Research
Our group’s primary research focus is on understanding biological design. This includes nature’s mechanism for mechanotransduction. In this regard, we are interested in how extracellular matrix and cytoskeletal architecture potentiate and modulate the activation of mechanochemical and mechanoelectrical signaling pathways and genetic programs in cardiac, neural, and vascular smooth muscle cells and tissues. In order to study these mechanisms at different spatial scales, we use cellular and tissue engineering techniques that allow us to build custom-designed tissue constructs as experimental preparations.
Our group also has a growing effort in biologically-inspired design. This includes our work with electroactive polymer actuators, bio-inspired photonic systems, nanotextiles, and cell and tissue self-assembly as a sysem for rapid-prototyping of nonbiological systems.
Current areas of active research include:
Mechanotransduction – the role of mechanical stress, cell shape, and cell architecture on cell function.
Tissue Engineering – development of tissue grafts and scaffolds with unique structures and functions.
Brain Injury – investigating the mechanisms of traumatic brain injury at a cell and tissue scale.
Nanotextiles – developing new techniques for mimicking ECM networks for regenerative medicine and other industrial applications.
Microdevices – designing and building microscale soft biological constructs which retain their unique biological functionalities.
What's New
Picture of the Month – April 2012 April 6th, 2012
Isotropic cardiac myocyte monolayer stained for actin (red), beta-catenin (white), and nuclear DNA (blue). Image by Megan McCain, Parker lab.
Congrats to Kartik Balachandran! March 14th, 2012
Kartik Balachandran has been awarded the Postdoctoral Fellow Best Abstract Award by the Association of Scientists of Indian Origin Special Interest Group of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) at the SOT Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA. This competitive award was based on a submitted abstract and a cover letter outlining the significance of his research. The award includes a plaque and monetary award of $500. Congratulations, Kartik!!
Congrats to Josh Goss!! March 5th, 2012
Josh Goss is one of the winners of the first Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Dean’s Excellence Award. Josh is the senior instrumentation engineer and staff scientists in the Disease Biophysics Group, designing and prototyping all of our experimental systems from microfluidic systems for organs on chips to blast bioreactors for brain injury research. Congratulations, Josh!! Thanks for all of your hard work!!
Picture of the Month – February 2012 February 24th, 2012
Micropatterned mouse ventricular muscle cells assembled into an anisotropic tissue showing nuclei (pink) and organized sarcomeres (orange). This organization recapitulates features of the native architecture of cardiac tissue. Image by Anna Grosberg, Parker lab.
Postdoctoral Positions in the DBG February 19th, 2012
We have several postdoctoral positions opening now and in the coming months. We are especially interested in candidates with backgrounds in theoretical biomechanics who are interested in conducting bench experiments. These positions will focus on our efforts to recapitulate organ-level function on chips for drug discovery and safety pharmacology.
All of these positions require a doctoral degree in an appropriate field and a demonstrated publication record. Applications in the form of a single PDF file containing a cover letter, resume, and up to three examples of first author papers should be forwarded to Prof Parker (kkparker@seas.harvard.edu). A list of references should be submitted with the resume with contact information.