Stephen M. Redenti, Ph.D.

Profile

As a postdoctoral fellow at the Schepens Eye Research Institute from September of 2006 to 2009, my research objectives involved tissue engineering using biodegradable polymer scaffolds to promote stem cell survival, differentiation and function as photoreceptors when transplanted into the sub-retinal space of murine and porcine models of retinal degeneration. My research training involved human, porcine and mouse progenitor and embryonic cell isolation and culture, developmental pathway recapitulation in vitro, polymer architectural and drug release design, subretinal transplantation strategies and analysis of ocular physiology and immune response. Results’ from this work suggests that stem cells can be combined with polymers to form retinal tissue equivalents in culture for transplantation and retinal repair.

While pursuing graduate studies from 2001 to 2006 at the City College of New York, my primary research focus was vertebrate retinal zinc physiology. My research techniques involved electroretinogram, cell voltage/current recording, drug pharmacology and live retinal zinc imaging. During my graduate training, I also conducted summer research each year at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA. MBL  retinal physiology research species included: skate, zebrafish, frog, rat, and mouse. The major findings of this work showed that retinal zinc is transported by Muller cells, released with glutamate from photoreceptors, and involved in modulating light sensitivity.

Education

2006, Ph.D., Neuroscience, City University of New York Graduate Center, Hunter College
2002, MA., Biology, City University of New York Graduate Center, Hunter College
1996, B.S., B.S., Southern Connecticut State University

Post-doctoral Training

2006-2009, Postdoctoral Fellow, Retinal Tissue Engineering
Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School 

Academic Appointment

2009, Assistant Professor, Departments of Biological Sciences and Biochemistry,
City University of New York, Lehman College

Major Committee Assignments

2003-2006, New York Academy of Science, City University of New York, Graduate Representative
2003-2006, Science Alliance, New York Academy of Science, Steering Committee Member
2005-2006, Neuroscience Advisory Committee, City University of New York, Graduate Representative
2007-2009, Postdoctoral Fellows Training Committee, Trainee Coordinator
2007-2009, Institutional Review Board, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Postdoctoral Member

Professional Societies

2002-2006, New York Academy of Science
2004-Present, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
2005-Present, Marine Biological Laboratory, corporation member
2008-Present, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society
2008-Present, International Society for Stem Cell Research

Awards and Honors

2001, Sigma Xi, Grants in Aid of Research, “OPL Modulation” Research Grant
2002, Center for Study of Gene Structure and Function, Physiology Study Award
2004, Bausch and Lomb, “Retinal Zinc Transport”, Young Investigator Award
2005, Center for Study of Gene Structure and Function, Symposium Presentation Award
2006, Sponsored Research CUNY, “Photoreceptor Mitochondrial Zinc” Research Grant
2007, ARVO Foundation for Eye Research/Pauline and Oswald Lapp Travel Grant

Original Articles

1. S. Schmitt, U. Aftab, C. Jiang, S.Redenti, H. Klassen, E. Miljan, J.Sinden, M. Young. Molecular Characterization of Human Retinal Progenitor Cells. IOVS. 2009. (In Press)

2. Redenti S., Neeley W., Rampani S., Saigal S., Yang J., Klassen H., Langer R., Young M. Engineering Retinal Progenitor Cell and Microfabricated Poly(Glycerol-Sebacate) Composites for Expansion and Subretinal Transplantation. 2009 Biomaterials. 30(20):3405-14.

3. Redenti S., Tao S., Yang  J., Gu P., Klassen H., Saigal S., Desai T., Young MJ. Retinal Tissue Engineering using Mouse Retinal Progenitor Cells and a Novel Biodegradable, Thin-film Poly(e-caprolactone) Nanowire Scaffold. 2008. Journal of Ocular Biology, Diseases, and Informatics. 1936-8445, Online.

4. Neeley WL, Redenti S, Klassen H, Tao S, Desai T, Young MJ, Langer R. A microfabricated scaffold for retinal progenitor cell grafting. Biomaterials. 2008 Feb;29(4):418-26.

5. Redenti S., Ripps H., Chappell RL. Zinc Release at the Synaptic Terminals of Rod Photoreceptors. Exp Eye Res. 2007. Oct;85(4):580-4. (Cited in Science, STKE 2007 (411), pe61.)

6. Redenti S., Chappell RL. Muller Cell Zinc Transporter-3 Labeling Suggests a Role in Outer Retina Zinc Homeostasis. Mol Med. 2007. Jul-Aug;13(7-8):376-9.

7. Tao S., Young C., Redenti S., Zhang Y., Klassen H., Desai T. and Young MJ. Survival, migration and differentiation of retinal progenitor cells transplanted on micro-machined poly(methyl methacrylate) scaffolds to the subretinal space. Lab on a Chip. 2007. Jun;7 (6):695-701.

8. Redenti, S., Chappell, RL. Neuroimaging of zinc released by depolarization of rat retinal cells. Vision Research. 2005. 45:3520-5.

9. Qian H., Chappell RL., Redenti S., Ripps H. Membrane properties of two subtypes of skate bipolar cells. Biological Bulletin. 2004. 207:191-194.

10. Redenti S., Chappell RL. Localization of zinc transporter-3 (ZnT-3) in retina of mouse. Vision Research. 2004. 44:3317-3321.

11. Redenti S., Chappell RL. Zinc chelation enhances the sensitivity of the ERGb-wave in dark-adapted skate retina. Biological Bulletin.  2003. 205: 213-214.

12. Redenti S., Chappell RL. Zinc chelation enhances the zebrafish retinal ERG b-wave. Biological Bulletin. 2002. 203: 200-202.Biological Bulletin. 203: 200-202.

13. Chappell, RL., Redenti S. Endogenous zinc as a neuromodulator in vertebrate retina: evidence from the retinal slice. 2001. Biological Bulletin. 201: 265-267.

Book Chapter

1. Redenti. S, Klassen, H., Young, M. Tissue Engineering of Organs: Eye/RetinaChapter 2 in Tissue Engineering. Springer. 2009. (In Press)