Catherine K. Kuo
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences,
        Program in Cell, Molecular & Developmental Biology

Education
2002 Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Biomaterials / Macromolecular Science and Engineering
1997 B.S.E., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Materials Science and Engineering

Honors and Awards

• Invited Speaker, 2012 BMES-SPRBM Conference on Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, San Juan, Puerto Rico (2012)
• Invited Speaker, Gordon Research Conference on Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Holderness, NH (2011)
• March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award (2011)
• Faculty Research Award Grant, Tufts University (2011)
• Invited Speaker, NSF Biomaterials Workshop, Réduit, Mauritius (2009)
• Faculty Research Award Grant, Tufts University, Medford, MA (2009)
• Invited Speaker, 35th Annual NEBEC, Cambridge, MA (2009)
• Invited Speaker, GRC on Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering, Andover, NH (2008)
• Invited Speaker, NIH Career Symposium, NIH, Bethesda, MD (2008)
• Invited Speaker, 20th NIH Research Festival, Bethesda, MD (2007)
• Keystone Symposia Scholarship, Tissue Engineering and Development Biology, Snowbird, UT (2007)
• Keynote Postdoctoral Fellow Speaker, NCTERM 2006 Meeting, Research Triangle Park, NC (2006)
• Best Research Fellow Paper, ISL&T-VI, Chicago, IL (2006)
• Best Research Fellow Paper, ISL&T-V, Washington, DC (2005)
• Dominic D. Dziewiatkowski Award, Dental School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (2001)
• Best Engineering Presentation Award, UM Macromolecular Science & Engineering Center 24th Annual Symposium, Ann Arbor, MI (2000)
• NIH Biomaterials Training Grant Fellowship, Ann Arbor, MI (1997-2002)

Research Interests
The overarching research theme in the Kuo Lab is that embryogenesis inspired regeneration strategies will result in accelerated stem cell differentiation and musculoskeletal tissue development. The primary model tissues in this research are tendon and ligament, with focus extended to associative tissues of mesenchymal origin. In this vein and with the long-term goal of engineering living tissue replacements, Professor Kuo's primary research interests are in three major areas:

1. Development of three-dimensional culture models with which to study developmental biology and disease mechanisms of engineered tissues of mesenchymal origin
2. Chemo- and mechanoregulation of embryonic progenitor and adult stem cell differentiation and tissue development (in vivo and engineered in vitro)
3. Scaffold development and characterization of structure-function relationships

Professional Positions

• Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Assistant Professor, Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Program, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences
• Visiting Professor, School of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, Dr. Rocky S. Tuan, Mentor
• Graduate Student Research Fellow, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, Macromolecular Science and Engineering Center, Dr. Peter X. Ma, Mentor

Professional Service

• Reviewer of Proposals: DoD, NIH, NIST, NSF
• Track Co-Chair. BMES Annual Fall Meeting, Hartford, CT (2011)
• Program Committee Member, Session Moderator and Judge. ISL&T-XI, Long Beach, CA (2011)
• Session Chair. ORS Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA (2011)
• Member. International Advisory Committee for ISL&T (2010-Present)
• Session Chair. BMES Annual Fall Meeting, Austin, TX (2010)
• Discussion Leader. Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering GRC, Andover, NH (2010)
• Program Committee Member and Session Chair and Judge. ISL&T-X, Hong Kong, SAR (2010)
• Session Chair. TERMIS-EU, Galway, Ireland (2010)
• Committee Member. BMES Affiliations Committee (2010-Present)
• Working Group Co-Chair. 3rd Regional Scientific Workshop, ORWH / NIH / DHHS, Providence, RI (2009)
• Session Chair. BMES Annual Fall Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA (2009)
• Session Chair. NEBEC Annual Meeting, Cambridge, MA (2009)
• Program Committee Member, Session Chair and Judge. ISL&T-IX, Las Vegas, NV (2009)
• Advisor. CSEMS Program for Undergraduate Students from Low-Income Backgrounds, Tufts University, Medford, MA (2008-Present)
• Subcommittee Chair. NIH Working Group for Women in Biomedical Careers (WG co-chaired by NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and Dr. Vivian Pinn), Bethesda, MD (2007-2008)
• Faculty. AAOS / OREF / ORS 2007 Clinician Scientist Development Program, Asheville, NC (2007)
• Session Moderator. NCTERM Meeting, Research Triangle Park, NC (2006)