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About

Sonika Kohli is a rising leader in the emerging field of biohybrid robotics and engineered living materials, with a core focus on merging tissue engineering with mechanical design to create adaptive, muscle-powered systems. Her work centers on programming the mechanical properties of biological tissues to enable complex, life-like movement. In her highly cited 2023 paper, “Mechanically programming anisotropy in engineered muscle with actuating extracellular matrices” (45 citations), Kohli pioneered methods to control the directional alignment of muscle fibers, mimicking the hierarchical structure of native tissue to achieve superior contractile force. She further advanced this field by introducing STAMP (micro-topographical patterning) in her 2024 work, a cost-effective, one-step technique using 3D-printed stamps to pattern hydrogels, enabling precise control over cell alignment. Most recently, her 2025 paper on biohybrid tendons demonstrates a critical leap forward: by decoupling muscle actuators from rigid skeletons—inspired by native tendon architecture—she has dramatically improved the power-to-weight ratio and modularity of muscle-powered robots. With over 60 cumulative citations and a trajectory of innovation, Kohli is defining the design principles for next-generation, biologically integrated machines.