Bashur, Christopher
Christopher Bashur
Associate Professor | Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Affiliate Faculty | Biomedical Engineering and Science
Contact Information
Personal Overview
The core focus of my research involves elucidating how cells interact with their microenvironment (e.g., topography and scaffold composition) and using this knowledge to develop strategies to produce tissue engineered grafts. My lab works on the different stages necessary to develop clinical therapies: including (a) developing novel biomaterials, (b) exploring cell - microenvironment interactions, and (c) determining the viability of constructs in vivo. The primary goal of the lab is overcoming the current limitations to engineering small-diameter vascular grafts, which include the lack of a functional endothelium and limited elastic matrix production. The lab also develops drug delivery strategies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Educational Background
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech
M.Eng., Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech
B.S., Chemical Engineering, Lafayette College
Professional Experience
Program Chair, Florida Tech, Biomedical Engineering, 2020 - Present
Associate Professor, Florida Tech, Biomedical Engineering, 2018 - Present
Assistant Professor, Florida Tech, Biomedical Engineering, 2013 - 2018
Research Associate, Cleveland Clinic, Biomedical Engineering, 2012 - 2013
Postdoctoral Fellow, Cleveland Clinic, Biomedical Engineering, 2010 - 2012
Postdoctoral Fellow, Clemson University, Bioengineering, 2009 - 2010
Current Courses
BME 3261 Biomechanics and Biomaterials Laboratory
BME 4100 Tissue Mechanics
BME 4110 Tissue Engineering
BME 5100 Tissue Structure and Function
BME 5105 Drug Delivery
BME 5500 Tissue Engineering and Regeneration
Selected Publications
Manuscripts
Shojaee, M., M. Sameti, K. Vuppuluri, M. Ziff, A. Carriero, C.A Bashur, Design and characterization of a porous pouch to prevent peritoneal adhesions during in vivo vascular graft maturation, Journal of the Mechanical Behaviour of Biomedical Materials. 2019, Epub ahead of print.
Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2019 Nov 1;18(11):2666-2672.
Biofabrication. 2018 Nov 9;11(1):015007.
Burtch, S.R., M. Sameti, T. Olmstead, C.A. Bashur, Rapid Generation of 3-D Microchannels for Vascularization Using a Subtractive Printing Technique, Journal of Biophotonics, 2018, 11(5):e201700226.
Shojaee, M., G. Swaminathan, C.A Bashur, A. Ramamurthi, Temporal changes in peritoneal cell phenotype and neoelastic matrix induction with hyaluronan oligomers and TGF-β1 after implantation of engineered conduits, Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 2018, 12(6): p.1420-1431.
Shojaee, M., K.B. Wood, L.K. Moore, C.A Bashur, Peritoneal pre-conditioning reduces macrophage marker expression in collagen-containing engineered vascular grafts. Acta Biomaterialia, 2017, 64:80.
Birthare, K., M. Shojaee, C.G. Jones, J.R. Brenner, C.A. Bashur, Collagen incorporation within electrospun conduits reduces lipid oxidation and impacts conduit mechanics. Biomedical Materials, 2016, 11(2): 025019.
Michael, E., N. Abeyrathna, A.V. Patel, Y. Liao, C.A. Bashur, Incorporation of photo-carbon monoxide releasing materials into electrospun scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering. Biomedical Materials, 2016, 11(2): 025009.
Nguyen, T., C.A. Bashur, V. Kishore, Impact of elastin incorporation into electrochemically aligned collagen fibers on mechanical properties and smooth muscle cell phenotype. Biomedical Materials, 2016, 11(2): 025008.
Venkataraman, L., C.A. Bashur, A. Ramamurthi, Impact of Cyclic Stretch on Induced Elastogenesis within Collagenous Conduits. Tissue Engineering Part A, 2014, 20(9-10): p.1403-15.
Bashur, C.A., A. Ramamurthi, Composition of Intraperitoneally-Implanted Electrospun Conduits Modulates Cellular Elastic Matrix Generation. Acta Biomaterialia, 2014, 10(1): p.163-72.
Bashur, C.A., M.J. Eagleton, A. Ramamurthi, Impact of Electrospun Conduit Fiber Diameter and Enclosing Pouch Pore Size on Vascular Constructs Grown within Rat Peritoneal Cavities. Tissue Engineering Part A, 2013, 19(7-8): p.809-23
Bashur, C.A., A. Ramamurthi, Aligned Electrospun Scaffolds and Elastogenic Factors for Vascular Cell-mediated Elastic Matrix Assembly. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 2012, 6 (9): p. 673–686
Lee, J.Y., C.A. Bashur, A.S. Goldstein, C.E. Schmidt, Nerve Growth Factor-Immobilized Electrically Conducting Fibrous Scaffolds for Potential Use in Neural Engineering Applications. IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience, 2012. 11(1): p. 15-21
McMahon, B.S., X. Qu, A.C. Jimenez-Vergara, C.A. Bashur, S.A. Guelcher, A.S. Goldstein, M.S. Hahn, Hydrogel-electrospun Mesh Composites for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts. Tissue Engineering part C, 2011. 17(4): p. 451-461.
Lee, J.Y., C.A. Bashur, N. Gomez, A.S. Goldstein, C.E. Schmidt, Enhanced Polarization of Embryonic Hippocampal Neurons on Electrospun Poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) Fibers. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research part A, 2010. 92(4): p. 1398-1406.
Lee, J.Y., C.A. Bashur, A.S. Goldstein, C.E. Schmidt, Polypyrrole-coated Electrospun PLGA Nanofibers for Neural Tissue Applications. Biomaterials, 2009. 30(26): p. 4325-4335.
Bashur, C.A., R.D. Shaffer, L.A. Dahlgren, S.A. Guelcher, and A.S. Goldstein, Effect of Fiber Diameter and Orientation of Electrospun Polyurethane Meshes on Ligament Progenitor Cells. Tissue Engineering part A, 2009. 15(9): p. 2435-2445.
Stylianopoulos, T., C.A. Bashur, A.S. Goldstein, S.A. Guelcher, and V.H. Barocas, Computational Predictions of the Tensile Properties of Electrospun Fiber Meshes: Effect of fiber diameter and fiber orientation. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 2008. 1 (4): p. 326-335.
Bashur, C.A., L.A. Dahlgren, and A.S. Goldstein, Effect of Fiber Diameter and Orientation on Fibroblast Morphology and Proliferation on Electrospun Poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) Meshes. Biomaterials, 2006. 27(33): p. 5681-5688.
Conference Proceedings:
Fenn, M.B., N. Roki, C.A Bashur, Silica-coated gold nanostars for surface-enhanced resonance Raman spectroscopy mapping of integrins in breast cancer cells. Plasmonics in Biology and Medicine / SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics), March 2015.
Review Articles
Washington, K.S., C.A. Bashur. Delivery of Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Agents for Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts, Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2017, 8:659.
Abeyrathna, N., K.S. Washington, C.A. Bashur, Y. Liao. Nonmetallic carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMs), Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry, 2017, 15(41): 8692.
Shojaee, M., C.A. Bashur. Compositions Including Synthetic and Natural Blends for Integration and Structural Integrity: Engineered for Different Vascular Graft Applications. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2017, 6(12). Invited progress report.
Bashur, C.A., R.R. Rao, A. Ramamurthi, Perspectives on stem cell-based elastic matrix regenerative therapies for abdominal aortic aneurysms. Stem Cells Translational Medicine, 2013, 2(6): p. 401-8.
Sivaraman, B., C.A. Bashur, A. Ramamurthi, Advances in Biomimetic Regeneration of Elastic Matrix Structures. Drug Delivery and Translational Research, 2012. 2: p.323-350.
Bashur, C.A., L. Venkataraman, A. Ramamurthi , Tissue Engineering Strategies to Replicate Biocomplexity of Vascular Elastic Matrix Assembly. Tissue Engineering part B, 2012. 18(3): p. 203-217.
Book Chapters
Bashur, C.A., M. Shojaee, Chapter 3e, In vitro cell conditioning within biomaterials: blood vessels. Biomaterials for Cell Delivery: Vehicles in Regenerative Medicine. Ed. Aaron Goldstein, Taylor & Francis Group, in press.
Goldstein, A.S., C.A. Bashur, J. Berry. Chapter 15, Strategies to Engineer Electrospun Scaffold Architecture and Function. The Handbook of Intelligent Scaffold for Regenerative Medicine. Ed. Gilson Khang, Pan Stanford, Singapore January 15 2011.
Recognition & Awards
2015 Florida Tech President's Award for University Excellence
Research
- Engineering Conduit Composition to Promote Elastogenesis and Endothelialization in Small-Diameter Vascular Graft (previously funded by the American Heart Association).
- Novel biomaterials with light-controlled CO release for modulation of endothelial cells (funded by the National Science Foundation)
- Long-term success of electrospun small diameter vascular grafts with blended compositions (funded by the American Heart Association)
Details of all research and personnel found on the lab website.