D. Kacy Cullen, Ph.D.
Professor of Neurosurgery
Member, Penn Center for Brain Injury & Repair, University of Pennsylvania
Principal Investigator, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
Member, Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Member, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Member, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Philadelphia VA Medical Center
Member, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania
Director, Center for Neurotrauma, Neurodegeneration & Restoration, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA
Director, Porcine Neurointensive Care and Assessment Facility (NCAF), Perelman School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania
Department: Neurosurgery
Contact information
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
105 Hayden Hall / 3320 Smith Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
105 Hayden Hall / 3320 Smith Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-746-8176
Fax: 215-573-3808
Fax: 215-573-3808
Email:
dkacy@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
dkacy@pennmedicine.upenn.edu
Graduate Group Affiliations
Links
Society for Neuroscience
American Society for Mechanical Engineers
Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Guide
National Neurotrauma Society
Cullen Lab Website
Brain Injury Association
Biomedical Engineering Society
Center for Brain Injury & Repair, University of Pennsylvania
Society for Neuroscience
American Society for Mechanical Engineers
Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Guide
National Neurotrauma Society
Cullen Lab Website
Brain Injury Association
Biomedical Engineering Society
Center for Brain Injury & Repair, University of Pennsylvania
Education:
B.S. (Mechanical Engineering)
Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000.
M.S. (Mechanical Engineering)
Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002.
Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering)
Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005.
B.S. (Mechanical Engineering)
Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000.
M.S. (Mechanical Engineering)
Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002.
Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering)
Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005.
Post-Graduate Training
Post-Doctoral Researcher in Neural Engineering, Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-2006.
Post-Doctoral Fellow (NRSA) in Neurotrauma and Neural Engineering, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania , 2007-2008.
Permanent linkPost-Doctoral Researcher in Neural Engineering, Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2005-2006.
Post-Doctoral Fellow (NRSA) in Neurotrauma and Neural Engineering, Center for Brain Injury and Repair, Department of Neurosurgery, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania , 2007-2008.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Cullen is a Professor of Neurosurgery and Bioengineering (with tenure) at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Cullen’s research program operates at the intersection of Regenerative Medicine, Neural Engineering, and Neurotrauma (http://www.med.upenn.edu/cullenlab/).The Cullen Lab's objective in Regenerative Medicine is to build anatomically- and developmentally-inspired living tissue to functionally replace lost tissue or augment the body’s capacity for regeneration. Here, focus is given to novel biofabrication strategies for tissue engineered brain and spinal cord pathways as well as "living scaffolds" for neuroregeneration. In Neural Engineering, the objective is to leverage neural tissue engineering strategies to develop "biohybrid" neuroprosthetic interface technology, enable synaptically-based neuromodulation using biological constructs, and provide optical control of neural circuitry. In Neurotrauma, the objective is to apply engineering principles to increase our understanding of the causative mechanisms and pathophysiological responses following traumatic injury to the nervous system. Specific attention is given to neural injury biomechanics and mechanisms of acute biophysical cellular/tissue damage.
Dr. Cullen is currently an active member of the Biomedical Engineering Society, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Neurotrauma Society, and the Society for Neuroscience.
Cullen Lab Research Thrusts:
Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine – microtissue engineering to restore brain circuitry; “living scaffolds” for neural regeneration; tissue engineered disease models; neuromuscular repair; translational biomanufacturing
Neural Engineering – living biological electrodes for brain-machine interface; “biohybrid” neuroprosthetic interfaces; biologically-based neuromodulation
Neurotrauma – traumatic brain injury (TBI); spinal cord injury (SCI); peripheral nerve injury (PNI); TBI biomechanics & cell injury mechanisms; neuroinflammation; large animal models
Selected Publications
Adewole, D. O., Struzyna, L. A., Harris, J. P., Nemes, A. D., Burrell, J. C., Petrov, D., Kraft, R. H., Chen, H. I., Serruya, M. D., Wolf, J. A., Cullen, D. K.: Development of optically-controlled "living electrodes" with long-projecting axon tracts for a synaptic brain-machine interface Science Advances 7(4): eaay5347, Jan 2021.Keating, C. E., Browne, K. D., Cullen, D. K. : Dietary manipulation of vulnerability to traumatic brain injury-induced neuronal plasma membrane permeability. Experimental Neurology 340: 113649, Jun 2021.
Katiyar, K. S., Struzyna, L. A. (co-first author), Morand, J. P., Burrell, J. C., Clements, B., Laimo, F. A., Browne, K. D., Kohn, J., Ali, Z., Ledebur, H. C., Smith, D. H., Cullen, D. K.: Tissue engineered axon tracts serve as living scaffolds to accelerate axonal regeneration and functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury in rats. Frontiers in Biotechnology & Bioengineering 8: 492, May 2020.
Das, S., Browne, K. D., Laimo, F. A., Maggiore, J. C., Hilman M. C., Kaiser, H., Aguilar, C. A., Ali, Z. S., Mourkioti, F., Cullen, D. K.: Pre-innervated tissue engineered muscle promotes a pro-regenerative microenvironment following volumetric muscle loss. Nature Communications Biology 3(1): 330, Jun 2020.
Grovola, M. R., Paleologos, N., Wofford, K. L., Harris, J. P., Browne, K. D., Johnson, V. E., Duda, J. E., Wolf, J. A., Cullen, D. K. : Mossy cell hypertrophy and synaptic changes in the hilus following mild diffuse brain injury in pigs. J Neuroinflammation 17(1): 44, 2020.
Keating, C. E. and Cullen, D. K. : Mechanosensation in traumatic brain injury. Neurobiology of Disease 148: 105210, Jan 2021.
Maggiore, J. C., Burrell, J. C. (co-first author), Browne, K. D., Katiyar, K. S., Laimo, F. A., Zarina, A. S., Kaplan, H. M., Rosen, J. M., Cullen, D. K.: Tissue engineered axon-based “living scaffolds” promote survival of spinal cord motor neurons following peripheral nerve repair. J Tissue Engin & Regen Med 14(12): 1892-1907, Dec 2020.
Das, S., Gordián-Vélez, W. (co-first author), Ledebur, H. C., Mourkioti, F., Rompolas, P., Chen, H. I., Serruya, M. D., Cullen, D. K. : Innervation: the missing link for biofabricated tissues and organs. npj Regenerative Medicine 5: 11, Jun 2020.
Cullen, D. K., Gordián-Vélez, W. J., Struzyna, L. A., Jgamadze, D., Lim, J., Wofford, K. L., Browne, K. D., Chen, H. I.: Bundled three-dimensional human axon tracts derived from cerebral organoids. iScience 21: 57-67, Nov 2019.
Struzyna, L. A., Browne, K. D., Brodnik, Z. D., Burrell, J. C., Harris, J. P., Chen, H. I., Wolf, J. A., Panzer, K. V., Lim, J., Duda, J. E., España, R. A., Cullen, D. K.: Tissue engineered nigrostriatal pathway for treatment of Parkinson’s disease. J Tissue Engin & Regen Med 12(7): 1702-16, Jul 2018.