Biography

Dr. Feini (Sylvia) Qu is an Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine and Mechanical Engineering and a core faculty member at UW's Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Qu trained as a veterinarian-scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and was a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis prior to joining the University of Washington.

Education

• V.M.D. (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine), University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA | 2017
• Ph.D., Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA | 2016
• B.S.E., Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC | 2009

Research Statement

The long-term goal of our research is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of musculoskeletal tissue regeneration, especially with respect to the bones and connective tissues of limbs and joints, and then leverage this knowledge to regenerate lost or diseased structures using stem cells, gene editing, and biomaterials. Our lab uses the mouse digit tip, one of the few mammalian systems that exhibits true regeneration, to identify pathways that regulate tissue patterning and outgrowth after amputation. Armed with a better understanding of the cues that direct complex tissue formation in adulthood, we will develop therapeutic strategies that enhance the regeneration of limbs and joints after injury and degenerative disease in patients.

Current projects

Engineering Cells to Instruct Skeletal Patterning and Outgrowth

Regeneration of the mouse digit tip after amputation is associated with the transient upregulation of Hox genes, which encode transcription factors that coordinate embryonic limb development. We will use transgenic mouse models and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to investigate the effect of Hox gene expression on bone formation and patterning. We will then engineer novel iPSC-derived progenitor cells to deliver limb-specific developmental programming to instruct skeletal outgrowth at the amputation site.

Magnetic Microgels for Composite Musculoskeletal Tissue Regeneration

The delivery of growth factors to amputated digits can stimulate skeletal elongation and cartilage/synovial joint regeneration, suggesting that they restore key signaling pathways involved in limb outgrowth. We aim to develop a translational strategy to sequentially deliver multiple growth factors in a targeted manner and assess its potential to control bone and joint formation after digit amputation. To achieve this, we will design injectable, micron-sized hydrogels (‘microgels’) that can be loaded with bioactive factors and spatially controlled using an external magnetic field.

Mechanobiology of Regeneration and Fibrotic Scarring

Digit regeneration depends in part on appropriate matrix deposition and organization by stem/progenitor cells. However, the cell-matrix interactions that mediate regeneration versus scarring in this context are currently unknown. To this end, we will investigate how cellular mechanotransduction pathways and extracellular matrix properties affect the regenerative outcome, with the goal of engineering the optimal microenvironment to guide tissue outgrowth in vivo.

Select publications

1. Qu F, Palte IC, Gontarz PM, Zhang B, Guilak F. Transcriptomic Analysis of Bone and Fibrous Tissue Morphogenesis During Digit Tip Regeneration in the Adult Mouse. FASEB J. 2020; 24(7): 9740-9754. PMID: 32506623. PMCID: PMC7501216.
2. Qu F, Guilak F, Mauck RL. Cell Migration: Implications for Repair and Regeneration in Joint Disease. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2019;15(3):167-179. PMID: 30617265. PMCID: PMC7004411.
3. Qu F, Li Q, Wang X, Cao X, Zgonis MH, Esterhai JL, Shenoy VB, Han L, Mauck RL. Tissue Maturation State and Matrix Microstructure Regulate Interstitial Cell Migration in Dense Connective Tissues. Sci Rep. 2018; 8(1):3295. PMID: 29459687. PMCID: PMC5818574.
4. Qu F, Stoeckl BD, Gebhard PM, Hullfish TJ, Baxter JR, Mauck RL. A Wearable Magnet-Based System to Assess Joint Kinematics in Humans and Large Animals. Ann Biomed Eng. 2018; 46(12): 2069-2078. PMID: 30083860. PMCID: PMC6249046.
5. Qu F*, Holloway JL*, Esterhai JL, Burdick JA, Mauck RL. Programmed Biomolecule Delivery to Enable and Direct Cell Migration for Connective Tissue Repair. Nat Commun. 2017; 8(1):1780. PMID: 29176654. PMCID: PMC5701126.
6. Qu F, Pintauro MP, Haughan JE, Henning EA, Esterhai JL, Schaer TP, Mauck RL, Fisher MB. Repair of Dense Connective Tissues via Biomaterial-Mediated Reprogramming of the Wound Interface. Biomaterials. 2015; 39:85-94. PMID: 25477175. PMCID: PMC4258004.
7. Qu F, Lin JG, Esterhai JL, Fisher MB, Mauck RL. Biomaterial-Mediated Delivery of Degradative Enzymes to Improve Meniscus Integration and Repair. Acta Biomater. 2013; 9(5):6393-402. PMID: 23376132. PMCID: PMC3622820.

Honors & awards

• Alice L. Jee Young Investigator Award, Orthopaedic Research Society | 2023
• NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award | 2022
• NIH F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) | 2019
• New Investigator Recognition Award, Orthopaedic Research Society | 2019
• 1st Place, Ph.D. Competition, Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, & Biotransport Conference | 2015

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