Guillermo A. Ameer

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Surgery
ScD/PhD (1999) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
g-ameer@northwestern.edu

Areas of Interest:

Biomaterials
Tissue Engineering
Biotechnology

Guillermo Ameer focuses his research on biotechnology and tissue engineering, specifically in cardiovascular and orthopedic applications. His work includes designing and evaluating biodegradable materials that would be conducive to the formation of small-diameter blood vessels. This allows for further understanding of how the mechanical properties of the biomaterial influence cell signaling and tissue growth. He also studies the use of endothelial progenitor cells in circulating blood as a potential cell source for engineering blood vessels.  He addresses problems associated with knee injuries, specifically injuries to the meniscus, bone, and ligaments.  In the case of chronic degeneration of this tissue, cell/biomaterial interactions are studied with the goal of creating a bioartificial meniscus, which could potentially be used for transplantations. His research efforts to engineer a bone and ligament focus on understanding how the microarchitecture and mechanical properties of a biomaterial will influence cell signaling and the resulting tissue.