Our Research into Regnerative Medicine

Tissue Engineering & Biomaterials

Our research focus is regenerative medicine, specifically tissue engineering and biomaterials in urologic, gastrointestinal and vascular regeneration models. We study the regenerative applications of combining novel elastomeric scaffolds with specific stem and progenitor cell populations, and utilize nanomolecules and small molecules to customize microenvironments suited to specific regenerative processes.

Projects include investigation of mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells for design of tissue grafts with enhanced functionality, implementation of small molecules and nanomolecules to promote regeneration, use of small molecules to influence cell fate, establishing new urologic tissue reconstruction models and approaches, developing treatment strategies for inflammation-based urologic conditions, and the synthesis of novel anti-inflammatory peptide amphiphiles to aid in the regenerative process and combat specific disease types.

Lab Collaborators

• Dr. Earl Cheng, Department of Urology and Division Head of Lurie Children's Pediatric Urology
• Ameer Lab (Prof. Guillermo Ameer, NU Depts of Biomedical Engineering and Surgery, SQI, CARE Director)
• Dr. Matthias Hofer, Urology San Antonio
• Dr. Catherine Hunter, University of Oklahoma Dept of Surgery and Children's Hospital at OU Medicine's Division of Pediatric Surgery
• Lurie Children's - Divisions of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology
• NU - Depts of Surgery (Division of Pediatric Surgery) and Urology
• Rogers Research Group (Prof. John Rogers, NU Depts of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Neurological Surgery, SQI, QSIB Director)
• Stupp Lab (Prof. Samuel Stupp, NU Depts of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine and Biomedical Engineering, SQI Director)
• Dr. Yvonne Chan, UC Davis and Children's Health's Division of Pediatric Urology