Metin Uz, PhD
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 Title: Assistant Professor
 Dept: Chemical & Biomedical Engineering
 Office: FH 455
 Phone: 216-687-3526
 Email: m.uz@csuohio.edu
 Web: https://academic.csuohio.edu/uz-lab/
 Address: 2121 Euclid Ave. FH 455, Cleveland, OH 44115

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Research Keywords:
Biomaterials, Flexible Electronics, Tissue Engineering, Drug and Gene Delivery, Polymeric Membranes
 
Education:
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, 2014
M.S., Biotechnology, Izmir Institute of Technology, 2009
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, 2007
 
Brief Bio:
Metin Uz received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir, Turkey in 2014. During his Ph.D., he received The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) International Research Fellowship and completed his Ph.D. studies on the development of small interfering RNA delivery systems for cancer treatment in collaboration with Iowa State University (ISU). He was also involved in research projects on polymeric membranes for active food packaging and wastewater treatment, funded by TUBITAK and European Union Commission the 7th Framework Program.

Dr. Uz then joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at ISU and continued his research efforts till 2019 as postdoctoral research associate. His postdoctoral research was focused on functional scaffold and stem cell-based peripheral nerve regeneration. In addition, he also continued working on designing nanoscale devices for microRNA/chemotherapeutic drug co-delivery for cancer treatment. His research efforts led to many publications in top tier journals with considerable citation rates, book chapters, patents, and various conference presentations. His works were selected as journal cover art and top cited article, received awards, and highlighted in the scientific news. He successfully completed nationally recognized ISU Preparing Future Faculty Program (2016), was named as Baxter Young Investigator (2016), and received ISU Postdoctoral Scholar Research Excellence Award (2018). He also demonstrated entrepreneurial activities by completing NSF funded ISU I-Corps Site (2017) and ISU Startup Factory (2019) Programs and founded a startup company, Degimflex LLC in 2019.

Dr. Uz became an Associate Scientist in Nanovaccine Institute at ISU in 2019. He has been significantly involved in various grant initiatives and his recent research efforts on biodegradable and implantable flexible electronics biointerfaces have been funded by Iowa Reagents Innovation Fund and ISU Office of the VPR. He is also member of professional organizations, such as AIChE, BMES and SFB, and continuously serves as journal referee and guest editor for well-known journals.

Dr. Uz joined Cleveland State University as tenure track assistant professor in August 2021. His research program lies in the fields of biomaterials, flexible electronics, polymeric membranes, drug/gene delivery systems, stem cell biology and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The main goal of his research efforts is to address the challenges in life sciences and medicine by using engineered materials-centered approaches and elucidating the mechanisms underlying material structure-property relationships, material-cell and cell-cell interactions. Dr. Uz will particularly concentrate on the development of functional biomaterials-based flexible electronic biointerfaces and conductive platforms for stem cell-based therapies targeting tissue regeneration with an emphasis on central/peripheral nervous system problems, nerve, muscle and skin regeneration along with nerve/skin and nerve/muscle reinnervation and interaction. To achieve these goals, his research leverages the elements of materials science, membrane science, biology and nanotechnology, which are accompanied by the utilization of diverse tools from material synthesis and characterization, surface chemistry, stem cell biology, micro/nano fabrication, additive manufacturing and microfluidics. With these efforts, Dr. Uz is ultimately aiming to develop simple, inexpensive, easy-to-use, yet broadly applicable and commercially viable platforms/interfaces that will pave the way for tissue regeneration, facilitate technological translation to clinic and have societal impact.
 
Honors and Awards:
1. Iowa State University Postdoctoral Scholar Research Excellence Award, USA (2018)
2. STAR Abstract Award from the Society for Biomaterials, USA (2017)
3. Iowa State University I-Corps Site Program, Certificate of Completion, NSF Innovation Corps, USA (2017)
4. Iowa State University Preparing Future Faculty Program, Certificate of Completion, USA (2016)
5. Baxter Young Investigator Award, USA (2016)
6. The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) Doctorate Research Award, Turkey-USA (2013)
7. The Best Poster Presentation Award in International Congress on Membranes and Membrane Processes (ICOM 2011), Netherlands (2011)
8. High Honor Degree in Graduation from Izmir Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2nd place in ranking, Izmir, Turkey (2007)
9. Erasmus Student Exchange Program Scholarship, France (2005 -2006)