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PROFESSOR TATIANA SEGURA
We’ll cover the official stuff first – Tatiana Segura is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Neurology, and Dermatology at Duke University. She received her B.S. degree in Bioengineering from the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) and her doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University working with Lonnie Shea. Before jetting off to Jeffrey A. Hubbell’s laboratory in 2004 to begin a postdoctoral position, she secured a tenure track position at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. After finishing her postdoctoral work in 2006, she began at UCLA as an Assistant Professor. In 2012, she received tenure and a promotion to Associate Professor, and in 2016, she was promoted to the title of Professor. Two years later, she moved across country and joined the Duke faculty in 2018. Professor Segura has received numerous awards and distinctions during her career, including the 2020 Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal, a CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, an Outstanding Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, and a National Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association. She was also named a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers (AIMBE) in 2017. Professor Segura has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and reviews and has over 7,000 citations. Her laboratory has been continuously funded since 2008 with several grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She currently serves as a permanent member of the Gene and Drug Delivery Study section at NIH.
Now for the fun stuff – Professor Segura grew up in busy Bogotá, Colombia with her father, mother, and two sisters (although she was actually born in Buffalo, NY because her family relocated to New York while her father pursued graduate work). At age 17, she moved to the States with the intention of returning to Bogotá. However, the adventurous teenager fell in love with life in the U.S. and decided to pursue her undergraduate studies in California – not knowing that this decision would keep her in the U.S. for many years to come and cost her the personal sacrifice of missing the birth and upbringing of her half-brother. She met her husband Alton at UC Berkeley – he was an Art and Anthropology major, what? – and she is now the mother to three beautiful children: Katia, Santiago, and Irina. Although she has been in the U.S. longer than she has lived in Colombia, she still misses much of the Colombian culture and food, which she enjoys during her trips back. She has never learned how to cook (#rolemodel) nor has she found a good Colombian restaurant in the area. Aside from living in the U.S., Professor Segura and her husband have lived in Lausanne, Switzerland for two years during her postdoctoral work where she picked up skiing skills and learned of the many ways to eat melted cheese. She also moved her entire family to Dresden, Germany for a year sabbatical where she enjoyed their amazing parks and outdoor kid-friendly areas. She now lives in Durham, NC with her husband, three kids, and mother.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Professor of Neurology
- Professor of Dermatology
- Affiliate of the Regeneration Next Initiative
- Chair of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
- Co-Director of the Duke Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering
Awards, Honors, and Distinctions
- National Academy of Inventors Senior Member. 2023
- 2020 Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal
- Fellow. American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers. 2017
- National Scientist Development Grant. American Heart Association. 2009
- Outstanding Young Investigator Award. American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. 2009
- CAREER Award. National Science Foundation. 2008
Getting Personal
- Office Phone: (919) 660-2901
- Email: tatiana.segura@duke.edu
(for general inquiries, our Contact Page is better 👀) - CV
