Tissue remodeling occurs in
disease and trauma, often
yielding results that are
dysfunctional and which may
ultimately progress towards
tissue failure. In the case of
mechanically active soft tissues,
the mechanical environment
in which the damaged tissue
heals impacts the direction and
outcome of the remodeling
process.
Material Design to Facilitate Tissue Regeneration and Remodeling in Cardiovascular Disease and the Repair of Other Mechanically Active Soft Tissues: A seminar presented by William R. Wagner, Ph.D.
Friday, Nov. 18, 3-4 p.m.
Schwada Building (SCOB 228) | Reception to follow lecture
To develop biomaterial-based approaches to improve soft tissue repair, we have created degradable supports that act as scaffolds for new tissue generation or as temporary load-bearing elements during the remodeling process.
Efforts have been directed at:
1) the adverse ventricular remodeling process that occurs following myocardial infarction resulting in dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy;
2) the remodeling of veins used in arterial grafting and tissue engineered blood vessel development; and
3) scaffolds used to reconstruct the abdominal wall.
Two general types of supporting biomaterials have been developed and tested in at least one of these settings. Tissue remodeling occurs in disease and trauma, often yielding results that are dysfunctional and which may ultimately progress towards tissue failure. In the case of mechanically active soft tissues, the mechanical environment in which the damaged tissue heals impacts the direction and outcome of the remodeling process.
biosketch
William R. Wagner is the interim director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine as well as a professor of surgery, bioengineering and chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. He also serves as deputy director of the NSF Engineering Research Center on Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials. Wagner’s research interests are generally in the area of cardiovascular engineering with projects that address medical device biocompatibility and design, tissue engineering and targeted imaging.
Wagner is the founding editor and editor-in-chief of one of the leading biomaterials and biomedical engineering journals, Acta Biomaterialia, and currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research part A, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, and the Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine.
In 2006 he was selected to the “Scientific American 50,” the magazine’s annual list recognizing leaders in science and technology. In 2011, he was awarded the Society for Biomaterials Clemson Award for Applied Research.
He holds a B.S. from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas in chemical engineering.
