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Both biochemical cues and mechanical forces play important roles in directing cell fate during early tissue development and organogenesis, as well as in maintaining healthy tissues throughout one’s life. In the context of tissue engineering and translating in vivo, we are interested in developing synthetic materials that are biomimetic. To this end, we synthesize biomaterials (e.g., hydrogels) with immobilized extracellular matrix analogs and growth factors to create tissue-mimetic environments. Mechanical cues are also critical in the development of functional tissues, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Our group studies the synergistic roles of biomolecular signals and mechanical cues in directing cellular responses and tissue growth. We are particularly interested in the role of mechanical forces, which when applied to tissues or tissue engineering constructs, are translated through the material and converted to local mechanical and chemical signals that cells sense. These signals can take a variety of forms depending on the chemistry and structure of the material and include cell deformation, fluid shear stress, integrins acting as mechanoreceptors, and when the material is charged changes in osmolarity. To this end, we systemically incorporate biomolecules into synthetic materials (e.g., hydrogels) and with controlled structures (e.g., 3D printing) to study the synergism between biomolecular and mechanical cues in directing stem cell differentiation and cellular fate for engineering functional tissues as well as for understanding development.