Penn Veterinary Medicine | University of Pennsylvania

Description of Research Expertise

The research interests of my laboratory focus on defining regulatory cues important to direct progenitor cell homing to sites of injury, as well as, in vitro and in vivo signals important to direct their differentiation into appropriate target cell types for use in tissue engineering strategies in human and veterinary medicine. Current work focuses on defining cellular and molecular mechanisms by which mesenchymal progenitor cells improve cutaneous wound repair and elucidating the role of the extracellular matrix in modulation of reparative and progenitor cell activities during tissue repair and regeneration.

Description of Clinical Expertise

As a board-certified veterinary surgeon, I see clinical surgical appointments, perform surgery at the Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and teach small animal surgery to veterinary students. My clinical interest focuses on cutaneous wounds and reconstruction with specific expertise in regenerative medicical therapies. I have a specific interest in cell-based therapies and hope that my research focus in this field will lead to the development of novel approaches to improve healing of various organs/tissues in my veterinary patients as well as humans.

Selected Publications

Gordillo G, Bernatchez S, Diegelmann R, Di Pietro L, Eriksson E, Hinz B, Hopf HW, Kirsner R, Liu P, Parnell LKS, Sandusky G, Sen C, Tomic-Canic M, Volk SW, Baird A.: Pre-clinical Models of Wound Healing: Is Man the Model? Advances in Wound Care 2012-in press.

Volk SW*, Wang Y, Hankenson KD: Effects of donor characteristics and ex vivo expansion of canine mesenchymal stem cell properties: Implications for MSC-based therapies. Cell Transplan, ePub 2012. Cell Transplant Page: epub, 2012.

Adams SL, Margulies S, Volk SW: Phoebe S. Leboy, Groundbreaking Activist for Women in STEM. DNA Cell Biol 31(8): 1439, 2012.

Anwer CC, Schwarz T, Volk SW and Vite CH: Brainstem auditory evoked response testing in a dog with bilateral external ear canal atresia. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 47(5): 370-4, 2011.

Mauldin EA, Wang YJ and Volk SW: Type III collagen modulates reepithelialization and neovascularization of healing cutaneous wounds Wound Rep Regen 19(2): A37, 2011.

Volk SW*, Y Wang, EA Mauldin, KW Liechty and SL Adams: Diminished type III collagen promotes myofibroblast differentiation and increases scar deposition in cutaneous wound healing. Cells, Tissues, Organs 194(1): 25-37, 2011.

Volk SW: Mesenchymal stem cells in ischemic wound healing Advances in Wound Care 1: 271-6, Sen (eds.). Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., New Rochelle, NY, 2010.

Volk SW and Holt D: Hepatic and Splenic Emergencies Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine Page: 513, 516 (eds.). Elsevier, St Louis, 2010.

Puerto DA and Volk SW: Pneumothorax Disease Mechanisms in Small Animal Surgery Page: 311-315, Bojrab (eds.). Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 2010.

Volk SW, Wang YJ, Cohen AJ, Liechty KW and Adams SL: Diminished type III collagen expression improves wound contraction and promotes myofibroblast differentiation. Wound Rep Regen 17: A22, 2009.