About Me
My name is Jaimie Marie Stewart and I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. You can access the Stewart Lab page at TheStewartLab.com.
Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology in Prof. Paul W.K. Rothemund’s group, where I focused on the design, synthesis, and characterization of DNA and RNA structures for the detection and separation of biomolecules. I received a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of California, Riverside, where I studied the self-assembly principles of RNA molecules in Prof. Elisa Franco’s group and a B.S. in Bioengineering with a concentration in cell and tissue engineering and a minor in Italian from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
My Research Interests
Nature produces elegant hierarchical organization using the self-assembly of biomolecular components. In the human body, individual cells arrange themselves to form tissues, tissues organize into organs, organs make up organ systems, and different organ systems work collectively in a living organism. This biological hierarchical assembly is driven at the molecular level by nucleic acids.
DNA has been extensively manipulated to build structures of different size, complexity, and dynamic ability, and has demonstrated great potential for molecular self-assembly with nucleic acids. However, DNA lacks the structural diversity and rich functionality of RNA, which has been less explored for building synthetic structures.
Beyond acting as a means of storing genetic information, RNA can regulate gene expression, serve a structural function as a scaffold in the ribosome for the translation of proteins, and form stable tertiary structures called aptamers that bind to molecules with high affinity and specificity. These unique properties and functions allow us to view RNA as the native language of the cell and a promising biomaterial to interface with biology.
I am interested in developing programmable RNA materials that are stable, responsive to external physical and biochemical signals, and capable of directing cell fate. My research will present insight into RNA self-assembly and advance research strategies for the creation of novel biomaterials for disease detection and regenerative medicine.
Contact me: jms at seas.ucla.edu
Education & Training
California Institute of Technology Postdoctoral Training, 2018-2023
University of California, Riverside Ph.D. Bioengineering, 2018
University of Illinois, Chicago B.S. Bioengineering, 2013 concentration in cell & tissue engineering minor in Italian
Research
California Institute of Technology Postdoctoral Fellow Advisor: Professor Paul W.K. Rothemund
DNA origami
RNA condensates
Biomolecular detection
University of California, Riverside Graduate Student Researcher Advisor: Professor Elisa Franco
Molecular self-assembly
RNA Nanotechnology
RNA tiles
Teaching
Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles Adjunct Instructor Scientific Concepts (PHS 1), Fall 2019 and Fall 2020
University of California, Riverside Teaching Assistant Biotechnology & Molecular Bioengineering (BIEN 125), Winter 2017