Laboratory of Lymphatic Biology and Bioengineering
Google Scholar
CV


Education

  • Ph.D., Texas A&M University, 2006
  • B.S., Texas A&M University, 2001

Teaching Interests

Professor Dixon’s teaching interests include core mechanical engineering subjects at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His focus encompasses fluid mechanics and biomechanics, emphasizing the fundamental principles that underpin engineering systems. He aims to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical problem-solving skills, fostering analytical thinking and quantitative reasoning among students in mechanical engineering.

Research Interests

Dixon directs the Laboratory for Lymphatic Biology and Bioengineering where his research focuses on the development and application of engineering technologies for studying fundamental problems in lymphatic biology and disease and developing therapeutic approaches for targeted restoration of lymphatic function. By combining in vivo lymphatic imaging, tissue engineered model systems of the lymphatic microenvironment, and computational modeling, his research is providing new insights into how lymphatics interact with their mechanical and biological environment in both health and disease. Given that the lymphatics are essential for immune cell trafficking, for lipid transport from the intestine and the periphery, and for maintaining fluid balance and resolving lymphedema, enhanced capabilities to quantify how the lymphatics fulfill these roles will have a broad impact in human health. While every project in the lab has centered around lymphatic physiology and biology, the lab has secured diverse funding sources which has allowed them to pursue completely new directions in recent years such as engineered microphysiologic system models of lymphatic malformations, lipid nanoparticle delivery systems to lymphatics, the role of lymphatics in exosome trafficking, lymphatic involvement in osteoarthritis, lymphatics as a niche for filariasis, and lymphatic lipid trafficking, to name a few. At the same time, the core of the lab has remained focused on understanding the basic mechanisms that are involved in the progressive failure of the lymphatic pump in the context of lymphedema. He is also a co-founder of LymphaTech, a start-up company focused on developing enabling technologies for assessing and managing clinical lymphedema.

Recent Publications 

  • E Michalaki, AN Pulliam, PM Datta Roy, JB Dixon, MC LaPlaca, Near-Infrared Imaging of Glymphatic Clearance in a Pre-Clinical Model of Repetitive Closed Head Traumatic Brain Injury, Neurotrauma Reports 6 (1), 115-128, 2025.
  • WJ Polacheck, JB Dixon, WY Aw, Understanding the Lymphatic System: Tissue-on-Chip Modeling, Annual review of Biomedical Engineering 27, 2025.
  • LN Liebman, Y Shen, ZS Buchwald, Z Nepiyushchikh, Z Qi, AJ García, ..., Lymphatic vessel network injury reduces local tumor control despite preservation of the tumor-draining lymph node, Scientific Reports 15 (1), 3485, 2025.
  • Y Shen, E Connolly, M Aiello, C Zhou, P Chappa, H Song, P Tippitak, ..., Combination radiation and αPD-L1 enhance tumor control by stimulating CD8+ PD-1+ TCF-1+ T cells in the tumor-draining lymph node, Nature Communications 16 (1), 3522, 2025.
  • JM Kaiser, FC Bernard, K Pucha, SK Raval, T Eng, T Fulton, SE Anderson, ..., Mild Exercise Expedites Joint Clearance and Slows Joint Degradation in a Joint Instability Model of Osteoarthritis in Male Rats, Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2024.