Immunoengineering Macrophage Function through Biomaterials and Mechanobiology

Our research group is focused on developing better biomaterials using nature as our inspiration. We are interested fundamentally in learning how immune cells are influenced by biophysical and biochemical cues in their environment, and then applying this knowledge to design materials for biomedical applications.To this end we use micro- and nanofabrication tools, protein/cellular engineering and  bio-conjugation techniques to develop novel materials that mimic the physiological cellular microenvironment of tissues.  We believe immunomodulation can encourage tissue regeneration, wound healing, and will be beneficial in a diverse range of biomedical applications.  Our goal is to create biocompatible and functional materials to engineer immune responses for solutions to human disease and patient responses to implanted materials.