Rita Kandel

Dr. Rita Kandel is a clinician-scientist and Professor and Chair of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology. As well she is the Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Sinai Health System and Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Canada. She is cross-appointed to the Department of Surgery and is a member of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Among her many awards she is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Her research interest is in the bioengineering of tissues for articular cartilage and intervertebral disc repair/replacement. Her lab is part of a multidisciplinary group of investigators, including engineers, biologists, stem cell biologists, and clinicians who work together to develop novel treatments for cartilage and disc diseases. Her work is funded by multiple organizations including CIHR, Collaborative Health Research Program and NSERC. She has published over 240 papers and multiple book chapters and has trained numerous undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

Research Synopsis

Our translational research program focusses on developing regenerative medicine approaches to generate musculoskeletal tissues, such as articular cartilage and intervertebral disc.

These tissues can be used as treatments for diseases that affect these tissues or to investigate the mechanisms that regulate tissue formation so we can ultimately improve the quality of the tissue regenerated. Given the complexity of these tissue we utilize a multi-disciplinary approach which involves engineers, biologists, stem cell biologists, and clinicians. We use leading edge methods such as single cell sequencing, advanced imaging, molecular biology, cell biology, knockout mice, and proteomics in our studies.

Long-term goals: to bioengineer tissues in vitro that can be translated into clinical use to repair damaged joints and spine.

Immediate goals:  

1. Develop models of joint tissues, such as cartilage or intervertebral disc, which will allow for investigation of the mechanisms regulating tissue formation and degradation. 
2. Develop and evaluate novel biological approaches to cartilage or intervertebral disc repair/replacement.