![](https://ibiostep.ucmerced.edu/sites/ibiostep.ucmerced.edu/files/mcclosky-k.jpeg)
Professional Title:
Associate Professor, Materials and Biomaterials Science and Engineering
Email:
Lab Website(s):
Research Interests:
Tissue engineering is a sub/cross discipline that focuses on the design, development and maintenance of tissue products that are used for repairing, improving or restoring tissue function. This field is still in its infancy, and many problems and challenges exist that have yet to be overcome before safe, high-quality engineered tissue products are available in the marketplace. Therefore, my research focuses on:
- Deriving and characterizing pure populations from stem cells in vitro
- Comparing the function of such cells with mature cells derived in vivo
- Using these cells towards regenerative medicine applications
- Tissue engineering and cell therapy approaches
- Cardiovascular cell lineage, but plan to expand into other cell systems long-term