Greg Sawyer, PhD

Dr. Sawyer’s current research interests include visualizing the interactions between cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment using bio-printing techniques and precision engineering approaches using an ex vivo platform pioneered in his Cancer Engineering Laboratory at the University of Florida. Dr. Sawyer will build the new department at Moffitt Magnolia Campus prior to moving to the Moffitt Center for Innovation at Speros FL. There, the Department of BioEngineering will partner with other departments in the Division of Basic Science to accelerate the discovery of cancer pathways and therapy.

Associations

• BioEngineering
• Cutaneous Oncology
• Thoracic Oncology

• Mendez-Gomez HR, DeVries A, Castillo P, von Roemeling C, Qdaisat S, Stover BD, Xie C, Weidert F, Zhao C, Moor R, Liu R, Soni D, Ogando-Rivas E, Chardon-Robles J, McGuiness J, Zhang D, Chung MC, Marconi C, Michel S, Barpujari A, Jobin GW, Thomas N, Ma X, Campaneria Y, Grippin A, Karachi A, Li D, Sahay B, Elliott L, Foster TP, Coleman KE, Milner RJ, Sawyer WG, Ligon JA, Simon E, Cleaver B, Wynne K, Hodik M, Molinaro AM, Guan J, Kellish P, Doty A, Lee JH, Massini T, Kresak JL, Huang J, Hwang EI, Kline C, Carrera-Justiz S, Rahman M, Gatica S, Mueller S, Prados M, Ghiaseddin AP, Silver NL, Mitchell DA, Sayour EJ. RNA aggregates harness the danger response for potent cancer immunotherapy. Cell. 2024 Apr. Pubmedid: 38697107.
• Nguyen DT, Pedro DI, Pepe A, Rosa JG, Bowman JI, Trachsel L, Golde GR, Suzuki I, Lavrador JM, Nguyen NTY, Kis MA, Smolchek RA, Diodati N, Liu R, Phillpot SR, Webber AR, Castillo P, Sayour EJ, Sumerlin BS, Sawyer WG. Bioconjugation of COL1 protein on liquid-like solid surfaces to study tumor invasion dynamics. Biointerphases. 2023 Mar.18(2):021001. Pubmedid: 36898958. Pmcid: PMC10008099.
• Nguyen DT, Famiglietti JE, Smolchek RA, Dupee Z, Diodati N, Pedro DI, Urueña JM, Schaller MA, Sawyer WG. 3D In Vitro Platform for Cell and Explant Culture in Liquid-like Solids. Cells. 2022 Mar.11(6). Pubmedid: 35326418. Pmcid: PMC8946834.
• Nguyen DT, Ogando-Rivas E, Liu R, Wang T, Rubin J, Jin L, Tao H, Sawyer WW, Mendez-Gomez HR, Cascio M, Mitchell DA, Huang J, Sawyer WG, Sayour EJ, Castillo P. CAR T Cell Locomotion in Solid Tumor Microenvironment. Cells. 2022 Jun.11(12). Pubmedid: 35741103. Pmcid: PMC9221866.
• Schaller MA, Sharma Y, Dupee Z, Nguyen D, Urueña J, Smolchek R, Loeb JC, Machuca TN, Lednicky JA, Odde DJ, Campbell RF, Sawyer WG, Mehrad B. Ex vivo SARS-CoV-2 infection of human lung reveals heterogeneous host defense and therapeutic responses. JCI Insight. 2021 Sep.6(18). Pubmedid: 34357881. Pmcid: PMC8492301.
• Rahman M, Sawyer WG, Lindhorst S, Deleyrolle LP, Harrison JK, Karachi A, Dastmalchi F, Flores-Toro J, Mitchell DA, Lim M, Gilbert MR, Reardon DA. Adult immuno-oncology: using past failures to inform the future. Neurooncol. 2020 Sep.22(9):1249-1261. Pubmedid: 32391559. Pmcid: PMC7523444.
• Morley CD, Ellison ST, Bhattacharjee T, O'Bryan CS, Zhang Y, Smith KF, Kabb CP, Sebastian M, Moore GL, Schulze KD, Niemi S, Sawyer WG, Tran DD, Mitchell DA, Sumerlin BS, Flores CT, Angelini TE. Quantitative characterization of 3D bioprinted structural elements under cell generated forces. Nat Commun. 2019 Jul.10(1):3029. Pubmedid: 31292444. Pmcid: PMC6620298.
• McGhee EO, Hart SM, Urueña JM, Sawyer WG. Hydration Control of Gel-Adhesion and Muco-Adhesion. Langmuir. 2019 Dec.35(48):15769-15775. Pubmedid: 31659909.
• Style RW, Krick BA, Jensen KE, Sawyer WG. The contact mechanics challenge: tribology meets soft matter. Soft Matter. 2018 Jul.14(28):5706-5709. Pubmedid: 29971295.
• Bhattacharjee T, Kabb CP, O'Bryan CS, Urueña JM, Sumerlin BS, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Polyelectrolyte scaling laws for microgel yielding near jamming. Soft Matter. 2018 Feb.14(9):1559-1570. Pubmedid: 29450413.
• Tiwari A, Dorogin L, Bennett AI, Schulze KD, Sawyer WG, Tahir M, Heinrich G, Persson BNJ. The effect of surface roughness and viscoelasticity on rubber adhesion. Soft Matter. 2017 May.13(19):3602-3621. Pubmedid: 28443913.
• O'Bryan CS, Bhattacharjee T, Hart S, Kabb CP, Schulze KD, Chilakala I, Sumerlin BS, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Self-assembled micro-organogels for 3D printing silicone structures. Sci Adv. 2017 May.3(5):e1602800. Pubmedid: 28508071. Pmcid: PMC5425239.
• Schulze KD, Zehnder SM, Urueña JM, Bhattacharjee T, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Elastic modulus and hydraulic permeability of MDCK monolayers. J Biomech. 2017 Feb.53:210-213. Pubmedid: 28173919.
• LeBlanc KJ, Niemi SR, Bennett AI, Harris KL, Schulze KD, Sawyer WG, Taylor C, Angelini TE. Stability of High Speed 3D Printing in Liquid-Like Solids. ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2016 Oct.2(10):1796-1799. Pubmedid: 33440477.
• Bhattacharjee T, Gil CJ, Marshall SL, Urueña JM, O'Bryan CS, Carstens M, Keselowsky B, Palmer GD, Ghivizzani S, Gibbs CP, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Liquid-like Solids Support Cells in 3D. ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2016 Oct.2(10):1787-1795. Pubmedid: 33440476.
• Zehnder SM, Wiatt MK, Uruena JM, Dunn AC, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Publisher's Note: Multicellular density fluctuations in epithelial monolayers [Phys. Rev. E 92, 032729 (2015)]. Phys Rev E. 2016 Aug.94(2-2):029901. Pubmedid: 27627429.
• Zehnder SM, Wiatt MK, Uruena JM, Dunn AC, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Multicellular density fluctuations in epithelial monolayers. Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2015 Sep.92(3):032729. Pubmedid: 26465520.
• Bhattacharjee T, Zehnder SM, Rowe KG, Jain S, Nixon RM, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Writing in the granular gel medium. Sci Adv. 2015 Sep.1(8):e1500655. Pubmedid: 26601274. Pmcid: PMC4643780.
• Nixon RM, Ten Hove JB, Orozco A, Jenkins ZM, Baenen PC, Wiatt MK, Zuluaga J, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Mechanical properties derived from phase separation in co-polymer hydrogels. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater. 2015 Mar.55:286-294. Pubmedid: 26618659.
• Erickson GM, Sidebottom MA, Kay DI, Turner KT, Ip N, Norell MA, Sawyer WG, Krick BA. Wear biomechanics in the slicing dentition of the giant horned dinosaur Triceratops. Sci Adv. 2015 Jun.1(5):e1500055. Pubmedid: 26601198. Pmcid: PMC4640618.
• Dunn AC, Pitenis AA, Urueña JM, Schulze KD, Angelini TE, Sawyer WG. Kinetics of aqueous lubrication in the hydrophilic hydrogel Gemini interface. Proc Inst Mech Eng H. 2015 Dec.229(12):889-894. Pubmedid: 26614802.
• Pitenis AA, Urueña JM, Schulze KD, Nixon RM, Dunn AC, Krick BA, Sawyer WG, Angelini TE. Polymer fluctuation lubrication in hydrogel gemini interfaces. Soft Matter. 2014 Nov.10(44):8955-8962. Pubmedid: 25287556.
• Lorenz B, Krick BA, Rodriguez N, Sawyer WG, Mangiagalli P, Persson BN. Static or breakloose friction for lubricated contacts: the role of surface roughness and dewetting. J Phys Condens Matter. 2013 Nov.25(44):445013. Pubmedid: 24131947.
• Lorenz B, Krick BA, Mulakaluri N, Smolyakova M, Dieluweit S, Sawyer WG, Persson BN. Adhesion: role of bulk viscoelasticity and surface roughness. J Phys Condens Matter. 2013 Jun.25(22):225004. Pubmedid: 23649298.
• Erickson GM, Krick BA, Hamilton M, Bourne GR, Norell MA, Lilleodden E, Sawyer WG. Complex dental structure and wear biomechanics in hadrosaurid dinosaurs. Science. 2012 Oct.338(6103):98-101. Pubmedid: 23042891.
• Persson BN, Prodanov N, Krick BA, Rodriguez N, Mulakaluri N, Sawyer WG, Mangiagalli P. Elastic contact mechanics: percolation of the contact area and fluid squeeze-out. Eur Phys J E Soft Matter. 2012 Jan.35(1):5. Pubmedid: 22282295.
• Angelini TE, Dunn AC, Urueña JM, Dickrell DJ, Burris DL, Sawyer WG. Cell friction. Faraday Discuss. 2012 Dec.156:31-39. Pubmedid: 23285620.
• Barry PR, Chiu PY, Perry SS, Sawyer WG, Phillpot SR, Sinnott SB. Effect of fluorocarbon molecules confined between sliding self-mated PTFE surfaces. Langmuir. 2011 Aug.27(16):9910-9919. Pubmedid: 21728348.
• Zhao X, Phillpot SR, Sawyer WG, Sinnott SB, Perry SS. Transition from thermal to athermal friction under cryogenic conditions. Phys Rev Lett. 2009 May.102(18):186102. Pubmedid: 19518889.
• Bult JB, Sawyer WG, Ajayan PM, Schadler LS. Passivation oxide controlled selective carbon nanotube growth on metal substrates. Nanotechnology. 2009 Feb.20(8):085302. Pubmedid: 19417446.
• Barry PR, Chiu PY, Perry SS, Sawyer WG, Phillpot SR, Sinnott SB. The effect of normal load on polytetrafluoroethylene tribology. J Phys Condens Matter. 2009 Apr.21(14):144201. Pubmedid: 21825318.
• Lee SJ, Bourne GR, Chen X, Sawyer WG, Sarntinoranont M. Mechanical characterization of contact lenses by microindentation: Constant velocity and relaxation testing. Acta Biomater. 2008 Sep.4(5):1560-1568. Pubmedid: 18406673.
• Cobb JA, Dunn AC, Kwon J, Sarntinoranont M, Sawyer WG, Tran-Son-Tay R. A novel method for low load friction testing on living cells. Biotechnol Lett. 2008 May.30(5):801-806. Pubmedid: 18071637.
• Konicek AR, Grierson DS, Gilbert PU, Sawyer WG, Sumant AV, Carpick RW. Origin of ultralow friction and wear in ultrananocrystalline diamond. Phys Rev Lett. 2008 Jun.100(23):235502. Pubmedid: 18643515.
• Zhao D, Sakoda H, Sawyer WG, Banks SA, Fregly BJ. Predicting knee replacement damage in a simulator machine using a computational model with a consistent wear factor. J Biomech Eng. 2008 Feb.130(1):011004. Pubmedid: 18298180.
• Chen X, Dunn AC, Sawyer WG, Sarntinoranont M. A biphasic model for micro-indentation of a hydrogel-based contact lens. J Biomech Eng. 2007 Apr.129(2):156-163. Pubmedid: 17408320.
• Cao A, Dickrell PL, Sawyer WG, Ghasemi-Nejhad MN, Ajayan PM. Super-compressible foamlike carbon nanotube films. Science. 2005 Nov.310(5752):1307-1310. Pubmedid: 16311330.
• Fregly BJ, Sawyer WG, Harman MK, Banks SA. Computational wear prediction of a total knee replacement from in vivo kinematics. J Biomech. 2005 Feb.38(2):305-314. Pubmedid: 15598458.
• Fregly BJ, Sawyer WG. Estimation of discretization errors in contact pressure measurements. J Biomech. 2003 Apr.36(4):609-613. Pubmedid: 12600352.

• Title: A phase I study of RNA-lipid particle vaccines for newly-diagnosed glioblastoma, IND19304 05/21/2020
  Sponsor: US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
  PI: Sawyer, G.
• Title: Synthetic Mucins as a Mitigation Strategy for Anticancer Therapeutic Associated Ocular Toxicity
  Sponsor: Univ of Florida
  PI: Sawyer, G.