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Yusuf Khan, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Research Interests:
Tissue scaffolds, treatment of musculoskeletal defects, bone defects due to trauma and congenital defects, autografts and allografts, and biodegradable polymers and ceramics.
Address:
MC3711, Room No: E7052
UConn Health Center
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030
Office Phone: (860)-679-4097
Fax: (860) 679-1553
Education:
PhD Drexel University

Research Summary:

The treatment of musculoskeletal defects, particularly bone defects, due to trauma, congenital defects, or other anomalies is dominated by the use of autografts and allografts. Autografts are tissue that is harvested from a donor site within a patient and re-implanted at the defect site. Allografts are tissue harvested from a cadaver. Each solution, however, has limitations and presents a need for suitable alternatives. Our research interests lie in finding solutions to these problems through tissue engineering. The development of biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds capable of sustaining cellular migration, proliferation, and differentiation is central to our work. Through the use of biodegradable polymers alone and in combination with ceramic materials, we are investigating strategies to synthesize scaffolds that are also capable of delivering proteins and growth factors essential for complete and adequate healing of bone defects.

More information about current projects can be found at:

http://regenerativeengineering.uchc.edu/team/khan.html

 

Selected Publications:

1)   Veronick JA, Assanah F, Piscopo N, Kutes Y, Vyas V, Nair LS, Huey BD, Khan Y*. Mechanically Loading Cell/Hydrogel Constructs with Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound for Bone Repair. Tissue Engineering 2017 [Epub ahead of print].

 

2)   Assanah F, McDermott C, Malinowski S, Kumbar S, Adams DJ, Khan Y*. Enhancing the Functionality of Trabecular Allografts through Polymeric Coating for Factor Loading. Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine 3(2), 75–81, 2017.

 

3)   Sharmin F, McDermott C, Lieberman J, Sanjay A, Khan Y*. Dual Growth Factor Delivery from Biofunctionalized Allografts: Sequential VEGF and BMP-2 Release to Stimulate Allograft Remodeling. J Orthop Res. 35(5), 1086-1095, 2017.

 

4)   Veronick J, Assanah F, Nair LS, Vyas V, Huey B, Khan Y*.  The Effect of Acoustic Radiation Force on Osteoblasts in Cell/Hydrogel Constructs for Bone Repair. Exp. Biol. & Med. 241(10):1149-56. 2016.

 

5)   Sharmin F, Adams D, Pensak M, Dukas A, Lieberman J, Khan Y*. Biofunctionalizing Devitalized Bone Allografts through Polymer-Mediated Short and Long Term Growth Factor Delivery. J Biomed Mater. Res. 103(9):2847-54. 2015.