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Faculty

Rónkẹ́ Ọlábísí

PhD
Associate Professor
University of California, Irvine

Ronke M. Olabisi, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where she leads a laboratory developing smart biomaterials and regenerative therapies for tissue repair. Her research integrates biomaterials science, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering to create cell-responsive materials that improve healing and regeneration.

Prof. Olabisi’s laboratory has pioneered hydrogel-based co-encapsulation strategies that dramatically accelerate healing in animal models of chronic diabetic wounds and full-thickness burns by enhancing the therapeutic function of mesenchymal stem cells. Her group also develops electroactive and piezoelectric biomaterials that direct stem cell fate for neural and musculoskeletal tissue engineering, as well as biomimetic materials inspired by seashells that precisely control bone formation. Her work has resulted in two patents, an NSF Innovation Corps translational project, and invitations to present her research to the U.S. Department of State, the European Union Parliament, and the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.

Dr. Olabisi is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the Johnson and Johnson Women in STEM2D award, the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator Award, and the BMES Diversity Lecture Award. She has delivered more than 40 invited, plenary, and keynote lectures, authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to two National Academies reports and two book chapters, and remains committed to translating regenerative engineering discoveries into clinically impactful therapies for patients with challenging wounds.

2026 Sessions

Keynote Address: The Regenerative Revolution: Unlocking the Future of Stem Cell Therapies in Wound Healing

For decades, stem cells have been hailed as one of medicine's most promising frontiers for tissue regeneration—yet their transformative potential in chronic wound care remains largely unrealized. Join internationally recognized regenerative medicine expert Ronke Olabisi, PhD, for a thought-provoking keynote exploring the science, challenges, and breakthroughs shaping the future of wound healing.  Drawing on pioneering research in tissue engineering and biomaterials, Dr. Olabisi will examine why stem cell therapies have yet to achieve widespread clinical success and reveal how engineering the wound environment may hold the key to unlocking their full regenerative potential. Discover how emerging innovations are poised to revolutionize the treatment of chronic wounds, offering a glimpse into the next generation of regenerative therapies that could redefine patient care and transform the future of wound management.

Moderator/Presenter

Friday, October 16 9:30–10:15 AM
Room Octavius 11
Faculty

Rónkẹ́ Ọlábísí

PhD
Associate Professor
University of California, Irvine

Ronke M. Olabisi, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where she leads a laboratory developing smart biomaterials and regenerative therapies for tissue repair. Her research integrates biomaterials science, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering to create cell-responsive materials that improve healing and regeneration.

Prof. Olabisi’s laboratory has pioneered hydrogel-based co-encapsulation strategies that dramatically accelerate healing in animal models of chronic diabetic wounds and full-thickness burns by enhancing the therapeutic function of mesenchymal stem cells. Her group also develops electroactive and piezoelectric biomaterials that direct stem cell fate for neural and musculoskeletal tissue engineering, as well as biomimetic materials inspired by seashells that precisely control bone formation. Her work has resulted in two patents, an NSF Innovation Corps translational project, and invitations to present her research to the U.S. Department of State, the European Union Parliament, and the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Symposium.

Dr. Olabisi is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the Johnson and Johnson Women in STEM2D award, the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator Award, and the BMES Diversity Lecture Award. She has delivered more than 40 invited, plenary, and keynote lectures, authored over 35 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to two National Academies reports and two book chapters, and remains committed to translating regenerative engineering discoveries into clinically impactful therapies for patients with challenging wounds.
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