Research Description

My research interests are to understand extracellular-matrix (ECM) remodeling at the molecular and cellular scale. In particular we are examining the multiple ways in which the collagen receptors (DDR1 and DDR2) modulate collagen fibrillogenesis and the collagen fibril structure. Our ongoing research aims to examine how altered collagen fibril structure impacts cell-matrix interactions, matrix mechanics and matrix mineralization. We employ a wide variety of microscopy techniques (atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal and fluorescence microscopy) to study samples comprising of purified proteins, cell culture, animal models and clinical tissues.

Another vector of my research is to develop novel biomedical applications of the AFM technique. In this direction we are developing methods to analyze iron-deposits and magnetic nanoparticles in biological systems at the single particle level by the magnetic force microscopy technique (MFM) and analytical TEM.