Biography

Dr. Schaffer's research program employs molecular and cellular engineering approaches to investigate biomedical problems. The laboratory is a part of the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, and the Bioengineering Graduate Group at Berkeley. The group are interested in the related areas of stem cell bioengineering, gene delivery systems, and molecular virology, with applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Many of Dr. Schaffer's efforts are dedicated to understanding the biology and exploring the therapeutic potential of stem cells. Stem cells are immature cells that exist in various locations of our bodies. Throughout our lifetimes, these cells divide and develop into the specialized cells that perform the functions necessary for life. Therefore, if we contract a disease that kills those specialized cells, our stem cells are a potential source for replacing lost cells to counteract or even cure the disorder.

There are several challenges that must be overcome in this field. In particular, efforts to engineer tissues rely upon the ability to control stem cells. That is, the signals that control stem cell function and fate must first be discovered, and then integrated into cellular microenvironments to control stem cell expansion and lineage-specific differentiation. The Schaffer group has efforts underway in novel signal discovery, computational and experimental analysis of the biological networks that cells use to interpret and implement these signals, and on the integration of these signals into synthetic, polymeric microenvironments for optimal stem cell control in collaboration with the group of Prof. Kevin Healy (Bioengineering). This blend of stem cell biology, systems biology analysis, and biomaterials engineering has led to significant advances in the application of stem cells for tissue repair.

David Schaffer's Abstract