Dr. Assanah current research focuses on the synthesis of hydrogels to mimic the mechanical behavior of the brain matter and investigate cellular response to injury. Her past research focused on biomaterials and tissue engineering with a particular emphasis in bone tissue regeneration. This involved combining hydrogel-based cell therapy and acoustic radiation forces via Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound (LIPUS), for healing large scale bone defects. Previous research also involved hydrogels as three-dimensional cultures to study the effects of mechanical forces on axons for repairing spinal cord injury.