Research Interests
Our lab seeks to address the challenges associated with engineering functional craniofacial and orthopaedic constructs for use in therapeutic applications. We are developing innovative methods using stem cells to create patient-specific grafts with the necessary biological and mechanical characteristics to facilitate functional in vivo integration.

We employ engineering techniques to design advanced bioreactors capable of maintaining cell viability in large tissue constructs.Bioreactors also enable precise control of the cellular microenvironment and can uniquely address fundamental questions regarding the application of biophysical cues to regulate stem cell differentiation, namely: How do the cells integrate multiple signals into decisions regarding cell fate? Can we regulate the spatial and temporal application of specific cues so that cells in different regions of the tissue constructs differentiate along diverse lineages simultaneously or sequentially? What signals are required to guide the hierarchical organization of these multiple cell types on various length scales?

Addressing the underlying mechanisms that regulate tissue development will enable us to engineer complex functional tissue constructs for regenerative medicine applications as well as to create relevant in vitro disease models.