Dr. Kou specializes in biomedical material characterization and host/device interactions. Her material characterization experience includes X-ray photoelectron (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical profilometry, 3-D confocal microscopy, H-NMR, mass spectrometry, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), endotoxin detection, and cytotoxicity of materials. Dr. Kou has extensive experience in characterizing human immune cell response to dental titanium implants and polymeric biomaterials, including optical, fluorescent, and confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, immunochemistry, high-throughput cell-based assay development, human blood immune cell and cell-line culture, DNA transfection and transduction of cells, multiplex protein and DNA quantification, and cryopreservation of cells. She is also knowledgeable with microfabrication of silicon biosensing devices and is familiar with inorganic and organic clean room environments.
Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Kou was a research assistant in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she studied correlations between biomaterial properties and human dendritic cell (an important immune cell type) response. She developed a high-throughput analysis platform to study dendritic cell/biomaterial interactions and created a statistical model to predict immune cell response from material properties.
Kou PM, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD, Babensee JE. Dendritic cell responses to surface properties of clinical titanium substrates. Acta Biomaterialia 2011; 7:1354–1363.
Kou PM and Babensee JE. Macrophage and dendritic cell phenotypic diversity in the context of biomaterials. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research A 2011; 96:239–260.
Kou PM and Babensee JE. Validation of a high-throughput methodology to assess the effects of biomaterials on dendritic cell phenotype. Acta Biomaterialia 2010; 6:2621–2630.
DeLouise L, Kou PM, Miller BL. Cross-correlation of optical microcavity biosensor response with immobilized enzyme activity: Insights into biosensor sensitivity. Analytical Chemistry 2005; 77: 3222–3230.
Presentations
Kou PM, Pallassana N, Cunningham B, Kohn J, Babensee JE. Elucidation of dendritic cell response-biomaterial property relationships using polymethacrylates with varied material properties. Poster presentation, Georgia Life Sciences Summit, Atlanta, GA, 2010.
Kou PM, Pallassana N, Cunningham B, Kohn J, Babensee JE. Elucidation of dendritic cell response-biomaterial property relationships using polymethacrylates with varied material properties. Poster presentation, Industrial Partners Symposium, Atlanta, GA, 2010.
Kou PM, Pallassana N, Cunningham B, Kohn J, Babensee JE. Elucidation of dendritic cell response-biomaterial property relationships using polymethacrylates with varied material properties. Poster presentation, Biointerface, Atlanta, GA, 2010.
Kou PM, Joy A, Cunningham B, Kohn J, Babensee JE. Dendritic cell response to a library of terpolymers with graded variations in material properties. Podium presentation, Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Fall Meeting, Austin, TX, 2010.
Kou PM, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD, Babensee JE. Dendritic cell response to the roughness and chemistry of titanium surfaces. Podium presentation, Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, 2010.
Kou PM, Pallassana N, Cunningham B, Kohn J, Babensee JE. Dendritic cell responses to a library of polymethacrylates with varied material properties. Podium presentation, Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, 2010.
Hotaling N, Kou PM, Song X, Smith D, Cummings R, Babensee JE. Dendritic cell response to surfaces presenting defined glycans. Poster presentation, Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, 2010.
Hotaling N, Kou PM, Shankar S, Song Z, Smith D, Cummings R, Babensee JE. Denritic cells responses to glycan arrays. Poster presentation, Industrial Partners Symposium, Atlanta, GA, 2009.
Kou PM and Babensee JE. A high throughput methodology to study dendritic cell/biomaterial interactions. Poster presentation, Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Fall Meeting, St. Louis, MO, 2008.
Kou PM and Babensee JE. Validation of a high-throughput methodology to assess effects of biomaterials on dendritic cell phenotype. Poster presentation, Georgia Life Sciences Summit, Atlanta, GA, 2008.
Kou PM and Babensee JE. A simple, high-throughput methodology to study the effects of biomaterials on dendritic cell phenotype. Podium presentation, Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, 2008.
Kou PM and Babensee JE. A simple, high-throughput methodology to study the effects of biomaterials of dendritic cell phenotype. Poster presentation, BME 10th Anniversary Symposium, Atlanta, GA, 2008.
Kou PM, Baumgart T, Webb WW. Protein affinity on co-existing fluid phases and its effect on biomembranes. Poster presentation, Learning Initiatives for Future Engineers, Ithaca, NY, 2005.
Kou PM, DeLouise L, Miller BL. Free-standing porous silicon microcavity as a biosensing element. Poster presentation, Graduate Education in Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Rochester, NY, 2004.