Thomas H Barker
- Email: thomas.barker@virginia.edu
- Phone: 434-297-7990
- Fax: â434-982-3870
- Website: http://www.matrixbiology.net/
Primary Appointment
Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Education
- PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama, Birmingham
Research Disciplines
Biomedical Engineering, Cell and Developmental Biology, Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration, Experimental Pathology
Research Interests
Matrix Biology and Engineering
Research Description
Personal Statement
THOMAS H. BARKER, PROFESSOR
Dr. Barker is a Professor in Biomedical Engineering in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine at the University of Virginia. He performed his academic and scientific training with Drs. James Hagood, Joanne Murhpy-Ullrich, Helene Sage, and Jeffrey Hubbell prior to his first faculty post at Georgia Institute of Technology, where he spend 10 years as an Assistant and Associate Professor. Dr. Barkerâs research integrates engineering and quantitative approaches with basic cell and molecular biology to understand and control cell phenotype through their interactions with natural and engineered extracellular matrices. Dr. Barker is also focused on understanding the fundamental roles of cell mechanotransduction and mechanical forces in regulating the biochemical activity of proteins in the extracellular matrix toward wound repair, regeneration, and fibrosis. Dr. Barker has established a number of fundamental systems based on rational mutagenesis, molecular evolution of extracellular matrix protein fragments and antibodies that allow both basic biochemical and cell biological studies on the ECM and detection and treatment of organ fibrosis. Dr. Barker has co-authored research and review papers in leading cell biology, matrix biology, and biomaterials journals, he received the NIH Directorâs Transformative Research Award in 2015. Dr. Barker was also the recipient of the American Society for Matrix Biologyâs Young Investigator Award in 2012 and Iozzo Award in 2016.
Training
- Basic Cardiovascular Research Training Grant
- Biotechnology Training Grant
- Cancer Research Training in Molecular Biology
Selected Publications
2024
Nellenbach, K., Mihalko, E., Nandi, S., Koch, D. W., Shetty, J., Moretti, L., . . . Brown, A. C. (2024). Ultrasoft platelet-like particles stop bleeding in rodent and porcine models of trauma.. Science translational medicine, 16(742), eadi4490. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.adi4490
Younesi, F. S., Miller, A. E., Barker, T. H., Rossi, F. M. V., & Hinz, B. (2024). Fibroblast and myofibroblast activation in normal tissue repair and fibrosis.. Nature reviews. Molecular cell biology. doi:10.1038/s41580-024-00716-0
2023
Hu, P., Miller, A. E., Yeh, C. -R., Bingham, G. C., Civelek, M., & Barker, T. H. (2023). SEMA7a primes integrin α581 engagement instructing fibroblast mechanotransduction, phenotype and transcriptional programming. MATRIX BIOLOGY, 121, 179-193. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2023.06.006
2022
Cook, C. J., Miller, A. E., Barker, T. H., Di, Y., & Fogg, K. C. (2022). Characterizing the extracellular matrix transcriptome of cervical, endometrial, and uterine cancers.. Matrix biology plus, 15, 100117. doi:10.1016/j.mbplus.2022.100117
Hata, A., Guo, Y., Miller, A. E., Hata, M., Mei, Z., Manafi, A., . . . Krupnick, A. S. (2022). Loss of stromal cell Thy-1 plays a critical role in lipopolysaccharide induced chronic lung allograft dysfunction. JOURNAL OF HEART AND LUNG TRANSPLANTATION, 41(8), 1044-1054. doi:10.1016/j.healun.2022.05.009
Hu, P., Leyton, L., Hagood, J. S., & Barker, T. H. (2022). Thy-1-Integrin Interactions in cis and Trans Mediate Distinctive Signaling. FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 10. doi:10.3389/fcell.2022.928510
2021
Moretti, L., Stalfort, J., Barker, T. H., & Abebayehu, D. (2022). The interplay of fibroblasts, the extracellular matrix, and inflammation in scar formation. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 298(2). doi:10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101530
Hannan, R. T., Miller, A. E., Hung, R. -C., Sano, C., Peirce, S. M., & Barker, T. H. (2021). Extracellular matrix remodeling associated with bleomycin-induced lung injury supports pericyte-to-myofibroblast transition.. Matrix biology plus, 10, 100056. doi:10.1016/j.mbplus.2020.100056
Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Kameishi, S., Barutello, G., Zheng, Y., Tobin, N. P., . . . Holmgren, L. (2021). The Amot/integrin protein complex transmits mechanical forces required for vascular expansion. CELL REPORTS, 36(8). doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109616
Hui, E., Moretti, L., Barker, T. H., & Caliari, S. R. (2021). The Combined Influence of Viscoelastic and Adhesive Cues on Fibroblast Spreading and Focal Adhesion Organization. CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR BIOENGINEERING, 14(5), 427-440. doi:10.1007/s12195-021-00672-1
Yeh, C. -R., Bingham, G. C., Shetty, J., Hu, P., & Barker, T. H. (2021). Decellularized Extracellular Matrix (ECM) as a Model to Study Fibrotic ECM Mechanobiology. MYOFIBROBLASTS, 2299, 237-261. doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-1382-5_18
Nandi, S., Mihalko, E., Nellenbach, K., Castaneda, M., Schneible, J., Harp, M., . . . Brown, A. C. (2021). Synthetic Platelet Microgels Containing Fibrin Knob B Mimetic Motifs Enhance Clotting Responses. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS, 4(5). doi:10.1002/adtp.202100010
2020
Leonard-Duke, J., Evans, S., Hannan, R. T., Barker, T. H., Bates, J. H. T., Bonham, C. A., . . . Peirce, S. M. (2020). Multi-scale models of lung fibrosis. MATRIX BIOLOGY, 91-92, 35-50. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2020.04.003
Melchor, S. J., Hatter, J. A., Castillo, E. A. L., Saunders, C. M., Byrnes, K. A., Sanders, I., . . . Ewald, S. E. (2020). T. gondii infection induces IL-1R dependent chronic cachexia and perivascular fibrosis in the liver and skeletal muscle. SCIENTIFIC REPORTS, 10(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-020-72767-0
DeLeon-Pennell, K. Y., Barker, T. H., & Lindsey, M. L. (2020). Fibroblasts: The arbiters of extracellular matrix remodeling. MATRIX BIOLOGY, 91-92, 1-7. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2020.05.006
Bingham, G. C., Lee, F., Naba, A., & Barker, T. H. (2020). Spatial-omics: Novel approaches to probe cell heterogeneity and extracellular matrix biology. MATRIX BIOLOGY, 91-92, 152-166. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2020.04.004
Miller, A. E., Hu, P., & Barker, T. H. (2020). Feeling Things Out: Bidirectional Signaling of the Cell-ECM Interface, Implications in the Mechanobiology of Cell Spreading, Migration, Proliferation, and Differentiation. ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS, 9(8). doi:10.1002/adhm.201901445
2019
Witherel, C. E., Abebayehu, D., Barker, T. H., & Spiller, K. L. (2019). Macrophage and Fibroblast Interactions in Biomaterial-Mediated Fibrosis. ADVANCED HEALTHCARE MATERIALS, 8(4). doi:10.1002/adhm.201801451
Guo, Y., Wang, Q., Li, D., Onyema, O. O., Mei, Z., Manafi, A., . . . Krupnick, A. S. (2019). Vendor-specific microbiome controls both acute and chronic murine lung allograft rejection by altering CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cell levels. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, 19(10), 2705-2718. doi:10.1111/ajt.15523
Stefanelli, V. L., Choudhury, S., Hu, P., Liu, Y., Schwenzer, A., Yeh, C. -R., . . . Barker, T. H. (2019). Citrullination of fibronectin alters integrin clustering and focal adhesion stability promoting stromal cell invasion. MATRIX BIOLOGY, 82, 86-104. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2019.04.002
Hu, P., & Barker, T. H. (2019). Thy-1 in Integrin Mediated Mechanotransduction. FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, 7. doi:10.3389/fcell.2019.00022
2018
Fiore, V. F., Wong, S. S., Tran, C., Tan, C., Xu, W., Sulchek, T., . . . Barker, T. H. (2018). αvβ3 Integrin drives fibroblast contraction and strain stiffening of soft provisional matrix during progressive fibrosis. JCI INSIGHT, 3(20). doi:10.1172/jci.insight.97597
Chambers, D. M., Moretti, L., Zhang, J. J., Cooper, S. W., Chambers, D. M., Santangelo, P. J., & Barker, T. H. (2018). LEM domain-containing protein 3 antagonizes TGFβ-SMAD2/3 signaling in a stiffness-dependent manner in both the nucleus and cytosol. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 293(41), 15867-15886. doi:10.1074/jbc.RA118.003658
Welsch, N., Brown, A. C., Barker, T. H., & Lyon, L. A. (2018). Enhancing clot properties through fibrin-specific self-cross-linked PEG side-chain microgels. COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES, 166, 89-97. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.03.003
Yamauchi, M., Barker, T. H., Gibbons, D. L., & Kurie, J. M. (2018). The fibrotic tumor stroma. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, 128(1), 16-25. doi:10.1172/JCI93554
Hay, J. J., Rodrigo-Navarro, A., Petaroudi, M., Bryksin, A. V., Garcia, A. J., Barker, T. H., . . . Salmeron-Sanchez, M. (2018). Bacteria-Based Materials for Stem Cell Engineering. ADVANCED MATERIALS, 30(43). doi:10.1002/adma.201804310
Hardy, E. T., Wang, Y. J., Iyer, S., Mannino, R. G., Sakurai, Y., Barker, T. H., . . . Lam, W. A. (2018). Interdigitated microelectronic bandage augments hemostasis and clot formation at low applied voltage in vitro and in vivo. LAB ON A CHIP, 18(19), 2985-2993. doi:10.1039/c8lc00573g
Kim, D. J., Dunleavey, J. M., Xiao, L., Ollila, D. W., Troester, M. A., Otey, C. A., . . . Dudley, A. C. (2018). Suppression of TGFβ-mediated conversion of endothelial cells and fibroblasts into cancer associated (myo) fibroblasts via HDAC inhibition. BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER, 118(10), 1359-1368. doi:10.1038/s41416-018-0072-3
2017
Li, S., Nih, L. R., Bachman, H., Fei, P., Li, Y., Nam, E., . . . Segura, T. (2017). Hydrogels with precisely controlled integrin activation dictate vascular patterning and permeability. NATURE MATERIALS, 16(9), 953-+. doi:10.1038/NMAT4954
Cao, L., Nicosia, J., Larouche, J., Zhang, Y., Bachman, H., Brown, A. C., . . . Barker, T. H. (2017). Detection of an Integrin-Binding Mechanoswitch within Fibronectin during Tissue Formation and Fibrosis. ACS NANO, 11(7), 7110-7117. doi:10.1021/acsnano.7b02755
Barker, T. H., & Engler, A. J. (2017). The provisional matrix: setting the stage for tissue repair outcomes. MATRIX BIOLOGY, 60-61, 1-4. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2017.04.003
Hannan, R. T., Peirce, S. M., & Barker, T. H. (2018). Fibroblasts: Diverse Cells Critical to Biomaterials Integration. ACS BIOMATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, 4(4), 1223-1232. doi:10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00244
Douglas, A. M., Fragkopoulos, A. A., Gaines, M. K., Lyon, L. A., Fernandez-Nieves, A., & Barker, T. H. (2017). Dynamic assembly of ultrasoft colloidal networks enables cell invasion within restrictive fibrillar polymers. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 114(5), 885-890. doi:10.1073/pnas.1607350114
Hyatt, J. S., Douglas, A. M., Stanley, C., Do, C., Barker, T. H., & Fernandez-Nieves, A. (2017). Charge segregation in weakly ionized microgels. PHYSICAL REVIEW E, 95(1). doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.95.012608
2014
Qiu, Y., Brown, A. C., Myers, D. R., Sakurai, Y., Mannino, R. G., Tran, R., . . . Lam, W. A. (2014). Platelet mechanosensing of substrate stiffness during clot formation mediates adhesion, spreading, and activation.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(40), 14430-14435. doi:10.1073/pnas.1322917111
2012
Huang, X., Yang, N., Fiore, V. F., Barker, T. H., Sun, Y., Morris, S. W., . . . Zhou, Y. (2012). Matrix Stiffness-Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation Is Mediated by Intrinsic Mechanotransduction. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, 47(3), 340-348. doi:10.1165/rcmb.2012-0050OC