David Kaplan

Faculty

Image of David Kaplan

Department Chair, Biomedical Engineering. School of Engineering
Endowed, Dean’s Professorship in Bioengineering
Director, Bioengineering and Biotechnology Center
Director, NIH P41 Tissue Engineering Resource Center (TERC)
Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
Winner, Henry and Madeline Fischer Teacher of the Year Award

A scout on the frontiers of tissue engineering, David Kaplan is literally changing the world—one incredible new material at a time. (To date, his work has spawned 24 U.S. patents and several start-up companies.) By combining protein from spider silk with silica from tiny creatures called diatoms, for example, he has created a remarkable “scaffolding” for growing new bone. He also encourages unexpected connections between human beings; his own lab alone combines the talents of physicists, biologists, chemists, physicians, veterinarians, dentists and many, many kinds of engineers.

Tufts People

“Twenty years ago, I wasn’t thinking about medical applications for my work. I was just trying to figure out how some amazing structures in nature, such as silks and collagens, are formed. Today, Tufts is leading a major grant program working with Columbia U. and MIT to grow new human tissue to use in clinical replacement.”