Her research program is distinguished by bold, forward-looking technology development and rigorous biological translation. The Tissue Regeneration & Mechanobiology (TRAM) Lab integrates human cell and advanced 3D tissue models with extracellular vesicle engineering, CRISPR-based genome manipulation, and precisely controlled mechanical stimulation (e.g., stiffness/topography, stretch, compression) to uncover and modulate drivers of inflammation, degeneration, and fibrosis. Research focuses primarily on musculoskeletal disorders - particularly intervertebral disc degeneration and back pain - while extending mechanistic and regenerative approaches to skin and lung disease. This interdisciplinary approach, spanning engineering, molecular biology, and translational partnerships, positions her work as both high-potential and uniquely scalable toward therapeutic innovation.

Dr. Wuertz-Kozak maintains strong collaborative networks with regional medical centers and national/international institutions, and holds multiple leadership roles in major scientific communities: she was elected Chair of the ORS Spine Section and appointed Deputy Editor of the European Spine Journal (both 2026), and is the only RIT faculty member elected an AIMBE Fellow (2024). She is frequently invited to present her work and reviews regularly for NIH and NSF. Equally central to her impact is her mentorship: her current team comprises 1 postdoc, 6 PhD students, and 7 undergraduates, and over her career she has mentored or co-mentored 30+ PhD trainees and 75+ BS/MS students, with a particular commitment to empowering undergraduates through high-level research experiences. Her mentees have gone on to prestigious opportunities including Fulbright scholarships, an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), medical school, and competitive graduate programs, with many co-authoring peer-reviewed publications