Event
BIOE Seminar: Uncovering the Neural Contribution to Biomaterial-Mediated Musculoskeletal Healing
Friday, April 3, 2026
9:00 a.m.
A. James Clark Hall, Room #2121
Catherine Kuo
ckk@umd.edu
Warren Grayson
Johns Hopkins University
Uncovering the Neural Contribution to Biomaterial-Mediated Musculoskeletal Healing
Abstract
Tissue engineering provides a viable means of regenerating bone and skeletal muscle following injuries. Our lab has developed advanced biomaterial-based approaches to promote recovery following volumetric bone and skeletal muscle loss. To further improve biomaterial design, we focused on developing a robust understanding of heterotypic cellular interactions that are critical for healing. Specifically, both bone and skeletal muscle are highly vascularized and innervated tissues. Consequently, angiogenesis and neural infiltration are critical processes underlying their functional regeneration. Through our quantitative lightsheet microscopy platform, which can image the entire tissues at single-cell resolution, we are mapping the neurovascular associations during homeostasis, aging, and biomaterial-mediated healing to determine remaining gaps. Combined with transcriptomic approaches, this data is employed to identify novel therapeutic targets for bone and skeletal muscle.
Bio
Dr. Warren Grayson is the Morton F. Goldberg Professor and the Vice-Chair of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Grayson is also a founding member and the current Director of the Translational Therapeutics & Regenerative Engineering Center – a multidisciplinary center that houses ten labs with close to 150 researchers. His Laboratory for Craniofacial and Orthopaedic Tissue Engineering focuses on developing advanced therapeutics for the regeneration of bone and skeletal muscle.
Dr. Grayson obtained his B.Sc. in Chemical & Process Engineering at The University of the West Indies (Trinidad), his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Florida State University, and completed his postdoctoral training at Columbia University in New York. Dr. Grayson’s work on bioreactor design and engineering anatomically shaped bone grafts received national and international coverage in various news agencies, including the New York Times, BBC, and Corriere della Serra and led to the formation of the company, EpiBone.
Dr. Grayson’s scientific contributions and impact have been recognized by various entities. He received the Maryland Science Center Outstanding Young Engineer award (2010) and awards from the Orthopaedic Research Society (2007), the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (2013), Young Investigator Award from TERMIS (2014), and the prestigious Early Faculty CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (2014). In 2019, he was elected as a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. He has also been recognized by the National Academy of Medicine as an Emerging Leader in Health and Medicine.
