Dr. Polacheck’s laboratory develops microfabrication methods and microfluidic technology to fabricate biomimetic platforms that recapitulate the native mechanical microenvironment. Polacheck earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from M.I.T. before working as an NHLBI postdoctoral fellow at Boston University and Harvard University. His laboratory has focused on applying organ-on-chip models to the study of rare genetic diseases and to reduce animal dependency in preclinical drug development. He has received several awards, including the Walter H. Coulter Award for Translational Research, an American Heart Association Career Development Award, and the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering New Innovator award from BMES.