Lauren Flynn

Professor, Joint Appointment with The Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry

Ph.D. - Chem Eng & Applied Chemistry/IBBME, University of Toronto
B.A.Sc. - Engineering Science, University of Toronto



Dr. Lauren Flynn is a Professor in the Departments of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering and Anatomy & Cell Biology at The University of Western Ontario. Following her undergraduate degree in Engineering Science, Dr. Flynn completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto, investigating the design and characterization of natural biomaterials for adipose tissue engineering. In 2007, she joined Queen’s University as an Assistant Professor and was subsequently recruited to Western in 2014

The focus of Dr. Flynn’s research is on the development of cell-based regenerative therapies combining pro-regenerative cell populations sourced from adult tissues with custom-designed cell-instructive bioscaffolds derived from the extracellular matrix (ECM) for applications in soft tissue regeneration, wound healing, and therapeutic angiogenesis. In particular, her team has substantial expertise in therapies applying human adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs), and is developing strategies to harness their capacity to stimulate regeneration by modulating inflammation and promoting blood vessel formation. Her interdisciplinary and translational research program involves collaborations with engineers, biologists, imaging scientists, and clinicians, and has been supported through funding from multiple sources including the CIHR, NSERC, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, and Stem Cell Network.

Dr. Flynn was the recipient of an Early Researcher Award from the province of Ontario in 2012, and she was elected to the Royal Society of Canada College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in 2019. She has a strong interest in mentorship and training, and was the Co-Director of the CONNECT! NSERC CREATE Training Program in Soft Connective Tissue Regeneration/Therapy.