Dr. Samira Musah is a stem cell biologist and a medical bioengineer. Her work has focused on the development of novel methods to direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells and engineering of microphysiological systems (organs-on-chips or tissue chips and bioactive materials). She was recruited to Duke University with a joint appointment in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine, Division of Nephrology. Research in her laboratory aims to understand the roles of molecular and biophysical cues in human organ development and how these processes can be harnessed to understand disease mechanisms and develop new therapeutic strategies. Her lab develops differentiation methods by the identification and optimization of multiple factors (soluble, insoluble, and mechanical forces) within the stem cell niche to guide organ-specific (kidney and neuronal) lineage specification. To engineer in vitro models of human tissues and organs, her team integrates their stem cell differentiation strategies with microfluidic systems engineering, hydrogel synthesis, biofunctionalization, and three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technologies. In addition to actively publishing her work, she ensures that the technologies her team develop can be viable options for commercialization. These experiences have been instrumental in understanding how technologies from her lab could ultimately be translated and advanced to the clinic.
Faculty Page: https://bme.duke.edu/faculty/samira-musah
Email: samira.musah [at] duke.edu
Appointments and Affiliations
- Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Nephrology
- Assistant Professor in Cell Biology (Secondary)
- Duke MEDx Investigator
- Associate Director, Duke Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering (CBTE)
- Affiliate Faculty of the Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (DSCB) Program
- Affiliate Faculty of the Regeneration Next Initiative
- Faculty Member, Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering
- Faculty Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
- Faculty Member of the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, Biophotonics Group
- Founding Director, Impact Talks at Duke BME
- Harvard Catalyst Education Ambassador, The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center
- Board of Reviewing Editors at eLife
Education
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University/Wyss Institute -- Stem Cell Biology/Engineered Living Systems/Organs-on-Chips Microphysiological Systems (Advisors: Prof. Donald E. Ingber and Prof. George M. Church)
- Ph.D. in Chemistry/Chemical-Biology Interface & Stem Cell Biology, University of Wisconsin—Madison (Advisor: Prof. Laura L. Kiessling, now at MIT)
- B.S.-Honors in Chemistry, State University of New York at Binghamton (Advisor: Prof. Omowunmi A. Sadik, now at New Jersey Institute of Technology, BioSMART Center)
Research Interests
Dr. Musah’s research interests include stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, molecular and cellular basis of human organ development and disease progression, organ engineering and tissue patterning, patient-specific disease modeling, biomarker identification, therapeutic discovery, tissue and organ transplantation, microphysiological systems including organs-on-chips and organoids, computational/mathematical modeling of complex biological problems, matrix biology, mechanotransduction and disease biophysics.
Selected Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- Maclin Community Connection Grant, Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University, 2024
- Faculty Travel Grant for Visit to Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, 2024
- Inducted Member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society and publisher of American Scientist, 2024
- NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2), 2023
- Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) Award, Duke University. 2023
- Genentech Research Award, 2021
- Cell Stem Cell Early-Career Researchers, Featured. 2021
- George O’Brien Kidney Center Pilot Grant. 2021
- Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) Award, Duke University. 2021
- Nature Biotechnology’s Outstanding & Trailblazing Researchers in U.S.A., Featured. 2021
- Featured, "Women to Watch" series on RegMedNet. 2021
- MEDx (Medicine & Engineering) Biomechanics of Injury and Injury Repair Grant. 2020
- Whitehead Scholarship in Biomedical Research. 2020
- Duke Incubation Fund. Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. 2020
- Functional & Molecular Genomics Core Facility Voucher Program Award, Duke University. 2020
- 100 Inspiring Black Scientists in America (Cell Mentor, Cell Press News). 2020
- Sequencing and Genomics Technologies Core Facility Award (Duke University). 2020
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Core Facility Award (Duke University). 2020
- Chair's Research Award. Department of Medicine, Duke University. 2019
- Early Career Investigator Travel Award. Keystone Symposia. 2019
- Dr. Samuel M. Nabrit Conference for Early Career Scholars (Brown University), Invited Speaker. 2019
- Duke University Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (SMIF) Voucher. 2019
- CPRIT Scholar, Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (declined to accept faculty position at Duke University). 2018
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund PDEP Career Transition Award (Ad Hoc). 2018
- Baxter’s Young Investigator Award, Top Tier. 2018
- Keystone Symposia Fellowship Program. 2017
- MIT Rising Stars in Biomedical Engineering and Science, Featured. 2016
- NIH/NIDDK Nephrology Research Fellowship. 2016
- American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Research Spotlight, Featured. 2016
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund Postdoctoral Enrichment Fellowship. 2015
- Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship (Harvard Medical School). 2014
- UNCF-Merck Postdoctoral Science Research Fellowship. 2014
- AkzoNobel Award in Applied Polymer Science, Finalist. 2012
- First Prize, Ruth and William Silen, M.D. Award for Exceptional Scientific Poster. 2014
- First Prize, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research Postdoctoral Award. 2014
- Winner, The Why Files Cool Science Image Contest. 2011
- NIH Chemical-Biology Interface Training Grant. 2011
- Merck Graduate Research Award. 2008
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. 2007
Professional Affiliations
- International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)
- Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
- American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
- American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB)
- Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE)
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
- Society of Biological Engineering (SBE)
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Keystone Symposia
- NIDDK Network of Minority Health Research Investigators (NMRI)
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS)
Invited Talks
- Keystone Symposia on Stem Cell Models in Embryology, Pacific Grove, CA, 2026
- Keystone Symposia on Chronic Kidney Disease: Emerging Mechanisms, Consequences and Targeted Treatments, Vancouver, Canada, 2026
- The 21st Annual Stem Cell Symposium, UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center (BSCRC), Los Angeles, CA, 2025
- Gordon Research Conference on Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Discussion Leader for the Session “Tissue Engineering,” Barcelona, Spain, 2025
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Bioengineering, Pittsburgh, PA, 2025
- Molecular and Developmental Biology Program Seminar Series, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Cincinnati, OH, 2025
- Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute Seminar Series, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2024
- Society for Developmental Biology, 83rd Annual Meeting, satellite symposium on "Unraveling Development with Organoids and Tissue Engineering" within the session on "Developmental Bioengineering," Atlanta, GA, 2024
- MIT Department of Chemistry, Boston, MA, 2024
- Keynote Speaker, Center for Research and Applications in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT), Quebec, Canada, 2024
- The 20th Annual Stem Cell Symposium, sponsored by the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center (BSCRC), 2024
- Distinguished Speaker, Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Seminar Series, Vanderbilt University, 2024
- The Convergence Seminar Series Hosted by the Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology & UCSF, 2024
- NIH/NIDDK ReBuilding a Kidney (RBK) Spring Retreat, Silver Spring, MD, 2024
- Distinguished Speaker Seminar at the University of Southern California, Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine & the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, 2024
- University of Michigan, Cell & Developmental Biology Departmental Seminar Series, 2024
- Nephrology Grand Rounds at Duke University School of Medicine, 2024
- Quantitative BioDesign Seminar Series at Duke University, 2024
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, SANS seminar, 2024
- Keystone Symposia on Understanding Developmental Disorders in the Genomic Age, 2023
- Keystone Symposia on Stem Cells: Advances in the Application of Stem Cells and their Role in vivo / Organoids as Models of Development and Disease, and their Impact on Drug Discovery, 2023
- Princeton University, Princeton Center for Theoretical Science (PCTS) Workshop on the “Biophysics of Organoids”, 2023
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nephrology Grand Rounds, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension & the UNC Kidney Center, 2023
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Bioengineering, 2023
- International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Digital Series on Next-Generation Organoids, 2023
- Colorado State University, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, 2023
- University of Michigan George O'Brien Kidney Translational Center Research Seminar Series, 2023
- Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard Joint Seminar Series of the Metabolism Program, Cardiovascular Disease Initiative, and Kidney Disease Initiative, 2022
- Plenary Speaker at the International Society for Regenerative Biology Conference, 2022
- Panelist on the topic “Strategies to enhance regeneration” at the International Society for Regenerative Biology Conference, 2022
- The New York Stem Cell Foundation Conference at The Rockefeller University, NY, NY, U.S.A., 2022
- Keystone Symposia on Modern Phenotypic Drug Discovery: From Chemical Biology to Therapeutics. Denver, CO, U.S.A., 2022
- University of California, San Diego, Division of Biological Sciences and Center for Molecular Medicine joint seminar series. San Diego, CA, U.S.A., 2022
- Keystone Symposia on Engineering Multi-Cellular Living Systems/Organoids as Tools for Fundamental Discovery and Translation. Keystone, CO, U.S.A., 2022
- Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Biomedical Engineering. Pittsburg, PA, U.S.A., 2022
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC, U.S.A., 2022
- Center for Applied Genomics and Precision Medicine Forum, Duke Uni., Durham, NC, U.S.A., 2022
- International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Conference. San Francisco, CA, U.S.A., 2022
American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week Early Program, “Advances in Research Conference: Regenerative Medicine and Bioartificial Kidneys,” Orlando, FL, U.S.A., 2022
ESKD is a global health problem for which therapeutic options carry high morbidity and mortality. This program describes the current state of research for innovative therapies to treat kidney failure, including regenerative efforts such as cell-based and organoid-based therapies and the development of various types of artificial kidneys.
- ACS Chemical Biology Webinar highlighting authors from the Young Investigator special issue, 2022
- HHMI Janelia Workship on Tissue Regeneration and Repair: "R3 – Replace, Repair, Regenerate", 2021
- Harvard Catalyst ThinkResearh Podcast, Guest, 2021
- Next Generation Tissue Engineering Symposium, 2021
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 2021
- University of California – Irvine, Department of Biomedical Engineering, CA, U.S.A., 2021
- Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics Symposium, Duke University, NC, U.S.A, 2021
- European Society of Medicine (ESMED) General Assembly, Berlin, Germany, 2021
- Wake Forest School of Medicine, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Winston-Salem, NC, 2021
- Keynote Speaker at StemCONN 2021 (Virtual due to COVID-19 Pandemic), 2021
- Plenary Speaker, Society for Developmental Biology 80th Annual Meeting, 2021
- University of Florida, Department of Biomedical Engineering, 2021
- University of Maryland, Department of Bioengineering, 2021
- Goldfinch Bio Research Seminar Series, Cambridge, MA, 2021
- Leading Edge Symposium for Exceptional Early Career Scientists, Panelist, 2021
- University of Miami, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Miami, Fl, 2021
- Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory Biomedical Engineering Seminar Series CD&I Distinguished Lecture, 2021
- ISSCR Annual Meeting, Concurrent session “Modeling Development and Disease”, Virtual due to COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020
- Columbia University, Tissue Talks, Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, New York, NY, 2020
- Imperial College London, Department of Bioengineering, London, U.K., 2020
- Gordon Research Conf. on Signal Transduction by Engineered Extracellular Matrices, Manchester, NH, 2020
- University of Michigan, the Center for Organogenesis, Ann Arbor, MI, 2020
- Stem Cell and Organoids Research Exchange (SCORE) seminar, University of Colorado Boulder, 2020
- Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, Duke University, 2020
- ‘From Stem Cells to Human Development’ Meeting (Organized by the journal Development), Dorking, UK, 2020
- Pediatric Congenital Genomics Consortium CVDC Fellows Career Discussions, 2020
- The Stem Cell Podcast, Guest (Provided by STEMCELL Technologies), 2020
- AIChE AfroBiotech Conference, "Regenerative Engineering" session, Atlanta, GA, 2020
- Faculty Panelist, Organoids & Organs-on-chips Trainee Symposium, Columbia University, NY, 2020
- University of California – Irvine, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, CA, 2020
- Tufts University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston, MA, 2020
- University of California at Los Angeles, Department of Bioengineering, CA, 2020
- LaunchBio, “Larger Than Life Sciences” Series, Panelist, Durham, NC, 2020
- Medicine Grand Rounds, Becoming Blue Series, Duke University Hospital, 2020
- Keynote Speaker, 19th Chemical Biophysics Symposium, University of Toronto – St. George Campus, Toronto, Canada, 2020
- Faculty Speaker, Duke University Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Retreat, Durham, NC, 2020
- Visibility STEM Africa Conference, Panelist for "Navigating Your Path in STEM", 2020
- Regeneration Next Initiative Faculty Chalk Talk, Duke University, Durham, NC, 2020
- Keynote Speaker at TERMIS-Americas, Orlando, FL, 2019
- Gordon Research Conference on Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Castelldefels, Spain, 2019
- Kidney NExT5 Symposium, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA, 2019
- American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week, Washington, DC, 2019
- TEER Talks, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University (Spring Semester), Durham, NC, 2019
- Duke University, Department of Medicine Science Exchange Dinner, Durham, NC, 2019
- Christopher Newport University, Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Newport News, VA, 2019
- 6th International Conference on Stem Cell Engineering, Los Angeles, CA, 2018
- 3rd Bioengineering & Translational Medicine Conference, Boston, MA, 2018
- Keystone Symposia Scientific Advisory Board Meeting, 2018
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Boston, MA, 2018
- World Preclinical Congress: 3D Cellular Models. Boston, MA, 2018
- 12th International Podocyte Conference, Montreal, Canada, 2018
- Washington University, Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences, St. Louis, MO, 2018
- Dwain L. Ford Lecture, Andrews University, Chemistry & Biochemistry seminar program, 2017
- l’Institut Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (IPGG), Seminar Speaker, selected by the Microfluidic Committee (interdisciplinary talk at the interface of Microfluidics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics), 2017
- Seminar speaker, IDEXX Laboratories, Maine, MA, 2017
- Speaker, International Conference on CRISPR Technologies, Raleigh, NC, 2017
- Keynote speaker, International Conference on Mechanics in Medicine and Biology (ICMMB) in conjunction with AusMedtech, Melbourne, Australia, 2017
- Keynote speaker (multiple talks), Medicine Research Scholars Program, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, 2017
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute Kidney Group Meeting, Boston, MA, 2017
- New England Science Symposium (Recipient, Ruth and William Silen, M.D. Award), 2016
- Nephrology Grand Rounds, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 2016
- MIT Rising Stars in Biomedical Engineering and Science Workshop, 2016
- 7th Annual Retreat, Wyss Institute at Harvard University, 2015
- Boston Children’s Hospital Stem Cell Day, Boston, MA, 2014
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, 2014
- AkzoNobel Student Award Symposium at the 244th ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 2012
- WiCell Research Institute, Madison, WI, 2011
- World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology Conference, Paris, France, 2011
- Highlights at the Chemical-Biology Interface, Madison, WI, 2010