The Stem Cell Research and Bio-Engineering Laboratory (SCRABEL) is a regenerative medicine research and teaching facility. The laboratory is focused on developing novel cutting-edge therapeutic approaches for musculoskeletal diseases, delivering research training for clinicians and bioscience students to foster clinically relevant biomedical research.

Our multidisciplinary research team consists of research scientists with expertise in bone and cartilage tissue regeneration, genome organisation and transcription control in cell differentiation, embryonic and adult stem cell biology and clinical consultants specialising in an array of disciplines, such as orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, renal medicine, otorhinolaryngology. Additionally, we have fostered an expanding network of external multidisciplinary collaborations.

The SCRABEL laboratory provides a collaborative environment, working together with Canterbury Christ Church University Faculties and industrial partners bringing together diverse disciplines such as bioscience, clinical practise, engineering and computing to promote innovation in biomedical research.

Research projects

Bone and cartilage degenerative conditions pose a significant challenge for Health Care providers. Our lab is focused on investigating therapeutic solutions for these conditions by utilising 3D bioprinting technology.

To this end we are working on creating a comprehensive description of the full regenerative potential of MSCs isolated from bone, cartilage, bone marrow, adipose tissue and cord blood and exploring the molecular mechanisms that underpin this process.

Other research projects include the role of hypoxia in musculoskeletal tissue regeneration, identification of early prognosis markers for osteoarthritis and development of working protocols for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration in the clinic. 

To find out more about these and other projects the team at SCRABEL is working on, please contact us.