Tissue Engineering, Regeneration and Repair Program
Program Mission and Goals:
Tissue engineering involves the use of cells, and biologic and synthetic materials and methods to replace or repair injured or diseased tissues and organs to regain physiologic function. The Tissue Engineering, Regeneration and Repair Program’s goal is to determine the biological, biochemical, bimolecular and biomechanical mechanisms responsible for development, damage, degeneration and healing of the musculoskeletal tissues, cartilage, meniscus, ligaments, tendons, bone and skin, and to use this information to develop new cell and tissue based strategies to prevent, repair, regenerate or replace the injured tissues. In order to find solutions to these problems and translate this information to the patient, the Program uses an interdisciplinary approach by forming specialized teams of scientists, physicians and engineers, each of whom brings a unique perspective to the problem. This allows the integration of various disciplines, such as biology, mechanics and immunology, to study the interaction between these fields (e.g., mechanobiology, mechanoimmunology) in the physiology of normal and diseased tissues. Future areas of research focus will include stem cell engineering and developmental skeletal biology.
In addition to basic and applied research, the Program strives to mentor young faculty and students in the scientific, medical and engineering principles necessary to advance their careers in the field of tissue engineering and repair.
The Tissue Engineering, Regeneration and Repair Program is engaged in basic and applied research and currently is composed of the following laboratories:
