Dr F. Max Yavitt
The Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Medicine is thrilled to announce that Dr F. Max Yavitt has been awarded a prestigious Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden Fast Start Grant worth $360,000. This grant recognises early-career researchers and will support Dr Yavitt’s innovative work investigating large-scale tissue development.
Dr Yavitt’s project, 'Engineered cellular assembly to elucidate the mechanics of large-scale tissue development,' combines 3D spheroid and organoid bioprinting technology developed at the University of Otago. It also incorporates decellularised extracellular matrix (dECM) and intestinal organoids in collaboration with international experts Professor Jinah Jang (POSTECH, South Korea) and Professor Peter Dempsey (University of Colorado, USA).
This groundbreaking research will enhance understanding of how cells assemble into large, functional tissues—advancing models for studying diseases like cancer and developing improved treatments.
“Current technology can create small patches of tissue, but it’s not well understood how tissues grow together to form larger, fully functional organs,” says Dr Yavitt. “By developing new techniques to study tissue assembly at organ-scale sizes, this project will provide critical insights into tissue growth and improve our ability to create accurate disease models.”
Dr Yavitt’s success is part of a strong showing for University of Otago researchers, with four Christchurch-based scientists receiving major funding in this year’s Marsden Fund awards.
We extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Yavitt on this well-deserved recognition and look forward to the impact his research will have on the field of regenerative medicine.