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Dr Cullen

Principal Investigator

D. Kacy Cullen, Ph.D.

dkacy@mail.med.upenn.edu

Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2005)

M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2002)

B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2000)

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Jimmy Harris

Postdoctoral Fellow

James P. Harris, Ph.D.

jamhar@mail.med.upenn.edu

Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University (2012)

Sc.M., Electrical Engineering, Brown University (2001)

Sc.B., Electrical Engineering, Brown University (2000)

Project: Neurodegenerative and Electrophysiological Sequela of TBI, Micro-Tissue Engineered Constructs for Targeted Tract Reconstruction
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Research Specialist

Laura Struzyna, B.S.E.

lstruz@mail.med.upenn.edu

B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University (2011)

Project: Micro-Tissue Engineered Constructs for Targeted Tract Reconstruction, Axon Stretch-Growth in Neuronal Culture
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Research Specialist

Joseph Morand, B.S.

morandj@mail.med.upenn.edu

B.S., Biomedical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (2010)

Project: In Vivo Efficacy Testing  of Tissue Engineered Nerve Grafts for Peripheral Nerve Injury

Students

  
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Ellie Boyle

Major: Bioengineering (2014)

Project: Tissue Engineering Strategies for Axonal De-Differentiation In Vitro
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Dayo Adewole

Major: Bioengineering (2014)

Project: Conductive Polymers for Use in Neural-Electronic Prosthetic Interfaces

Anthony Parisi

Major: Biological Basis of Behavior (2014)

Project: Quantitative Neuropathological Analyses of Rodent and Porcine Tissue Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Carla Hernandez

Major: Cognitive Neuroscience and Romance Languages- Spanish and Italian (2015)

Project: Neuropathological Techniques for Tissue Examination Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Aditi Verma

Major: Bioengineering (2015)

Project: Astrocytic Responses in Traumatic Brain Injury

Alumni

Constance Mietus, B.A., Research Specialist
Project: Neural Cell Biophysical Responses in Blast-Induced Traumatic Brain Injury

Joe Frasca, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow
Project: Chronic neurodegenerative and neurophysiological sequela of closed-head TBI

John A. Wolf, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Functional Reorganization of Limbic Circuitry After TBI in Swine, Biohybridized Neural Tissue                                                                                         Engineered Constructs for Electrical Interface with Peripheral Nerve

Matthew Weingard, Medical Student, Tulane
Project: Tissue Engineering with Primary Cortical Neurons

Scott Yerganian, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Mechanisms of Axon-Mediated Axon Regeneration

Janid Kiely, Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania
Project: Biomechanics of Concussion: Pathobiological Implications of Acute Cellular Damage

Arshneel Kochar, Medical Student, CWRU  
Project: Tissue Engineering Micro-Conduits for Targeted Axonal Tract Reconstruction 

Billy Lane, Pre-Med, Notre Dame
Project: Mechanisms of Axonal Degeneration in a Swine Model of Closed-Head TBI

Jonathan Yu, Biology, Haverford College
Project: Tissue Engineering Micro-Conduits for Targeted Axonal Tract Reconstruction

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Contact Information

D. Kacy Cullen, Ph.D
105E Hayden Hall, 3320 Smith Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
dkacy@mail.med.upenn.edu

Apply to join the Cullen Lab

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News and Events

  • Dr. Cullen and colleagues Dr. John Duda and Dr. John Wolf received a 5-year Merit Review from the Department of Veterans Affairs entitled "Chronic Neurodegenerative and Neurophysiological Sequela of Closed-Head TBI."
  • Dr. Cullen and Dr. Smith have an article published in Scientific American titled "Bionic Connections" describing their efforts to develop biohybrid neuroprosthetic interfaces (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-artifical-arms-could-connect-nervous-system). In addition, the magazine published a web-based companion article on the use of this neural tissue engineering technology to repair peripheral nerve injuries (http://scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bionic-limb-researchers-build-new-bridges-nerve-injury).
  • Dr. Wolf and Laura Struzyna gave nanosymposium presentations at the Society for Neuroscience conference in New Orleans, LA. Dr. Wolf presented "Alterations in Hippocampal Circuitry Post Diffuse Brain Injury in a Swine TBI Model". Laura Struzyna presented "A Stragey for Functional Restoration of Brain Pathways Using Micro-Tissue Engineered Constructs Containing Living Axon Tracts".
  • Dr. Cullen gave a lecture at the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) in Ft. Lauderdale, FL detailing his recent work in "Acute Biophysical Responses and Neurophysiological Sequelae following Closed-Head Traumatic Brain Injury in Swine".
  • Commentary by Dr. Cullen was featured in a blog post about brain-based neural electrical interface systems: innovation-how-a-paralyzed-peson-uses-thoughts-to-control-a-robotic-arm
  • Dr. Cullen was interviewed for a blog post regarding the effects of traumatic brain injury on NFL athletes: http://physicsbuzz.physicscentral.com/2012/05/physics-of-hit-football-concussions.html
  • The Cullen Lab was awarded a grant from Axonia Medical, Inc. to advance novel neural tissue engineering technology to improve neuroregeneration following severe peripheral nerve injury.
  • A new company, Cerebid Technologies, has been formed by Dr. Cullen along with Ray Krauss, Douglas Smith and Shu Yang, to focus on translating their unique blast-sensitive photonic nanocrystals. These photonic nanocrystals, which change color following exposure to blast, are being developed as a "Blast Badge" to measure an individual soldiers blast exposure levels relative to thresholds for blast-induced traumatic brain injury, the "signature injury" in warfighters in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • Dr. Cullen was invited to give a research talk at the Neuroprotection Research Seminar Series through the Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research Center (STAR-ORC) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. He presented "Closed-Head Blast vs. Inertial TBI: Cellular Biophysical Responses and Neurophysiological Sequela".
  • Dr. Cullen was an Invited Speaker at the 2nd World Congress on Biotechnology in Philadelphia, PA. He presented "Neural Tissue Engineering Strategies for Cell Replacement and Axon Regeneration".

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