Michelle R. Dawson
Assistant Professor
Contact Information
Building: Ford ES&T
Office:
L1220
Phone: 404.894.5192
Fax: 404.894.2866
email
Mailing Address
Georgia Institute of Technology
School of Chemical &
Biomolecular Engineering
311 Ferst Drive, N.W.
Atlanta, GA 30332-0100
Links
Michelle R. Dawson
Education
B.S. 1999, Biomedical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University
Ph.D. 2005, Johns Hopkins University
Research Interests
Dr. Dawson’s research applies genetic engineering, cell biophysics and quantitative microscopy techniques to the development of nanoparticle and cell-based gene delivery systems that can overcome biological transport barriers and treat disease. Gene therapy vectors, which utilize the cell’s natural machinery to produce therapeutic proteins, will be tailored to treat specific diseases, beginning with cancer. The transport of gene delivery systems is often severely limited in complex biological environments; thus, quantitative microscopy techniques will be used to investigate their biophysical properties, as well as the properties of their biological matrices. This information will be used to optimize the transport of gene delivery systems.
Dr. Dawson’s early research focused on understanding the mesh structure and rheology of human mucus. Multiple particle tracking, which uses video microscopy techniques to measure the displacements of hundreds of individual particles, was used to gain fundamental knowledge of nanoparticle transport in human mucus. This information was used to guide the design of gene vectors for the treatment of diseases affecting the lung and gastrointestinal tract.
More recently, Dr. Dawson has focused her studies on understanding the role of bone marrow-derived cells in tumor growth and metastasis. In these studies, Dr. Dawson found that bone marrow cells rapidly accumulated in tumors promoting their growth and metastasis through the formation of blood vessels and the degradation of extracellular matrix components. Bone marrow cell mobilization to the blood and migration to tumors was initiated by tumor cell secretion of soluble growth factors. These studies have provided powerful insight into the migratory behavior of bone marrow derived cells, including myeloid progenitor cells, hematopoietic stem cells, and mesenchymal stem cells.
Research in the Dawson lab will be directed towards the development of novel gene delivery vectors, by genetically engineering mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as delivery systems. MSCs spontaneously migrate from the bone marrow and infiltrate wounded tissues and tumors; however, the majority of MSCs reinfused after ex vivo manipulation become trapped in the lungs. The identification of soluble growth factors that stimulate their migration in the wound bed or tumor may be a key element in the development of MSC-based therapeutics that can overcome current transport limitations. Important biophysical properties of MSCs will be probed with quantitative biophysical techniques (including multiple particle tracking and intravital microscopy), which will enhance fundamental knowledge of MSC behavior, and will help guide the rational development of MSCs as gene delivery systems.