced strategies and materials for tissue repair, regeneration and improving outcomes in regenerative medicine. The topics revolve around bone regeneration, cell behavior on scaffolds, neural tissue, cartilage tissue and scaffold engineering and bio and cytocompatibility. Her current research centers on the development of functional biomaterials and tissue engineering strategies that benefit in repairing damaged/diseased tissues. She advocates for the federal government's funding for more research on stem cell's medical benefits and the inclusion of embryonic stem cells; however, there's a lot of controversy over the moral concerns regarding the use of human embryonic stem cells.

Accomplishments and Contributions

She joined NJIT as one of the founding faculty members of the department of Biomedical Engineering. She developed piezoelectric materials, which are materials processed into fiber structure. They provide electrical stimulation without using external electrodes. These materials are feasible for bone, cartilage and neural tissue. She also developed biomimetic materials, which are naturally derived materials like glycosaminoglycan-mimetics, which promotes tissue repair and bioactivity.

So far, she has issued 15 patents and serves on scientific journal editorial boards. She is part of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). She Co-leads an Integrated Research Thrust (IRT) and directs the Diversity section of the NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology (CEMB). One of her most cited works is the "allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with bioactive ceramics to induce bone formation in a large bone defect without the use of immunosuppressive therapy". This contribution allowed FDA approval for its use on clinical trials in various applications. She recently served as the chairperson to the National Institute of Health's (NIH) Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering (MTE) study section.

Honors and Recognition

Throughout her career she has received several forms of recognition, including awards for her contributions to all her research and experimentation as well as directory opportunities for educating students in many higher education institutions. In 2003, Arinzeh received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) from President Bush and during that same year she was recognized as "one of the nation's best young scientific researchers" by the National Science Foundation. Connecticut's governor nominated her to the Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee from 2008-2014.4 Some of her more recent awards include the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Fellow in 2017, George Bugliarello Prize Sigma Xi "The Scientific Research Honor Society" in 2018 and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow in 2021.