The genetic manipulation of progenitor cells via non-viral gene delivery has shown to be an effective means to guide tissue regeneration and treat a variety diseases, however, inefficient gene transfer has hindered the wide applicability of this approach. Our research investigates novel approaches to enhance gene delivery, which exploit the tissue-engineering matrix as a key player in the process of gene transfer. We use the principles of engineering, chemistry, and life sciences to develop biomaterials that can be used simultaneously as scaffolds for the culture of endogenous or transplanted cells and to guide efficient and controlled gene transfer.

Current projects in our laboratory focus on:

1. •Studying the role of the extracellular matrix environment on non-viral gene transfer and engineering synthetic matrices that can achieve efficient gene transfer in three dimensions.
   

2. •Engineering delivery strategies that can achieve sequential gene transfer from hydrogel scaffolds.
   

3. •Studying the role of the density of receptors at the cell surface and the method of displaying the ligands on the delivery vector on non-viral gene transfer.
   

4. •Engineering strategies to immobilize proteins with controlled orientation and density to study signaling from immobilized proteins and to expand and/or differentiate stem cells.