PhD Student, Orthopaedics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
tyler.distefano@icahn.mssm.edu
Hometown
Old Bethpage, NY
Education
2016 – Postbaccalaureate Research Fellow, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2015 – B.E., The Cooper Union, New York, NY
Research
My research focuses on developing fiber-reinforced composites for novel annulus fibrosus repair strategies after discectomy.
Future Plans
I hope to translate new therapeutics and/or devices from the laboratory bench to the marketplace in order to ameliorate the world’s most debilitating health conditions. At this point in time, I have not decided if I would like to pursue my career in academia, government, or industry. I am also very open to exploring “non-traditional” PhD career paths such as intellectual property, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, venture capital, or consulting.
Other interests
In my free time I love to cook, stay active (lift, ski, run, etc.), travel, and explore different parts of NYC. If I’m not running experiments or writing papers/abstracts, you’d have a good chance finding me run around the Reservoir in Central Park. Last, but definitely not least, I love French Bulldogs and aspire to have a Frenchie of my own in the near future.
Publications
Stay tuned!
Conference Proceedings
- Panebianco, C., DiStefano, T., Chen, H., Swaroop, A. “Using Microgravity Bioreactors to Generate Three-Dimensional Retinal Organoids from Mouse Pluripotent Stem Cells,” 2016 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Poster Abstract, Nov. 9-12, 2016, Tampa, FL.
- DiStefano, T., Chen, H., Cogliati, T., Swaroop, A., “Effects of Microgravity Bioreactors on 3D Retinal Organoid Development,” 2016 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Postbaccalaureate Poster Day, Apr. 20, 2016, Bethesda, MD.
- DiStefano,T., Surampudi,V., Swaroop,A., “Engineering Retinal Therapies via Bioreactors and 3D Gels,” 2015 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Poster Abstract, Nov. 11 – 14, 2015, Seattle, WA.
- DiStefano, T., “Reforming Engineering Education: An Experiential Approach to Control Systems Design and Building Sustainability,” 2015 ASEE Northeast Section Conference Student Poster Abstract, Apr. 30 – May 2, 2015, Boston, MA.
- DiStefano, T., White, C., Olabisi, R., “Characterization of the Stiffness and Cytotoxicity of Poly(ethylene glycol) Diacrylate Hydrogels for Retinal Tissue Engineering,” 2014 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Poster Abstract, Nov. 12 – 15, 2014, San Antonio, TX.
- DiStefano, T., Eakins, D., “The Development of a New Small-Bore Taylor Impact Launcher,” Conference of Research Experiences for Undergraduates Student Scholarship (CUR) Poster Abstract, Oct. 26 – 27, 2013, Arlington, VA.