Michael Mak

Overview:

Mechanical and biophysical signals are critical in proper tissue organization and function, and dysregulation of these signals can drive disease phenotypes, including cancer metastasis, drug resistance, and tissue fibrosis.  The focus of the Mak Research Lab is centered on 3 inter-related directions: 1) Uncovering principles of cell mechanosensing of complex multifactorial signals, 2) synthesizing more realistic extracellular matrix material states, and 3) building next generation functional tissues and organs.  Together, these directions mutually advance each other and aim to provide: biophysical and mechanobiological insights toward understanding disease and development, especially in cancer, fibrosis, morphogenesis, and organogenesis; tools for improved biomaterials and biomimetics, with applications in novel therapeutics; and user-designable functional tissue and organ systems for advanced disease modeling and regenerative medicine.  Toward understanding and building mechanobiological systems, our lab takes interdisciplinary and integrated approaches involving biomedical design, tissue engineering, biophysics, mechanics, materials science, biofabrication, bioprinting, microfluidics, computational modeling, bioinformatics, quantitative microscopy, and novel experimental systems.

Engineered Tumor Models

Engineered Organoids