Overview
Professor Tim Woodfield.
Tissue Engineering (TE) and Regenerative Medicine (RM) combine a patient’s own cells with biodegradable scaffolds and growth factors. These therapies may offer considerable advantages over current surgical interventions used to repair or regenerate damaged tissues following trauma or disease.
The CReaTE group (Christchurch Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group), consists of a multidisciplinary research team led by Professor Tim Woodfield, and is working at the interface of cell-biology, biomaterials science and engineering.
Using advanced 3D scaffolds and in-vitro culture techniques, combined with adult human stem cells, our group is attempting to identify the complex cellular environments controlling tissue growth in 3D. We are also researching their application in translating cell-based therapies to the clinic.
Contact
Professor Tim Woodfield
Tel +64 3 378 6114
Email tim.woodfield@otago.ac.nz
Visit our Partnerships page for more about our partnerships and collaborations.
Research
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
- Articular cartilage repair from clinically-relevant human cell sources
- Novel methods to enhance mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and tissue quality
- In vitro 3D culture models for mimicking native tissue organisation in vivo
- CT imaging of cartilage and engineered tissues
- Guided cell growth for neural / spinal cord regeneration
Advanced scaffold design and bio-manufacturing
- Solid free-form fabrication of porous scaffolds
- 3D plotting and tissue assembly
- 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel models to control cell function
- Pore architecture optimisation and modelling
Orthopaedic medical devices
- Novel metal alloys for bone interfacing implants
- Medical device design
- Total joint replacement and clinical outcomes (NZ National Joint Registry)
Our people
The team, led from University of Otago Christchurch campus, consists of mechanical engineers, clinicians, process engineers, mathematicians and surgeons.
Regenerative medicine research lead
Professor Tim Woodfield (Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Christchurch)
Lead researchers
- Professor Anthony Butler (Radiology, Christchurch)
Postdoctoral researchers and Research Assistants
- Associate Professor Khoon Lim (CReaTE, Research Associate Professor | Team Leader, Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellow )
- Dr Gabriella Lindberg (CReaTE, Research Fellow)
- Dr Steven Cui (Research Fellow)
- Dr Caroline Murphy (Postdoctoral Fellow)
- Dr Cesar Alcala (Postdoctoral Fellow)
A large number of postgraduate students have worked alongside our researchers to achieve their qualifications.
Visit our Regenerative Medicine students page
Media
Printing cartilage
A third of the New Zealand population will be aged over 60 by 2051. This growth, combined with an elderly population living longer and more active lives, means an epidemic of degenerative joint disease is fast approaching. Dr Tim Woodfield, of the Christchurch Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering (CReaTE) Group, is working on a way to address this epidemic.
Printing cartilage, He Kitenga Horizons (University of Otago research publication)
Radio interviews with Professor Tim Woodfield
- 3D Bioprinting Body Parts 2014 (RadioNZ website)
- The New Zealand team working on cutting edge tissue engineering 2014 (RadioNZ website)
Publications
Man, K., Alcala, C., Mekhileri, N. V., Lim, K. S., Jiang, L.-H., Woodfield, T. B. F., & Yang, X. B. (2022). GelMA hydrogel reinforced with 3D printed PEGT/PBT scaffolds for supporting epigenetically-activated human bone marrow stromal cells for bone repair. Journal of Functional Biomaterials, 13, 41. doi: 10.3390/jfb13020041
Shum, J. M., Gadomski, B. C., Tredinnick, S. J., Fok, W., Fernandez, J., Nelson, B., … Hooper, G., Puttlitz, C., … Woodfield, T. B. F. (2022). Enhanced bone formation in locally-optimised, low-stiffness additive manufactured titanium implants: An in silico and in vivo tibial advancement study. Acta Biomaterialia. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.04.006
Cui, X., Alcala-Orozco, C. R., Baer, K., Li, J., Murphy, C. A., Durham, M., Lindberg, G., Hooper, G. J., Lim, K. S., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2022). 3D bioassembly of cell-instructive chondrogenic and osteogenic hydrogel microspheres containing allogeneic stem cells for hybrid biofabrication of osteochondral constructs. Biofabrication, 14(3), 034101. doi: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac61a3
Li, J., Cui, X., Lindberg, G. C. J., Alcala-Orozco, C. R., Hooper, G. J., Lim, K. S., & Woodfield, T. B. F. (2022). Hybrid fabrication of photo-clickable vascular hydrogels with additive manufactured titanium implants for enhanced osseointegration and vascularized bone formation. Biofabrication, 14(3), 034103. doi: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac6051
Qiao, K., Xu, L., Tang, J., Wang, Q., Lim, K. S., Hooper, G., Woodfield, T. B. F., … Cui, X. (2022). The advances in nanomedicine for bone and cartilage repair. Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 20, 141. doi: 10.1186/s12951-022-01342-8