Stephen Badylak, DVM., Ph.D., MD.
Professor of Surgery

Dr. Badylak is Deputy Director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Director of the Center for Preclinical Testing, and directs a laboratory focused upon the use of biologic scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) to facilitate functional tissue regeneration.  Dr. Badylak is the President-elect of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society, the author of more than 200 peer reviewed publications, and holds more than 50 issued U.S. patents and 300 patents worldwide.  The focus of Dr. Badylak’s work has revolved around the structure and composition of naturally occurring extracellular matrix, and the signaling provided by this matrix to host cells toward functional tissue reconstruction.  Dr. Badylak places high emphasis upon clinical translation of all activities in the laboratory and work conducted within the laboratory spans the full spectrum from basic science at the subcellular level to patient care at the bed side.

John Freund

John Freund is the manager of the Badylak laboratory. He received his degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from Westminster College. John gained experience in a variety of laboratories including academic, government, and biotech companies prior to joining the Badylak lab. In addition to managing the laboratory, John helps to develop new methodologies for decellularizing tissues and works on numerous projects with both academic and industry collaborators.

Hongbin Jiang

Hongbin Jiang is a physician in the Badylak laboratory investigating the use of biologic scaffolds derived from endocrine organs, specifically the adrenal gland.  His interest is the development of a regenerative medicine strategy for the replacement of functional adrenal tissue. 

Steve Tottey

Steve Tottey is a research scientist in the Badylak laboratory.  He is a biochemist by training.  Extracellular matrix has been shown to be useful in promoting tissue regeneration and constructive remodeling. In part this is believed to be because as the extracellular matrix is degraded in the body, the degradation products elicit favorable responses from the bodies own stem cells. Dr. Tottey is attempting to identify which extracellular matrix molecules produce the effects upon stem cells with a view to greater understanding and application of this process.

Li Zhang, MD., MS.

Graduated from Beijing Medical University from China, have many years experience in biomedical research field, joined Dr. Badylak’s lab in 2006

Brian Herrera, Systems Analyst III

Systems Analyst III, Device design and fabrication

Kerry Daly

Kerry Daly has a background in innate immunity, molecular biology and veterinary medicine. Her current research interests include the host immune response to biologic scaffolds, the role of innate immune cells such as macrophages and neutrophils in the direction and outcome of this response, damage-associated molecular patterns and regenerative medicine treatment options for peripheral compartment syndrome.

Alexander Huber, PhD, MSc (equiv.)

Alexander Huber is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Badylak lab. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham (UK) studying engineered heterogenous tissue constructs in vitro. He is particularly interested in the interaction of various cell types with their immediated cell-cell and cell-matrix environment, and the maintenance and modulation of cellular phenotypes and behaviour for their use in tissue engineered applications.

Brandon Reines (postdoctoral associate)

Brandon Reines is a veterinarian with both practical clinical experience and 7 yrs of post doctoral training in immunology at the National Institutes of Health. Brandon is investigating the biophysical/mechanical rules underlying complex biological processes involved in cell matrix interactions.

Neill Turner, BSc., Ph.D

Neill Turner is investigating the role of decellularized extracellular matrix in limb and muscle regeneration. He has over extensive experience studying vascular biology and cardiovascular tissue engineering. Neill’s particular interest is in the role dynamic forces play in the control of cell differentiation and cellular recruitment to sites of injury.

Neill completed his doctorate at the UK Centre for Tissue Engineering at the University of Manchester. Here, he investigated how cyclic stretching mediates differentiation of adult progenitor cells down smooth muscle, osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. In addition, Neill investigated the endothelialization of artificial vascular grafts and the effects of extracellular matrix substrata and shear stress on endothelial cell attachment and retention, leading to the development of a type VIII collagen-coated, endothelialized polyurethane graft.

Vineet Agrawal

Vineet Agrawal is a graduate student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests are primarily in limb and nerve regeneration following implantation of tissue engineered devices composed of extracellular matrix."

Ellen Brennan

Ellen Brennan is a doctoral student in Pitt's Department of Bioengineering and conducting her research in the Badylak laboratory. Her research focuses on the role of ECM degradation in cell recruitment and constructive remodeling associated with ECM scaffolds. She is particularly interested in chemoattractant and antibacterial degradation products of ECM.

Bryan Brown

Bryan Brown is a PhD candidate in the laboratory of Dr. Stephen Badylak where he is currently completing an NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein Pre-doctoral Fellowship entitled "ECM Scaffolds and Macrophage Polarization-Induced Tissue Remodeling".  In addition to the innate host response to ECM based biomaterials, Bryan’s research interests include surface characterization, temporomandibular meniscus repair, the role of innervation in tissue remodeling, and cell sheet engineering.

Ricardo Londono

Ricardo Londono is a graduate student in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh. His research is focused upon the properties and biologic activities of matricryptic peptides generated from scaffolds prepared from mammalian extracellular matrix (ECM) during the early events of tissue reconstruction and remodeling.

Chris Medberry

Chris Medberry is a doctoral student and is investigating the use of 3-dimensional ECM scaffolds composed of liver ECM for the regeneration of functional liver tissue.

Nathaniel Remlinger

Nathaniel Remlinger is investigating the development of Tracheal ECM and the design of a bioreactor to test the mechanical properties of native and remodeled tracheas.  Nate is also working on a project to isolate and develop cardiac and epithelial cells sheets for recellularizatin of heart ECM scaffolds.

Brian Sicari

Brian Sicari is a doctoral student within the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine. His rotation project, while in the Badylak Lab, focuses on comparing the cellular phenotypic induction as well as the host immune response elicited by:  the lyophilized sheet, particulate powder, and enzymatically digested gel forms of ECM.

Jolene Valentin

Jolene Valentin is a doctoral student in the Badylak Laboratory. Her thesis work examines the phenotypic profile and contribution of macrophages to ECM scaffold remodeling using in-vitro and in-vivo models.

John Wainwright

John Wainwright is a doctoral student and a trainee in the Cardiovascular Bioengineering Training Program.  He is conducting cardiovascular research
with 3-dimensional scaffolds composed of cardiac ECM.  

Matt Wolf

Matt Wolf is a doctoral student in the BioEngineering department at the University of Pittsburgh. He is currently investigating the production, the physical characteristics, composition, and efficacy of an biologic scaffold composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) derived from skeletal muscle for regenerative medicine applications.

Jocelyn L. Runyon

Dawn Robertson