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Sarah Elizabeth Gullbrand, PhD
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Research Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
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Research Health Scientist, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
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Director, Research Shared Instrument Core, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
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Department: Orthopaedic Surgery
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Contact information
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Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center
1a 3900 Woodland Ave.
31 Research, A214
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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1a 3900 Woodland Ave.
31 Research, A214
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Office: 203-260-3089
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Publications
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Links
e2 Search PubMed for articles
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e2 Search PubMed for articles
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Education:
21 7 BS 23 (Biomedical Engineering) c
3a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , 2009.
21 8 PhD 23 (Biomedical Engineering) c
3a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , 2014.
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Permanent link21 7 BS 23 (Biomedical Engineering) c
3a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , 2009.
21 8 PhD 23 (Biomedical Engineering) c
3a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , 2014.
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83 Medical Center, with a co-appointment as a Research Assistant Professor in the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory in the
84 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. As a graduate student, I was awarded a National Science
86 Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue my thesis research on enhancing intervertebral disc nutrition as a potential
8b therapeutic strategy for the treatment of disc degeneration. My thesis work with Dr. Eric Ledet illustrated for the first time that
85 convective transport induced by mechanical loading can enhance the uptake and clearance of small molecules in the healthy and
87 degenerative disc. This work was awarded the 2015 ISSLS Prize for Lumbar Spine Research in Bioengineering, the most prestigious
8b award in the field of spine research. My postdoctoral research with Dr. Robert Mauck at the University of Pennsylvania furthered my
90 interests in disc regeneration and was focused on evaluating novel tissue engineered therapeutics for disc degeneration in translational
85 animal models. This work was supported by a VA Career Development Award (CDA-1), and our publication on the long-term in vivo
8c evaluation of a tissue engineered disc replacement in Science Translational Medicine was featured by numerous news outlets including
85 the Philadelphia Inquirer and Popular Science. My transition to independent faculty was supported by a VA RR&D CDA-2 Award to
8e study the contribution of vertebral endplate remodeling and altered disc nutrition on the progression of disc degeneration. My current
8a research interests, supported by NIH and VA awards, include studying crosstalk between the intervertebral disc and adjacent spinal
8c tissues (including the vertebral bone and facet joints) during degeneration, and translating new tissue engineering and regenerative
58 medicine therapeutics for the treatment of disc degeneration and disc herniation.
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Description of Research Expertise
90 I am currently a Research Scientist in the Translational Musculoskeletal Research Center at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA83 Medical Center, with a co-appointment as a Research Assistant Professor in the McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory in the
84 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. As a graduate student, I was awarded a National Science
86 Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to pursue my thesis research on enhancing intervertebral disc nutrition as a potential
8b therapeutic strategy for the treatment of disc degeneration. My thesis work with Dr. Eric Ledet illustrated for the first time that
85 convective transport induced by mechanical loading can enhance the uptake and clearance of small molecules in the healthy and
87 degenerative disc. This work was awarded the 2015 ISSLS Prize for Lumbar Spine Research in Bioengineering, the most prestigious
8b award in the field of spine research. My postdoctoral research with Dr. Robert Mauck at the University of Pennsylvania furthered my
90 interests in disc regeneration and was focused on evaluating novel tissue engineered therapeutics for disc degeneration in translational
85 animal models. This work was supported by a VA Career Development Award (CDA-1), and our publication on the long-term in vivo
8c evaluation of a tissue engineered disc replacement in Science Translational Medicine was featured by numerous news outlets including
85 the Philadelphia Inquirer and Popular Science. My transition to independent faculty was supported by a VA RR&D CDA-2 Award to
8e study the contribution of vertebral endplate remodeling and altered disc nutrition on the progression of disc degeneration. My current
8a research interests, supported by NIH and VA awards, include studying crosstalk between the intervertebral disc and adjacent spinal
8c tissues (including the vertebral bone and facet joints) during degeneration, and translating new tissue engineering and regenerative
58 medicine therapeutics for the treatment of disc degeneration and disc herniation.
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17a Kevin G. Burt, Venise C. Martinez, Sarah E. Gullbrand, Robert L. Mauck, Carla Scanzello: Imaging Mass Cytometry Reveals Rapid And Profound Changes In The Cellular Landscape Of Both Injured And Adjacent Intervertebral Discs. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(222), 2025.
e8 Matthew Fainor, Aira Bazaz, Harvey E. Smith, Sarah E. Gullbrand: Assessing Cell Therapy Retention And Survival Across A Spectrum Of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In Rabbits. 47 Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society 20 (665), 2025.
1f5 Esteban D. Ongini, Mohammed Abdullah, Julie B. Engiles, Brianna S. Orozco, Andrea Moehl, Ana Peredo, Sonal Mahindroo, Rachel Hilliard, Thomas P. Schaer, Robert L. Mauck, Harvey E. Smith, Mazda Farshad, Jess G. Snedeker, Sarah E. Gullbrand: Annulus Repair Via Interpenetrated Non-woven Scaffold Supports Tissue Integration And Prevents Herniation. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(227), 2025.
165 Agathe Guillemet, Leslie Brewer, Harrah Newman, Sarah Gullbrand, Dawn Elliott, Thomas P. Schaer: Longitudinal Assessment Of Trans-endplate Diffusion In A Goat Model Of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(2237), 2025.
161 Sage S Frehner, Matthew Fainor, Galina Dulatov, Ryan Ringwood, Hannah Loftus, Cody Warner, Aira Bazaz, Harvey E Smith, Robert L Mauck, Isaac Erickson, Sarah E Gullbrand: A Human Progenitor Cell-Based Tissue Engineered Intervertebral Disc. Tissue Engineering Part A in press, 2025.
188 Hunter Levis, Matthew Fainor, Sarah E. Gullbrand, Robby D. Bowles: Targeted Multiplex CRISPRa Upregulation Of Novel Gene, ZNF865, Enhances Cell Infiltration, Cartilage Deposition And Mechanical Properties Of Human-sized Engineered Discs. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(226), 2025.
138 Brianna S. Orozco, Sarah E. Gullbrand: Effects Of Intervertebral Disc Health, Endplate Degeneration And Solute Molecular Weight On Trans-endplate Diffusion. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(2247), 2025.
16a Hisham Omar, Paulina Bargallo Gonzalez Lugo, Rachel Bonfini, Matthew Fainor, Sarah E. Gullbrand, Michael W. Hast: Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Architectures Improve In Vitro Bone Growth in PCL Scaffolds. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(2141), 2025.
173 Levis H, Lewis C, Fainor M, Lawal A, Stockham E, Weston J, Farhang N, Gullbrand SE, Bowles RD: Targeted CRISPR regulation of ZNF865 enhances stem cell cartilage deposition, tissue maturation rates, and mechanical properties in engineered intervertebral discs. Acta Biomaterialia 191: 276-291, 2025.
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Selected Publications
143 Janai A Augustin, Kevin G Burt, Caitlin Barrett, Matthew Fainor, Brianna S Orozco, Thomas P Schaer, Harvey E Smith, Robert L Mauck, Sarah E Gullbrand: Neuroimmune Activation in a Goat Model of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Cells 15(3): 286, 2026.17a Kevin G. Burt, Venise C. Martinez, Sarah E. Gullbrand, Robert L. Mauck, Carla Scanzello: Imaging Mass Cytometry Reveals Rapid And Profound Changes In The Cellular Landscape Of Both Injured And Adjacent Intervertebral Discs. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(222), 2025.
e8 Matthew Fainor, Aira Bazaz, Harvey E. Smith, Sarah E. Gullbrand: Assessing Cell Therapy Retention And Survival Across A Spectrum Of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In Rabbits. 47 Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society 20 (665), 2025.
1f5 Esteban D. Ongini, Mohammed Abdullah, Julie B. Engiles, Brianna S. Orozco, Andrea Moehl, Ana Peredo, Sonal Mahindroo, Rachel Hilliard, Thomas P. Schaer, Robert L. Mauck, Harvey E. Smith, Mazda Farshad, Jess G. Snedeker, Sarah E. Gullbrand: Annulus Repair Via Interpenetrated Non-woven Scaffold Supports Tissue Integration And Prevents Herniation. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(227), 2025.
165 Agathe Guillemet, Leslie Brewer, Harrah Newman, Sarah Gullbrand, Dawn Elliott, Thomas P. Schaer: Longitudinal Assessment Of Trans-endplate Diffusion In A Goat Model Of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(2237), 2025.
161 Sage S Frehner, Matthew Fainor, Galina Dulatov, Ryan Ringwood, Hannah Loftus, Cody Warner, Aira Bazaz, Harvey E Smith, Robert L Mauck, Isaac Erickson, Sarah E Gullbrand: A Human Progenitor Cell-Based Tissue Engineered Intervertebral Disc. Tissue Engineering Part A in press, 2025.
188 Hunter Levis, Matthew Fainor, Sarah E. Gullbrand, Robby D. Bowles: Targeted Multiplex CRISPRa Upregulation Of Novel Gene, ZNF865, Enhances Cell Infiltration, Cartilage Deposition And Mechanical Properties Of Human-sized Engineered Discs. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(226), 2025.
138 Brianna S. Orozco, Sarah E. Gullbrand: Effects Of Intervertebral Disc Health, Endplate Degeneration And Solute Molecular Weight On Trans-endplate Diffusion. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(2247), 2025.
16a Hisham Omar, Paulina Bargallo Gonzalez Lugo, Rachel Bonfini, Matthew Fainor, Sarah E. Gullbrand, Michael W. Hast: Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Architectures Improve In Vitro Bone Growth in PCL Scaffolds. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society(2141), 2025.
173 Levis H, Lewis C, Fainor M, Lawal A, Stockham E, Weston J, Farhang N, Gullbrand SE, Bowles RD: Targeted CRISPR regulation of ZNF865 enhances stem cell cartilage deposition, tissue maturation rates, and mechanical properties in engineered intervertebral discs. Acta Biomaterialia 191: 276-291, 2025.
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