Meet Talia Khan, a former BARD-funded Graduate Student who conducted her research at MIT in Professor Tal Cohen’s lab in the department of Sustainable Materials & Infrastructure.
What is the main focus of your research?
“My research focuses on creating lightweight, bio‑based composites by combining plant‑derived scaffolds with advanced polymer chemistry. In my BARD fellowship, I worked on infiltrating balsa wood and other natural architectures with the monomer dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and curing it via frontal polymerization, a rapid, energy‑efficient process. I developed a reproducible workflow for treating and casting balsa, controlling its position in the resin, and began exploratory trials with other natural reinforcements, including palm and hemp fibers and a rhizomorph‑based fungal material. More broadly, my PhD in Professor Tal Cohen’s lab in the department of at MIT examines how bio‑based structures like wood and fungi can be integrated with reactive processing to create sustainable, high‑performance materials for structural and defense‑relevant applications.”
What got you interested in your area of research?
“I was drawn to this area because it brings together my interest in plant‑ and fungi‑derived materials with advanced manufacturing and mechanics. Natural systems like wood, fibers, and fungal networks have evolved highly efficient, hierarchical structures, but translating those into engineered composites requires careful control of chemistry, infiltration, and curing. Frontal polymerization appealed to me as a way to cure thermoset matrices quickly and with much lower external energy, which aligns well with the goals of sustainable materials and resource‑efficient processing. Working at this interface lets me explore how we can use agricultural and bio‑derived feedstocks more intelligently, rather than relying solely on fully synthetic, energy‑intensive composites.”
What are your plans after your fellowship?
“After the BARD fellowship, I am continuing my PhD research in Professor Tal Cohen’s lab at MIT, building on the DCPD–balsa and other bio‑based composites I developed. My immediate next steps are to section and image the wood‑ and fungi‑based specimens to understand how well the resin infiltrates these natural microstructures, and then to perform mechanical testing to see how treatment and infiltration change properties such as stiffness, strength, and energy absorption. Longer term, I aim to expand this work to a broader set of agricultural and fungal feedstocks and to explore applications where rapidly produced, lightweight, bio‑derived composites can replace more energy‑intensive materials in structural and resource-efficient manufacturing and advanced structural materials.”
What tip would you give someone beginning their Graduate Student Fellowship?
“Define a clear, realistic experimental plan, but be ready to learn and adapt based on what you learn and encounter during the fellowship in the new lab. It’s also important to stay in close contact with both your home and host mentors through regular meetings. This helps you stay on track and keeps all relevant parties in the loop and updated on your research progress. Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun, socialize, and explore the food and culture of the place you’re visiting!”
