Ronke Olabisi facts for kids

Ronke Mojoyinola Olabisi (born on June 26, 1976) is a smart scientist. She is a professor at the University of California, Irvine. She studies how to fix bones and other body parts. Dr. Olabisi also works with Mae Jemison, who was the first African American woman in space. They are part of a project called 100 Year Starship. This project looks at how humans might travel to other stars one day.

Early Life and Education

Ronke Olabisi grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey. When she was young, she dreamed of becoming an astronaut. She had many great teachers and mentors who helped her. Some of them were Professor John Taylor, Ray Vanderby, Jr., and Jennifer L. West. She also looked up to people like Mae Jemison.

Dr. Olabisi went to college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, she studied aerospace engineering. This field is all about designing and building aircraft and spacecraft. Later, she went to the University of Michigan for her master's degree. She finished her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She also received a special award called the National Science Foundation GSK-12 Award.

Research and Career

After her studies, Dr. Olabisi became a postdoctoral researcher. This means she did more research after getting her Ph.D. She worked at Rice University and the City of Hope National Medical Center. At Rice, she received a special fellowship from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.

She studied how mother-of-pearl (nacre) gets its amazing strength. Mother-of-pearl is the shiny material found inside some shells. Dr. Olabisi hoped to create a similar strong material in the lab. She tried to copy its strength by using special gels and proteins.

Healing Wounds Faster

Dr. Olabisi started her first teaching job at Rutgers University. Now, she is a professor at UC Irvine. Her main research focuses on making wounds heal much faster. This work could really help people who need plastic surgery. She combines special gels (called hydrogels) with proteins. This mix helps cells repair themselves more quickly.

She even has a patent for growing bone using tiny cells. These cells release proteins that help bones grow. She also found a way to put certain cells into hydrogels to deliver insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps heal wounds, especially for people with diabetes.

In 2018, she received a big grant called the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. With this award, she studies wounds that don't heal easily. She is also working on combining two types of cells: mesenchymal stem cells and insulin producing cells. This could lead to new ways to heal injuries.

Space and the Human Body

Dr. Olabisi also studies how the human body changes in space. She wants to find out what protects astronauts from the effects of microgravity. Microgravity is the feeling of being weightless in space. She uses her knowledge of tissue engineering to help cells grow and repair themselves. This research could help astronauts stay healthy on long space missions.

Sharing Science with the Public

Dr. Olabisi is very active in sharing her work with others. She works with Mae Jemison on the 100 Year Starship project. This project explores new technologies for space travel. The goal is that these new ideas will also make life better here on Earth. For example, they could lead to better energy sources or clothes that don't need washing.

In 2013, she talked about this project at the European Parliament. In 2016, she was featured in Vanity Fair magazine. This was part of a special project with IBM to celebrate women in science. In 2019, she was also interviewed by Forbes magazine.