Email
gpins@wpi.edu
Office
Gateway Park 4010
Phone
+1 (508) 8315000 x6742
Education
BS Rutgers University 1989
PhD Rutgers University 1996
Postdoc Harvard Medical School 1999

The overall objective of my research is to create bioengineered scaffolds to enhance the regeneration of damaged tissues and organs. Specifically, my laboratory uses biomimetic design strategies and novel fabrication processes to develop three-dimensional constructs that emulate native tissue architecture and cellular microenvironments. We use these scaffolds to characterize the roles of extracellular matrix (ECM) cues and topographic features in modulating cellular functions, including adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, and tissue remodeling. For example, we are investigating the design of microfabricated basement membrane structures to direct keratinocyte function and enhance the performance of bioengineered skin substitutes. We are also designing novel biopolymer microthreads that are being used to deliver stem cells and to facilitate myocardial or skeletal muscle regeneration. These scaffolds have been used, as well, to develop in vitro model systems to predict cellular and tissue responses to implantable biomaterials for the repair of soft tissues including tendon and ligament.

In the classroom, I enjoy teaching students about the fundamentals of biomaterials science and cell-biomaterial interactions to design implantable biomaterials that promote functional tissue restoration. I particularly enjoying working with teams of students on capstone design projects to develop biomaterials scaffolds and benchtop assays to characterize cell-biomaterial interactions that can be used to solve clinical problems related to wound healing and tissue regeneration. At the graduate level, I enjoy mentoring master’s and doctoral students; helping them develop into independent scientists and engineers who will contribute to solutions of various healthcare problems.

Scholarly Work

Rapid release of growth factors regenerates force output in volumetric muscle loss injuries. Grasman JM, Do DM, Page RL, Pins GD. Biomaterials. 2015 Dec;72:49-60. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.08.047. Epub 2015 Aug 28. PMID: 26344363

Static axial stretching enhances the mechanical properties and cellular responses of fibrin microthreads. Grasman JM, Pumphrey LM, Dunphy M, Perez-Rogers J, Pins GD. Acta Biomater. 2014 Oct;10(10):4367-76. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.06.021. Epub 2014 Jun 20. PMID: 24954911

Novel electrodes for underwater ECG monitoring. Reyes BA, Posada-Quintero HF, Bales JR, Clement AL, Pins GD, Swiston A, Riistama J, Florian JP, Shykoff B, Qin M, Chon KH. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2014 Jun;61(6):1863-76. doi: 10.1109/TBME.2014.2309293. PMID: 24845297

Delivering stem cells to the healthy heart on biological sutures: effects on regional mechanical function. Tao ZW, Favreau JT, Guyette JP, Hansen KJ, Lessard J, Burford E, Pins GD, Gaudette GR. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2014 Apr 21. doi: 10.1002/term.1904. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24753390

Micropatterned dermal-epidermal regeneration matrices create functional niches that enhance epidermal morphogenesis. Clement AL, Moutinho TJ Jr, Pins GD. Acta Biomater. 2013 Dec;9(12):9474-84. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.08.017. Epub 2013 Aug 17. PMID: 23958778

10. Crosslinking strategies facilitate tunable structural properties of fibrin microthreads. Grasman JM, Page RL, Dominko T, Pins GD. Acta Biomater. 2012 Nov;8(11):4020-30. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2012.07.018. Epub 2012 Jul 21. PMID: 22824528

Professional Highlights & Honors
Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE),

Leadership Advisory Council, ARMI / Biofab USA,

Board of Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Academic Advising, WPI,

Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) - Council on Diversity,

News

SEE MORE NEWS ABOUT George Pins
STAT News
This team is on the verge of creating a beating Band-Aid for the heart. Just don’t call it goopy

The Boston Globe’s ‘STAT’ section published an article today on WPI research aimed at helping the heart recover after parts of it die from lack of oxygen. “I want to fix people with heart attacks,” George Pins, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering, told STAT. “I think it’s an important global health care problem and there’s significant unmet need.”