Dr. Amy Harkins Lab

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Welcome to the Laboratory of Dr. Amy Harkins.

My laboratory is currently conducting research in the fields of neuroscience, analytical chemistry and biomedical engineering.

The primary goal of the lab is to investigate neural regeneration in 3-dimensional scaffolds to accurately and functionally reform nerve connectivity to target tissues.

The laboratory bridges the biophysical and biomedical engineering fields of research.  Our approaches include using 3-dimensional scaffold biomaterials that are either naturally occuring or synthetic to grow neurons and study signaling molecules for appropriate reconnection and functional activity during regeneration.  To measure reconnectivity, we utilize biophysical and analytical chemistry techniques of amperometry and patch-clamp analysis for neuronal communication as it is reestablished upon reinnervation.

If you're interested in reading more about the projects and research questions, as well as how we approach the problems, click around on the research projects, read about the people who are actively doing the work and who have been in the lab in the past, as well as protocols we use and post here, and publications that have resulted from this research.