The Masters Laboratory
Faculty >Kristyn S. Masters
Kristyn S. Masters
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Organ System/Disease Focus:Cardiovascular development and disease.
Aligned Research Focus: Heart valve and cardiac tissue engineering.
Research Description
Dr. Masters' research focuses upon characterizing the interactions between cells and biomaterials in order to create culture environments that are capable of controlling cell function. We investigate how changes in the cellular microenvironment regulate the behavior of cells, paying specific attention to how various microenvironmental cues influence whether cells assume a diseased phenotype. Through these investigations, we hope to not only define optimal material properties for tissue engineering applications, but also elucidate the mechanisms of many disease conditions that occur in vivo. Specific applications of our work range from developing engineered heart valve tissue for testing anti-calcific therapeutics to characterizing and predicting how dermal cells ‘decide’ what stimuli to follow during wound healing.
Selected References
Masters KS. Invited Feature Article: Covalent Growth Factor Immobilization Strategies for Tissue Repair and Regeneration, Macromol Biosci, 2011;11:1149-1163
Rodriguez KJ, Piechura LM, Masters KS. Regulation of Valvular Interstitial Cell Phenotype and Function by Hyaluronic Acid in 2-D and 3-D Culture Environments. Matrix Biol, 2011;30:70-82. (PMC 3021089)
Gu X, Masters KS. Role of the Rho pathway in regulating valvular interstitial cell phenotype and nodule formation. Am J Physiol: Heart Circ Physiol, 2011;300:H448-H458. (PMC3044049)
Puccinelli TJ, Bertics PJ, Masters KS. Regulation of Keratinocyte Signaling and Function via Changes in Epidermal Growth Factor Presentation. Acta Biomaterialia, 2010;6:3415-3425. (PMC2910130)
Monzack EL, Gu X, Masters KS. Efficacy of statin treatment of valvular interstitial cells varies with the extracellular environment. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2009; 29: 246-253. (featured on cover) (PMC2701301)