Nanofiber innovation for wound healing and heat resistance, Lab-grown meat,  Human pancreas, brain, and heart on a chip, and STEM-based education as a necessary tool to counteract future shocks.

Prof Kit Parker is a Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. Prof Parker is also the director of the multidisciplinary SEAS Disease Biophysics Group. Kit researches cardiac cell biology and tissue engineering, traumatic brain injury, and biological applications of micro- and nanotechnologies. Working in both Biomimetic Microsystems and Programmable Nanomaterials, he is involved in projects ranging from developing nano fabrics for applications in tissue regeneration to creating organs-on-chips to address diseases such as asthma, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, brain injury, and congenital heart disease.

Previously, Kit served as a member of the Defense Science Research Council, an advisory activity to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), for nearly a decade. He also served on the Defense Science Board Task Force on Autonomy, reviewing the entirety of the DoD’s research portfolio on unmanned systems.  Kit is an LTC in the United States Army reserve component and has served two combat tours in Afghanistan where he was awarded the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal with V device, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.