This Is What Science Looks Like at NC State: Mahsa Mohiti-Asli

Editor’s note: This post was written by Mahsa Mohiti-Asli, a postdoctoral researcher in the joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill. The post is an entry in an ongoing series that we hope will highlight the diversity of researchers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The series is inspired by the This Is What A Scientist Looks Like site.

My name is Mahsa Mohiti-Asli and I am a postdoctoral researcher in the biomedical engineering department at North Carolina State University. My research focuses on the development and translation of biomaterials that can release therapeutic compounds at a desired rate in the human body for tissue engineering and wound healing applications. I’ve been working in this area since I joined NC State to pursue my Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science in 2010.

During my graduate study, I was grateful to work under the supervision of Dr. Elizabeth Loboa and Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi. My Ph.D. work resulted in the generation of “smart bandages” capable of releasing drugs to the wound site at a desired rate. By the time I graduated, in August 2013, my passion in developing advanced materials to accelerate wound healing had grown so much that I didn’t feel ready to leave this area yet. I therefore stayed in NC State to continue my research, and I’m currently developing wound dressings for chronic wounds, specifically for burn patients, patients with diabetic ulcers, and soldiers returning from combat that have large wounds infected with multi-drug resistant bacteria.

A large portion of my research involves using different microscopes to visualize the characteristics of cells and biomaterials. Any time I use a microscope I remember the quote from Theodore Roszak: “Nature composes some of her loveliest poems for the microscope.” Besides doing research I spend a lot of time guiding undergraduates, reading and writing articles, and brainstorming and collaborating with cool scientists in my research area. As someone in the early stages of my career, I also take part in different workshops provided by NC State’s office of postdoctoral affairs to extend my skills for my future career.

I love my work and it usually keeps me very busy, but I also try to make time for my personal interests. I love traveling around the world, but since I hold a single entry visa, my travels are currently limited to the inside of the U.S. Fortunately, this is a great land and every time I visit a different state it feels like I’m in another country, except I can still talk the same language, which is a bonus. Most of the time I travel with my husband, who is also working at NC State as a graduate researcher. When not traveling, in the lab or at Hunt Library, I enjoy hanging out with my friends. Since I joined NC State I have been fortunate to find a lot of friends from all over the world. I also have very good Iranian friends who continuously bring a lot of joy to my life. Being from Iran, a country with a rich culture, there are a lot of traditions that we get to do together here. It makes me not miss the culture I was brought up in as much.

I feel so blessed to have a career that fulfills me and a personal life that holds a smile on my face.