Jeffrey Karp, B.Eng., Ph.D. - Co-investigator Profile
Jeff Karp is an Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women''s Hospital. He is Principal Faculty at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and is Affiliate Faculty at MIT through the HST program.
His research focuses on Stem Cell Engineering (towards elucidating basic mechanisms mediating the homing of Mesenchymal Stem Cells that drive innovative engineered solutions to control the fate and function of cells post-transplantation), Biomaterials (studying degradable prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels as controlled drug-delivery systems), and Medical devices such as cell sorting chips that can be used to sort cells for diagnostic or therapeutic applications, needles that sense travel through tissues, or Gecko-inspired medical adhesives that was recently selected as one of Popular Mechanic''s "Top 20 New Biotech Breakthroughs that Will Change Medicine”. He also invented several technologies that have been internationally recognized including a new neonatal adhesive that can be quickly removed without damage, nanosensors that can be used to visualize cell-cell communication in real-time, and a nanoparticle prophylactic approach to prevent contact dermatitis.
Dr. Karp has published more than 80 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, 60 abstracts, has given over 100 national and international invited lectures and has 30 issued or pending patents, a number of which have been licensed by biotech companies. Dr. Karp''s work has been recognized by CNN, NPR Science Fridays, Boston Globe, ABC News, MSNBC, CBC Quirks and Quarks, CanadaAM, BBC, Forbes, National Geographic, Popular Science, the Washington Post, the New York Post, and by Wired Magazine.
In 2011 the Boston Business Journal recognized Dr. Karp as a Champion in Healthcare Innovation. MIT’s Technology Review Magazine (TR35) also recognized Dr. Karp as being one of the top innovators in the world under the age of 35. He received the 2010 Coulter Foundation Translational Young Investigator Award and the 2011 Society for Biomaterials Young Investigator Award. He currently serves as the Biology and Medicine Section Editor for the Journal Nanotechnology. In 2012, two KarpLab postdocs received the MIT TR35 award (Weian Zhao and Bryan Laulicht). Dr. Karp was also elected in 2013 to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering''s College of Fellows
Dr. Karp is also an acclaimed mentor. He was selected as the Outstanding Faculty Undergraduate Mentor among all Faculty at MIT in 2008 and received the 2010 HST McMahon Mentoring award for being the top mentor among all faculty who mentor Harvard-MIT students. Jeff obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 2004 at IBBME/Chem Eng where he worked with Professor John Davies and Molly Shoichet. Upon graduation, he was awarded the Paul B. Madsen Award for being the most innovative graduate student. He trained at MIT as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow working in Institute Professor Robert Langer''s laboratory from 2004-2007.
Scientific Interests/Keywords
stem cell bioengineering, medical adhesives, diagnostic devices, medical devices, drug delivery, controlled release, sensors, nanotechnology, mesenchymal stem cell biology, cell trafficking, cell homing.
