The Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering and Stem Cell Laboratory focuses on understanding and developing therapeutic strategies to repair cardiovascular diseases. The lab develops various in vitro cardiovascular tissue models that involve integrated use of stem cells, biomaterials and biomimetic bioreactors. These tissue models are used to investigate the biophysical cues needed for heart and microvascular development. Moreover, diseased tissue models allow us to understand the mechanisms and the interaction between cells and their extracellular environment during pathological conditions, providing a novel means for evaluating new treatments for diseased or damaged cardiac tissue.