AAAS Fellows in front of the U.S. Capitol building

NSF AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellows

Biography

Portrait of Alisya Anlas, AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Credit: Charlotte Geary/NSF

Dr. Alisya Anlas
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems 
Directorate of Engineering
Class of 2024-2026


Dr. Alişya Anlaş is a bioengineer specializing in mechanobiology. Her research uses engineered tissue culture models to investigate how the mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment regulate hallmarks of cancer, including sustained growth, survival, genomic instability and immune evasion. Most recently, her work has demonstrated that physical confinement leads to cell division errors and chromosomal instability in cancer spheroids. She completed her doctorate in chemical and biological engineering at Princeton University and her postdoctoral work in chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Beyond research, Anlaş is committed to STEM education and outreach, citizen science and exploring the intersection of art and science.