Hello! I am Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA) with joint appointments in UVA School of Medicine's Dept. of Ophthalmology and Dept. of Plastic Surgery. I am a member of UVA's Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC) and Co-Associate Director of the UVA NIH T32 Cardiovascular Training Grant. I am a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). I am also Past-President of The Microcirculatory Society.

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I have always been fascinated by the fact that blood vessels grow and remodel during normal development and in response to disease. These processes are triggered by mechanical, electrical, and chemical stimuli, and are central in nearly all of the complex afflictions and diseases of the Western World, including diabetes, cancer, wound healing, and obesity. We study these processes in our lab using a combination of experimental and computational approaches in order to determine basic mechanisms and to identify new treatment strategies.

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In addition to performing research, I also teach courses to undergraduate students, graduate students, and medical students on the topics of computational systems bioengineering and cell and molecular physiology. I am passionate about bringing real-world experiences into the classroom and giving students authentic hands-on learning opportunities through team-based engineering design projects. I am also active in K-12 STEM education outreach, regularly visiting middle school and high school classrooms to lecture on biomedical engineering topics, such as 3D bioprinting, and mentoring high school students on their science fair projects. 

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Most of my publications are listed with the name "Shayn M. Peirce" (my maiden name), but some are listed with the name "Shayn Peirce-Cottler" or "Shayn M. Peirce-Cottler".

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University of Virginia

 

Doctorate of Philosophy, Biomedical Engineering, 2002

 

Johns Hopkins University 

Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering and

Engineering Mechanics (double major), 1997

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