Guest:Kambez H.Benam
Title: Engineering Human Biology for Discovery, Translation, and Impact
Date/Time: February 24, 2026, 15:00
Location: ONLINE
Abstract: Dr. Benam leads a research program focused on engineering human-relevant experimental platforms that address critical limitations in preclinical disease modeling, therapeutic discovery, and regulatory science. His work sits at the intersection of bioengineering, human microphysiology, and translational science, with the overarching goal of creating predictive, mechanistically grounded models of human biology. A central contribution of Dr. Benam’s laboratory is the development of microphysiological systems (Organs-on-Chips) that recreate key features of human tissue, immune, and barrier function under dynamic, physiologically realistic conditions. These include the human Lung Airway-on-a-Chip, Extracelluar Matrix-embedded Microvasculature-on-a-Chip, and Bone Marrow-on-a-Chip, which together enable investigation of epithelial–endothelial–immune interactions, hematopoiesis, inflammation, and host–pathogen responses.
These platforms have been applied to study pulmonary disease, immune dysregulation in Down syndrome, viral infection, and vascular–immune crosstalk. Complementing these systems, Dr. Benam has pioneered bioinspired robotic exposure technologies, including the Human Vaping Mimetic Real-Time Particle Analyzer (HUMITIPAA) and a lung-on-chip micro-aerosolization platform, which integrate aerosol physics, microfluidics, and real-time analytics to model human inhalation exposures. Developed in close collaboration with the U.S. FDA, these tools provide regulatory-relevant, human-predictive approaches for evaluating inhaled toxicants and emerging consumer products. Dr. Benam’s work has resulted in publications in Nature Methods, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Cell Systems, and Advanced Functional Materials, along with 17 issued or pending patents. His research program has been supported by over $9.5M in competitive funding from the NIH, FDA, and U.S. Department of Defense, and several technologies are progressing toward translation through academic–industry partnerships and his startup, Pneumax.
Bio: Dr. Kambez H. Benam is a tenured Associate Professor of Medicine and Bioengineering and Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Pulmonary Division and Vascular Medicine Institute, at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the founder of Lung Microengineering program and leads an interdisciplinary research at the interface of bioengineering, human microphysiology, and translational science, focused on developing human-relevant experimental platforms that improve disease modeling, therapeutic discovery, and regulatory
decision-making. He holds a D.Phil. in Immunology from the University of Oxford and completed postdoctoral training and technology development fellowship at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.
Dr. Benam is best known for pioneering microphysiological systems (Organs-on-Chips) and bioinspired robotic exposure platforms that recreate human tissue, immune, and barrier functions under physiologically realistic conditions. His work has been published in leading journals including Nature Methods, Nature Biomedical Engineering, Cell Systems, iScience, and Advanced Functional Materials, supported by more than $9.5M in funding from NIH, FDA, and the U.S. Department of Defense, and protected by 17 issued or pending patents. Beyond research, he is deeply committed to mentoring and leadership, with extensive experience training students and fellows, building interdisciplinary teams, and translating academic innovations toward real-world impact through partnerships and entrepreneurship. He currently serves as Associate Editor for JCI Insight, Scientific Reports (Nature Portfolio), and Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, and is a member of the NIH Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM). He also regularly serves as a grant reviewer for NIH, the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs, UKRI, and international funding agencies.
