Robert Guldberg, Ph.D.
Vice President and Robert and Leona DeArmond Executive Director
Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact
University of Oregon
Seminar Information
Complex musculoskeletal trauma with injury to multiple tissues is associated with high complication rates and poor functional recovery. Advances in biomaterials-mediated spatiotemporal delivery strategies have shown promise for promoting functional regeneration. However, response to local treatment for complex injuries, in particular, can be highly variable. We have recently shown in clinically relevant models that early systemic immune response biomarkers are predictive of patient-specific musculoskeletal trauma outcomes, suggesting that immunomodulation therapies may complement local regenerative treatment approaches. In parallel studies, we have integrated implantable sensors into our preclinical models to monitor the local mechanical environment in the regenerative niche. The results revealed potent effects of mechanical factors such as timing and magnitude on physiological processes essential for functional regeneration, including re-vascularization of the injured tissues, and suggest that integration of regenerative medicine and post-intervention rehabilitation strategies may be essential to optimize functional recovery from complex musculoskeletal injuries.
Robert Guldberg is vice president and Robert and Leona DeArmond executive director of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact at the University of Oregon. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering as well as a master’s degree in bioengineering, all from the University of Michigan. Guldberg also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at Michigan before joining the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1996. At Georgia Tech, Guldberg was a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, and served as executive director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (2010-2018) before moving to Oregon to lead the Knight Campus.
His research program is focused in the areas of musculoskeletal regenerative medicine, biomaterials, immunoengineering, mechanobiology, and orthopaedic medical device design and is currently funded by the NIH, NSF, and DOD. Over his 20+ year academic career, Dr. Guldberg has produced over 250 peer-reviewed publications, served as an advisor and board member for numerous biotechnology companies, patented multiple technologies, and co-founded five start-ups. In 2017, he was a keynote speaker at the Major League Baseball Winter Annual Meetings in Orlando, FL on challenges and opportunities in regenerative medicine for athletes. At the national level, Dr. Guldberg has held several leadership positions, including President of the Americas Chapter of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS-AM). Dr. Guldberg is an elected fellow of TERMIS, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).