Research

Our laboratory works at the interface of engineering and medicine, with a motivation on making stem cell and molecular therapies as an effective method to model and treat diseases.

Toward these goals, we integrate our core expertise in stem cell engineering, biomaterials synthesis, and micro/nano-technologies for their applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug delivery.

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  Biomaterials for Stem Cell Morphogenesis

  Promoting blood and lymphatic vasculature is important for tissue engineering and can be used as therapeutic interventions to treat ischemia and lymphedema. We are studying the role of growth factors and extracellular matrices (ECMs) in blood and lymphatic formation. Our lab utilizes bio-mimetic materials with spatial and temporal control for stem cells to undergo morphogenesis into vascular and lymphatic vasculatures. We are applying this approach toward therapeutic interventions to treat ischemia, lymphedema, and wound healing in animal models.

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  Stem Cell Engineering

  Stem cells have the potential to induce repair and participate in regenerating injured tissues. However, during the course of chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases and diabetes) and aging, resident and circulating stem cells are subject to stress-induced premature dysfunction that limits their therapeutic use. Our lab is interested to utilize engineering approaches to understand the mechanisms governing stem cell fate and to control stem cell differentiation, in particular for their therapeutic application in cardiovascular and lymphatic disorders.

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  Targeted Drug Delivery

  Many available drugs are effective at a very small therapeutic window without causing systemic side effects. For example, anti-coagulant drugs are effective at preventing blood clots, but can also cause systemic bleeding. To overcome these limitations, we are interested in harnessing the ability of stem cell and antibody for site-specific delivery of therapeutics.

We are grateful for the generous support of the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (I-CTSI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), Harper Cancer Research Institute, the Office of the Provost for Research at the University of Notre Dame, American Heart Association (AHA), and Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI).