Director: Jan Lammerding

Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Associate Director of the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering 
Faculty member, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology

The Lammerding laboratory uses a multidisciplinary research approach that combines engineering principles, microfabrication, the development of novel experimental assays, and cell & molecular biology techniques to investigate the intricate interplay between cellular structure, mechanics and function, with a particular emphasis on the cell nucleus. Dr. Lammerding is a pioneer and internationally recognized leader in the field of nuclear mechanobiology who has made seminal contributions to understanding the effect of mechanical forces on nuclear structure and function and defining the role of nuclear mechanobiology in human disease, with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. 

Dr. Lammerding’s research centers on three core areas, with substantial synergies and crosstalk between them: (1) Determine how mechanical stimuli from the cytoskeleton and extracellular environment modulate nuclear structure, organization, gene expression, and ultimately cellular fate and function. (2) Identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for muscular dystrophies, cardiomyopathies, and other diseases linked to perturbed nuclear mechanobiology and to assess novel therapeutic strategies targeting these mechanisms. (3) Understand how the physical properties of the nucleus determine the ability of cells to migrate through confined spaces in 3-D microenvironments, and how the associated nuclear deformation affects cellular fate and function, particularly in the context of cancer metastasis and immune cell migration. The research spans molecular, cellular, and tissue scales, in vitro and in vivo. For more details, see view here.

Administrative Contact: wicmb_admin@cornell.edu