Research is focused around two related experimental areas.
Thisunderstanding is utilized in the second experimental area to design systems to transplant cells and engineer new tissues. This work is motivated by the tremendous shortage of tissues available for transplantation, and thus by the large number of people who either die or survive on sub-optimal therapies due to this shortage. Tissue engineering may ultimately provide alternatives to whole organ or tissue transplantation and provide a new therapy for these people. Specific research topics range from the design and fabrication of biodegradable polymer systems to transplant smooth muscle cells, to investigating how microtubule assembly is regulated by mechanical forces.