University of Pennsylvania · Biomedical EngineeringRaj Lab
Arjun Raj · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Arjun Raj's lab focuses on understanding how the intestinal epithelium, which lines the gut, organizes itself at a cellular level. By studying the interactions between cells using advanced technologies, the lab aims to uncover the principles of self-organization and regeneration. This research has important implications for improving tissue repair in diseases affecting the gut.
intestinal epitheliumself-organizationcell-cell interactionsspatial transcriptomicsgene expressiontissue regenerationcomputational modelingenterocytes2D enteroidsspatiotemporal dynamics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Establish computational models to characterize how local cell interactions drive enterocyte zonation patterns.
AIM 02Investigate the intrinsic and extrinsic influences on cell identity using novel experimental models.
AIM 03Demonstrate that zonation arises as a self-organizing property through spatial perturbation experiments.
AIM 04Identify key genes involved in the adaptation of cells to new positions within the intestinal epithelium.
AIM 05Reveal principles of self-organization that can enhance tissue regeneration in diseases.
Skills the Lab Values
spatial transcriptomicscomputational modelinglineage tracingcell culturemolecular profilingdata analysisexperimental designmicroscopyin vivo studiesgene expression analysis
Output against the department
Publications303top 31% of dept.183rd of 595
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations27ktop 12% of dept.70th of 595
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.