Bio
Mechanobiology, Molecular Engineering, Enzyme Mechanokinetics and Tissue Engineering of Musculoskeletal Soft Tissues
Major areas of research are in the study of cell and tissue biology, function and biomechanics of articular cartilage in health and disease; the enzyme mechanokinetics of collagen catalysis; the engineering of biocompatible materials for repair and replacement of damaged tissues; and the design of novel approaches at the molecular level to enhance soft tissue repair and function. Basic and applied research is performed at the molecular, cellular, tissue and whole joint levels. Of particular interest are questions concerning how cells respond to injury or disease (metabolism); how cellular response effects the matrix components (composition and arrangement); how these changes influence the tissue's physical performance (biomechanical properties); how we can repair and restructure the tissue's damaged microstructure (termed tissue engineering) through normal biological pathways (cellular engineering) or synthetic pathways (molecular engineering); how natural and synthetic materials can be combined to produce biocompatible tissue constructs (biomaterials); how genetically engineered cells (gene therapy) can be used to repair damaged tissues; and how cells and biologically compatible biomaterials can be combined to produce a viable replacement for damaged tissues.