Anti-inflammatory Cell Based Repair of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

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This application is for a diversity supplement for a graduate (pre-doctoral) student that will be advised by the PI Dr. Nadeen Chahine’s on a research project related to this NIH parent award. The candidate will be a new PhD graduate student at Columbia University Department of Biomedical Engineering (PhD program). The candidate is a female engineer (U.S. citizen) from an underrepresented race/ethnic group in STEM, as defined by the guidelines provided by NSF and NIH on workforce diversity. The candidate’s graduate training in Biomedical Engineering (PhD program) at Columbia University enhances the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. The diversity supplement project will examine the effects of substrate stiffness and intervertebral disc (IVD) derived matrices on promoting anti-inflammatory cell based repair of the degenerated IVDs. The diversity supplement project is a direct extension of the scope of the parent R01 studies on anti-inflammatory cell based repair of IVD degeneration. A greater understanding of how physical and mechanical cues regulate cell based repair of the IVD is expected to provide therapeutic advances for treatment of disc degeneration and back pain.