Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Bioengineering Muscle Regeneration
We study how cells feel and respond to force, then we use that to rebuild functional muscle.
Skeletal muscle degeneration contributes to disability, chronic pain, and loss of mobility across traumatic injury, aging, and neuromuscular disease. Our lab applies biomaterials and bioengineering approaches to study stem cell mechanobiology, cell-matrix interactions, and muscle disease, with the goal of engineering regenerative therapies that restore muscle function.
Muscle stem cell therapies are limited by poor survival, engraftment, and regenerative potency. We engineer cell-instructive 3D biomaterials to enhance stem cell expansion, delivery, and dispersion.
Click to learn moreMuscle stem cell transplantation is a promising strategy for treating skeletal muscle injuries and diseases, but poor cell survival, engraftment, and loss of regenerative potency remain major barriers to clinical translation. Our recent work demonstrated that engineered biomaterials can promote muscle stem cell survival and expansion by recreating key biophysical features of the native niche, and we are leveraging these findings to develop next-generation stem cell therapies for muscle repair.
Click to flip backMechanical forces are fundamental regulators of stem cell fate and tissue regeneration. We investigate how physical cues such as confinement, stretch, and tissue architecture control muscle stem cell and fibro-adipogenic progenitor function in health and disease.
Click to learn morePhysical forces are fundamental regulators of stem cell fate and tissue regeneration in musculoskeletal tissues. Our recent work revealed that 3D mechanical confinement acts as a physical brake on muscle stem cell activation, and we integrate in vivo models, engineered biomaterials, and computational approaches to uncover how muscle stem cells and stromal cells transduce and decode mechanical cues across molecular, cellular, and tissue scales in health and disease.
Click to flip backRotator cuff tears drive progressive muscle degeneration characterized by atrophy and fatty infiltration. We develop hydrogels and RNA-based therapies to suppress muscle degeneration and promote regeneration.
Click to learn moreRotator cuff injuries affect over 30% of adults and are associated with high failure and re-tear rates following surgical repair, particularly with aging. Our recent work identified Wnt7a as a potent suppressor of fibro-adipogenic progenitor adipogenesis through YAP/TAZ signaling, and we are now developing injectable biomaterial and RNA-based therapies to combat muscle degeneration and improve recovery for athletes, servicemen and women, and the elderly.
Click to flip backA multidisciplinary group of engineers, cell biologists, and clinician-scientists — united by a drive to understand and cure muscle disease.
Principal Investigator
Woojin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. He received his M.S.E. and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and completed his postdoctoral training at Georgia Institute of Technology. He was a Glenn/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellow for Translational Research on Aging and NIH/NHLBI Ruth L. Kirschstein F32 Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Han has published over 35 papers, including in Nature Materials, Science Advances, Stem Cell Reports, and Advanced Biology. His work has earned national recognition, including Popular Science's "Brilliant 10", the 2025 BMES/CMBE Young Innovator Award, and the 2025 NEBEC Emerging Investigator Award. He serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Society for Biomaterials Tissue Engineering SIG, Founding Member and Research/Education Chair of Orthopaedic Research Society's Skeletal Muscle Section, and on the editorial boards of Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, Matrix Biology, and Matrix Biology Plus. Since 2021, he has mentored over 15 trainees across career stages, reflecting his commitment to developing future leaders in science and medicine.
Click to flip backWe welcome applications from motivated postdocs, PhD students, and undergraduates passionate about muscle biology and bioengineering.
We are grateful for the support of federal funding agencies, foundations, and philanthropic organizations committed to advancing musculoskeletal regeneration and human health.
Current Funding
Past Funding
Highlights from our peer-reviewed work across biomaterials, mechanobiology, and muscle disease.
Full List on Google ScholarLab outings, conferences, celebrations, and everyday moments from the Han Lab.
We welcome collaborations, prospective trainees, and partners interested in advancing muscle regeneration and regenerative medicine.
Philanthropic support enables our lab to pursue innovative, high-risk, translational research in regenerative medicine, stem cell engineering, biomaterials, and musculoskeletal disease that is often difficult to support through traditional funding mechanisms alone.
As part of a nonprofit academic medical center, every contribution directly advances scientific discovery, trainee development, and the development of new therapies for athletes, service members, veterans, and patients suffering from muscle injury and disease.
