Darcy Wagner
Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Lung Regenerative Medicine
Faculty, Meakins-Christie Laboratories ()
Scientist, Translational Research in Respiratory Diseases Program (RESP) at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre ()
Principal Investigator, McGill Regenerative Medicine Network ()
Our lab focuses on how the extracellular environment directs stem cell behavior for endogenous and exogenous lung tissue regeneration. We use a multidisciplinary approach using advances in materials science (polymer design and synthesis), manufacturing (e.g. 3D bioprinting), and endogenous and iPSC-derived lung stem cells to construct these new models.
The main areas of interest of the lab are:
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Design and use of biologic (acellular) and synthetic scaffolds in diverse manufacturing approaches to bioengineer new lung tissue for transplantation.
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Understand the role of the extracellular matrix in directing lung stem cell behaviour in vivo and ex vivo during regeneration (normal and pathologic)
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Build and validate new models of human lung tissue and chronic lung disease to reduce animal usage and for use as drug discovery and therapeutic screening platforms
Keywords: bioengineering, lung regeneration, biomaterials, stem cells, bioprinting, microfluidics, light sheet fluorescence microscopy, image analysis