Expertise

Topics:  Materials Chemistry, Polymer Science, Biomaterials, Graphene, Stem Cells, Electronic Materials, Tissue Regeneration, Cell-Instructive Material

Industries: Chemicals

Stefanie Sydlik's research interests include polymer science, materials chemistry, biomaterials and sustainable materials. The Sydlik group synthesizes novel polymers and materials via the principles of molecular design. Drawing on her diverse background in materials, the Sydlik group is uniquely situated at the interface of chemistry, biomedical engineering and materials science. Some sample research areas from the group include: 1) transforming graphene oxide into a cell-instructive, biodegradable scaffold for bone regeneration; 2) creating sustainable, degradable composite materials with recycled plastics; and 3) addressing the public health crisis of lead by developing materials to limit and remediate exposure.

Media Experience

Stefanie Sydlik Named a 2022 Moore Inventor Fellow  — Carnegie Mellon University
"We take a natural biopolymer and create a chemical bond to a small chelator molecule which creates a large, biomimetic chelator," said Sydlik, a 2007 graduate of CMU's Mellon College of Science(opens in new window). "By doing so, we're able to disguise the toxicity of the chelators and allow the metal to be removed from the body more safely."

Young scientists reshaping our world  — Innovators Magazine
Stefanie Sydlik (Carnegie Mellon University, USA, American): Sydlik designs new materials that stimulate the body’s healing response to enable the regeneration of natural bone as an alternative to metal implants currently used to heal bone injuries.

Researchers investigate new biomaterial for orthopedics  — The Tartan
Stefanie A. Sydlik, a Carnegie Mellon alumnus, spoke last Tuesday as part of a seminar series hosted by the biomedical engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University. In front of a packed audience in a classroom in Doherty Hall, Sydlik discussed her extensive research in polymer science, materials chemistry, biomaterials, and electronic materials. During her presentation, she also introduced a biomaterial that may hold the key to creating new orthopedic materials, implants and devices that could help advance the field of orthopedics.