Claudia Fischbach
Postdoctoral Fellow
cf99@cornell.edu

Education

Pharmacy Degree (1998) – Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany

Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Technology (2003) – University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2003-2004) – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2004-present) – Harvard University, Cambridge, USA

Research Focus

Microenvironmental conditions (e.g., 3-D cellular interactions, central hypoxia) are critical in both initiation and malignant progression of tumors, but may not be accurately reflected by conventional 2-D cell culture. My research applies tissue engineering strategies, originally established for tissue regeneration, to develop 3-D human tumor models with microenvironmental characteristics representative in vivo. Using these models, I am investigating cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the malignant progression of tumors, and these studies may be contribute to the identification of therapeutic target for anti-cancer therapies.

Publications

• Fischbach, C., Mooney, D.J., Polymeric Systems for Bioinspired Delivery of Angiogenic Molecules, Adv Pol Sci, in press.
• Neubauer, M., Hacker, M., Bauer-Kreisel, P., Weiser, B., Fischbach, C., Schulz, M.B., Goepferich, A., Blunk, T.: Adipose Tissue Engineering Based on Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor in vitro. Tissue Eng. 2005 (11) 1840-1851
• Kumar, P., Benedict, R., Urzua, F., Fischbach, C., Mooney, D.J., and Polverini P.J., Combination treatment significantly enhances the efficacy of anti-tumor therapy by preferentially targeting angiogenesis. Lab Invest 2005 (85) 756-767
• Neubauer, M., Fischbach, C., Bauer-Kreisel, P., Lieb, E., Hacker, M., Tessmar, J., Schulz, M.B., Goepferich, A., Blunk, T., Basic fibroblast growth factor enhances PPARgamma ligand-induced adipogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells, FEBS Lett. 577 (2004) 277-283.
• Fischbach, C., Spruss, T., Weiser, B., Neubauer, M., Becker, C., Hacker, M., Goepferich, A., Blunk, T., Generation of mature fat pads in vitro and in vivo utilizing 3-D long-term culture of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, Exp. Cell Res 300 (2004) 54-64.
• Fischbach, C., Seufert, J., Staiger, H., Hacker, M., Neubauer, M., Goepferich, A., and Blunk, T. 3-D in vitro-Model of Adipogenesis – Comparison of Culture Conditions. Tissue Eng 2004: 10: 215-229
• Lieb, E., Tessmar, J., Hacker, M., Fischbach, C., Rose, D., Blunk, T., Mikos, A.G., Goepferich, A., and Schulz, M.B. Poly(D,L-lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-monomethyl ether diblock copolymers control adhesion and osteoblastic differentiation of marrow stromal cells. Tissue Eng 2003: 9: 71-84.
• Maschke A., Lucke, A., Vogelhuber, W., Fischbach, C., Appel, B., Blunk, T., and Goepferich, A. Lipids: An Alternative Material for Protein and Peptide Release. In: Svenson Sonke, ed. Carrier Based Drug Delivery. American Chemical Society, 2002.
• Tessmar, J., Fischbach, C., Lucke, A., Schnell, E., Schmeer, G., Blunk, T., and Goepferich, A. Reaktive PEG-PLA Diblockcopolymere zur Kontrolle der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Zellen und Biomaterial. In: Wisser A, Nachtigall W, eds. Biona report 14. Mainz: Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur, 2002: 66-68.
• Fischbach, C., Tessmar, J., Lucke, A., Schnell, E., Schmeer, G., Blunk, T., and Goepferich, A. Does UV irradiation affect polymer properties relevant to tissue engineering? Surf Sci 2001: 491: 333-345.