Academic Credentials
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2014
  • M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 2011
  • B.S., Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh, 2007
Licenses & Certifications
  • Good Clinical Practices (GCP) in Medical Device Clinical Investigations
  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
Professional Honors
  • Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program Combat Readiness – Rapid Development and Translational Research Award, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, 2020 – 2022
  • Military Health System Research Symposium 2020 Outstanding Research Accomplishment/Team/Military
  • National Institutes of Health Lung Biology and Pathobiology T32 Training Grant, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2017 – 2019
  • Teaching Assistant Award, Carnegie Mellon University, 2014
  • Best Poster Award, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Second Annual Symposium on Regenerative Rehabilitation, 2012

Dr. Friedrich has broad expertise spanning biomaterials characterization, biomaterial-tissue interactions, pre-clinical and clinical study design, study management, and analysis. She has experience working within plastic and reconstructive surgery, dermatology, and emergency medicine evaluating medical devices ranging from biologically derived scaffolds and skin substitutes for tissue regeneration to medical device performance in austere environments.

Dr. Friedrich earned her Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University where her work focused on the synthesis, characterization, and biological transport of anti-inflammatory hyaluronic acid-based biomaterials for applications including burns, wound healing, and atopic dermatitis. To accomplish this, she leveraged techniques across chemistry, biology, and engineering including advanced imaging techniques such as fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). She then worked at Northwestern University as a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Plastic Surgery conducting basic and translational research focused on hypertrophic scar biology and treatments. Additionally, at Northwestern she optimized the processing of biologically derived tissue scaffolds for the treatment of volumetric muscle loss and other soft tissue injuries both in collaboration with industry partners and on Department of Defense funded grant programs.

As a Research Instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Friedrich led biochemistry intensive research to elucidate a novel pathway in pulmonary vascular permeability. As part of a multidisciplinary team, she confirmed the specific route of protein leak in a mouse model of pulmonary edema using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Prior to joining Exponent, Dr. Friedrich served as Biomedical Research Program Manager with General Dynamics Information Technology. In this role, she provided high level guidance to a research group composed of military physicians and contracted research support staff. She served as the subject matter expert for preclinical and clinical research evaluating products, procedures, and devices for hemorrhage control and resuscitation in large animal, cadaver, and human subject models.