Donia Ahmed
PhD Candidate (Co-advised by Dr. Claudia Loebel)
Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan
doniaahm (at) umich (dot) edu
Hometown: New York, NY
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Education:
BS in Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, 2021
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Research interests: My research interests lie at the intersection of mechanobiology and tissue engineering. Currently, my research focuses on developing lung disease models to investigate cell-ECM interactions in the alveolar microenvironment. To understand how biophysical cues influence pathological matrix remodeling, I’ve been utilizing both ex vivo and in vitro platforms to probe the role of epithelial cells during the progression of lung fibrosis. Through the development of these models, I hope to expand the foundational understanding of resident epithelial cell survival in fibrosis to better inform therapeutics.
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Outside of lab interests: I enjoy reading and painting, procrastinating, trying out new restaurants in Ann Arbor, binge-watching dysfunctional reality TV shows, and being a dog mom.​
Awards & Honors: Rackham Merit Fellow, NIH-T32 CBTP Trainee
Publications:​
Ahmed DW, Loebel C. “In situ tissue stiffening as a model of early lung injury and disease,” Nature Materials, 2025, doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02337-0
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Ahmed DW*, Tan M*, Liu Y, Gabbard J, Gao E, Roy A, Hu M, Midekssa F, Stevens M, Wuchu F, Nenwani M, Xia J, Abraham A, Nagrath D, Han L, Zemans RL, Baker BM, Loebel C. “Local photo-crosslinking of native tissue matrix regulates lung epithelial cell mechanosensing and function,” Nature Materials, 2025, doi.org/10.1038/s41563-025-02329-0 *Equal contribution.
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Nsumbu D, Rolland T, Tajlil A, Ahmed DW, Young RF, Palka BA, Weil BR. “Systemic administration of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells attenuates post-resuscitation left ventricular dysfunction in a porcine model of cardiac arrest,” Resuscitation, 2025, doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2025.110744
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Eiken MK, Childs CJ, Brastrom LK, Frum T, Plaster EM, Ahmed DW, Spencer RW, Shachaf O, Pfieffer S, Levine JE, Alysandratos K, Kotton D, Spence JR, Loebel C. “Nascent matrix deposition supports alveolar organoid formation from aggregates in synthetic hydrogels,” Stem Cell Reports, 2024, doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108472
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Ahmed DW, Eiken MK, DePalma SJ, Helms AS, Zemans RL, Spence JR, Baker BM, Loebel C. “Integrating mechanical cues with engineered platforms to explore cardiopulmonary development and disease,” iScience, 2023, 26(12):108472.