Dr. William Wagner

(Surgery, Bioengineering & MIRM) Cardiovascular biomaterials & device biocompatibility; Myocardial tissue engineering; Cell Adhesion; Ultrasound contrast agents

Our research interests are generally in the area of cardiovascular engineering with projects that address medical device biocompatibility and design, tissue engineering, and imaging. Our group enjoys working across the spectrum from in vitro to clinical studies. The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are uniquely positioned to allow such broad-based projects to flourish and complement one another. Researchers within our group are afforded the opportunity to observe first-hand the clinical successes and failures of currently employed cardiovascular devices while concurrently working on projects that attempt to describe the current modes of failure, test solutions for the current device shortcomings, or develop technologies that may find application as future cardiovascular therapies. The front-line experience afforded by the clinical environment has proven invaluable in the learning experience of group members, not to mention the input such experience has on the creative environment. Current research projects in include: (1) Biomaterials for cardiovascular tissue engineering, (2) Cardiovascular device biocompatibility, (3) Modeling oxygenator performance and biocompatibility, (4) Development of targeted ultrasound contrast agents, (5) Modification of tissue with polymers in situ , (6) Myocardial tissue engineering.