ABOUT

Biomaterial technologies have the potential to improve and save innumerable lives afflicted by neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, cancer, and even rare diseases. The Humanity Unlocking Biomaterials (HUB) Coordinating Center is an NIH NIBIB-funded center working to support the generation of innovative biomaterials-based technologies and accelerate their rapid dissemination for commercial and clinical use.

To do this, the HUB is nucleating and connecting a community of biomaterials researchers of all career stages (Connect Events). We are equipping this community with resources and roadmaps for biomaterials translation, modeling & simulation, and education. Finally, we are providing funding awards (‘pilot grants’) for biomaterials technology development and translation (Awards).

VISION & APPROACH

The HUB is “centering margins” to accelerate biomaterials technology development and translation. We are applying a powerful framework developed by thought leader Bell Hooks, which defined any group as having a center and margin; The most innovative and impactful work happens when concepts and individuals at the margins are brought to the center. To apply this framework, the HUB identifies powerful emerging technologies currently at the margins of our field, such as computation and AI, active materials, synthetic proteins, and more, and brings these technologies to the center of the biomaterials field. We also centralize critical resources that were previously marginalized. Finally, we prioritize funding of ideas, topics, and lenses through which to look at problems that have been previously overlooked. We envision that this approach will transform the culture and science of biomaterials to catapult our field forward.

LEADERSHIP

Paving the way for the future of innovative biomaterials requires an inclusive approach in order to tackle the complex challenges ahead. The HUB’s leadership team includes leaders who have led the biomaterials field for decades (centers) with leaders bringing unconventional disciplinary diversity (margins), thus integrating areas such as hydrogels, computational tools for designer materials, synthetic proteins, nanotechnology, drug delivery, and tissue and organ engineering. 

More information on our full leadership team can be found here. Many members of our leadership team have experience in biomaterials technology translation, with > 33 companies having been co-founded by our Translational CORE and Advisory Board leaders alone.

Our Cores

  • Even as new revolutions in computational tools and data science change how society operates, the biomaterials field has yet to leverage these approaches fully. To catapult computational approaches such as modeling, simulation, and AI/machine learning to accelerate biomaterials development and translation, the HUB created the CCORE. The CCORE is working to 1) facilitate connections between biomaterials and computational resources, 2) educate the biomaterials community about computational resources, and 3) foster intentional cross-fertilization of ideas and technologies.

    To learn more or participate, connect with us by joining our Slack Workspace by emailing humanityunlockingbiomaterials@gmail.com and/or attend our HUB Annual Meeting.

  • A major barrier to medical technology translation and commercialization is that researchers can lack resources and/or network of professionals for assistance or to partner with.

    To overcome this hurdle, the HUB’s TCORE is 1) identifying and disseminating best practices for biomaterials-related translation, 2) identifying and optimizing web-based tutorials for IP, technolgy transfer, clinical translation, and commercialization for biomaterials researchers, and 4) developing a Biomaterials Translation Mentor Network for funded projects (Awards).

    To learn more or participate, connect with us by joining our Slack Workspace by emailing humanityunblockingbiomaterials@gmail.com and/or attend our HUB Annual Meeting.

  • The HUB ECORE is 1) integrating trainees and young investigators into the biomaterials community via travel funding awards to the HUB Annual Meeting (Awards and Events). 2) Disseminating key instructional modules on biomaterials and translation via in-person and virtual modules, and 3) sharing enthusiasm for biomaterials research with the next generation of biomaterials scientists and engineers via outreach in K-12 schools, community colleges, and 4-year undergraduate institutions.

    To learn more or participate, connect with us by joining our Slack Workspace by emailing humanityunblockingbiomaterials@gmail.com and/or attend our HUB Annual Meeting.