Malara, Megan

Biography

Megan Malara earned her B.S. (2014) and Ph.D. (2020) degrees in materials science and engineering from The Ohio State University. She began her specialization in biomaterials with research pertaining to nanoscale polymeric fibers as a platform to sort cancer cells and as a 3D scaffolding for small diameter blood vessels. Malara conducted her graduate research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Her doctoral research focused on developing the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) of cultured skin grafts for the treatment of large total body surface area burns. Using techniques such as photolithography and laser ablation to pattern scaffold surfaces to mimic the native DEJ, Malara conducted in vitro analyses of cell behavior to patterning and in vivo animal studies to translate this technology towards clinical application. Following her doctoral work, Malara spent a year working as a Legislative Fellow in Congress working on public health, healthcare financing, and STEM education policy as a part of the AAAS Congressional Science & Technology Policy Fellowship. Malara joined the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence in 2021 and has led the Medical Modeling, Materials and Manufacturing Division there since 2022.