Christopher Lacko

Ph.D. Student

Biomedical Engineering
BMS J257, University of Florida
Phone: (352) 273-6865
E-mail: christopherlacko@ufl.edu

Education

B.S. in Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, 2011

Research

Natural-based biopolymer scaffolds for peripheral nerve regeneration

My project focuses on recapitulating the native peripheral nerve structure and composition within a nerve guidance scaffold engineered from the ground up. These regeneration scaffolds are based off of Hyaluronic acid (HA), a naturally based and non-immunogenic biopolymer with similar mechanical properties to native nerve. Furthermore, Hyaluronic acid is a ubiquitous component of the extracellular matrix throughout the body, and is upregulated during embryonic development and following nerve injury. My primary goal is to incorporate long-range, linear porosity into the otherwise amorphous hydrogel structure in order to mimic the basal lamina architecture of peripheral nerve, and improve the rate of neurite elongation and regeneration across critical-sized nerve injuries. I am interested in the cellular effects of biomaterial composition and architecture, methods for mimicking natural tissue architecture, and how these aspects can be incorporated into engineered regeneration scaffolds.