Ones to Watch: Victoria Webster-Wood

Victoria Webster-Wood grew up in Los Alamos, N.M., where science was part of the landscape. “Everybody’s parents had Ph.D.s,” she said. “But at the same time, you didn’t really know what they did. You just knew they were scientists or they were engineers.” Her own parents encouraged her to develop both creative and mechanical skills: Webster-Wood’s mother instilled in her textile arts, and her father blacksmithing and machining.

That hands-on start carried through her academic path. After majoring in mechanical engineering, Webster-Wood discovered biohybrid robotics during her doctoral studies, growing muscle cells on collagen to create tiny crawling machines. “I just fell in love with that idea and the possibility of being able to use these living materials in our robots,” she said. A postdoc in tendon regenerative engineering followed, rounding out her credentials in biomedical applications.

Now at Carnegie Mellon University, Webster-Wood leads the Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group, where her team is working to design robots made from renewable and biodegradable materials. “We’re really interested in understanding how to build robust, adaptable robots that can operate in dynamic environments,” she said.

To read more about Victoria Webster-Wood and her work, read her full profile in the Watch List 2025.