Andrés García, Ph.D.
Executive Director and Regents Professor
Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience
Georgia Institute of Technology
Andrés García is executive director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech. In addition to being a GRA Senior Fellow, he holds the Rae and Frank H. Neely Chair in Mechanical Engineering and is a Regents’ Professor working in biomaterials, cellular and tissue engineering.
García’s research centers on cellular and tissue engineering, which integrate biological and engineering principles to restore organ function lost to injury or disease. By studying how cells interact with the materials around them, he and his team have engineered biomaterials for the controlled delivery of therapeutic proteins and cells that enhance tissue regeneration, which could speed the healing process for patients.
His work aims to integrate biomaterials with lab?grown replicas of human organs, known as organoids, that can be used to identify new therapies for a variety of human diseases. These organoids, though smaller and simpler than true organs, can mimic key functions that may help García and his team to find better ways to repair damaged tissues.
Other potential outcomes from his research include new therapies for diseases such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis, as well as basic science discoveries in the area of regenerative medicine.
The Petit Institute, an internationally recognized hub of multidisciplinary research at Georgia Tech, brings engineers, scientists and clinicians together to solve some of the world’s most complex health challenges. With 18 research centers, more than 200 faculty members, and $24 million in state-of-the-art facilities, the Petit Institute is translating scientific discoveries into game-changing solutions to solve real-world problems.
García joined Georgia Tech in 1998 and also holds a faculty appointment in Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. He received his Ph.D. and M.S.E. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
