Dr. Taimoor Qazi

Areas of Research

Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells, Injectable Hydrogels, Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Translational Medicine, In vitro Disease Models

Projects

Projects at the Qazi Lab for Biomaterials and Musculoskeletal Regeneration (www.qazi-lab.com) are driven by a passion to do impactful research at the interface of materials science, cell biology, and translational medicine, with the goal of developing regenerative therapies to improve human and veterinary health. We leverage engineering principles to design tissue regenerative therapies with a particular focus on the musculoskeletal system. Our work is motivated by the lack of clinical treatment options for patients who suffer from severe injuries caused by musculoskeletal trauma, including invasive surgical procedures and vehicle accidents. We aim to engineer new biomaterials that aid in elucidating and manipulating biological processes. Projects in the lab span the breadth of this interdisciplinary area of research including but not limited to:

1- Polymer design and synthesis to fabricate photo-reactive hydrogels using microengineering technologies

2- In vitro 3D cell assays to study cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions in the context of disease

3- Clinically-relevant animal injury models to study disease pathology and native healing mechanisms

4- Scalable technologies to address translational challenges in regenerative therapies

We welcome applications and interest from students with diverse academic and training backgrounds including engineering, chemistry, microelectronics, cell biology, immunology, and veterinary sciences. Students from under-represented backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Dr. Qazi strives to create an inclusive and equitable environment in the group and to ensure that all its members are provided with the training they need to pursue and accomplish their personal and professional goals. Students 

Recruitment Needs

Enthusiastic and Creative PhD students in Spring/Fall 2023. 

Feel free to contact Dr. Qazi directly.