(4ao) Tissue Engineering Tools for Modulating the Immune Response

My research focuses on understanding and exploiting the immune system at the systems level. At the intersection of engineering and immunology, this program utilizes tissue-engineering tools including biomaterials, gene and protein delivery, and cell and tissue transplant to enhance regenerative strategies and cure disease. My overall goal is to define the fundamental control mechanims for directing the immune response to biological and artificial materials so that they may be used to modulate cellular and molecular behavior to favor immunity or tolerance, as desired. This presentation features the development and implementation of technologies to direct the trafficking, differentiation, and activation, of key immune cell populations in order to orchestrate the immune system’s response to implanted biomaterials and transplanted tissue.