A new research group on multiscale mechanobiology of tissue organization at CeMM: We wish Abdel Rahman Abdel Fattah a great start into this new role as Principal Investigator and Faculty member at CeMM! 

Abdel’s research interest lies in understanding how cells navigate a mechanical roadmap in order to initiate, achieve, and maintain tissue organization in health and disease. His lab will lead this research direction by building new bioengineering tools, profiling transcriptomic landscapes, and bridging the multicellular and molecular dimensions of mechanoregulation.

The group will investigate trauma-induced tissue disorganization, with a special emphasis on the dynamics of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in posttraumatic injury progression in brain organoid models. Their goal is to identify targets that can limit, halt, or reverse neuronal loss post-injury. Additionally, the team will explore liver diseases, particularly fibrosis, studying how local ECM variations mediate injury in hepatocyte neighborhoods.

About Abdel Rahman Abdel Fattah

Abdel Rahman Abdel Fattah studied Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University (Canada). He gained industry experience in the renewable energy industry in Ontario before returning to McMaster University to complete his PhD. There, he combined magnetic and fluid dynamics theories to manipulate synthetic and biological materials and fabricate mechanically anisotropic polymers, print carbon-nanotube biosensors, and bioprint 3D cellular constructs for tissue engineering applications. For his postdoctoral studies, Abdel chose Europe to dive into the world of mechanobiology in the Lab of Morphogenesis and Bioengineering at KU Leuven (Belgium) under the mentorship of Professor Adrian Ranga. Abdel joined CeMM in September 2022 as a Postdoc in the Lab of Giulio Superti-Furga where he focused on the metabolic dimension of fate mechanoregulation. His new role as Principal Investigator at CeMM has been approved by the Scientific Advisory Board.