Home| Non-Clinical Lecturer |
Contact details:
| Tel: | +44 20 7882 7160 |
| Fax: | +44 20 7882 7172 |
| Address: |
Centre for Cutaneous Research, |
Biography
I received my Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology under the supervision of Professor Marc Levenston. My doctoral research investigated the chondrogenesis of mesenchymal progenitors within engineered hydrogels. I then spent three years working in Professor Fiona Watt’s laboratory at the University of Cambridge where I developed micro-patterned substrates to study the roles of cell shape and the actin cytoskeleton in keratinocyte terminal differentiation.
Research Activity
My laboratory is interested in how keratinocytes sense and respond to changes in their physical microenvironment. We employ engineered materials and model systems to precisely control the signals presented to cells. Key projects include: (1) The role of biophysical cues in epidermal fate decisions. (2) The influence of substrate mechanics and topography on wound healing. (3) Transcriptional regulators of mechano-transduction in keratinocytes. We also have an on-going interest in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and a long-term goal for our research is to translate our findings into effective strategies for skin repair.
Key Publications
• Connelly JT, Gautrot JE, Trappmann B, Tan DW, Huck WTS, Watt FM. “Actin and SRF transduce physical cues from the microenvironment to regulate epidermal stem cell fate decisions” Nature Cell Biology, 2010; 12(7):711-8.
• Gautrot JE, Trappmann B, Oceguera-Yanez F, Connelly J, He X, Watt FM, Huck WT. “Exploiting the superior protein resistance of polymer brushes to control single cell adhesion and polarisation at the micron scale.” Biomaterials, 2010; 31(18):5030-41.
• Connelly JT, Vanderploeg EJ, Mouw JK, Wilson CW, Levenston ME. “Tensile loading modulates BMSC differentiation and development of engineered fibrocartilage constructs.” Tissue Engineering Part A, 2010; 16(6):1913-23.
• Connelly JT, Wilson CW, Levenston ME, “Characterization of proteoglycan production and processing by chondrocytes and BMSCs in tissue engineered constructs.” Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2008; 16(9):1092-100.
• Connelly JT, Garcia AJ, Levenston ME. “Interactions between integrin ligand density and cytoskeletal integrity regulate BMSC chondrogenesis.” Journal of Cellular Physiology, 2008; 217(1):145-54.
• Mouw JK, Connelly JT, Wilson CW, Michael KM, Levenston ME. “Dynamic compression regulates the expression and synthesis of chondrocyte-specific matrix molecules in bone marrow stromal cells.” Stem Cells, 2007; 25(3):655-63.
• Connelly JT, Garcia AJ, Levenston ME. "Inhibition of in vitro chondrogenesis in RGD-modified three dimensional alginate gels.” Biomaterials. 2007; 28(6):1071-83.
• Connelly JT, Vanderploeg EJ, Levenston ME. “The influence of cyclic tension amplitude on chondrocyte matrix synthesis: Experimental and finite element analyses.” Biorheology. 2004; 41(3-4):377-87.
