Healing Better, Faster

Kaitlyn Sadtler experiments with biomaterials to boost the body’s ability to regenerate.

When we get hurt, our bodies work hard to heal—but the process isn’t always perfect. Scar tissue often does look or work the same as the old. 

Taking inspiration from star-healers in the animal kingdom, Dr. Kaitlyn Sadtler envisions a future in which recovering from traumatic injury doesn’t just mean mending but truly regenerating. 

In this episode of Research in Action we go inside Dr. Sadtler’s lab to see how her team is using cutting-edge technology and new biomaterials—including ones made from seaweed and sausage casings—to reprogram the immune system and lay the groundwork for better healing. 

Kaitlyn Sadtler, Ph.D., is a senior investigator in the Immuno-Engineering Section at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).