Evangelia Bellas

Evangelia Bellas

  • College of Engineering

    Bioengineering

    Associate Professor

Office Location

Engineering 913

Phone

215-204-3301

Biography

Dr. Evangelia Bellas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at Temple University. Prior to joining Temple University, Dr. Bellas was a postdoctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University and Bioengineering at University of Pennsylvania under the mentorship of Dr. Christopher Chen where she developed 3D in vitro adipose tissue disease models. She received her Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University mentored by Dr. David Kaplan. Her Ph.D. research focused on developing long-term volume stable silk biomaterials for soft tissue regeneration. This work resulted in 2 patents and a start-up. Before starting her Ph.D., Dr. Bellas was at Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the supervision of Drs. Robert Langer and Daniel Kohane, where she worked on biomaterial, drug delivery solutions for prevention of peritoneal adhesions and controlled release formulations for long-term pain management. Her current research focuses on the development of fat-on-chip and (dys)functional adipose tissue models to study how vascularization and interactions with the microenvironment impact tissue health and function and funded by NIH, NASA, NSF, Lipedema Foundation and VentureWell. She is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2021), Biomedical Engineering Society- Cell and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovators Award (2021), Biomedical Engineering Society- Cell and Molecular Bioengineering Rising Star Award (2023) and the American Society for Matrix Biology- Junior Investigator Award (2023).

Dr. Bellas is active in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and served as the Biomedical Engineering Society’s Diversity Committee Chair (2019-2022), currently serving as an outgoing chair.

Labs: BellasFATLab

Google Scholar: Google Scholar

Research Interests

  • Adipose Tissue
  • Angiogenesis
  • Microenvironment
  • Cell Mechanics
  • Obesity
  • Disease Models
  • Soft Tissue Regeneration
  • Biomaterials
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Regenerative Medicine

Courses Taught

Number

Name

Level

BIOE 0844

The Bionic Human

Undergraduate

BIOE 4411

Capstone Elective: Biomaterials

Undergraduate

BIOE 4461

Capstone Elective: Principles of Tissue Engineering

Undergraduate

BIOE 5600

Bioengineering Graduate Seminar

Graduate

BIOE 5741

Biomaterials for Engineers

Graduate

Selected Publications

  • Anvari, G. & Bellas, E. (2021). Hypoxia induces stress fiber formation in adipocytes in the early stage of obesity. Sci Rep, 11(1), p. 21473. England. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-00335-1

  • Berger, A.J., Anvari, G., & Bellas, E. (2021). Mechanical Memory Impairs Adipose-Derived Stem Cell (ASC) Adipogenic Capacity After Long-Term In Vitro Expansion. Cell Mol Bioeng, 14(5), pp. 397-408. United States. doi: 10.1007/s12195-021-00705-9

  • Caprio, N.D.i. & Bellas, E. (2020). Collagen Stiffness and Architecture Regulate Fibrotic Gene Expression in Engineered Adipose Tissue. Adv Biosyst, 4(6), p. e1900286. Germany. doi: 10.1002/adbi.201900286

  • Hammel, J.H. & Bellas, E. (2020). Endothelial cell crosstalk improves browning but hinders white adipocyte maturation in 3D engineered adipose tissue. Integr Biol (Camb), 12(4), pp. 81-89. England. doi: 10.1093/intbio/zyaa006

  • Tehrani, R., Helferty, J.J., Kiani, M.F., Suh, W.H., & Bellas, E. (2017). A project based approach to introduction to engineering. 2017 FYEE Conference.

  • Bellas, E., Alimperti, S., & Chen, C.S. (2015). Cytoskeletal Tension Mediates Adipocyte Dysfunction in a 3D In Vitro Model of Obesity. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A, 21, pp. S317-S317. Retrieved from http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/

  • Bellas, E., Rollins, A., Moreau, J.E., Lo, T., Quinn, K.P., Fourligas, N., Georgakoudi, I., Leisk, G.G., Mazan, M., Thane, K.E., Taeymans, O., Hoffman, A.M., Kaplan, D.L., & Kirker-Head, C.A. (2015). Equine model for soft-tissue regeneration. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater, 103(6), pp. 1217-1227. United States. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.33299

  • Bellas, E., Lo, T.J., Fournier, E.P., Brown, J.E., Abbott, R.D., Gil, E.S., Marra, K.G., Rubin, J.P., Leisk, G.G., & Kaplan, D.L. (2015). Injectable silk foams for soft tissue regeneration. Adv Healthc Mater, 4(3), pp. 452-459. Germany. doi: 10.1002/adhm.201400506

  • Bellas, E. & Chen, C.S. (2014). Forms, forces, and stem cell fate. Curr Opin Cell Biol, 31, pp. 92-97. England. doi: 10.1016/j.ceb.2014.09.006

  • Hoare, T., Yeo, Y., Bellas, E., Bruggeman, J.P., & Kohane, D.S. (2014). Prevention of peritoneal adhesions using polymeric rheological blends. Acta Biomater, 10(3), pp. 1187-1193. England. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.12.029

  • Bellas, E., Marra, K.G., & Kaplan, D.L. (2013). Sustainable three-dimensional tissue model of human adipose tissue. Tissue Eng Part C Methods, 19(10), pp. 745-754. United States. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEC.2012.0620

  • Bellas, E., Panilaitis, B.J.B., Glettig, D.L., Kirker-Head, C.A., Yoo, J.J., Marra, K.G., Rubin, J.P., & Kaplan, D.L. (2013). Sustained volume retention in vivo with adipocyte and lipoaspirate seeded silk scaffolds. Biomaterials, 34(12), pp. 2960-2968. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.01.058

  • Quinn, K.P., Chang, T., Zimmerley, M., Bellas, E., Lamarre-Jouenne, I., Kaplan, D.L., Beaurepaire, E., & Georgakoudi, I. (2013). Quantitative, functional biomarkers of stem cell differentiation in 3D using multi-modal non-linear imaging with endogenous contrast. Optics InfoBase Conference Papers. doi: 10.1364/ls.2013.lth3h.3

  • Quinn, K.P., Chang, T., Zimmerley, M., Bellas, E., Lamarre-Jouenne, I., Kaplan, D.L., Beaurepaire, E., & Georgakoudi, I. (2013). Quantitative, functional biomarkers of stem cell differentiation in 3D using multi-modal non-linear imaging with endogenous contrast. Optics InfoBase Conference Papers. doi: 10.1364/ls.2013.lth3h.3

  • Ward, A., Quinn, K.P., Bellas, E., Georgakoudi, I., & Kaplan, D.L. (2013). Noninvasive metabolic imaging of engineered 3D human adipose tissue in a perfusion bioreactor. PLoS One, 8(2), p. e55696. United States. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055696

  • Gil, E.S., Panilaitis, B., Bellas, E., & Kaplan, D.L. (2013). Functionalized silk biomaterials for wound healing. Adv Healthc Mater, 2(1), pp. 206-217. Germany. doi: 10.1002/adhm.201200192

  • Bellas, E., Seiberg, M., Garlick, J., & Kaplan, D.L. (2012). In vitro 3D full-thickness skin-equivalent tissue model using silk and collagen biomaterials. Macromol Biosci, 12(12), pp. 1627-1636. Germany. doi: 10.1002/mabi.201200262

  • Quinn, K.P., Bellas, E., Fourligas, N., Lee, K., Kaplan, D.L., & Georgakoudi, I. (2012). Characterization of metabolic changes associated with the functional development of 3D engineered tissues by non-invasive, dynamic measurement of individual cell redox ratios. Biomaterials, 33(21), pp. 5341-5348. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.04.024

  • Choi, J.H., Bellas, E., Gimble, J.M., Vunjak-Novakovic, G., & Kaplan, D.L. (2011). Lipolytic function of adipocyte/endothelial cocultures. Tissue Eng Part A, 17(9-10), pp. 1437-1444. United States. doi: 10.1089/ten.TEA.2010.0527

  • Choi, J.H., Bellas, E., Vunjak-Novakovic, G., & Kaplan, D.L. (2011). Adipogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells on 3D silk scaffolds. Methods Mol Biol, 702, pp. 319-330. United States. doi: 10.1007/978-1-61737-960-4_23

  • Hoare, T., Bellas, E., Zurakowski, D., & Kohane, D.S. (2010). Rheological blends for drug delivery. II. Prolongation of nerve blockade, biocompatibility, and in vitro-in vivo correlations. J Biomed Mater Res A, 92(2), pp. 586-595. United States. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.32420

  • Simons, E.J., Bellas, E., Lawlor, M.W., & Kohane, D.S. (2009). Effect of chemical permeation enhancers on nerve blockade. Mol Pharm, 6(1), pp. 265-273. United States. doi: 10.1021/mp800167a

  • Domnina, Y.A., Yeo, Y., Tse, J.Y., Bellas, E., & Kohane, D.S. (2008). Spray-dried lipid-hyaluronan-polymethacrylate microparticles for drug delivery in the peritoneum. J Biomed Mater Res A, 87(3), pp. 825-831. United States. doi: 10.1002/jbm.a.31741

  • Tsifansky, M.D., Yeo, Y., Evgenov, O.V., Bellas, E., Benjamin, J., & Kohane, D.S. (2008). Microparticles for inhalational delivery of antipseudomonal antibiotics. AAPS J, 10(2), pp. 254-260. United States. doi: 10.1208/s12248-008-9033-8

  • Padera, R., Bellas, E., Tse, J.Y., Hao, D., & Kohane, D.S. (2008). Local myotoxicity from sustained release of bupivacaine from microparticles. Anesthesiology, 108(5), pp. 921-928. United States. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0b013e31816c8a48

  • Evgenov, O.V., Kohane, D.S., Bloch, K.D., Stasch, J., Volpato, G.P., Bellas, E., Evgenov, N.V., Buys, E.S., Gnoth, M.J., Graveline, A.R., Liu, R., Hess, D.R., Langer, R., & Zapol, W.M. (2007). Inhaled agonists of soluble guanylate cyclase induce selective pulmonary vasodilation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 176(11), pp. 1138-1145. United States. doi: 10.1164/rccm.200707-1121OC

  • Yeo, Y., Bellas, E., Highley, C.B., Langer, R., & Kohane, D.S. (2007). Peritoneal adhesion prevention with an in situ cross-linkable hyaluronan gel containing tissue-type plasminogen activator in a rabbit repeated-injury model. Biomaterials, 28(25), pp. 3704-3713. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2007.04.033

  • Ito, T., Yeo, Y., Highley, C.B., Bellas, E., & Kohane, D.S. (2007). Dextran-based in situ cross-linked injectable hydrogels to prevent peritoneal adhesions. Biomaterials, 28(23), pp. 3418-3426. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2007.04.017

  • Yeo, Y., Adil, M., Bellas, E., Astashkina, A., Chaudhary, N., & Kohane, D.S. (2007). Prevention of peritoneal adhesions with an in situ cross-linkable hyaluronan hydrogel delivering budesonide. J Control Release, 120(3), pp. 178-185. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2007.04.016

  • Yeo, Y., Ito, T., Bellas, E., Highley, C.B., Marini, R., & Kohane, D.S. (2007). In situ cross-linkable hyaluronan hydrogels containing polymeric nanoparticles for preventing postsurgical adhesions. Ann Surg, 245(5), pp. 819-824. United States. doi: 10.1097/01.sla.0000251519.49405.55

  • Ito, T., Fraser, I.P., Yeo, Y., Highley, C.B., Bellas, E., & Kohane, D.S. (2007). Anti-inflammatory function of an in situ cross-linkable conjugate hydrogel of hyaluronic acid and dexamethasone. Biomaterials, 28(10), pp. 1778-1786. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2006.12.012

  • Ito, T., Yeo, Y., Highley, C.B., Bellas, E., Benitez, C.A., & Kohane, D.S. (2007). The prevention of peritoneal adhesions by in situ cross-linking hydrogels of hyaluronic acid and cellulose derivatives. Biomaterials, 28(6), pp. 975-983. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2006.10.021

  • Padera, R.F., Tse, J.Y., Bellas, E., & Kohane, D.S. (2006). Tetrodotoxin for prolonged local anesthesia with minimal myotoxicity. Muscle Nerve, 34(6), pp. 747-753. United States. doi: 10.1002/mus.20618

  • Yeo, Y., Highley, C.B., Bellas, E., Ito, T., Marini, R., Langer, R., & Kohane, D.S. (2006). In situ cross-linkable hyaluronic acid hydrogels prevent post-operative abdominal adhesions in a rabbit model. Biomaterials, 27(27), pp. 4698-4705. Netherlands. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2006.04.043

  • Yeo, Y., Bellas, E., Firestone, W., Langer, R., & Kohane, D.S. (2005). Complex coacervates for thermally sensitive controlled release of flavor compounds. J Agric Food Chem, 53(19), pp. 7518-7525. United States. doi: 10.1021/jf0507947