Shelly Peyton

{{Short description|American chemist}}

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Shelly Peyton

| workplaces = University of Massachusetts Amherst
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

| alma_mater = University of California, Irvine
Northwestern University

| thesis_title = Tissue engineering in the cardiovascular system : mechanically tunable biomaterials to direct smooth muscle cell phenotype.

| thesis_url = http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/212928781

| thesis_year = 2007

| website = [https://www.peytonlab.org/ Peyton Lab]

}}

Shelly R. Peyton is an American chemical engineer who is Professor and Chair in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Tufts University. Her research considers the development of biomaterials to investigate metastatic cancer and potential new therapies.

Early life and education

Peyton was an undergraduate student at Northwestern University, where she majored in chemical engineering.{{Cite web|date=2020-10-28|title=Dr. Shelly Peyton|url=https://www.aiche.org/community/bio/dr-shelly-peyton|access-date=2021-03-16|website=www.aiche.org|language=en}} She was a member of the ultimate frisbee team.{{Cite web|date=2012-06-25|title=Shelly Peyton|url=https://brutesquadultimate.com/shellypeyton/|access-date=2021-03-16|language=en}} Peyton moved to the University of California, Irvine, where she worked on tissue engineering for the cardiovascular system in the research group of Andy Putnam.{{Cite thesis|title=Tissue engineering in the cardiovascular system: mechanically tunable biomaterials to direct smooth muscle cell phenotype|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/212928781|date=2007|language=English|first=Shelly Renae|last=Peyton|oclc=212928781 }}{{Cite web|title=ALUMNI|url=https://www.theputnamlab.com/alumni|access-date=2021-03-16|website=The Putnam Lab|language=en}} Peyton moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she was appointed a National Institutes of Health Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellow.{{Cite web|title=College Welcomes Shelly Peyton {{!}} Chemical Engineering {{!}} UMass Amherst|url=https://che.umass.edu/news/college-welcomes-shelly-peyton|access-date=2021-03-16|website=che.umass.edu}} At MIT, Peyton was trained in stem cell biology by Linda Griffith.{{Cite web|title=Shelly Peyton, UMass Amherst Chemical Engineer, Named 2013 Pew Scholar in Biomedical Science|url=https://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/shelly-peyton-umass-amherst-chemical-engineer-named-2013-pew-scholar-biomedical-science|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Office of News & Media Relations {{!}} UMass Amherst|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Special Bioengineering Seminar: Shelly Peyton {{!}} Fischell Department of Bioengineering|url=https://bioe.umd.edu/event/4752/special-bioengineering-seminar-shelly-peyton|access-date=2021-03-16|website=bioe.umd.edu}} Together they investigated mesenchymal stem cell migration.

Research and career

In 2011, Peyton joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she established a research program in the design and application of biomaterials. She was made the Barry and Afsaneh Siadat Career Development Fellow in 2012.{{cn|date=March 2021}}

Peyton investigated the fundamental mechanisms that underpin metastasis through the engineering of carefully controlled environments. The series of events includes crosstalk between stem cells and tumours, the mobilization of stem cells, the reassembly of pre-metastatic tissue and the movement of circulating stem cells to tissue sites.{{Cite web|title=RePORT ⟩ RePORTER|url=https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/1DP2CA186573-01|access-date=2021-03-16|website=reporter.nih.gov}} In particular, Peyton is interested in the role of stem cells in the metastatic spread of breast cancer. She argued that the stem cells remodel the target organ, altering the mechanical properties of the organ before the cancer cells attack. The controlled environments created by Peyton mimic human organs, allowing Peyton to study how cancer cells embedded in these artificial tissues respond to different forms of chemotherapy.{{Cite web|title=UMass Amherst Chemical Engineer Shelly Peyton Gets NSF CAREER Grant to Study Cancer and Development of Chemotherapy Drugs|url=https://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/umass-amherst-chemical-engineer-shelly|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Office of News & Media Relations {{!}} UMass Amherst|language=en}} Specifically, the three-dimensional tumour spheroids allow Peyton to precisely control and study the response of biological tissue to cancer cells and therapies.

Peyton worked with Sandra Petersen to develop the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP), a $1.7 million National Science Foundation program that looks to improve diversity in the biomedical workforce.{{Cite web|title=PREP Program for Diversity in STEM Graduate Programs Awarded $1.7 Million Grant|url=https://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/article/prep-program-diversity-stem-graduate|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Office of News & Media Relations {{!}} UMass Amherst|language=en}} In particular, PREP provides funding to doctoral students from historically marginalized groups.

Awards and honors

  • 2013 National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award{{Cite web|date=2013-06-26|title=NIH Director's New Innovator Award - Funded Research|url=https://commonfund.nih.gov/newinnovator/fundedresearch|access-date=2021-03-16|website=commonfund.nih.gov|language=en}}
  • 2013 Pew Biomedical Scholar
  • 2015 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator Award{{Cite web|title=College of Engineering Annual Report 2016|url=https://issuu.com/uofmassachusettsamherst/docs/college_of_engineering_annual_repor/4|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Issuu|language=en}}
  • 2015 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
  • 2018 Purdue University Mellichamp Lecture{{Cite web|title=Dr. Shelly Peyton to present 2018 Mellichamp Lecture|url=https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/news/2018/dr-shelly-peyton-to-present-2018-mellichamp-lecture|access-date=2021-03-16|website=Davidson School of Chemical Engineering - Purdue University|language=en}}

Selected publications

{{Scholia|author}}

  • {{Cite Q|Q45255637}}
  • {{Cite Q|Q46018293}}
  • {{Cite Q|Q40330994}}

Personal life

Peyton married her wife in 2016.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-16|title=Shelly Peyton: Featured LGBTQ+ ChemE Professional|url=https://www.aiche.org/chenected/2020/06/shelly-peyton-featured-lgbtq-cheme-professional|access-date=2021-03-16|website=www.aiche.org|language=en}} Peyton is involved with various initiatives to support LGBTQIA+ researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Biomedical Engineering Society, and was encouraged to do so by Naomi Chesler.

References