Atlanta ARCS Scholar Terreill Robertson has a passion for his research in cartilage tissue engineering, a specialized field of regenerative medicine he learned about as a chemistry major at Morehouse College.  Now in his senior year, Terreill plans to pursue a graduate degree in chemical or biomedical engineering after graduation from Morehouse.  He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in cartilage tissue engineering.

This regenerative medicine application often provides an option for patients who are diagnosed with Osteoarthritis.  Terreill explains, “In a lab environment, we engineer cartilage tissue by culturing the tissue’s specialized cells on 3D printed hydrogels.  This tissue is transplanted into the knee of the patient.  It is a more permanent solution than currently available treatments, which is particularly important as patients have more active lifestyles than past generations.”

Terreill became fascinated with cartilage tissue engineering during his last two summers at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, WA, where he worked in the university labs as part of a collaboration between Morehouse and WSU. 

In his second year as an Atlanta ARCS Scholar, Terreill said that his award has provided recognition of his academic work and abilities, an important consideration for him.  “I am proud to be an Atlanta ARCS Scholar and appreciate the financial support that Atlanta ARCS provides,” he said.