Pranav Soman

Professor

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering

303H Bowne Hall

psoman@syr.edu

15.443.9322

Degree(s):

Ph.D. Bioengineering (Penn State University)

Lab/ Center/ Institute affiliation:

  • BioInspired Institute
  • Biomaterial Institute

Areas of Expertise:

  • Optical printing
  • Bioprinting
  • Microfluidics
  • Organ-On-Chip
  • Tissue engineering

Nature’s marvelous ability to arrange proteins, sugars, and minerals from macro to nano scales has realized a wide range of ‘smart’ multifunctional structures optimized to satisfy specific environmental demands. Man-made manufacturing, however, is not able to match nature’s building capabilities. My central research focus is to develop new processing and printing technologies to create reliable models from single cell to tissue scale to capture key aspects of in vivo physiology and pathophysiology. Toward this goal, my group, with expertise in mechanical engineering, laser optics, biomaterials and cell biology, has developed a technology toolbox to process and print biocompatible thermoplastics, photosensitive hydrogels, and living cells and provide a manufacturing solution to advance research in bioprinting, microfluidics, organ-on-chip, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and single cell analysis.

Honors and Awards:

  • 2022           The U.S. Air Force Research Lab Summer Faculty Fellowship Program
  • 2021           Satish Dhawan Visiting Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Science
  • 2020           Techconnect Defense Innovation Award
  • 2020           E&T Outstanding Innovation in the Manufacturing 4.0
  • 2015  Syracuse University – College of Engineering and Computer Science Award for Faculty Excellence
  • 2010           Dean’s award for academic excellent, Penn State University.
  • 2015            Faculty Excellent Award, Syracuse University

Selected Publications:

Xiong, Z., Kunwar, P., & Soman, P. (2021). Hydrogel‐Based Diffractive Optical Elements (hDOEs) Using Rapid Digital Photopatterning. Advanced optical materials, 9(2), 2001217.

Kunwar, P., Jannini, A.V.S., Xiong, Z., Ransbottom, M.J., Perkins, J.S., Henderson, J.H., Hasenwinkel, J.M. and Soman, P., 2019. High-resolution 3D printing of stretchable hydrogel structures using optical projection lithography. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Kunwar, P., Xiong, Z., Zhu, Y., Li, H., Filip, A. and Soman, P., 2019. Hybrid Laser Printing of 3D, Multiscale, Multimaterial Hydrogel Structures. Advanced Optical Materials, p.1900656.

Xiong, Z., Li, H., Kunwar, P., Zhu, Y., Ramos, R., Mcloughlin, S., Winston, T., Ma, Z. and Soman, P., 2019. Femtosecond laser induced densification within cell-laden hydrogels results in cellular alignment. Biofabrication, 11(3), p.035005.

Sawyer, S. W., Shridhar, S. V., Zhang, K., Albrecht, L., Filip, A., Horton, J., & Soman, P. (2018). Perfusion directed 3D mineral formation within cell-laden hydrogels. Biofabrication. June 8.