Associate Professor of Medical Science, Associate Professor of Engineering, Associate Professor of Orthopaedics

Overview

Eric Darling is Associate Professor of Medical Science, Engineering, and Orthopaedics and is faculty in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and a member of the Center for Biomedical Engineering. He received a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Rice University, and post-doctoral training at Duke University.

As a member of the Center for Biomedical Engineering, the goal of Professor Darling's research is to understand the relationship between the biological function of cells and tissues and their micro/nano-scale mechanical properties, with special focus on stem cells. Professor Darling's long-term objective is to use quantitative assessment of the mechanical and biological characteristics of heterogeneous cell populations to improve tissue regeneration and cell-based therapies.

His research program encompasses major topics in cell mechanics, stem cells, and regenerative medicine. A primary focus is to understand how the mechanical properties of cells and tissues influence their behavior, with studies emphasizing both fundamental phenomena and translational applications. Areas of expertise include cartilage tissue engineering, cellular mechanics, and more recently drug delivery. Hyper-compliant microparticles are a core technology originally developed in the Darling Lab and are being applied to each of these areas due to their unique characteristics and physical similarity to living cells. Beyond mechanobiology-focused projects, major research thrusts also include studying cellular heterogeneity and practical methods for sorting/enrichment of adult stem cells.

Brown Affiliations

Research Areas

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