Dr. Kim-Phuong (Kim) Le is a Materials and Chemical Engineer by training, specialized in polymer processing, materials characterization, method development, and process validation. During her 10+ years in industry, Kim served as the subject matter expert for a broad spectrum of polymeric materials used in orthopaedic implants, instruments, and surgeries. The materials she researched on ranges from load-bearing, wear-resistant polymeric materials (primarily for hip, knee, shoulder and ankle joints), to bone cements and sutures, to polymeric components used in instruments and biomedical device packaging. Her advance technology team interacted with both academic labs and manufacturing facilities to evaluate early discoveries, demonstrate scale-up feasibility, guide product development, perform design and process validation, and support product manufacturing.
In her current position as an Assistant Research Professor at Rutgers, Kim is working closely with research team members to validate technical concepts (nerve regeneration, molecular delivery system) and drive effective translational effort of technologies toward impactful biomedical solutions. Her position as a Rutgers faculty also allows her to share technical knowledge, professional working experiences, and scientific enthusiasm with Rutgers students – the future innovators and team members of collaborative research and effective translation. Kim has been a core member of the Biofab team and more recently assumed the program manager position for the NIBIB T32 Postdoctoral Training for Translating Research in Regenerative Medicine.