Email
jmcoburn@wpi.edu
Office
Gateway 4012
Phone
+1 (508) 8316839
NIH Biography
Lab Links
Functional Biomaterials Lab
Affiliated Department or Office
Chemical Engineering
Education
BS Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts – Amherst 2006
PhD Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2012
Postdoc Biomedical Engineering Tufts University 2012-2016

The overall objectives of my research are to develop clinically translatable tissue regeneration and drug delivery strategies, and three-dimensional, in vitro human disease models using biologically-derived biomaterials. We will utilize techniques from engineering, chemistry and biology to address these research areas, including chemical modifications to alter drug-material interactions, small molecule and macromolecule conjugates to direct cell fate, and multi-cellular tissue/disease systems for paracrine signaling and direct cell-cell interactions. My research is focused on biomaterials and their applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. During my PhD, I worked with photo-crosslinked PEGDA hydrogel systems to study repair strategies for articular cartilage diseases. I also developed low density, bioactive-electrospun fiber scaffolds for repair of articular cartilage defects. My postdoctoral research used silk fibroin proteins from Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons for (1) drug delivery systems for oncology therapeutics and HIV treatment/prevention and (2) tissue regeneration of the kidney and pancreas. In the lab and the classroom, I truly enjoy teaching. I am especially excited to mentor students on their Major Qualifying Projects. I strive to ensure that students are able to (1) apply theoretical concepts to practical applications and (2) fully understand the tasks being performed.

Email
jmcoburn@wpi.edu
Affiliated Department or Office
Chemical Engineering
Education
BS Chemical Engineering University of Massachusetts – Amherst 2006
PhD Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2012
Postdoc Biomedical Engineering Tufts University 2012-2016

The overall objectives of my research are to develop clinically translatable tissue regeneration and drug delivery strategies, and three-dimensional, in vitro human disease models using biologically-derived biomaterials. We will utilize techniques from engineering, chemistry and biology to address these research areas, including chemical modifications to alter drug-material interactions, small molecule and macromolecule conjugates to direct cell fate, and multi-cellular tissue/disease systems for paracrine signaling and direct cell-cell interactions. My research is focused on biomaterials and their applications in tissue engineering and drug delivery. During my PhD, I worked with photo-crosslinked PEGDA hydrogel systems to study repair strategies for articular cartilage diseases. I also developed low density, bioactive-electrospun fiber scaffolds for repair of articular cartilage defects. My postdoctoral research used silk fibroin proteins from Bombyx mori silkworm cocoons for (1) drug delivery systems for oncology therapeutics and HIV treatment/prevention and (2) tissue regeneration of the kidney and pancreas. In the lab and the classroom, I truly enjoy teaching. I am especially excited to mentor students on their Major Qualifying Projects. I strive to ensure that students are able to (1) apply theoretical concepts to practical applications and (2) fully understand the tasks being performed.

Office
Gateway 4012
Phone
+1 (508) 8316839
NIH Biography
Lab Links
Functional Biomaterials Lab
Research Interests
Biomaterials
Tissue engineering
In vitro disease models
Drug delivery
Oncology therapeutics

Scholarly Work

Brown J, Lu CL, Coburn J, Kaplan DL. (2015) Impact of silk biomaterial structure on proteolysis. Acta Biomaterialia, 11:212-21.

Gibson M, Li H, Coburn J, Moroni L, Nahas Z, Bingham C 3rd, Yarema K, Elisseeff J. (2014) Intra-articular delivery of glucosamine for treatment of experimental osteoarthritis created by a medial meniscectomy in a rat model. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 32(2):302-9.

Franck D, Chung YG, Coburn J, Kaplan DL, Estrada CR Jr, Mauney JR. (2014) In vitro evaluation of bi-layer silk fibroin scaffolds for gastrointestinal tissue engineering. Journal of Tissue Engineering, 5:2041731414556849.

Sharma B, Fermanian S, Gibson M, Unterman S, Herzka DA, Cascio B, Coburn J, Hui AY, Marcus N, Gold GE, Elisseeff JH. (2013) Human cartilage repair with a photoreactive adhesive-hydrogel composite. Science Translational Medicine, 5(167):167ra6.

Coburn JM, Bernstein N, Bhattacharya R, Aich U, Yarema KJ, Elisseeff JH. (2013) Differential response of chondrocytes and chondrogenic-induced mesenchymal stem cells to C1-OH tributanoylated N-acetylhexosamines. PloS One, 8(3):e58899.

Hillel AT, Unterman S, Nahas Z, Reid B, Coburn JM, Axelman J, Chae JJ, Guo Q, Trow R, Thomas A, Hou Z, Lichtsteiner S, Sutton D, Matheson C, Walker P, David N, Mori S, Taube JM, Elisseeff JH. (2011) Photoactivated composite biomaterial for soft tissue restoration in rodents and in humans. Science translational medicine, 3(93):93ra67.

Professional Affiliations
Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
Society for Biomaterials (SFB)
Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
Professional Highlights & Honors
2021 Trustee Award for Outstanding Academic Advising, 2021
2020 WPI Sigma Xi Outstanding Junior Faculty Award, 2020
2020 Biomaterials Science Emerging Investigators, Royal Society of Chemistry
2019 - 2020 WPI BME Teacher of the Year Award
Ruth L. Kirschtein NIH/NIA Predoctoral Fellowship (2010-2012)

News

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Announcements

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Spectrum News 1
WPI professor developing transparent wound dressing from kombucha

Spectrum News 1 spoke with Jeannine Coburn, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, about her $600,000 National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop a transparent wound dressing that traces its origins to her homemade kombucha. Spectrum 1’s Louisville, Ky., outlet also featured Coburn’s research.