Rate My Professor Kris Kilian

Kilian's research specializes in the design and development of model extracellular matrices and dynamic hydrogels for cell and tissue engineering, alongside fundamental investigations into cell plasticity to unravel matrix structure-cell function relationships. He has authored over 130 journal articles, including highly influential works such as 'Geometric cues for directing the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2010), 'Interfacial geometry dictates cancer cell tumorigenicity' (Nature Materials, 2016), 'Bridging the gap: from 2D cell culture to 3D microengineered extracellular matrices' (Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2015), 'Materials control of the epigenetics underlying cell plasticity' (Nature Reviews Materials, 2021), and 'Capillary constrictions prime cancer cell tumorigenicity through PIEZO1' (Nature Communications, 2025). His contributions have earned prestigious awards, including the Cornforth Medal from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2008), NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award (2008), Kavli Fellow of the 19th German-American Frontiers of Science (2014), National Science Foundation CAREER award (2015), Young Innovator of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (2017), Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2018), Dean's Award for Research Excellence (2020), and Eureka Prize finalist for Innovative Use of Technology (2023).