Karin Wuertz-Kozak
Professor
Karin Wuertz-Kozak
Professor
Education
BS, MS, University of Regensburg (Germany); Ph.D., University of Ulm (Germany); MBA, University of Cumbria (UK)
Bio
Dr. Wuertz-Kozak is a pharmacist by training, holds a Ph.D. in Human Biology from the University of Ulm in Germany and an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability from the University of Cumbria in the UK. After a Postdoc at the University of Vermont in the US, she was a group leader at the University of Zurich and the ETH Zurich in Switzerland. Before joining RIT in October of 2019, she was appointed as Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich for 3 years, where she was the recipient of the Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship Award. Currently, Dr. Wuertz-Kozak holds the position of Kate Gleason Endowed Full Professor of Biomedical Engineering and leads the Tissue Regeneration and Mechanobiology Laboratory. Her laboratory aims to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying specific pathologies, with a focus on inflammation, and to utilize this knowledge for the development of novel treatment options that allow for tissue regeneration and pain reduction. Specifically, the group uses cells, biomaterials, biologics, genome engineering, and mechanical cues to promote tissue regeneration.
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In the News
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September 1, 2023
RIT researchers pioneer solutions for degenerative disc disease and back pain
Researchers are improving non-invasive treatment options for degenerative disc disease, an ailment that impacts 3 million adults yearly in the U.S. Using state-of-the-art gene editing technology in mesenchymal stem cells, the researchers will add to the growing field of regenerative medicine, the process of producing cellular therapies to alleviate pain and lack of mobility.
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December 22, 2022
Leading spinal researcher develops new tissue regeneration approaches for back pain
Karin Wuertz-Kozak described her lab test equipment as a gym for cells. Stretching and compressions tests using bioreactors—her lab equipment—can make a difference in understanding how cells respond to mechanical cues and how that affects disease progression, specifically for spinal disc degeneration, common to millions of Americans.
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October 20, 2022
Biomedical engineering researcher awarded grant to study chronic skin fibrosis
More collagen in the human body is not always good, and Professor Karin Wuertz-Kozak is investigating how disease progresses because of the increase in this important protein.