Jae-Won Shin, PhD

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING

Contact

Address:

909 S Wolcott Ave

Office Phone Voice:

(312) 355-4435

Email:

shinjw@uic.edu

Professional Memberships

Shin JW, Mooney DJ. Extracellular matrix mechanics cause systematic variations in proliferation and chemosenstivity in myeloid leukemias. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 113: 12126-12131, 2016.

Mao AS*, Shin JW*, Utech S, Wang H, Uzun O, Weitz DA, Mooney DJ. Deterministic encapsulation of single cells in thin tunable microgels for niche modeling and therapeutic delivery. Nature Materials. 2016 (In press, *co-first author).

Shin JW, Mooney DJ. Improving stem cell therapeutics with mechanobiology. Cell Stem Cell. 18:16-19, 2016.

Shin JW, Buxboim A, Spinler KR, Swift J, Christian DA, Hunter CA, Leon C, Cachet C, Dingal PC, Ivanovska IL, Rehfeldt F, Chasis JA, Discher DE. Contractile forces sustain and polarize hematopoiesis from stem and progenitor cells. Cell Stem Cell. 14:81-93, 2014.

Shin JW, Spinler KR, Swift J, Chasis JA, Mohandas N, Discher DE. Lamins regulate cell trafficking and lineage maturation of adult human hematopoietic cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 110:18892-7, 2013.

Shin JW, Spinler KL, Swift J, Discher DE. Myosin-II inhibition and soft 2D matrix maximize multinucleation and cellular projections typical of platelet-producing megakaryocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 108:11458-63, 2011.

Research Currently in Progress

Our laboratory aims to develop biophysical approaches to cell therapies. To achieve this goal, we are integrating methods from both biological and physical sciences to investigate how biophysical forces, such as fluid shear and matrix mechanics impact stem cell functions in the hematopoietic system and other systems derived from the mesoderm. To both manipulate and measure physical forces exerted on cells, we use various microtechnologies, including micropipetting, atomic force microscopy, and microfluidics. These methods are used in combination with molecular biology and protein biochemistry to reveal mechanobiological circuits underlying force-dependent regulation of stem cell trafficking and solube factor secretions. Fundamental insights from these efforts are aimed at developing biomaterial-based translational applications for blood and immune diseases by designing stem cell therapy products ex vivo, controlling cell delivery in vivo, and targeting cells in situ. Specific projects include:

1. Evaluating effects of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells encapsulated in thin microgels on the outcomes of hematopoietic transplantation.

2. Delineating molecular mechanisms behind mechanical regulation of cytokine output from mesenchymal cells in various disease contexts, including fibrosis and tumor immunology.

3. Developing novel methods to control mechanical properties of select cell populations.