Dino Ravnic

Dino Ravnic is a Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery at the Penn State College of Medicine, with dual affiliation at the Penn State Cancer Institute focusing on Next-Generation Therapies. He directs the Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory managed by Dr. Srinivas Koduru, driving innovation in reconstructive microsurgery through engineered tissue solutions.

Education:

• Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Science (MSc)

His research pioneers vascularized tissue engineering using adipose-derived stem cells and endothelial cells to create patient-specific implants that overcome donor-site morbidity in free-flap surgery. The lab specializes in 3D bioprinting vascular networks, scaffold fabrication from adipose biomolecules, and microvasculature optimization through cross-disciplinary collaboration with materials scientists and vascular biologists. Recent expansions include hernia/bone repair and clinical applications of small RNAs.

Current publications (2024-2025) reveal three dominant trajectories: biomaterial innovation for implant monitoring (e.g., citrate polymers with dual-modal imaging), vascularized adipose engineering for soft-tissue reconstruction, and ultrasound-mediated therapeutic systems for bone regeneration and biofilm eradication. These works bridge biomedical engineering, clinical surgery, and molecular biology to solve perfusion challenges in tissue implants.

As PI/Co-PI on six NIH-funded projects, Ravnic leads high-impact vascularization research:

• 3D Printing of Air (NIBIB 2024-2026): Sacrificial ink for vascularized tissue fabrication
• Host Tissue Manipulation (NHLBI 2023-2025): Inducing hierarchical microvasculature
• Mechanisms of Micropunctured Angiogenesis (NHLBI 2021-2022): Rapid perfusion for bioprinted flaps

The Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory maintains a collaborative ecosystem with materials scientists for scaffold development, biomedical engineers for 3D bioprinting, and vascular biologists for microcirculation optimization. Current initiatives integrate computational modeling with clinical translation, targeting UN Sustainable Development Goals in health innovation through vascularized tissue solutions for cancer reconstruction and trauma recovery.