Research Description

Dr. Swindle-Reilly's research focuses on the study of the biophysical and biochemical properties of ocular tissues to inform design of biomimetic polymeric biomaterials and drug delivery systems for ophthalmic applications.  In particular, her laboratory studies self-assembling polymeric hydrogels and manipulates synthetic and biologically derived polymers to impart specific functionalities to these materials. Her lab investigates cell interactions with both synthetic polymers and biopolymers present in the extracellular matrix to investigate biological processes such as fibrosis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. They also investigate free radical biology and the role of antioxidants in the eye, and use rheology to evaluate the biomechanics of ocular tissues and polymeric materials.