Matthew Bochenek, PhD

Matthew Bochenek, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Anderson and Langer lab at MIT, where he develops immuno-protected cell-based therapies for type 1 diabetes. He co-authored a 2023 study in PNAS describing a wireless, battery-free implantable device that generates oxygen inside the body by splitting water vapor. The oxygen keeps immune-isolated insulin-producing cells alive once implanted. He extended that work in a later paper on next-generation wireless oxygenation devices for immunosuppression-free islet transplantation in minimally invasive sites. He earned a PhD in bioengineering at the University of Illinois Chicago after training as a mechanical and control-systems engineer. A family member with diabetes drew him to work with transplant surgeon Jose Oberholzer. His research combines synthetic-chemistry materials with beta cell architecture to protect beta cells from immune attack while improving insulin output.

Affiliation

Researcher, MIT Anderson Lab

Location

Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.