Associate Professor Zhangxian “Dan” Deng becomes the College of Engineering’s 26th recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. This recognition supports early-career faculty who demonstrate exceptional promise in both research and education, advancing innovation to solve critical societal challenges.
In the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, Deng’s award will impact his research in the Smart Materials and Systems Laboratory on the Boise State campus over the next five years.
“The college’s latest NSF CAREER awardee continues our stellar record of building educational excellence and research innovation at Boise State,” College of Engineering Dean Amy Fleischer said. “This achievement underscores our faculty, staff, and students’ commitment to solving complex world challenges through interdisciplinary research. Congratulations to Dr. Deng on this well-deserved recognition for his incredible efforts.”
“Printed Magnetoelectric Composites as a Bioscaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering”
Can the efficacy and scalability of treating large bone defects by engineering smart materials to replicate the physical and mechanical properties of natural bones be improved? That’s what Deng aims to discover.
Osteoporosis, trauma, inflammation and the removal of bone cancer tumors can all lead to large bone defects that exceed the body’s ability to self-heal human bones. For more than 200 years, bone grafting has been the gold standard of treatment for these defects, with more than 600,000 grafts performed annually.
“This research holds the potential to revolutionize how we cure severe bone defects,” Deng said. “By printing composites that deform and generate electric charges in response to a magnetic field, we can create innovative bone-mimicking biomaterials that can improve patient outcomes and advance the field of regenerative medicine. Receiving the NSF CAREER Award is a tremendous honor, and I’m excited to contribute to Boise State’s mission of innovation while inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers.”
Deng is spearheading efforts to engineer magnetically responsive biomaterials, enabling patient-specific bone tissue growth. Using mesenchymal stem cells harvested from patients, these advanced biomaterials guide cell differentiation specifically into bone-forming cells, offering a safer and more effective alternative to conventional bone grafting.
Innovative Biomaterials
Central to this project is a cutting-edge magnetoelectric biomaterial designed to emulate the intricate microstructures and physical stimuli found in natural bones. Deng and other Boise State researchers fabricate these biomaterials as three-dimensional porous scaffolds using advanced additive manufacturing technologies. Scaffolding provides a large surface area for cell attachment and microchannels to enhance nutrient delivery, mimicking human bones’ biological environment.
This magnetically responsive biomaterial exhibits unique dynamic properties, such as adjustable stiffness, mechanical deformation, and the generation of electric signals under magnetic field stimulation. These features closely replicate the mechanical and piezoelectric stimuli critical for bone regeneration. The research explores using magnetic fields to precisely control this functional biomaterial, enabling non-invasive and highly targeted stimulation of bone tissue growth.
About the NSF CAREER Award
The NSF CAREER Award is a prestigious program that supports early-career faculty with exceptional potential to advance research and education. Awardees receive up to five years of funding to explore ambitious research goals while integrating impactful educational activities. Deng’s award notches the 26th CAREER Award for a faculty member in the Boise State College of Engineering. Supported by the NSF’s Division of Materials Research, the grant also includes initiatives to foster the growth of Idaho’s scientific workforce through project-based education of K-12 students and teachers.