The Keenan Laboratory
Faculty Thomas Keenan
Thomas Keenan
Assistant Scientist, Biomedical Engineering
tkeenan@wisc.edu
Organ System/Disease Focus
Neurodevelopment
Aligned Research Focus
Engineered cell culture environments, basic stem cell science
Research Description
A major challenge for regenerative medicine is deciphering how stem cells can be differentiated into physiologically-relevant cell types and organized into functional tissues. During development stem cell differentiation and tissue organization are determined primarily by highly-regulated concentration gradients of soluble and insoluble signaling molecules. In the developing central nervous system these gradients also ensure that neurons make appropriate electrical connections with one another, often over long distances. In our lab we use novel microfluidic and biomaterial technologies to understand the role signaling molecule gradients have on stem cell differentiation and organization into central nervous system cells and tissues. Through our work we hope to gain greater insight into mechanisms of human neural development and how they can be employed to regenerate lost or damaged neural tissue in vivo.
Selected References
Keenan TM, Nelson AD, Grinager JR, Thelen JC, Svendsen CN. “Real Time Imaging of Human Progenitor Neurogenesis”, PLoS ONE 5(10): e13187 (2010)
Keenan TM, and Folch A. “Biomolecular Gradients in Cell Culture Systems”, Lab on a Chip, 8(1):34-57 (2008)
Keenan TM, Hsu CH, and Folch A. “Microfluidic ‘jets’ for generating steady-state gradients of soluble molecules on open surfaces”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89:114103 (2006)
Frevert CW, Boggy G, Keenan TM, and Folch A. “Measurement of cell migration in response to an evolving radial chemokine gradient triggered by a microvalve”, Lab on a Chip, 6(7):849-856 (2006)
Keenan TM, Hooker A, Spilker ME, Li N, Boggy G, Vicini P, and Folch A. “Automated Identification of Axonal Growth Cones in Time-Lapse Image Sequences”, J. Neurosci. Methods 151(2):232-8 (2006)