Joshua R. Mauney, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Urology and Biomedical Engineering

University of California, Irvine

Speech Title:

Silk Fibroin Grafts for Urogenital Tissue Engineering

Abstract:

Reconstruction of urogenital tissues with autologous tissue grafts represents the primary approach for surgical correction of a variety of congenital and acquired pathologies. However, this strategy is often encumbered by donor site morbidity, limited tissue availability, and failure to restore native tissue functionality. Protein-based, silk fibroin (SF) biomaterials represent unique “off-the-shelf” platforms for hollow organ reconstruction due their high structural strength and elasticity, diverse processing flexibility, tunable biodegradability, and low immunogenicity. We will discuss the performance of SF grafts for repair of urogenital tissues in preclinical animal models of urologic diseases.

Bio:

Dr. Joshua Mauney is a tenured Associate Professor in the Departments of Urology and Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He holds the Jerry D. Choate Presidential Endowed Chair in Urology Tissue Engineering. He received his B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D. in Biotechnology Engineering from Tufts University. Dr. Mauney’s laboratory focuses on the development and evaluation of silk fibroin grafts for the repair of visceral hollow organs including the bladder and urethra. He also specializes in the creation of novel large animal models of urinary tract disease for preclinical medical device testing. Dr. Mauney has been continuously funded from the National Institutes of Health since 2011. Dr. Mauney has authored >40 international peer-reviewed journal publications.