ASIP Summer Research Opportunity Program in Pathology (SROPP)

Luisa Ann DiPietro, DDS, PhD

Contact Information

Luisa Ann DiPietro, DDS, PhD
Professor and Director
University of Illinois at Chicago
Ctr for Wound Healing & Tissue Regeneration (MC 859)
801 S. Paulina – Room 401B
Chicago, IL 60612-7211
Phone: 312-355-0432
FAX: 312- 996-0943
ldipiet@uic.edu
http://dentistry.uic.edu/depts/research/faculty/DiPietro_Luisa.cfm

Member of the Following FASEB Societies:

American Society for Investigative Pathology
American Association of Immunologists

Program Description
Research in the DiPietro laboratory focuses on how wounds heal, with the ultimate goal of developing therapies that will allow humans to regenerate perfect tissue after an injury. Problems with wound healing are a major health issue in the US, as more that 6 million persons develop serious problems with wound healing each year. The two most important problems experienced by patients are 1) non healing wounds, and 2) wounds that heal with excessive scars. Severe scarring is a particular difficulty, not only due to the psychological implications, but also because a loss of function can occur. Interestingly, scars are rare in wounds of the oral cavity, suggesting that this tissue heals differently than skin.

The major projects in the DiPietro lab include:

Finding molecular triggers that could convert scar forming skin wounds into non-scarring wounds.
Understanding how inflammatory cells influence wound healing outcomes.
Learning about the regulation of blood vessel growth, or angiogenesis, in healing tissues.

INTERESTED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS:

Please contact Dr. Luisa Ann DiPietro - Email: ldipiet@uic.edu; Tel: 312-355-0432.