Research
Dr. Bardag-Gorce leads research studies at The Lundquist Institute and Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, specializing in the development of oral mucosal epithelial cell sheet technology aimed at reconstructing the ocular surface for patients with limbal stem cell deficiency. Her research involves obtaining small biopsies of buccal tissue from volunteer donors, from which isolated cells are cultivated to create a human oral mucosal epithelial cell sheet for use in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
In addition, she is pioneering a new technique to isolate and expand neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) from small biopsies of oral mucosal epithelium. These remarkable NCSCs have the potential to differentiate into various cell types, including bone, cartilage, and even brain cells.