Research

With an aging population, the demand for synthetic tissue scaffolds assisting the repair and regenerative reconstruction of skeletal tissue defects resulting from trauma, aging, cancer and metabolic diseases is rising.

Our lab is interested in the following areas:

1) Designing functional synthetic matrices to guide bone and cartilage tissue regeneration;

2) Identifying and implementaing novel strategies for modulating synthetic niche properties as a means to regulate stem cell fate;

3) Developing new strategies to enhance osteointegration of and reducing periprosthetic infections associated with orthopedic metallic implants.

Many of the synthetic matrices we design are programmed with unique physical properties to facilitate surgical delivery (injectable formulations; minimally invasive delivery, and stable in vivo fixation), predictive in vivo degradation profiles, tunable biomechanical cues, and spatially controlled presentation and temporally controlled release of bioactive factors for regulating fate of  stem/progenitor cells within the synthetic niche.