Dr Steve Ball

C3.214 Michael Smith Building

Faculty of Life Sciences

University of Manchester

Oxford Road

MANCHESTER  M13 9PT

Tel:     +44 (0) 161 275 5756

email:  stephen.g.ball@manchester.ac.uk

My primary field of research is adult stem cell biology, directed towards tissue engineering applications. Human adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are currently being studied as a source of primitive smooth muscle cells (SMC), for seeding the medial layer of small-diameter vascular grafts.

Principally I am investigating mechanisms involved in MSC differentiation towards SMC, which can be used to procreate cellular recruitment and differentiation events occurring during blood vessel wall development and applied to vascular regeneration strategies. More specifically, determinants of MSC differentiation, such as cell contact, mechanical forces, extracellular matrix and growth factor influences are being examined, together with the intracellular signalling pathways involved.