Farshid Guilak, PhD
Co-Director, Center of Regenerative Medicine; Mildred B. Simon Professor of Orthopedic Surgery; Director of Research, Shriner's Hospitals - St. Louis
- Email: guilak@nospam.wustl.edu
Core Usage & WUSTL affiliations:
- Musculoskeletal Research Center (MRC)
- WU Center for Cellular Imaging (WUCCI)
Selected Awards:
- Howley Prize for Arthritis Research
- President, Orthopaedic Research Society
- Dean’s Award for Mentoring
- Arthritis Foundation Investigator Award
- Cell & Molecular Bioengineering Innovator Award
Deconstructing and Reconstructing Biology for Orthopedic Regenerative Medicine
The Guilak laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the etiology and pathogenesis of musculoskeletal conditions as a basis for the development new regenerative therapies. The primary focus of the lab is the study of arthritis & other joint diseases. By combining principles of engineering & developmental biology, their goal is to deconstruct the processes that drive tissue development & function, and to then reconstruct & even improve these processes by using custom-designed stem cells & biomaterials. These studies focus on adult mesenchymal & adipose-derived stem cells, as well as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Specifically, recent work in the laboratory has focused on the development of a bioartificial human joint replacement based on three-dimensional weaving combined with adult human stem cells. They are also using new methods in synthetic biology & genome engineering to create “designer” stem cells with built in gene circuits to allow auto-regulated responses to environmental signals, such as inflammation. An important emphasis of the lab is on the translation of basic research to pre-clinical and clinical studies.
Recent Publications & News
