About

Professor Roger D. Kamm is the Cecil H. Green Distinguished Professor at MIT in the Department of Biological Engineering. His research focuses on elucidating the fundamental nature of how cells sense and respond to mechanical stimuli, and using this knowledge to understand cell population behaviors such as the emergence of form and function. His work employs both experimental and computational approaches, encouraging the constant interplay between the two for model validation, direct measurement of critical parameters, and the development of new hypotheses for testing through experiments. The Kamm research group works across five broad areas: Biological Machines and Microfluidics, Angiogenesis and Vasculogenesis, Neurological Diseases, Cancer, and Simulation and Modeling. His lab aims to employ the principles revealed by these studies to seek new treatments for neurological diseases and cancer, as well as to develop tissue constructs for drug and toxicity screening. Professor Kamm began his career at Northwestern University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and earned both a Master’s and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Since 1978, he has been a professor at MIT and was one of the founding members of the Biological Engineering Department when it was created in 1998.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Biology
• Cell biology
• Materials science
• Pathology
• Chemistry
• Medicine
• Genetics
• Biophysics
• Biotechnology
• Computational biology
• Neuroscience
• Engineering
• Biochemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Internal medicine
• Systems engineering
• Telecommunications
• Cardiology
• Optics
• Biomedical engineering

Selected publications

• Quantitative comparison of methods for widespread delivery of small molecules across the blood-brain barrier

  Communications Biology · 2026-04-04

  articleOpen access

  Achieving widespread delivery of pharmacological agents beyond the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a formidable challenge in preclinical and clinical research. Here we quantitatively evaluate and compare three strategies for brain-wide delivery that employ transient BBB disruption or infusion via the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in rats. Using molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, we find that the three techniques produce spatially differentiated labeling patterns, with the most homogeneous delivery produced either using chemically mediated or unfocused ultrasound-based BBB manipulation methods. Contrast enhancement distributions are similar following chemical and ultrasound procedures, but differ notably from the results of intra-CSF infusion. Delivery efficiency using the two BBB disruption methods also correlates inversely with a marker of tight junction density, suggesting that common factors determine susceptibility to these techniques. Our study thus documents the spatial variation of BBB properties across the brain while offering guidance about brain-wide application of molecular technologies in neuroscience and neuromedicine.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Brain Endothelial Cells Regulate Neural Stem Cell Maintenance by Consuming Growth Factors in a Reconstituted Vascular Neural Stem Cell Niche

  BioChip Journal · 2026-01-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Self-localized ultrafast pencil beam for volumetric multiphoton imaging

  Nature Methods · 2026-04-27

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Innate Immune Evasion of Lyme Disease Pathogen Drives Alzheimer-Like Pathology

  Research Square · 2026-03-18

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 3D printing and bioprinting for miniaturized and scalable hanging-drop organoids culture

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-09-29

  preprintOpen access

  Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems rely on the manipulation of a biologically derived matrix, typically soluble Basement Membrane Extract (sBME), in which cells or cellular aggregates, such as organoids, are suspended. This matrix provides mechanobiological support, promoting cellular processes. However, the handling of sBME-based matrices containing cellular constructs poses significant challenges due to their rheological properties. We developed an integrated bioprinting system to surpass the conventional pipetting, seeding and culture in multiwell plates. The system combines a fluidic cartridge with innovative 3D-printed biocompatible culture tools designed to host and preserve high-throughput microcultures of Patient-Derived Organoids (PDOs) in sBME. The miniaturized hanging-drop configuration enables extended culture periods and high-throughput imaging screenings. This comprehensive approach overcomes common issues associated with sBME, including sedimentation of cellular aggregates, premature gelation, and structural collapse, which negatively impact culture quality and reproducibility throughout the entire 3D culture workflow, from seeding to culture maintenance, and post-culture analyses.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Utility of an <i>in vitro</i> lymphatics on-chip model for rank ordering subcutaneous absorption of monoclonal antibodies

  Lab on a Chip · 2025-01-01 · 6 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  = 0.8929). The on-chip lymphatics model described here appears as a promising tool for rank ordering subcutaneous lymphatic absorption during early drug development to increase the potential for successful candidate selection moving toward the clinic.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Polyploidy of MDA-MB-231 cells drives increased extravasation with enhanced cell-matrix adhesion

  APL Bioengineering · 2025-01-29 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Metastasis, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, involves a complex cascade of events, including extravasation. Despite extensive research into metastasis, the mechanisms underlying extravasation remain unclear. Molecular targeted therapies have advanced cancer treatment, yet their efficacy is limited, prompting exploration into novel therapeutic targets. Here, we showed the association of polyploidy in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and their extravasation, using microfluidic systems to reproduce the in vivo microvascular environment. We observed enhanced extravasation in polyploid cells alongside upregulated expression of genes involved in cell-substrate adhesion and cell mechanical dynamics. These findings offer insights into the relationship between polyploidy and extravasation, highlighting potential targets for cancer therapy.

  PublisherDOI

• 4D force patterning enables spatial control of angiogenesis

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-11-13 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Engineering organized microvascular networks remains a critical challenge in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. While biochemical approaches for patterning angiogenesis via growth factor delivery have shown promise, their inability to pattern sustained growth factors with spatiotemporal control limits effectiveness. Here, we demonstrate that dynamically patterned mechanical forces enable precise spatiotemporal control over angiogenic sprouting. We developed a magnetically actuated human vessel-on-a-chip platform that integrates a perfusable endothelialized microchannel within a collagen matrix and allows non-invasive and tunable mechanical stimulation across three spatial dimensions and time (4D). Using an automated 3-axis actuator, we systematically investigated how strain magnitude, frequency, and direction modulate endothelial cell behavior and vessel morphogenesis. Dynamic mechanical stimulation at physiological strain magnitudes (5–15%) enhanced endothelial alignment and barrier function while promoting angiogenesis in a strain-magnitude–dependent manner: lower dynamic strain (5%) maximized sprout initiation, whereas higher dynamic strain (15%) promoted elongation of sprouts. Sequential reorientation of strain direction reprogrammed sprouting trajectories along X, Y, and Z directions, generating complex sprout geometries such as L-shaped branches. RNA sequencing revealed mechanically induced transcriptional profiles distinct from unstimulated controls, characterized by upregulation of genes associated with angiogenesis, mechanotransduction, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Functional perturbation of Piezo1 reduced strain-induced sprouting without altering barrier stabilization, indicating that dynamic mechanical stimulation engages multiple mechanotransduction pathways to regulate angiogenesis. Collectively, these findings establish a strategy for spatiotemporally controlled angiogenesis through 4D force patterning to program vascular morphogenesis while preserving function. This approach provides a foundation for engineering hierarchically organized vascular networks for tissue regeneration. Significance Generation of spatially organized, perfusable microvascular networks is essential for building functional human tissues. Biochemical approaches to pattern angiogenesis rely on diffusive growth factors, which limit control over spatiotemporal sprouting dynamics. Here, we demonstrate that dynamically patterned mechanical forces direct vascular morphogenesis across three spatial dimensions and time (4D). Using a magnetically actuated human vessel-on-a-chip, we show how strain magnitude and orientation govern angiogenic sprouting and reveal transcriptional programs linking mechanical cues to observed functional changes. For the first time, we show that dynamic reorientation of imposed forces can reprogram angiogenic trajectories in real-time. This platform enables programmable mechanical control of angiogenesis and systematic dissection of mechanotransduction pathways, advancing strategies for tissue vascularization, and modeling mechanically regulated vascular diseases.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Remodeling of self-assembled microvascular networks under long term flow

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-03-18 · 4 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  The incorporation of a functional perfusable microvascular network (MVN) is a common requirement for most organ on-chip-models. Long-term perfusion of MVNs is often required for the maturation of organ phenotypes and disease pathologies and to model the transport of cells and drugs entering organs. In our microphysiological system, we observe that flow can recover perfusion in regressed MVNs and maintain perfusable MVNs for at least 51 days. Throughout the 51 days, however, the MVNs are continuously remodeling to align with the direction of bulk flow and only appear to attain morphological homeostasis with the use of maintenance medium without growth factors. We observed that the flow resistance of the MVNs decreases over time, and using a computational model, we show that stable vessels have higher flow rates and velocities compared to regressing vessels. Cytokine analysis suggests that static conditions generate an inflammatory state, and that continuous flow reduces inflammation over an extended period. Finally, through bulk RNA sequencing we identify that both the endothelial and fibroblast cells are actively engaged in vascular and matrix remodeling due to flow and that these effects persist for at least 2 weeks. This MPS can be applied to study hemodynamically driven processes, such as metastatic dissemination or drug distribution, or to model long-term diseases previously not captured by MPS, such as chronic inflammation or aging-associated diseases.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Myofibroblasts reduce angiogenesis and vasculogenesis in a vascularized microphysiological model of lung fibrosis

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2025-01-14 · 2 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Lung fibrosis, characterized by chronic and progressive scarring, has no cure. Hallmarks are the accumulation of myofibroblasts and extracellular matrix, as well as vascular remodeling. The crosstalk between myofibroblasts and vasculature is poorly understood, with conflicting reports on whether angiogenesis and vessel density are increased or decreased in lung fibrosis. We developed a microphysiological system that recapitulates the pathophysiology of lung fibrosis and disentangles myofibroblast-vascular interactions. Lung myofibroblasts maintained their phenotype in 3D without exogenous TGF-β and displayed anti-angiogenic and anti-vasculogenic activities when cultured with endothelial cells in a microfluidic device. These effects, including decreased endothelial sprouting, altered vascular morphology, and increased vascular permeability, were mediated by increased TGF-β1 and reduced VEGF secretion. Pharmacological interventions targeting these cytokines restored vascular morphology and permeability, demonstrating the potential of this model to screen anti-fibrotic drugs. This system provides insights into myofibroblast-vascular crosstalk in lung fibrosis and offers a platform for therapeutic development.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant U01CA20217701

  NIH · $672k · 2020

• NIH Grant T32EB006348

  NIH · $1.6M · 2012

• NIH Grant R01EY005503

  NIH · $1.4M · 1992

• NIH Grant R01HL061794

  NIH · $808k · 2003

• EFRI-CBE: A Multifaceted Approach to the Modeling of Angiogenesis

  NSF · $1.9M · 2008–2011

Frequent coauthors

• Andrea Pavesi

  Agency for Science, Technology and Research

  86 shared

• Seok Chung

  Korea Institute of Science and Technology

  84 shared

• Giulia Adriani

  National University of Singapore

  79 shared

• Mohammad R. K. Mofrad

  University of California, Berkeley

  74 shared

• Sharon Wei Ling Lee

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  66 shared

• Richard Lee

  65 shared

• Ioannis K. Zervantonakis

  UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

  61 shared

• H. Harry Asada

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  57 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Biological Engineering

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  1984

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering

  University of California, Berkeley

  1979