Dimitris Karamichos, Ph.D.

Profile

Dimitris Karamichos received his B.Eng. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, UK in 2000. In 2002, he obtained his M.Sc. in Engineering and Physical Sciences in Medicine from Imperial College, University of London, UK, where he studied the science and physics behind X-rays, MRI, and CT scanning technology. Dr. Karamichos’ masters project was in the development of a novel system for monitoring the tremors of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He then entered a doctoral program in Tissue Engineering and Molecular Biology at University Colege London, UK. His studies involved examination of cellular and molecular effect of strain and stiffness on 3-D collagen matrices, including human skin, tendon and stem cells.

Following completion of his Ph.D. program in 2006, Dr. Karamichos moved to Dallas, Texas, to work in   W.M. Petroll’s Laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where he developed an artificial human cornea model based on 3-D collagen matrices.

Dimitris has received awards for his performance in water polo. Recently, however, his work has kept him busy and there is no time for water polo or its demanding training sessions. In his free time, Dimitris enjoys traveling, swimming, reading, and DIY projects at home.

Education

    2000    BEng (Hons) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
    2002    MSc in Engineering and Physical Sciences in Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK
    2006    PhD in Tissue Engineering/Molecular Biology, University College London, London, UK

Postdoctoral Training

    2005-2006    Research Fellow, Novel spectroscopic technique for 3-D in situ monitoring, University College London, Institute of Orthopaedics; R.A. Brown Mentor
    2006-2008    Research Fellow, Human Cornea Tissue Engineering UT Southwestern medical centre, Department of Ophthalmology; W.M. Petroll Mentor
    2008-    Senior Research Associate, In vitro model of human corneal fibrosis, Schepens Eye Research Institute and Harvard Medical School; J.D. Zieske Mentor

Professional Societies

    2006-    Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology    Member
    2007-    American Society of Cell Biologists    Member

Contributing Reviewer

    2005    Tissue Engineering    
    2008    Clinical Ophthalmology   

Awards and Honors

    2000-2001    Scholarships awarded by UMIST for further studies
    2001-2002    Scholarships awarded by UMIST for further studies
    2006-2007    Fight for Sight Grant for Post-Doc in UT Southwestern Medical Center
    2007    Award of Merit from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology

Major Research Interests

        In vitro model of human corneal scarring; development of in vitro fibrosis models.

Invited presentations    

    Symposia (National and International Meetings)   

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Strategies in Tissue Engineering Wurzburg, Germany

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, UK Society for Biomaterials, London UK

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Science Festival Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, London UK

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Oklahoma University, OK

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Tissue Engineering of musculoskeletal systems, Beijing China (Presented by Dr. Mudera V)

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Tissue Engineering of musculoskeletal systems, Beijing, China (Presented by Dr. Mudera V)

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Plastic Surgery Teaching Day, Birmingham, UK (Presented by Dr. Mudera V)

•     2004    Meeting/Presentation, Tissue engineering. New Perspectives British Embassy, Tokyo,. Japan  (Presented by Dr. Mudera V)

•     2005    Meeting/Presentation, 4th Annual meeting The European Tissue Engineering Society, Munich, Germany

•     2005    Meeting/Presentation, 8th Annual meeting Annual Tissue Engineering Society International, Shanghai, China

•     2007    Meeting/Presentation, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

•     2007    Meeting/Presentation, American Society for Cell Biology, Washington DC, USA

•     2008    Meeting/Presentation, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

    Keynote Address  

•     2006    Keynote Lecture, Stem Cell Biology: Future perspectives and possible treatment options, Kiel, Germany

Original Articles:

1. Karamichos D, Brown RA, Mudera V. Complex dependence of substrate stiffness and serum concentrationon cell-force generation., J Biomed Mater Res A. 2006 Aug;78(2):407-15.

2. Karamichos D, Brown RA, Mudera V. Collagen stiffness regulates cellular contraction and matrix remodeling gene expression. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2007; 83(3):887-94

3. Karamichos D, Lakshman N, Petroll WM.  The role of matrix anisotropy in regulation of corneal fibroblast morphology and mechanical behavior in 3-D culture. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48(11):5030-7

4. Karamichos D, Skinner J, Brown RA, V. Mudera V. Matrix stiffness and serum concentration effects matrix remodelling and ECM regulatory genes of human bone marrow stem cells. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2008;2(2-3):97-105