As a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Columbia University's Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, I work under Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic in her Lab for Stem Cells & Tissue Engineering to integrate "organ-on-a-chip" models of disease and drug toxicity - with a specific focus on the immune system and how these changes impact systemic physiology in other organs. My doctoral work was focused on using these engineered models to better study cosmic radiation exposures anticipated in deep space missions to the Moon and Mars, as well as developing patient-specific, iPSC-derived models of the human bone marrow. As a postdoctoral scientist, my focus has shifted to studying systemic diseases like cancer, as well as disseminating these model systems to collaborating laboratories.Prior to my doctoral research (2017-2018), I spent 12 months conducting research at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) under a Whitaker International Fellowship. Under Dr. Olaia Naveiras, my work focused on creating 3D biomimetic models of the hematopoietic niche for modeling in vitro and engraftment in vivo. Before graduating the University of Virginia’s Dept. of Biomedical Engineering (2017), I worked in the fields of vascular engineering and biomaterials under the advisement of Dr. Shayn Peirce-Cottler. Since then, and in addition to research, I have been interested in engineering education as a motivator for both K12 STEM outreach and undergraduate curriculum development.Visit https://www.sites.google.com/view/naveedtavakol/about for a more updated portfolio of my research and professional experiences!