Post Doctoral Research Associate, Cambridge Centre for Medical Materials, Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy
Email: cet48@cam.ac.uk
Research interests
Edi obtained his BSc and MSc in Medical Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering from University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi (Romania) and his PhD in Chemistry from Technical University of Iasi (Romania). Throughout his doctorate he developed expertise in the field of bone tissue engineering spending time in Professor James Kirkpatrick’s lab in Mainz, Germany and Associate Professor Theo van Kooten’s lab in Groningen, The Nederland’s acquiring knowledge in cell and molecular biology studies and tissue culture methodologies.
Upon finishing his PhD, Edi took an EU-funded Marie Curie Initial Training Network post-doctoral fellowship within BioTiNet project. His research was focused on biosystem-material interactions of mesenchymal stromal cells, osteoprogenitors and leukocytes when cultured on low modulus β-Ti alloys materials, working with Dr Roger Brooks at Division of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Cambridge University Hospitals—Addenbrooke’s.
Subsequently, he worked on immunohistochemistry/ immunofluorescence of collagen biomimetic scaffolds used for meniscal cartilage repair working with Dr Frances Henson and Dr John Wardale at the Division of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Cambridge University Hospitals – Addenbrooke’s.
In 2014 Edi joined CCMM working on a UKRMP SmartStep project that aims to explore ways to stimulate the patient’s own repair mechanisms by targeting their cell populations using three-dimensional collagen scaffolds with controlled architecture.
Edi’s research interests lie generally in the area of musculoskeletal repair, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. He is focused on developing collagen-based biomaterials with controlled architecture that could be used in the joint regeneration in a minimally invasive procedure as well as delivery of biological factors incorporated into three-dimensional collagen scaffolds; in addition, he is interested in assessing in vitro behaviour of new design materials for cartilage regeneration.
Key publications
Howard D, Tanase E, Wardale J and Henson F (2016) A novel biphasic scaffold supports meniscal tissue repair in ex vivo and in vivo models. 2, 1–11.
Vasi M, Popa MI, Tanase EC, Butnaru M and Verestiuc L (2014) Poly (Acrylic Acid)-Poly (Ethylene Glycol) nanoparticles designed for ophthalmic drug delivery.J. Pharm. Sci., 103(2), 676–686.
Tanase E, Sartoris A, Popa MI, Verestiuc L, Unger RE and Kirkpatrick CJ (2013) In vitro evaluation of biomimetic chitosan–calcium phosphate scaffolds with potential application in bone tissue engineering. Biomed. Mater, 8, 25002–10.
Tanase E, Popa MI and Verestiuc L (2012) Biomimetic chitosan-calcium phosphate composites with potential applications as bone substitutes: preparation and characterization. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. B. Appl. Biomater. 100(3), 700–8.
Tanase E , Popa MI and Verestiuc L (2011) Biomimetic bone scaffolds based on chitosan and calcium phosphates. Mater. Lett., 65(110) 1681–1683.
Areas of expertise
collagen, micro-computed tomography, freeze-drying, titanium-based materials, cell-material interactions, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine