UT Austin professor advances cancer engineering research

Marissa Nichole Rylander, a biomedical engineering professor at The University of Texas at Austin, has been promoted to full professor and is being recognized for work in cancer engineering, tissue-on-a-chip technologies, teaching and mentorship. Her research targets better tumor models and translational tools while her campus leadership focuses on expanding access for women and underrepresented students.

Why it matters: - Marissa Nichole Rylander’s research aims to improve how scientists test therapies and model disease before treatments reach patients. - Her work sits at the intersection of engineering, biology and medicine, which can speed translation from lab results to clinical use. - Her mentorship and recruitment efforts also address a persistent pipeline problem in engineering: keeping more women and underrepresented students in the field.

What happened: - Marissa Nichole Rylander was recognized by Influential Women for her work in biomedical engineering, research leadership and mentorship. - The University of Texas at Austin promoted Rylander to full professor. - Rylander is a professor and biomedical engineering researcher at UT Austin. - She earned her PhD in biomedical engineering from UT Austin in 2006. - She returned to UT Austin in 2014 after serving on the faculty at Virginia Tech.

The details: - Rylander’s research program focuses on human-based tumor platforms that better replicate real tumor environments for therapeutic testing and disease modeling. - Her lab combines mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering and computational methods to narrow the gap between laboratory discovery and clinical translation. - The lab’s work includes inflammatory breast cancer, liver cancer and vascularized skin models for burn injury. - Research support comes from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army. - Rylander leads the ElevateMe program, which is designed to recruit, support and retain high-achieving students. - ElevateMe places particular emphasis on women and underrepresented minorities in engineering. - She teaches large undergraduate courses, graduate classes and manages high-impact research at the same time. - Rylander was born legally blind with significant visual disabilities. - Her mother was a major advocate and source of encouragement throughout her life. - Rylander says determination, persistence and consistent effort have been central to her success. - She says her earliest exposure to science and healthcare came through medical environments connected to her sister’s health condition, along with books, volunteering and hands-on learning. - The best career advice she received was simple: never give up.

Between the lines: - Rylander’s recognition reflects more than research output. It also highlights the growing value of faculty who combine scientific work with mentorship and access-building. - Her comments point to a wider challenge in engineering: students often need visible role models and early support before confidence begins to drop in middle school. - She sees academic success as increasingly competitive, with strong grades no longer enough without broader experiences that show initiative and commitment. - Rylander’s emphasis on service, kindness and character suggests a leadership style built around both results and responsibility.

What's next: - Rylander plans to continue advancing cancer engineering and tissue-on-a-chip research at UT Austin. - Her mentorship work is likely to remain a core part of her role through ElevateMe and classroom teaching. - She encourages young women in engineering and science to stay open to changing paths, say yes to opportunities and take on challenges even when confidence is shaky. - She expects more flexible academic and professional pathways to be important for helping people balance career growth with personal and family life.

The bottom line: - Marissa Nichole Rylander’s career shows how scientific innovation and student mentorship can reinforce each other, especially in fields that still need more visible pathways for women and underrepresented talent. - More information is available through her Influential Women profile and her UT Austin faculty page.