Laura E. Niklason, M.D., Ph.D.

Laura E. Niklason, M.D., Ph.D.
Vice Chair Anesthesiology
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
Associate Professor Biomedical Engineering
Vascular Biology & Therapeutics

B.S., Physics, 1983: University of Illinois
B.A., Biophysics, 1983: University of Illinois
Ph.D.,Biophysics, 1988: University of Chicago
M.D., 1991: University of Michigan

Research Interests

Currently, Dr. Niklason’s research program has several areas of focus. With regard to engineered arteries. Niklason is engaged in preclinical studies in large animals to validate the method for generating engineered tissues that are available “off the shelf”. Large animal studies on vascular grafts are centered on immune/inflammatory response minimization to these off-theshelf tissues, and on the long-term function of the grafts in the arterial circulation. In addition, Niklason is developing tissue engineering approaches to generating vascularized cardiac muscle, as well as vascularized lung tissue. In addition, Niklason has active research interests in vascular remodeling that is associated with various disease states, including atherosclerosis and arterial vasospasm.

Representative Publications

Gong, Z., Niklason, L.E. Blood Vessels Engineered from Human Cell. Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine 16(5):153-156, 2006.

Miller, C.A., Lombard, F.W., Wu, C.T., Hubbard, C.J., Silbajoris, L., Borel, C.O., Niklason, L.E. Role of vascular mitogens in subarachnoid hemorrhage-associated cerebral vasculopathy. Neurocritical Care 5(3):215-21, 2006.

Ingber, D.E., Mow, V.C., Butler, D., Niklason, L., Huard, J., Mao, J., Yannas, I., Kaplan, D., Vunjak- Novakovic, G. Tissue engineering and developmental biology: going biomimetic. Tissue Engineering 12: 3265-83; 2006.

Dahl, S.L., Rhim, C., Song, Y.C., Niklason, L.E. Mechanical Properties and Compositions of Tissue Engineered and Native Arteries. Annals of Biomedical Engineering 35(3):348-355, 2007. (Epub 2007 Jan 6.)

Humphrey, J.D., Baek, S., Niklason, L.E. Biochemomechanics of Cerebral Vasospasm and its Resolution: I. A New Hypothesis and Theoretical Framework. Annals of Biomedical Engineering 2007 May 9; [Epub ahead of print]