Dr. Stachelek developed his interest in biomaterials and cardiology research during his postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Robert Levy at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Stachelek was appointed to CHOP faculty in 2005 where he developed an independent research direction focusing on the host response to cardiovascular biomaterials.

Both acute and chronic inflammation contributes to a range of cardiovascular conditions such as atherosclerosis, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and in-stent restentosis, and addressing this represents an unmet need in medical research.

Dr. Stachelek's laboratory focuses largely on the anti-inflammatory properties of the transmembrane protein CD47, and its cognate receptor Signal Regulatory Protein alpha (SIRPa). SIRPa is a Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (ITIM) expressing protein. ITIMs are a family of protein receptors that function to limit or terminate an immune response.

The ultimate goal of Dr. Stachelek's research is to target these receptors to reduce the host inflammatory response that is observed to reduce the efficacy of such cardiovascular devices as stents, bioprosthetic heart valves, and pacemakers.

Some highlights of Dr. Stachelek's research:

• Established the feasibility of immobilizing CD47 on biomaterial surfaces to mitigate host inflammatory cell interactions.
• Demonstrated that the cognate receptor for CD47, Signal Regulatory Protein alpha (SIRPa), is expressed in platelets and that platelets are responsive to CD47.

BS, Fordham University (Biology), 1990

PhD, University of Massachusetts (Physiology), 2001

Postdoctoral Fellow, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Cardiovascular Research), 2001-2005

Research Associate Professor

Society of Biomaterials

 Biocompatible Chemical Sensors via Nitric Oxide Release

• National Institutes of Health
• 2016 - 2020
• Enhancing the effectiveness of implantable glucose sensors using a bifunctional modification consisting of surface immobilized CD47 and nitric oxide release.
• Mark Meyerhoff (University of Michigan), Subcontract Principal Investigator: Stachelek

Increasing the Biocompatibility of Stents via CD47 Surface Functionalization: Mechanistic and Preclinical studies

• National Institutes of Health
• 2017 - 2021
• Preclinical assessment working with large animals of the efficacy of CD47 modified endovascular stents.
• Principal Investigators Stanley J. Stachelek and Ilia Fishbein

Oxidation-mediated Structural Degeneration of Bioprosthetic Heart Valves

• National Institutes of Health /NHLBI
• 2018 - 2022
• Studies to investigate oxidative mechanisms of bioprosthetic heart valve failure.
• Prinicipal Investigator: Robert Levy, Co-PI: Stachelek provides expertise on in vitro inflammatory cell culture assays