Leonardo Morsut

Leonardo Morsut is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. His research focuses on synthetic biology and tissue engineering, aiming to program mammalian cells for controlled tissue morphogenesis and regeneration. He leads the Morsut Lab, which integrates computational modeling, protein engineering, and stem cell biology in an iterative framework to understand and manipulate tissue self-organization.

• University: University of Southern California
• School: Keck School of Medicine
• Department: Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
• Academic Rank: Assistant Professor

Research Interests:
Dr. Morsut's work combines synthetic biology with developmental systems to engineer multicellular constructs. His lab specializes in synthetic Notch receptors, genetic circuit design, and controlling spatio-temporal patterning during tissue formation. Key areas include programmable material-to-cell pathways, juxtacrine signaling networks, and computational frameworks for morphogenesis modeling.

Recent Publications Trends:
His 2024-2025 studies emphasize precise spatial control of differentiation in organoids using synthetic Wnt organizers, programmable material interfaces, and dynamic cell growth feedback. Earlier works focus on transgene silencing mechanisms, mucin-driven morphogenesis, and density-dependent signaling in multicellular systems.

Laboratory Mission:
The Morsut Lab aims to build functional tissues through synthetic biology tools while training future regenerative medicine leaders. They utilize interdisciplinary approaches from engineering, computational biology, and developmental systems to create programmable multicellular structures.