Scholars

Associate Professor

Positions:

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering

Research Areas:

Microfluidic devices, Bone metastasis, Biopolymers, Bone marrow cells--Therapeutic use, Bioreactors, Hemodynamics, Three-dimensional printing, Bone regeneration, Regenerative medicine, Blood-vessels--Diseases, Extracellular matrix proteins, Stem cells--Research

UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Single Page Bio

Profile Summary

rkaunas@tamu.edu

9798452412

Co-author Network

Map of Science

Co-investigator Network

Websites

Faculty Profile

ORCID

0000-0001-6748-1126

UN Sustainable Development Goals:

Research Areas:

overview

Dr. Roland Kaunas' laboratory focuses on the engineering of micro-tissues containing mesenchymal stem cells as vehicles for regenerating musculoskeletal tissues and as cell-based models for studying bone tumor biology. This work employs sophisticated microfluidic platforms, custom bioreactors, and novel scaffolding strategies involving composites of natural and synthetic polymers.

Kaunas' group also studies how mechanical stresses and strains, such as tensile stretch and fluid shear stress, regulate cell function in vascular tissues including arteries, capillaries and lymphatics. This work involves integration of experiments and theory to elucidate the roles of intracellular contractility, applied forces and scaffold material properties on cell architecture and transduction of mechanical stimuli into intracellular signals leading to changes in cell behavior.

education and training

Ph.D. in Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego - (San Diego, California, United States) 2003
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University - (Evanston, Illinois, United States) 1997
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin - Madison - (Madison, Wisconsin, United States) 1992

selected publications

Academic Articles49

Cabrera, N., Cuesta, S. A., Mora, J. R., Calle, L., Mrquez, E. A., Kaunas, R., & Paz, J. L. (2022). In Silico Searching for Alternative Lead Compounds to Treat Type 2 Diabetes through a QSAR and Molecular Dynamics Study.. Pharmaceutics. 14(2), 232-232.
Rogers, R. E., Haskell, A., White, B. P., Dalal, S., Lopez, M., Tahan, D., ... Kaunas, R. (2021). A scalable system for generation of mesenchymal stem cells derived from induced pluripotent cells employing bioreactors and degradable microcarriers.. Stem Cells Transl Med. 10(12), 1650-1665.
Mota, S. M., Rogers, R. E., Haskell, A. W., McNeill, E. P., Kaunas, R., Gregory, C. A., Giger, M. L., & Maitland, K. C. (2021). Automated mesenchymal stem cell segmentation and machine learning-based phenotype classification using morphometric and textural analysis.. J Med Imaging (Bellingham). 8(1), 014503-014503.
Sears, C., Mondragon, E., Richards, Z. I., Sears, N., Chimene, D., McNeill, E. P., ... Kaunas, R. (2020). Conditioning of 3D Printed Nanoengineered Ionic-Covalent Entanglement Scaffolds with iP-hMSCs Derived Matrix.. Adv Healthc Mater. 9(15), e1901580-1901580.
Kaunas, R. (2020). Good advice for endothelial cells: Get in line, relax tension, and go with the flow.. APL Bioeng. 4(1), 010905-010905.

Chapters6

Kaunas, R., & Deguchi, S. (2016). Cyclic Stretch-Induced Reorganization of Stress Fibers in Endothelial Cells. Vascular Engineering. 99-110. Springer Nature.
Teng, X., & Hwang, W. (2014). Cell and Matrix Mechanics. Kaunas, R., & Zemel, A. (Eds.), Cell and Matrix Mechanics. 101-118. CRC Press.
Kaunas, R. (2014). Dynamic Stress Fiber Reorganization on Stretched Matrices. Cell and Matrix Mechanics. 149-172. CRC Press.
Tondon, A., Haase, C., & Kaunas, R. (2014). Handbook of Imaging in Biological Mechanics. Neu, C. P., & Genin, G. M. (Eds.), Handbook of Imaging in Biological Mechanics. 313-321. CRC Press.
Tondon, A., Haase, C., & Kaunas, R. (2014). Mechanical Stretch Assays in Cell Culture Systems. Handbook of Imaging in Biological Mechanics. 313-322. CRC Press.

Conference Papers20

Mota, S. M., Rogers, R. E., Haskell, A. W., McNeill, E. P., Kaunas, R., Gregory, C. A., Giger, M. L., & Maitland, K. C. (2021). U-Net based image segmentation of mesenchymal stem cells. Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging, Imaging, Manipulation, and Analysis of Biomolecules, Cells, and Tissues XIX. 11647, 116470v-116470v-7.
Mota, S. M., Rogers, R. E., Haskell, A. W., McNeill, E. P., Giger, M. L., Kaunas, R. R., Gregory, C. A., & Maitland, K. C. (2019). Morphological cell image analysis for real-time monitoring of stem cell culture. THREE-DIMENSIONAL AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL MICROSCOPY: IMAGE ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING XXVI, Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XXVI. 10883, 108831i-108831i-7.
Carrow, J. K., Cross, L. M., Reese, R. W., Jaiswal, M. K., Gregory, C. A., Kaunas, R., Singh, I., & Gaharwar, A. K. (2019). Widespread changes in transcriptome profile of human mesenchymal stem cells induced by 2D nanosilicates. Transactions of the Annual Meeting of the Society for Biomaterials and the Annual International Biomaterials Symposium. 40, 967.
Jafarnejad, M., Cromer, W. E., Kaunas, R. R., Zawieja, D. C., & Moore, J. (2014). CALCIUM REGULATION IN LYMPHATIC ENDOTHELIAL CELLS UNDER FLOW. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ASME SUMMER BIOENGINEERING CONFERENCE - 2013, PT A, Volume 1A: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms; Active and Reactive Soft Matter; Atherosclerosis; BioFluid Mechanics; Education; Biotransport Phenomena; Bone, Joint and Spine Mechanics; Brain Injury; Cardiac Mechanics; Cardiovascular Devices, Fluids and Imaging; Cartilage and Disc Mechanics; Cell and Tissue Engineering; Cerebral Aneurysms; Computational Biofluid Dynamics; Device Design, Human Dynamics, and Rehabilitation; Drug Delivery and Disease Treatment; Engineered Cellular Environments. 1 A, v01at05a019-v01at05a019.
Tondon, A., & Kaunas, R. (2013). The Direction of Cyclic Stretch-Induced Cell and Stress Fiber Alignment Depends on Matrix Rigidity. Volume 1B: Extremity; Fluid Mechanics; Gait; Growth, Remodeling, and Repair; Heart Valves; Injury Biomechanics; Mechanotransduction and Sub-Cellular Biophysics; MultiScale Biotransport; Muscle, Tendon and Ligament; Musculoskeletal Devices; Multiscale Mechanics; Thermal Medicine; Ocular Biomechanics; Pediatric Hemodynamics; Pericellular Phenomena; Tissue Mechanics; Biotransport Design and Devices; Spine; Stent Device Hemodynamics; Vascular Solid Mechanics; Student Paper and Design Competitions, Volume 1B: Extremity; Fluid Mechanics; Gait; Growth, Remodeling, and Repair; Heart Valves; Injury Biomechanics; Mechanotransduction and Sub-Cellular Biophysics; MultiScale Biotransport; Muscle, Tendon and Ligament; Musculoskeletal Devices; Multiscale Mechanics; Thermal Medicine; Ocular Biomechanics; Pediatric Hemodynamics; Pericellular Phenomena; Tissue Mechanics; Biotransport Design and Devices; Spine; Stent Device Hemodynamics; Vascular Solid Mechanics; Student Paper and Design Competitions. 1 B, v01bt35a006-v01bt35a006.