BME 7900 Seminar: Mandy B. Esch (National Institute of Standards and Technology)

Bio: Mandy B. Esch is a project leader at the National Institute of Standards and Technology with experience in nanofabrication, organ-on-chip platforms, and microphysiological systems. She holds an M.S. in biology and a Ph.D. in biotechnology from Julius Maximilians University in Germany, where she developed microfluidic biosensors for detecting pathogens. Dr. Esch’s career includes pivotal roles at Cornell’s Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility as a process engineer and at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, where she engineered devices such as microelectrode arrays, porous membranes, and patented multi-organ microphysiological devices. Her groundbreaking work has earned her multiple patents and the 2015 Lush Science Prize for the development of an organ-on-chip system that simulates oral nanoparticle uptake in the human gut-liver axis (as part of a team of recipients). Since joining NIST in 2016, she has integrated nanofabrication and 3D tissue engineering to produce advanced drug screening devices and invented the multi-tissue body cube, all aimed at reducing animal testing and improving the physiological relevance of in vitro models. Additionally, Esch contributes to establishing international standards for drug screening technologies through her work with the OECD, ISO, and ICCVAM, and mentors emerging scientists in organs-on-chips, MPS, and pharmacokinetic modeling.