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Biointerphases recognizes Dr. Caitlin Howell of the University of Maine for her valuable contributions to the journal as an author, reviewer, and most recently, Associate Editor.
Caitlin Howell is an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Maine. She earned her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Heidelberg and completed a postdoc at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. Dr. Howell is the recipient of a Gilbreth Lectureship from the National Academy of Engineering and winner of the 2023 Communications Prize from the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences. Her research primarily focuses on understanding and controlling biological systems at interfaces, with a focus on microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Since 2016, she and her team have worked on drawing inspiration from Nature and working across the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and material science to address major issues at the interface of surface science and human health. Her research is supported by NSF, NIH, DoD, NASA and private philanthropic organizations.
As Associate Editor of Biointerphases from 2022 – 2024, Caitlin organized special topic collections on the Quantitative Analysis of Biofouling, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at the Interface of Biological and Environmental Systems, and The Future of Biointerface Science in 2023 and 2024. While she will no longer be serving as Associate Editor of the journal, she will remain involved while organizing another collection on The Goldilocks Principle in Biomaterials and Biointerfaces.
The Goldilocks Principle emphasizes the importance of identifying optimal conditions in biological systems, where parameters must be carefully balanced—neither exceeding nor falling short of the ideal range. The collection will include examples of this principle applied to optimize the physical, chemical, and biological properties of biomaterials and interfaces for various applications.
Biointerphases thanks Caitlin for her years of service and continued contributions to the journal!
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