Rebecca G. Wells

Rebecca G. Wells is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. She holds multiple affiliations, including the NIH/NIDDK Center for Molecular Studies in Digestive and Liver Diseases, the Fred and Suzanne Biesecker Center for Pediatric Liver Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the Penn Muscle Institute, and the NSF Center for Engineering MechanoBiology, where she serves as Director of Education.

• Education
  • B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University (1983)
  • M.D., Johns Hopkins University (1987)

Research Interests
Dr. Wells specializes in hepatic fibrosis mechanisms, focusing on liver stiffness, extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics, and mechanical factors in myofibroblast differentiation. Her work explores biliary atresia etiology, fibronectin splice variants, proteoglycans, and their roles in fibrosis and angiogenesis. She also investigates hepatic stellate cell and portal fibroblast functions in fibrosis, as well as fibrosis in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease.

Recent Article Trends
Her recent publications emphasize interstitial space continuity in organs, liver mechanics, and fibrosis therapies. Key themes include TGF-β signaling, ECM organization, and translational models for fibrosis and cancer.

Labs and Teams
Dr. Wells leads the Program in Translational Biomechanics and contributes to the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Diseases. She collaborates with international groups on biliary atresia and works with theory teams to model liver tissue mechanics.