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LAB MEMBERS

Meet our CSTEC@Utah Team

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TERUO OKANO, PHD

Director

Professor Teruo Okano is currently an Emeritus Professor at Tokyo Women’s Medical University (TWMU) in Tokyo, Japan. He is also a distinguished adjunct professor in the University of Utah Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics, and is the co-director of CSTEC@Utah. 
He pioneered cell sheet engineering technology by developing the temperature-responsive polymer coated dishes necessary for creating and harvesting cell sheets.

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DAVID GRAINGER, PHD

Director

Professor David Grainger is a University Distinguished Professor in Molecular Pharmaceutics, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Utah. He is also a co-director of CSTEC@Utah.
Grainger has helped co-found 3 biomedical technology companies, sits on the Scientific Advisory boards for 4 biomedical companies, and actively consults internationally with industries in applications of materials in biotechnologies and medicine.

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MAKOTO KONDO, DSC

Research Assistant Professor

Dr. Makoto Kondo is a research assistant professor in the University of Utah Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics. He received his D.Sc. from Waseda University through research conducted at TWIns. His research focused on epithelial regenerative medicine and was supported by a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (DC1). He further studied stem cell biology and hematology at the Center for Hematology and Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet with a Toyobo Biotechnology Foundation long-term research fellowship. He is currently involved in pre-clinical research for articular cartilage regeneration, investigating therapeutic action of allogeneic chondrocyte sheets.

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MIME EGAMI

Adjunct Professor

Professor Egami is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah. She has been acting as Chief Medical Innovation Officer and Visiting Professor at the Tokyo Women's Medical University and Waseda University Joint Institute of Biomedical Sciences (TWIns) for 10 years. Professor Egami is also the Vice Chair of Industry Committee for the Japan Society of Regenerative Medicine and a board member for TERMIS. She has 20 year experience in the field of global corporate finance advisory at international financial institutions.

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KYUNGSOOK KIM, PHD

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Dr. Kyungsook Kim is a research assistant professor in the University of Utah Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics. She received her PhD at TWIns where she was focused on 3-D functional hepatic tissue fabrication to treat liver disease. She is now focused on the development of allogeneic cell sheet application for various treatments at the University of Utah.

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SUMAKO KAMEISHI, PHD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Sumako Kameishi is a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Utah Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics . She received her Ph.D. degree from the Department of Biomedical Science, Waseda University, TWIns. Her overall research goal is to seek a correlation between cell properties and microenvironment using epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. Currently, she focuses on therapeutic potentials of various MSCs as cell sheets for treatment of fibrosis.

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KEISUKE MATSUKURA, MD

Visiting Scientist

Dr. Matsukura is a visiting scientist within the University of Utah Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics. He obtained his M.D. from Asahikawa Medical University in Japan. He completed his residency and orthopeadic fellowship at Asahikawa Medical Hospital. His research interests focus on identifying differences between donors in treatment with chondrocyte cell sheets.

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Celia Dunn

Graduate Research Assistant

Celia is a Biomedical Engineering PhD student who joined the lab in 2017. She received her BS in biomedical engineering with a concentration in electrical engineering from University of Rhode Island in 2017. Her PhD thesis focuses on developing allogeneic cell sheets for treatment of fibrosis.

Nico Metzler

Graduate Research Assistant

Nico is a  Biomedical Engineering PhD candidate who joined the lab in 2017. He received a BS in Biomedical Engineering with a minor in Materials Science and Engineering in 2016 from Georgia Tech. His PhD work focuses on the combined use of allogeneic MSC and chondrocyte cell sheets for articular cartilage regeneration.

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ADAM FORD

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Adam is an undergraduate research assistant who joined the lab at the end of summer 2021. He will receive his BS in Biochemistry and minor in Biomedical Engineering in spring 2023. His work focuses on identifying chondrocyte cell sheet in vitro potency markers for cartilage regeneration potential.

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CJ Reid

Undergraduate Research Assistant

CJ is an undergraduate research assistant who joined the lab in the summer of 2022. He will receive his HBS in Biochemistry and minor in Applied Ethics in Spring 2024. His work focuses on optimizing cell sheet growth conditions for predicted in-vivo efficacy.

Past Members

  • Masatoshi Oka, MD, PhD
  • Sophia Bou-Ghannam, PhD
  • Hallie Thorp, PhD

  • Goro Kuramoto, MD, PhD

  • Dong Yun Lee, PhD

  • Manshu Tang, PhD

  • Nakao Mitsuyoshi, PhD

  • Tavie Parker

  • Sophia Uhlhorn

  • Hyungshik Kim

  • Masanori Takaira 

COLLABORATORS

TRAVIS MAAK, MD

Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Utah and Head Orthopaedic Team Physician for the Utah Jazz

ANGELA WANG, MD

Associate Professor in the University of Utah Department of Orthopedics

DOUGLAS HUTCHISON, MD

Professor in the University of Utah Department of Orthopaedics
Chief of Hand Surgery at Primary Children's Medical Center
Adjunct Professor in the University of Utah Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physical Therapy

OLGA BAKER, DDS, PHD

Associate Professor in the University of Utah School of Dentistry

KIHOON NAM, PHD

Research Professor in the University of Utah School of Dentistry

ROBERT M. SILVER, MD

Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Co-Director of the Division of Labor and Delivery
Adjunct Professor in the Department of Population Health Sciences

STEERING BOARD

The CSTEC Steering Board reviews research activities including translational efforts and
industry collaboration.


Michael L. Good, MD , CEO of University of Utah Health has organized the CSTEC Steering
Board under his designated chair chair Professor Willard H. Dere MD, Associate Vice President
for Research University of Utah Health along with other senior professors of the University of
Utah School of Medicine, Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and
Department of Biomedical Engineering

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