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Treena Arinzeh

Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Mary Woodard Lasker Biomedical Research Bldg.

Room 540A

3960 Broadway

New York, NY 10032

Tel212-305-5436
Email[email protected]

Treena Livingston Arinzeh’s research focuses on the development of functional biomaterials and tissue engineering strategies for the repair of damaged or diseased tissues. Tissue engineering approaches include the use of stem cells and other cell types in combination with biomaterial scaffolds as a therapeutic strategy and for use as in vitro models to understand the development of normal and diseased tissues. Her most cited work to date has been in the use of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to induce bone formation without the use of immunosuppressive therapy, demonstrating the potential use of MSCs as an off-the-shelf therapy. Recent accomplishments include the development of piezoelectric materials, which are smart materials, processed into fiber structures that mimic both structure and function of ECM matrices. Piezoelectric materials can provide electrical stimulation without the use of external electrodes. Arinzeh has demonstrated feasibility of these materials for bone, cartilage and neural tissue engineering applications. She also develops biomimetic, naturally-derived materials, such as glycosaminoglycan-mimetics, that provide bioactivity and promote tissue repair through growth factor interaction and other mechanisms.

Arinzeh received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University, her M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She was a project manager at the stem cell technology company, Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. and joined the faculty of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) as one of the founding faculty members of the department of Biomedical Engineering. She served as interim chairperson and graduate director at NJIT and joined the faculty of Columbia University in fall 2022. Arinzeh has been recognized with numerous awards for her research in tissue engineering and biomaterials, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). She is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Arinzeh has 15 issued patents and serves on the editorial board of leading scientific journals including Science Advances and Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part A. Arinzeh is a co-leader of an Integrated Research Thrust (IRT) and the Director of Diversity of the NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology (CEMB).

Professional Experience
  • Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2022- present
  • Distinguished Professor, Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 2020-2022
  • Professor, Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 2011-2020
  • Director of the Graduate Program, Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 2012-2016
  • Associate Professor (with Tenure), Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 2006 –2011
  • Interim Chairperson, Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 2009 (one year)
  • Consultant for various biomedical companies, 2006 - present
  • Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 2001 – 2006
  • Senior Development Engineer, Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., Baltimore, MD, 2000-2001
  • Development Engineer II/Project Leader, Osiris Therapeutics, Inc., Baltimore, MD, 1999-2000

Professional Affiliations

Biomedical Engineering (BMES), member since 2006, fellow in 2017

  • Co-Chair of Annual Meeting, 2022
  • Secretary, 2022-2024
  • Board of Directors, 2019-2021
  • Awards Committee, 2016-2019

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – member since 2014

  • Member of the Nominating Committee, 2016-2019
  • Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), member since 2000
  • Member of the Awards and Recognition Committee, 2019-2021 Society for Biomaterials, member since 1996

Honors and Achievements

National Academy of Inventors (NAI) Fellow, 2021

2019 Coretta Scott King Award, National Society of Black Engineers, NJIT Chapter

2018 George Bugliarello Prize, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society

2018 Constance A. Murray Diversity Award, NJIT

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Fellow, 2017

Thomas Edison Patent Award, 2017

2016 Technology Rising Star Award, 21st Women of Color STEM Conference

National Science Foundation (NSF) Workshop on Biomaterials, Invited Attendee, 2016.

12th Annual National Academies Keck Futures Initiative - Collective Behavior: From Cells to Societies.

Invited Attendee, 2014

New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame Award – 2013

New Jersey Institute of Technology Excellence in Research Prize and Medal - 2013

Global Grand Challenges Meeting (National Academy of Engineering) Invited Attendee, 2013

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow, 2013

Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) – Educational Leadership Award, 2013

Coulter Foundation Translational Award - Phase II, 2011

Coulter Foundation Translational Award - Phase I, 2010

The Grio’s Top 100 (msnbc.com) - 2009

Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee (nominated by the Governor of Connecticut),

Member, 2008-2014

40 Under 40 to Watch in 2008, Black Enterprise magazine, 2007

National Academies Keck Futures Initiative Program Committee, 2006

National Academy of Engineering, 2005 U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, Invited Attendee

2005 Standout Scholar, Black Issues in Higher Education

People to Watch in 2005, The Star Ledger - 2005

Outstanding Scientist Award from the NJ Association for Biomedical Research - 2004

Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) - 2003

National Science Foundation Early CAREER Development Award - 2003

Solomon R. Pollock Research Award, University of Pennsylvania – 1999

Selected Publications
  • Calcutt, R., Vincent, R., Dean, D.*, Arinzeh, T.L.*, Dixit. R.* 2021. Plant cell adhesion and growth on artificial fibrous scaffolds as an in vitro model for plant development. Science Advances. 7(43):eabj1469, epub.*corresponding authors.
  • Menezes R, Arinzeh TL. 2020. Comparative Study of Electrospun Scaffolds Containing Native GAGs and a GAG Mimetic for Human Mesenchymal Stem Cell Chondrogenesis. Ann Biomed Eng. 48(7):2040-2052.
  • Turner, J., Collins, G., Blaber, E., Almeida, E., Arinzeh, T.L. 2020. Evaluating the Cytocompatibility and Differentiation of Bone Progenitors on Electrospun Zein Scaffolds. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. 14(1):173-185.
  • Khader, A., Arinzeh, T.L. 2019. Biodegradable Zinc Oxide Composite Scaffolds Promote Osteochondral Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 117(1):194-209.
  • Menezes R, Hashemi S, Vincent R, Collins G, Meyer J, Foston M, Arinzeh TL. 2019. Investigation of glycosaminoglycan mimetic scaffolds for neurite growth. Acta Biomater. 90:169-178.
  • Wu S, Chen MS, Maurel P, Lee YS, Bunge MB, Arinzeh TL. 2018. Aligned fibrous PVDF-TrFE scaffolds with Schwann cells support neurite extension and myelination in vitro. J Neural Eng. 2018. 15(5):056010.
  • Damaraju, S., Shen, Y., Elele, E., Khusid, B., Eshghinejad, A., Li, J., Jaffe, M., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2017. Three-dimensional piezoelectric fibrous scaffolds selectively promote mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Biomaterials. 149: 59-62.
  • Huang GP, Menezes R, Vincent R, Hammond W, Rizio L, Collins G, Arinzeh TL. 2017. Gelatin Scaffolds Containing Partially Sulfated Cellulose Promote Mesenchymal Stem Cell Chondrogenesis. Tissue Eng Part A. 23(17-18):1011-1021.
  • Lee YS, Wu S, Livingston Arinzeh T, Bartlett Bunge M. 2017. Enhanced noradrenergic axon regeneration into Schwann cell-filled PVDF-TrFE conduits after complete spinal cord transection. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 114(2):444-456.
  • Khader A, Sherman L, Rameshwar P, Arinzeh TL. 2016. Sodium Tungstate for Promoting Mesenchymal Stem Cell Chondrogenesis. Stem Cells and Development. 25(24):1909-1918.
  • Rajabi, A.H., Jaffe, M., Arinzeh, T.L. 2015. Piezoelectric materials for tissue regeneration: A review. Acta Biomaterialia. 24:12-23.
  • Lobo, S.E., Glickman, R., da Silva, W.N., Arinzeh, T.L., Kerkis, I. 2015. Response of stem cells from different origins to biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramics. Cell and Tissue Research. 361(2):477-95.
  • Patlolla, A., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2014. Evaluating the bioactivity and osteogenic activity of electrospun composites for bone tissue engineering. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 111(5):1000-17.
  • Lee, Y-S., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2012. The Influence of Piezoelectric Scaffold on Neural Differentiation of Human Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells. Tissue Engineering: Part A. 18(19-20): 2063-2072.
  • Lee, Y-S., Collins, G., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2011. Neurite Extension of Primary Neurons on Electrospun Piezoelectric Scaffolds, Acta Biomaterialia, 7, 3877-3886.
  • Shanmugasundaram, S., Chaudhry, H., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2011. Microscale Versus Nanoscale Scaffold Architectures for Mesenchymal Stem Cell Chondrogenesis. Tissue Engineering: Part A, 17(5-6): 831-840.
  • Weber, N., Lee, Y.S., Shanmugasundaram, S., Jaffe, M., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2010. Characterization and In Vitro Cytocompatibility of Piezoelectric Electrospun Scaffolds. Acta Biomaterialia, 6(9): 3550-3556.
  • Breitbart, E. Meade, S., Azad, V., Lee, Y-S., Yeh, S., Al-Zube, L., Arinzeh, T.L., Lin, S.S. 2010. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Augmentation Upon Allograft Incorporation in Diabetic Rodents. Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 28(7): 942-949.
  • Patlolla, A., Collins, G., Livingston Arinzeh, T. 2010. Solvent Dependent Dimensional and Structural Changes in Electrospun Ceramic Fibrous Composites for Bone Tissue Engineering. Acta Biomaterialia. 6(1): 90-101.
  • Livingston Arinzeh, T.L., Tran, T., McAlary, J., Dalcusi, G. 2005. Comparative osteogenic activity of various calcium phosphate ceramic compositions in vitro and in vivo. Biomaterials. 26(17), pp. 3631-3638.
  • Livingston Arinzeh, T., Peter, S. Archambault, M., McIntosh, K., van den Bos, C., Gordon, S., Young, R., Kraus, K., Smith, A., Kadiyala, S. 2003. Allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells regenerate bone in a critically-sized canine segmental gap. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. 85-A(10), pp. 1927-1935.
  • Livingston, T., Ducheyne, P., Garino, J. 2002. An in vivo evaluation of a bioactive ceramic scaffold for bone tissue engineering. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. 62, pp. 1-13.