Karin Wuertz-Kozak

Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Kate Gleason College of Engineering

Affiliated Faculty, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences

kwbme@rit.edu

585-475-7355

Office Hours

Upon Request

Office Location

INS-3109

Office Mailing Address

106 Lomb Memorial Dr.

Karin Wuertz-Kozak

Professor

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Kate Gleason College of Engineering

Affiliated Faculty, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences

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, with 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. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Vermont, she became a group leader at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich in Switzerland. She later served as an Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich for three years, where she received the prestigious Swiss National Science Foundation Professorship Award. In 2019, Dr. Wuertz-Kozak was appointed the Kate Gleason Endowed Professor of Biomedical Engineering at RIT, where she currently holds the Harvey J. Palmer Endowment and leads the Tissue Regeneration and Mechanobiology Laboratory.

An AIMBE Fellow, Dr. Wuertz-Kozak has secured over $8 million in research funding from prominent funding agencies in the U.S. and Europe, including NSF, NIH, and CDMRP. Her lab focuses on understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying pathological processes, particularly inflammation and fibrosis, to develop innovative therapies for tissue regeneration and pain reduction. By integrating biomaterials, biologics, genome engineering, and mechanical stimulation, her work bridges basic science and clinical application to improve patient outcomes.

kwbme@rit.edu

585-475-7355

Personal Links

Personal Website

Curriculum Vitae

Google Scholar

Areas of Expertise

Biomedical Engineering

Cellular Micro-Environments

Drug Delivery

Nanofabrication

Nanomaterials

Select Scholarship

Bermudez-Lekerika P, Crump KB, Wuertz-Kozak K, Le Maitre CL, Gantenbein B: Sulfated hydrogels as primary intervertebral disc cell culture systems. Gels 2024, 10(5), 330

Bjorgvinsdottir O, Ferguson S, Gudjonsson T, Snorradottir B, Wuertz-Kozak K: The Influence of Physical and Spatial Substrate Characteristics on Endothelial Cells. Materials Today Bio 2024, 26: 101060

Cazzanelli P, Lamoca M, Hausmann ON, Mesfin A, Puvanesarajah V, Hitzl W, Haglund L, Wuertz-Kozak K: Exploring the Impact of TLR-2 Signaling on miRNA Dysregulation in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Advanced Biology 2024, 28:e2300581

Ceballos-Santa MC, Sierra A; Zalbidea IK, Lazarus E, Marin-Montealegre V, Ramesh S, Iglesias P, Wuertz-Kozak K, Rivero IV: Aloe vera-based Biomaterial Ink for 3D Bioprinting of Wound Dressing Constructs. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials 2024, 112(2), e3579

Bitterli T, Schmid D, Ettinger L, Krupkova O, Bach FC, Tryfonidou MA, Meij BP, Pozzi P, Steffen F, Wuertz???Kozak K, Smolders LA: Targeted screening of inflammatory mediators in spontaneous degenerative disc disease in dogs reveals an upregulation of the tumor necrosis superfamily. JOR Spine 2024, 7 (1) e1292

Schoeller J, Wuertz-Kozak K, Ferguson SJ, Rottmar M, Elbs-Glatz Y, Avaro J, Chung M, Rossi RM: Ibuprofen-loaded electrospun poly (ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) nanofibers for wound dressing applications. Nanoscale Advances 2023, 5 (8) 2261-2270

Currently Teaching

BIME-370

Introduction to Biomaterials Science

3 Credits

This course is intended to provide an overview of materials used in biomedical applications, both internal and external to the human body. The specific objective of this course is to present the principles which apply to the properties and selection of materials used in medical applications. Topics include an introduction to deformable mechanics and viscoelasticity; structure and properties of metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites; fundamental composition of biological tissues; and principles associated with the interaction between biological tissues and artificial materials.

BIME-499

Co-op

0 Credits

One semester of paid work experience in biomedical engineering.

BIME-617

Principals of Biomedical Device Regulations

3 Credits

This course will present the principles and fundamentals of medical device and in vitro diagnostic regulation. The course will cover the history of the FDA and the regulations around food, drug and cosmetic products. An overview of regulatory pathways, clinical trials, good manufacturing practices and quality system design will be covered. Comparisons between US, EU and other international regulatory bodies will also be discussed. The course will culminate with students developing a clinical trial and regulatory strategy for a new hypothetical medical device.

BIME-670

Advanced Topics in Tissue Engineering

3 Credits

This is a course with lecture and seminar components. The lecture component will provide a state-of-the-art overview of how replacement organs and tissues can be engineered using both natural and synthetic biomaterials as well as chemical and physical cues that direct cellular differentiation and integration. Furthermore, techniques commonly employed in tissue engineering research are discussed. In the seminar component, students will review and present current journal articles and will listen to research talks given by experts in the field of tissue engineering. Scientific interaction with the presenting researchers in the form of Q&A sessions is expected. Additionally, the course will train students in grant proposal writing.

BIME-675

Practical Methods in Tissue Engineering

3 Credits

This hands-on course gives engineering students experience with advanced, state of the art production and application of biomaterials, cell culture methods and analysis techniques used in the area of tissue engineering. In this project-based course, students will work on experiments relating to current literature and will learn how to critically analyze and scientifically summarize the obtained results. Students will use their knowledge and experience to finally design and conduct their independent experiment related to broadly defined topics in the area of tissue engineering.

In the News

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.
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.
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.

More News