J. Kent Leach, Ph.D.
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering; Lawrence Ellison Endowed Professor of Musculoskeletal Research; Vice Chair of Research
Locations and Contact
Research/Academic Interests
Dr. Leach's research interest is the interaction of stem and progenitor cells with engineered biomaterials for musculoskeletal tissue repair. Dr. Leach is focused on developing strategies to regulate the rate of bone and cartilage formation to treat patients across the lifespan, from infant children to aged patients with osteoporosis or other bone-related maladies. His work is highly translational, leveraging strong collaborations with clinicians and veterinarians and continually aiming to push technologies to the clinic and the marketplace.
Division
Orthopaedic Research
Undergraduate School
B.A., Chemistry, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR 1995
Other School
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK 2003
Fellowship
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 2004-2005
Fellowship
Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 2003-2004
Outstanding Teaching Award, UC Davis, College of Engineering, 2014
College of Fellows, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2017
Fellow, Biomedical Engineering Society, 2018
Outstanding Mid-Career Faculty Excellence in Research Award, UC Davis, College of Engineering, 2021
Dean's Award for Faculty Mentoring, UC Davis Health, 2021
For a complete list of publications, please visit Dr. Leach's PubMed page.