Drexel student Receives Prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Kara Spiller (Advisor: Dr. Tony Lowman) is a member of the first class of students in the accelerated BS/PhD program at Drexel University. She will receive her BS and MS in biomedical engineering in June 2007, and continue research in the Biomaterials and Drug Delivery laboratory of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Her research is in the development of a novel biomaterial that can restore mechanical stability to a cartilage defect in the knee, utilizing drug delivery systems to encourage repair and proliferation of surrounding tissue. The title of her thesis is “Multi-functional, semi-degradable hydrogel constructs for the repair of cartilage defects.”

Kara is a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and is founder of the Women's Volleyball Club.