Principal Investigator

Cecilia Giachelli, PhD
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, 1989
- Ph.D., Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1987
- BS, Biochemistry, University of California at Davis, 1982
Dr. Giachelli is the Hunter and Dorothy Simpson Endowed Chair in Bioengineering. She also teaches several graduate courses each year. She has received several awards and honors including the Jack W. Coburn Lectureship (Amer. Soc. of Nephrology, 2011), Elected Fellow (American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2011), Advances in Mineral Metabolism Investigator Award (2003), and American Heart Association Established Investigator Award (1996-2001).
Co-Investigator
Marta Scatena, PhD
My group’s mission is to find new mechanisms and thus new therapeutic targets for vascular pathologies and chronic inflammatory conditions. We are particularly interested in disease specific approaches and solutions. My laboratory projects aim at understanding the mechanisms underlying the pathological processes of cardiovascular diseases and, related to it, at understanding the process of chronic inflammation and control thereof. Our emphasis is on applications in cardiovascular pathologies and in chronic responses elicited by biomaterials, including biomedical devices and engineered tissue substitutes. In my laboratory we also interested in the role of the extracellular environment mechanics on the control of angiogenesis. Research interests include biomaterials, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and tissue engineering.
Lab Manager
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Graduate Students
Hao Zhou, MS
- M.S. Material Science and Engineering, Cornell University
- B.S. Material Science and Engineering; Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Hao is a Graduate Research Assistant working towards his doctorate in Bioengineering. He has been with the Giachelli Lab since January 2020. His research interests include Cardiopulmonary Bypass, Inflammatory Response, and Tissue Engineering. With these interests and his educational background, Hao plans to . Music is important to him, and outside of the lab he is an avid music producer.

Philip Walczak, PhD
- Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of Washington School of Dentistry, 2021
- BS, Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 2017
Philip is a 3rd year graduate student in our lab working towards his PhD in Oral Health Sciences as part the School of Dentistry’s DDS/PhD program. Philip joined the Giachelli Lab in 2018, utilizing pilot data to successfully submit an F30 award. He strives to improve understanding governing hard tissue mineralization, specifically by characterizing the role of a phosphate transporter, PiT-2, in bone and tooth development and homeostasis. Philip is a recent Magnuson Scholar. Philip plans to continue working towards modulating pulpal responses in dental care by further study in endodontics. Outside of lab and clinic, Philip enjoys cycling, skiing, collecting and playing music, and brewing espresso.