The Cellular Mechanotransduction and Biomaterials Laboratory was established to analyze the mechanical and biochemical interactions between cells and their microenvironment in order to design instructive biomaterials that are able to control cell behavior. We are particularly interested in adhesion receptor-mediated processes and developing novel tools and strategies to investigate how cells interface with native and engineered extracellular matrices. Our goal is to answer questions such as: How are extracellular mechanical cues sensed, transmitted, and interpreted to regulate cell function? How does the spatiotemporal presentation of adhesive ligands influence cell behavior? What are the signaling pathways and mechanosensitive proteins responsible for cellular force generation?
