Joseph Burclaff

Dr. Joseph Burclaff is a Research Assistant Professor in the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds a Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis (2019) and a B.S. from Marquette University (2013). His research focuses on understanding how proliferative populations in human intestinal crypts regulate their proliferation and cell fate decisions, particularly through transcriptional regulators of epithelial metabolism. He joined UNC Chapel Hill in 2019 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow under Dr. Scott T. Magness and transitioned to his current role in 2022.

His work integrates

• live imaging of primary human intestinal stem cells,
• microphysiological systems modeling,
• single-cell transcriptomics,
and
• genetic manipulation techniques

to study mechanisms in regenerative medicine, epithelial biology, and metabolic regulation. Notable projects include investigating sex-specific colonic inflammation pathways and developing platforms to quantify cell cycle dynamics in intestinal epithelial cells.

Dr. Burclaff’s research has produced over 30 peer-reviewed articles since 2018, emphasizing

• metabolic regulators like SOX9 and ERRγ,
• cellular plasticity programs like cathartocytosis,
and
• novel in vitro models for studying intestinal and gastric pathologies.

His work bridges basic science and translational medicine, with implications for gastrointestinal diseases and regenerative therapies.

No scientific awards or grants are explicitly listed, though his prolific publication record underscores active research engagement. He advises no listed students but collaborates with labs focused on stem cell biology and biomedical engineering.