Garcia Laboratory
 

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1996
  • M.S.E., University of Pennsylvania, 1992
  • B.S., Cornell University, 1991

Background

Dr. García began at Tech in 1998 as an Assistant Professor. Prior, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Microbiology at the School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.

Research

  • Bioengineering; Engineered biomaterials and biotherapeutic/cell-delivery vehicles for regenerative medicine applications, including bone repair, vascularization, and inflammation, including arthritis. Mechanisms regulating cell adhesive forces.

Andrés J. García is the Executive Director of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and Regents’ Professor at Woodruff School in the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. García’s research program integrates innovative engineering, materials science, and cell biology concepts and technologies to create cell-instructive biomaterials for regenerative medicine and generate new knowledge in mechanobiology. This cross-disciplinary effort has resulted in new biomaterial platforms that elicit targeted cellular responses and tissue repair in various biomedical applications, innovative technologies to study and exploit cell adhesive interactions, and new mechanistic insights into the interplay of mechanics and cell biology. In addition, his research has generated intellectual property and licensing agreements with start-up and multi-national companies. He is a co-founder of 3 start-up companies (CellectCell, CorAmi Therapeutics, iTolerance).

  • Member, National Academy of Engineering, 2021
  • Member, National Academy of Medicine, 2021
  • Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2021.
  • Member, National Academy of Inventors, 2020
  • International Award, European Society for Biomaterials, 2018
  • Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2016
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2012
  • Clemson Award for Basic Research, Society for Biomaterials, 2012
  • Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, International Union of Societies of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, 2012
  • Outstanding Interdisciplinary Activities Award, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009.
  • Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2007
  • Young Investigator Award, Society for Biomaterials, 2004
  • CETL/BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2002.
  • NSF CAREER Award, 2001

Patents

  • García, A.J., Boettiger, D., and Ducheyne, P. Bioactive glass or ceramic substrates having bound cell adhesion molecules. U.S. Patent 6,413,538.
  • García AJ, Reyes CD, Petrie TA, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD, Raynor JE, Collard DM, Wojtowicz AM, Guldberg RE. Biomolecular coating for implants. U.S. Patent 8,114,431.
  • Lehman SM, Donlan RM, García AJ. Controlled covalent attachment of bioactive bacteriophage for regulating biofilm development. U.S. Patent 9,457,132.
  • Whitmire RE, Scott DS, Murthy N, García AJ. Biofunctionalized polymer microparticles for biotherapeutic delivery. WO Patent 2,012,142,292.
  • García AJ, Singh A, Suri S, McDevitt TC, Lu H. Adhesive signature-based pluripotent stem cell separation. U.S. Patent 10,570,374.
  • García AJ, Headen DM, Phelps EA, Lu H, Aubry G. Microgels for encapsulation of cells and other biologic agents. U.S. Patent 9,381,217.
  • Cruz-Acuña R, García AJ, Nusrat A, Spence JR, Quirós M. Synthetic hydrogel carriers for cellular structures, generation of organoids, and treatment of tissue injury. U.S. Patent Application 20200078493.
  • Shirwan H, Yolcu ES, Zhao H, Headen DM, García AJ. FasL-engineered biomaterials with immunomodulatory function. U.S. Patent Application 20200046780.
  • García AJ, Cermeño E, Singh A, McDevitt T, Thomas SN. Adhesion-based separation of cancer cell sub populations for cancer diagnostics. U.S. Divisional Patent Application 16/149,918.
  • Johnson CT, García AJ. Synthetic hydrogel carriers for bone repair. U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/587,190.
     

Representative Publications

View all publications in PubMed.

  • Coronel MM, Martin KE, Hunckler MD, Barber G, O'Neill EB, Medina JD, Opri E, McClain CA, Batra L, Weaver JD, Lim HS, Qiu P, Botchwey EA, Yolcu ES, Shirwan H, García AJ. Immunotherapy via PD-L1-presenting biomaterials leads to long-term islet graft survival.
    Sci Adv. 2020 Aug 28;6(35):eaba5573. Link 
     
  • Clark AY, Martin KE, García JR, Johnson CT, Theriault HS, Han WM, Zhou DW, Botchwey EA, García AJ. Integrin-specific hydrogels modulate transplanted human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell survival, engraftment, and reparative activities. Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 8;11(1):114. Link 
  • García JR, Quirós M, Han WM, O'Leary MN, Cox GN, Nusrat A, García AJ. IFN-γ-tethered hydrogels enhance mesenchymal stem cell-based immunomodulation and promote tissue repair. Biomaterials. 2019 Nov;220:119403. Link  
  • Han WM, Mohiuddin M, Anderson SE, García AJ, Jang YC. Co-delivery of Wnt7a and muscle stem cells using synthetic bioadhesive hydrogel enhances murine muscle regeneration and cell migration during engraftment. Acta Biomater. 2019 Aug;94:243-252. Link 
  • Johnson CT, Sok MCP, Martin KE, Kalelkar PP, Caplin JD, Botchwey EA, García AJ. Lysostaphin and BMP-2 co-delivery reduces S. aureus infection and regenerates critical-sized segmental bone defects. Sci Adv. 2019 May 17;5(5):eaaw1228. Link 
  • Hunckler MD, Medina JD, Coronel MM, Weaver JD, Stabler CL, García AJ. Linkage groups within thiol-ene photoclickable PEG hydrogels control in vivo stability. Adv Healthc Mater. 2019 Jul;8(14):e1900371. Link
  • Agarwal R, Johnson CT, Imhoff BR, Donlan RM, McCarty NA, García AJ. Inhaled bacteriophage-loaded polymeric microparticles ameliorate acute lung infections. Nat Biomed Eng. 2018 Nov;2(11):841-849. link
  • Headen DM, Woodward KB, Coronel MM, Shrestha P, Weaver JD, Zhao H, Tan M, Hunckler MD, Bowen WS, Johnson CT, Shea L, Yolcu ES, García AJ, Shirwan H. Local immunomodulation with Fas ligand-engineered biomaterials achieves allogeneic islet graft acceptance. Nat Mater. 2018; 17(8):732-739. link
  • Johnson CT, Wroe JA, Agarwal R, Martin KE, Guldberg RE, Donlan RM, Westblade LF, García AJ. Hydrogel delivery of lysostaphin eliminates orthopedic implant infection by Staphylococcus aureus and supports fracture healing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018; 115(22):E4960-E4969. link
  • Cruz-Acuña R, Quirós M, Huang S, Siuda D, Spence JR, Nusrat A, García AJ. PEG-4MAL hydrogels for human organoid generation, culture, and in vivo delivery.
    Nat Protoc. 2018 Sep;13(9):2102-2119. link
    Erratum in: Nat Protoc. 2018 Oct 24.
  • Han WM, Anderson SE, Mohiuddin M, Barros D, Nakhai SA, Shin E, Amaral IF, Pêgo AP, García AJ, Jang YC. Synthetic matrix enhances transplanted satellite cell engraftment in dystrophic and aged skeletal muscle with comorbid trauma. Sci Adv. 2018 Aug 15;4(8):eaar4008. link
  • Cruz-Acuña R, Quirós M, Farkas AE, Dedhia PH, Huang S, Siuda D, García-Hernández V, Miller AJ, Spence JR, Nusrat A, García AJ. Synthetic hydrogels for human intestinal organoid generation and colonic wound repair. Nat Cell Biol. 2017; 19(11):1326-1335. link
  • Weaver JD, Headen DM, Aquart J, Johnson CT, Shea LD, Shirwan H, García AJ. Vasculogenic hydrogel enhances islet survival, engraftment, and function in leading extrahepatic sites. Sci Adv. 2017; 3(6):e1700184. link
  • Enemchukwu NO, Cruz-Acuña R, Bongiorno T, Johnson CT, García JR, Sulchek T, García AJ. Synthetic matrices reveal contributions of ECM biophysical and biochemical properties to epithelial morphogenesis. J Cell Biol. 2016; 212(1):113-24. link
  • Lee TT, García JR, Paez JI, Singh A, Phelps EA, Weis S, Shafiq Z, Shekaran A, del Campo A, García AJ. Light-triggered in vivo activation of adhesive peptides regulates cell adhesion, inflammation and vascularization of biomaterials. Nat Mater. 2015; 14(3):352-60. link
  • Shekaran A, García JR, Clark AY, Kavanaugh TE, Lin AS, Guldberg RE, García AJ. Bone regeneration using an alpha 2 beta 1 integrin-specific hydrogel as a BMP-2 delivery vehicle. Biomaterials. 2014; 35(21):5453-61. link
  • Headen DM, Aubry G, Lu H, García AJ. Microfluidic-based generation of size-controlled, biofunctionalized synthetic polymer microgels for cell encapsulation. Adv Mater. 2014; 26(19):3003-8. link
  • Dumbauld DW, Lee TT, Singh A, Scrimgeour J, Gersbach CA, Zamir EA, Fu J, Chen CS, Curtis JE, Craig SW, García AJ. How vinculin regulates force transmission. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2013; 110:9788-93. link
  • Singh A, Suri S, Lee T, Chilton JM, Cooke MT, Chen W, Fu J, Stice SL, Lu H, McDevitt TC, García AJ. Adhesion strength-based, label-free isolation of human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Methods. 2013; 10(5):438-44. link
  • Coyer SR, Singh A, Dumbauld DW, Calderwood DA, Craig SW, Delamarche E, García AJ. Nanopatterning reveals an ECM area threshold for focal adhesion assembly and force transmission that is regulated by integrin activation and cytoskeleton tension. J Cell Sci. 2012; 125:5110-23. link
  • Phelps EA, Enemchukwu NO, Fiore VF, Sy JC, Murthy N, Sulchek TA, Barker TH, García AJ. Maleimide cross-linked bioactive PEG hydrogel exhibits improved reaction kinetics and cross-linking for cell encapsulation and in situ delivery. Adv Mater. 2012; 24(1):64-70. link
  • Petrie TA, Raynor JE, Dumbauld DW, Lee TT, Jagtap S, Templeman KL, Collard DM, García AJ. Multivalent integrin-specific ligands enhance tissue healing and biomaterial integration. Sci Transl Med. 2010; 2(45):45ra60. link
  • Phelps EA, Landázuri N, Thulé PM, Taylor WR, García AJ. Bioartificial matrices for therapeutic vascularization. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2010; 107(8):3323-8. link
  • Phillips JE, Burns KL, Le Doux JM, Guldberg RE, García AJ. Engineering graded tissue interfaces. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2008; 105(34):12170-5. link
  • Gersbach CA, Le Doux JM, Guldberg RE, García AJ. Inducible regulation of Runx2-stimulated osteogenesis. Gene Ther. 2006; 13(11):873-82. link
  • Gallant ND, Michael KE, García AJ. Cell adhesion strengthening: contributions of adhesive area, integrin binding, and focal adhesion assembly. Mol Biol Cell. 2005; 16(9):4329-40. link
  • Keselowsky BG, Collard DM, García AJ. Integrin binding specificity regulates biomaterial surface chemistry effects on cell differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005; 102(17):5953-7. link
  • Keselowsky BG, Collard DM, García AJ. Surface chemistry modulates fibronectin conformation and directs integrin binding and specificity to control cell adhesion. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2003; 66:247-59. link
  • Reyes CD, García AJ. Engineering integrin-specific surfaces with a triple-helical collagen-mimetic peptide. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2003; 65(4):511-23. link