 Jason
Burdick,
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering
burdick2@seas.upenn.edu
Ph.D.
Chemical Engineering, 2002, University
of Colorado
B.S.
Chemical Engineering, 1998, University
of Wyoming
Research
Interests
Although
advances in tissue engineering have been made in recent years, the
continued lack of sufficient organs and tissue for transplantation
necessitates the development of innovative treatment alternatives.
Advances in synthetic chemistry and materials processing
may provide the solution to this organ and tissue shortage.
It is the goal of my laboratory to use a platform of biomaterials
and specifically, photocrosslinkable and degradable polymers, to
develop novel therapies for both orthopaedic and neurological applications.
Photopolymerizable biomaterials are advantageous due to the
flexibility in material design, the filling of irregularly shaped
defects without the need for high temperatures or potentially toxic
solvents, rapid polymerization rates, and good spatial and temporal
control.
To
this end, research in my laboratory involves: (i) the development
of novel synthetic polymeric materials and precursors that are both
biocompatible and degradable, (ii) utilizing processing techniques
to fabricate scaffolds with the desired micro- and macroscopic structures,
(iii) investigating the interaction of cells with these materials
while developing materials-based techniques to control cell behavior,
and (iv) the controlled delivery of therapeutic molecules.
For
orthopaedics, we are developing polymeric systems that act as carriers
for growth factors and/or cells and are applied non-invasively to
the injury site. Regeneration is severely limited for injured
cartilage and thus, one of our goals is to develop photocrosslinkable
hydrogels that are degradable, biocompatible, and support tissue
formation. In the central nervous system, and especially
with spinal cord injury, there are many barriers to recovery including
the release of inhibitory molecules after injury, the inflammatory
response, demyelination, and the presence of scar tissue.
It is our goal to use injectable biomaterials to overcome many of
these barriers through the delivery of appropriate molecules (e.g.,
enzymes, antibodies, and neurotrophic factors) that can aid in the
regeneration process and lead to functional recovery.
Selected
Publications
J.A.
Burdick, M. Ward, E. Liang, M.J. Young, R. Langer. Stimulation
of Neurite Outgrowth by Neurotrophins Delivered from Degradable
Hydrogels, Biomaterials , in press.
J.A.
Burdick, C. Chung, X. Jia, M.A. Randolph, R. Langer. Controlled
Degradation and Mechanical Behavior of Photopolymerized Hyaluronic
Acid Networks, Biomacromolecules, 6:386-391, 2005.
D.G.
Anderson, J.A. Burdick, R. Langer. Smart Biomaterials, Science,
305: 1923-1924, 2004.
J.A.
Burdick, A. Khademhosseini, R. Langer. Fabrication of Gradient
Hydrogels Using a Microfluidics/ Photopolymerization Process, Langmuir,
20: 5153-5156, 2004.
K.S.
Anseth and J.A. Burdick. New Directions in Photopolymerizable
Biomaterials, MRS Bulletin, 27:130-138, 2002.
J.A.
Burdick and K.S. Anseth. Photoencapsulation of Osteoblasts
in Injectable RGD-Modified PEG Hydrogels for Bone Tissue Engineering,
Biomaterials, 23: 4315-4323, 2002.
Bioengineering
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