The J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida is pleased to welcome Lesley W. Chow, Ph.D., a UF alumna, as an associate professor.

Dr. Chow joins UF from Lehigh University, where she led a research program focused on designing advanced biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Her interdisciplinary work integrates bioinspired design and advanced fabrication techniques to create biomaterial scaffolds that replicate the complexity of native biological tissues.

Her research centers on developing spatially organized biomaterial scaffolds that guide cell behavior and support functional tissue regeneration, with a particular focus on musculoskeletal tissue interfaces such as the osteochondral region between bone and cartilage. Chow Lab research has established a versatile biomaterials platform that combines modular molecular building blocks with fabrication strategies like 3D printing to spatially control biochemical, physical, and mechanical cues, enabling precise tuning of cell-material interactions to improve regenerative outcomes.

Dr. Chow began her academic training at the University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in materials science and engineering from 2000 to 2004. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Northwestern University from 2004 to 2009, advancing supramolecular biomaterials to improve vascularization and transplant success. She completed postdoctoral training at Imperial College London, where she developed spatially functionalized scaffolds for regenerative medicine applications.

At UF, Dr. Chow will continue her research in biomaterials, regenerative medicine, and musculoskeletal tissue engineering while contributing to the department’s teaching mission and interdisciplinary training programs. She will join the department in Fall 2026.