Professor Nicoll’s research program incorporates the principles of cell and molecular biology, materials science, and mechanical engineering toward the development of living tissue surrogates for connective tissue restoration.  A prevailing theme in each of the major research thrusts is understanding how environmental stimuli and biomaterial substrates regulate the differentiation of progenitor cells (i.e., human dermal fibroblasts, bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells) toward specialized connective tissue cell lineages, such as chondrocytes and osteoblasts.  Recent efforts have focused on engineering injectable cellulose-based biomaterials for plastic surgery and orthopaedic applications.