Brenda Ogle, Ph.D.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
e-mail: [email protected]
I am a biomedical engineer who seeks to more clearly understand the conditions that govern stem cell fate to enhance the regenerative capacity of mammalian systems. My current research interests are to 1) to understand the role of extracellular matrix proteins in guiding stem cell differentiation and 2) to develop novel tools for analyzing stem cell behavior and for delivering stem cells or associated progeny to the body.
Bhairab Singh, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Email: [email protected]
I started my position in the Ogle lab in 2019. I have strong training in cardiac developmental biology and have a long-standing interest in the cues that govern cardiomyocyte proliferation. I bring these insights to the tissue engineering platforms of the Ogle Lab. Most recently I have been investigating mutations that give rise to cardiomyopathy and imposing those mutations in human induced pluripotent stem cells. We find that when these differences they give rise to cardiomyocytes in a dish that harbor a similar phenotype but with decreased severity relative to the native case. In the future, I plan to incorporate these cardiomyocytes into advanced human models of cardiac tissue including the human chambered muscle pump introduced by the Ogle Lab in 2020.
Marcus Flowers
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I joined the lab in fall 2018 and am co-advised by Professor Chun Wang. I am developing a drug delivery system capable of being 3D bioprinted and also capable of maintaining its payload without leaking for at least a week. These are important design criteria as I will be delivering stem cell differentiation factors. The goal is to drive differentiation of multiple cell types in different locations within a 3D printed cardiac tissue.
Elizabeth Komosa
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering Department, interested in further developing the lab's 3D-bioprinted, stem cell-derived cardiac model. I am working to create a perfusion bioreactor that provides a biomimetic environment for the model. By doing so, I aim to generate a thick tissue with the ability to pump fluid at levels comparable to the native heart. This will provide a reliable model that can be utilized in modeling diseases and screening potential therapeutics.
Victor Garcia
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a PhD candidate co-advised by Drs. Brenda Ogle and Casim Sarkar. My graduate work is focused on understanding and modulating the multivalent interactions between protein-conjugated liposomes and cell surfaces, with the goal of designing delivery nanoparticles with super-selective properties.
Mikayla Hall
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. student interested in tissue engineering. My project aims to identify an extracellular matrix composition that will induce endothelial differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells. The ultimate goal of this project is to create vascularized tissue constructs through spatial control of the extracellular matrix components especially via 3D bioprinting.
Jeanne Hsieh
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. student at the University of Minnesota with an interest in stem cell biology and tissue engineering. I joined the lab in 2019 and have been working to develop a model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a dish. I have started by evaluating hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes with mutations in the myosin heavy chain. In 2D culture, they exhibit characteristics of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In future work, I will be integrating these cells into more advanced 3D models of cardiac tissue.
Wei-Han Lin
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering department, and I'm interested in tissue engineering and the influence of environmental signals on stem cells. My graduate work focuses on developing ECM-based bioinks to support stem cell proliferation and cardiac differentiation, which gives us densely cellularized constructs with decent cardiomyocyte yield. By taking advantage of this approach, we are able to create macroscale 3D printed constructs which perform physiological heart functions and can thus be used as testbeds for pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
Casey Chitwood
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I am interested in regenerative medicine, cellular and tissue engineering. I joined the lab in Fall 2015. I am currently investigating the treatment of vascular degeneration, more specifically, the treatment of aneurysms using less invasive therapies. The approach involves the use of cell-based therapies due to the natural ability of certain cells to modulate inflammation. The ultimate goal of my project is to find a minimally invasive therapy that could be used to treat unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
Sophie Givens
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I joined the lab in Fall 2017. I am interested in tissue engineering and the interface between tissue engineering and biomaterials. I have become interested in the interaction between epicardial cells and cardiomyocytes especially in the context of cardiomyocyte proliferation and differentiation. I have developed a laminate cardiac tissue model that contains both cardiomyocytes and epicardiac cells in close apposition and with the capacity to interact directly and via intermediates such as the extracellular matrix.
Huzefa Husain
Graduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am a Biomedical Engineering PhD student at the University of Minnesota interested in hiPSC differentiation, stem cell biology, and tissue engineering. I work in collaboration with Dr. Ferenc Toth on the development of a 3D ECM-based scaffold for hiPSC-derived chondrocytes for cartilage regeneration. The ultimate goal is to create a one-stage off the shelf scaffold to be seeded with autologous chondrocytes for the treatment of focal cartilage defects.
Bernice Young
Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am an undergraduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I joined the Lab in 2019. I am mentored by Sophie Givens and am working on developing innovative approaches to image analysis and have also been developing protocols to routinely check the quality and potency of our hiPSC cultures.
Lauren Kelly
Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am an undergraduate student in the department of Biomedical Engineering. I joined the Lab in 2021, and am mentored by Bhairab Singh. I am working to culture various cell types such as hiPSC and Human Dermal Fibroblasts, while studying how they differentiate and proliferate. I have also assisted in the growth of engineered heart tissue.
Maya Johnson
Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am an undergraduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I joined the lab in 2021. I am mentored by Casey Chitwood. I have developed a computer program to analyze data recorded from an aneurysm model and work on image analysis.
Nicholas Stan
Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I'm an undergraduate majoring in Biomedical Engineering. I joined the lab in 2022 and I'm mentored by Bhairab Singh. I'm learning how to use RNA analysis techniques to assess RNA quality for various cell types that are cultured in our lab.
Max Fulton
Undergraduate Research Assistant
email: [email protected]
I am an undergraduate student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. I joined the lab in 2021. I am mentored by Mikayla Hall.