Education

•  Post Doctoral Training, Neural Engineering and Injury Biomechanics, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2002-2005.
• Doctorate of Philosophy, Department of Material Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2002.  
• Mentor: Dr. Gang Bao, Ph.D.
• Dissertation: An In Vitro Model for Uniaxial Stretching of Cultured Neural Cells; The Roles of Mechanical Deformation and BCL-2 Proteins on Axonal Injury.
• Masters of Science, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 1998.
• Bachelor of Science, Interdisciplinary Engineering and Management, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, 1991.

 Research Interests

 Research interests include neural tissue engineering, developmental neural biology, axon growth, mechanisms of neural injuries, and nervous system injury repair. 

 Publications

Published Journal Articles:
Pfister, B.J., Oyler, G.A., Betenbaugh, M.J., Bao, G., The Effects of BclXL and Bax Over-expression on Stretch-injury Induced Neural Cell Death, Mechanics and Chemistry of Biosystems 1(4), p233-243, 2004.
Boustany, N.N., Tsai, Y.C., Pfister, B.J., Joiner, W.M., Oyler, G.A., Thakor, N.V., Bcl-XL-dependent Light Scattering by Apoptotic Cells, Biophysical Journal 87, p4163-4171, 2004.
Pfister, B.J., Iwata, A., Meaney, D.F., and Smith, D.H., Extreme Stretch-Growth of Integrated Axons, Journal of Neuroscience 24(36), p7978-7983, 2004.
Pfister, B.J., Weihs, T., Betenbaugh, M.J., Bao, G., An In Vitro Uniaxial Stretch Model for Axonal Injury, Annuals of Biomedical Engineering 31, p589-598, 2003.

In  Submission:
Pfister, B.J., Iwata, A., Meaney, D.F., Smith, D.H., Development of Transplantable Nerve Constructs Comprised of Stretch-Grown Axons, Tissue Engineering,
submitted Jan. 2005.
Iwata, A., Browne, K.D., Pfister, B.J., Gruner, J.A, Smith, D.H., Long-term Survival and Outgrowth of Mechanically Engineered Nerve Constructs Implanted into Spinal Cord Lesions, Tissue Engineering, submitted Jan. 2005.

In Preparation:
Huang, J., Zager, E., Groff, R., Pfister, B.J., Smith, D.H., Human Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons as Live Nerve Constructs, Implications for Transplantation.
Pfister, B.J., Weihs, T.P., Betenbaugh, M.J., and Bao, G., Strain and Strain Rate Dependence in Stretch Injury of Neurons.
Pfister, B.J., Chickola, L., Meaney, D.F., Smith, D.H., Low Risk of Head Injury from Participating in Intense Activities.

Conference Proceedings:
Pfister, B.J., Iwata, A., Meaney, D.F., Smith, D.H., Enormous Stretch-induced Growth Potential of Axons Under the Application of Continuous Tension, Proceedings of the 2003 ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference.
Pfister, B.J. and Bao, G., Displacement-controlled Stretch Injury of Neural Cells, Proceedings of the 2003 ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference.
Meaney, D.F., Taylor, A., Pfister, B.J., Smith, D.H., Modeling the Assembly of the Axonal Cytoskeleton during Stretch Growth: Optimizing Conditions for Growth, Proceedings of the 2003 ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference.

Patent:
Smith, D.H., Pfister, B.J., Meaney, D.F., Device and Method Using Integrated Neuronal Cells and an Electronic Device, Patent Application PCT/US02/38670, World Intellectual Property Organization, June 12, 2003, WO 03/047422.

Presentations

Seminar Presentations
Pfister, B.J., Iwata, A., Zager, E.L., Huang, J., Meaney, D.F., and Smith, D.H., Axon Stretch Growth – Can a Natural Developmental Process be Exploited for Nerve Repair?, University of Pennsylvania Departments of Bioengineering and Neurosurgery, Central Nervous System Injury Seminar, 2004.

Smith, D.H., Pfister, B.J., and Iwata, A., Engineering Nerve Constructs Comprised of Stretch-Grown Dorsal Root Ganglion Axons Obtained from Organ Donors, Presentation to the Philadelphia Gift of Life Program, 2004.

Pfister, B.J., Iwata, A., and Smith, D.H., Mechanical Deformation of Nervous Tissue; Good, Bad, and Ideal, University of Pennsylvania Departments of Bioengineering and Neurosurgery, Central Nervous System Injury Seminar, 2002.

Pfister, B.J., Betenbaugh, M.J., Weihs, T. and Bao, G., Mechanical Deformation and Programmed Cell Death of Neurons In Vitro, University of Pennsylvania Departments of Bioengineering and Neurosurgery, 2001.

Conference Presentations:Pfister B.J., Huang, J., Zager E.L., Iwata A., Meaney D.F., Cohen A.S., Smith D.H., Engineering Nerve Constructs for Clinical Application, Program No. 373.6, 2004 Abstract Viewer/Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience, 2004.

Pfister B.J., Huang, J., Zager E.L., Iwata A., Meaney D.F., Cohen A.S., Smith D.H., Engineering Nerve Constructs for Clinical Application, J. Neurotrauma 21(9), p1288, 2004, (Top abstract and presentation award).

Pfister B.J., Huang, J., Iwata A., Meaney D.F., Cohen A.S., Smith D.H., Engineering Nerve Constructs In Vitro, Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting, 2004.

Pfister B.J., Huang, J., Iwata A., Meaney D.F., Cohen A.S., Smith D.H., Engineering Nerve Constructs In Vitro, Annual Biomedical Postdoctoral Research Symposium, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, 2004, (Top abstract and presentation award).

Pfister B.J., Iwata A., Meaney D.F., Smith D.H., Engineering Nerve Constructs In Vitro, J. Neurotrauma. 20(10), p1058, 2003.

Pfister, B.J. and Bao, G., Displacement-controlled Stretch Injury of Neural Cells, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, 2003.

Pfister, B.J., Iwata, A., Meaney, D.F., Smith, D.H., Enormous Stretch-induced Growth Potential of Axons Under the Application of Continuous Tension, ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference, 2003.

Honors and Awards

Fellowship Awards:

2003-Present - Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research post-doctoral Fellow

1997-2001 - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Graduate Student Fellowship.

2004 - Best Presentation Award, National Neurotrauma Society Meeting

2004 - Best presentation award, Annual Biomedical Postdoctoral Research     Symposium, University of Pennsylvania Medical School

1990-1991 Sigma Tau Iota Engineering Society

1990 - 1990 Phalanx Commendable Leadership Award

1989-1990 Undergraduate Student Senate Representative