Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher Solomon Mensah has been awarded a three-year grant of $532,935 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide research experiences to undergraduates who will work on projects determining how sepsis, a life-threatening infection, can trigger severe blood clotting.
Mensah, an assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering , will offer students opportunities to do course-related research projects, individual research work, and Major Qualifying Projects, capstone projects that all WPI undergraduates must complete to graduate. The goal of the research is to determine the molecular mechanisms that link sepsis-induced inflammation to clotting that can potentially block blood vessels and lead to stroke.
“As a first-generation student from Africa, I benefitted academically and professionally from mentors,” Mensah says. “Mentors guided me as I prepared for doctoral studies and shaped my path as a researcher. I want to pay these experiences forward to students by mentoring them and offering them meaningful opportunities to conduct research.”
Sepsis is a systemic infection that causes widespread inflammation and dysfunction in the body, including damage to the endothelial cells that line blood vessels.
Mensah’s team will define the molecular mechanisms that degrade glycocalyx, a protective coating on healthy endothelial cells, during a systemic infection. They also will identify components that ordinarily tether a protein called von Willebrand factor to healthy endothelial cells. During infection, von Willebrand factor detaches from endothelial cells, circulates in the blood, and recruits blood cells known as platelets, which can drive the development of clots. Finally, Mensah and student researchers in his lab will determine if it is possible to rescue a damaged glycocalyx barrier, a step that could pave the way for sepsis treatments.
The project builds on Mensah’s research into the role of the glycocalyx in heart and lung disease. Mensah is a fellow of the American Heart Association and has worked on the development of low-cost medical devices for healthcare in low- to middle-income countries.
The project is one of several new research initiatives launched at WPI with funding from the NIH’s Academic Research Enhancement Award program, which supports research training for undergraduate students. Mensah expects his award will provide research opportunities to 12 WPI undergraduates.
“These projects supported by the NIH provide excellent training for students while also advancing fundamental understanding of human health,” Mensah says. “The work will establish an educational pipeline at WPI, enabling us to train students in biology and train the next generation of biomedical engineers.”
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a top-tier, STEM-focused university with an R1 research classification and global leadership in project-based learning. Founded in 1865, WPI’s distinctive approach integrates classroom theory with real-world practice, preparing students to tackle critical challenges through inclusive education, impactful projects, and interdisciplinary research. With more than 70 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs across 18 academic departments and over 50 global project centers, WPI advances knowledge and innovation in fields such as life sciences, smart technologies, advanced materials and manufacturing, and global innovation. Learn more at www.wpi.edu .
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