The GRANT Seeker
A spotlight on excellence in grant development by a Hofstra University employee
Dr. Nicholas Merna
By Dr. Jessica Santangelo
Dr. Nicholas Merna
Dr. Nicholas Merna is an associate professor of engineering at Hofstra University. He earned a BS from the University of California, Los Angeles, and both an MSE and PhD from the University of California, Irvine. Drawn to Hofstra by the opportunity to build an interdisciplinary research program, Dr. Merna works closely with undergraduate students and faculty from many fields. He sees Hofstra as “a place where engineering intersects with medicine, creating opportunities for collaboration and innovation.”
Dr. Merna appreciates the support Hofstra provides to students and faculty. Programs like the ASPiRe summer research program and newly established Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Community (IURC) enhance research opportunities for students. Indeed, mentoring is a large part of what motivates Dr. Merna. “I enjoy watching students develop as researchers, become more independent, and take ownership over their projects. Seeing their ideas contribute to our discoveries is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work.”
Dr. Merna’s research focuses on developing new types of blood vessel replacements, called vascular grafts, which
are implanted surgically to restore blood flow in patients with damaged blood vessels. His research team pioneered a method using plant leaves to create grafts. “Plant veins are surprisingly similar to human blood vessels,” Dr. Merna explained. “When we remove the plant cells, the remaining scaffold can support human cells. We then use specialized devices, called bioreactors, to prepare these grafts by exposing them to conditions that mimic the human body.”
Dr. Merna’s interest in bioengineering began during his undergraduate studies. Initially drawn to a career in medicine, he started working in an engineering research lab in his second year of college. The project focused on developing implantable electrodes to address sixth nerve palsy, a condition where one eye turns inward toward the nose. Through this experience, Dr. Merna discovered a passion for designing and building things. He ultimately shifted his career focus to pursue bioengineering and has been dedicated to it ever since.
Since joining Hofstra, Dr. Merna has been recognized as Researcher of the Year (2023) and was awarded the 2024 Lawrence A. Stessin Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publication for his 2023 paper on small-caliber vascular grafts engineered from decellularized leaves and crosslinked gelatin. He praises his students as the most important contributors to his research: “Here at Hofstra, the undergraduate students do all the research. Unlike at other schools, where a graduate student may just tell an undergraduate what to do, at Hofstra my students all take leadership roles and ownership over their projects.”
Maintaining an active grant-funded research lab allows Dr. Merna to continue to support undergraduates while exploring bioengineering projects with medical
Hofstra thanks you!
applications. He recalls his first funded proposal as a turning point: “It was really profound because my mindset at the time was that these awards are so competitive, and I was putting in a lot of time without the reward. It was a little discouraging. But when I got that award, I realized that all the time and effort I’d put into writing and rewriting proposals really was worth it. It’s what allowed me to work with students and pay for the supplies to conduct research. Since then, I’ve worked hard to continue applying for funding, even outside of NIH, because I’ve realized it’s a crucial part of the research process.”
Beyond his own research lab, Dr. Merna is committed to supporting students through the Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Community that he co-directs with Dr. J Bret Bennington in the Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability. This new initiative is funding interdisciplinary undergraduate research projects across campus, building a team-taught research methodology course, and engaging faculty, students, and community partners in an annual research competition.
Dr. Merna is excited about the potential for simple, natural materials to solve complex medical problems. “The idea that a leaf can be transformed into a functional blood vessel sounded like science fiction when we first started this project, but through research and engineering, we showed that it can work. I wake up every day excited to work on new ways to bring these plantbased grafts closer to clinical applications.”
We thank Dr. Merna for his excellence in grant seeking and commitment to fostering valuable research experiences for undergraduate students.
Your scholarly achievements enhance Hofstra’s reputation as a leading educational institution.