Improving wound healing and tissue regeneration is a grand challenge for improving human health and well-being. Examples include diabetic ulcers, which affect one-third of people with diabetes and complications of which result in the majority of limb amputations, and spinal cord injuries, which are well known for a failure to regenerate functional connectivity after trauma. Importantly, regeneration in all cell types is controlled by a similar network of biomolecules, with receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are at its core. We propose to use optogenetics, a groundbreaking technology where living cells can be controlled by light, to improve wound healing at sites of injury. We propose to deliver these light-controlled RTKs at injury sites and use nontoxic blue light stimulation to control cell survival and growth over ~7 days in clinical settings, with applications in spinal cord injury, diabetes, and burn recovery.
Current Members
Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and Bioengineering; Deputy Director, Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Bioengineering
