Ticha Lab ****************************************************************************************** * Laboratory of Tissue Mechanobiology and Bioengineering ****************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** * Research ****************************************************************************************** The laboratory at the Department of Plastic Surgery focuses on preclinical and clinical re interface of Tissue Mechanobiology and Bioengineering. Our research aims to understand how to mechanical and material cues, and how these responses influence disease processes and r outcomes. We combine advanced in vitro and in vivo models with patient-derived tissues and bridge fundamental research and clinical translation. *========================================================================================= * Cancer mechanobiology *========================================================================================= Tissue mechanics is increasingly recognized as a critical regulator of cancer development However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms linking stromal remodeling and extracellula stiffening to disease initiation and progression remain largely unexplored. We investigate tissue mechanics regulate tumor initiation and aggressiveness. Our goal is to identify nov explore their potential as targets for novel therapeutic strategies. *========================================================================================= * Biomaterials *========================================================================================= Biomaterials represent a powerful tool to support tissue repair and regeneration. However, interaction with host tissues remains a major challenge. We investigate how biomaterial pr influence tissue responses and regenerative outcomes, with a particular focus on biodegrad technologies. Our goal is to understand why promising biomaterials often fail to achieve t potential and develop strategies to overcome these limitations. *========================================================================================= * Plastic surgery *========================================================================================= Translating scientific discoveries into direct improvements in patient care is an importan our research. Through our PATREO project, we study patient-reported outcomes following rec procedures to identify the factors that influence patient satisfaction and quality of life to generate evidence supporting patient-centered reconstructive care and guiding future in reconstructive surgery. Further information is available at  https://patreo.cz/en/home/ [ patreo.cz/en/home/"] ****************************************************************************************** * Team ****************************************************************************************** Pavla Tichá, MD, MA, PhDPrincipal Investigator ORCID [ URL "https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1959-8618"] ResearchGate [ URL "https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pavla-Ticha"] LinkedIn [ URL "https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavla-tichá-md-ma-phd-3b87a5162/"] pavla.ticha@lf3.cuni.cz [ URL "mailto:pavla.ticha@lf3.cuni.cz"] Pavla earned her MD degree from the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and un training at Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden and Uniklinik RWTH Aachen. She in Experimental Surgery at the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and postdoct at Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco. She also graduated Medical School’s Clinical Science Scholars Program. Throughout her training, she developed a strong interest in bridging clinical medicine and biomedical research. Since 2023, she has held a joint academic–clinical appointment as an Professor at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles Univers University Hospital Královské Vinohrady. Martin Žídek, MDLab manager martin.zidek(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz [ MAIL "martin.zidek(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz"] Martin earned his MD degree from the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and u training at Universitätsklinikum Regensburg. He subsequently completed postdoctoral traini for Bioengineering & Tissue Regeneration, Department of Surgery, University of California, He is pursuing a PhD in Experimental Surgery in the Ticha Lab, focusing on tissue mechanob Nandini Batta, MDPhD student nandini.batta(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz [ MAIL "nandini.batta(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz"] Nandini earned her MD degree from the First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. She is pursuing a PhD in Experimental Surgery in the Ticha Lab, focusing on the mechanobio tissue. Tomáš Herma, MDPhD student tomas.herma(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz [ MAIL "tomas.herma(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz"] Tomas earned his MD degree from the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and com training at University Hospitals Motol and Kralovske Vinohrady. He serves as a plastic surgeon at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Third Faculty of Medi University, and University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, while also pursuing a PhD in Expe at the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University. He focuses on the research of biode implants. Anna-Marie Stejskalová, MDPhD student anna-marie.stejskalova(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz [ MAIL "anna-marie.stejskalova(zavinac)lf3.cuni Anna-Marie earned her MD degree from the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, a residency training at IKEM and General University Hospital in Prague. She is continuing her residency at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Third Faculty of Med University, and University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, while also pursuing a PhD in Expe in the Ticha Lab. She focuses on the biological mechanisms underlying breast implant illne patient-reported outcomes. Markéta Jurdičová, MDPhD student marketa.jurdicova(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz [ MAIL "marketa.jurdicova(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz"] Marketa earned her MD degree from the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and u residency training at University Hospital Bulovka. She is continuing her residency training at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Third Facul Charles University, and University Hospital Královské Vinohrady, while also pursuing a PhD Surgery. She focuses on patient-reported outcomes in breast reconstruction. Kateřina VadinskáTechnical Staff katerina.vadinska(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz [ MAIL "katerina.vadinska(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz "] ****************************************************************************************** * Collaborations ****************************************************************************************** • Helms Laboratory, Division of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University, California, USA • Valerie M. Weaver Lab, Center for Bioengineering & Tissue Regeneration, Department of Su University of California, San Francisco, California, USA • INGRID (Interdisciplinary Group for Resorbable Implant Development), Faculty of Nuclear Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic ****************************************************************************************** * Publications ****************************************************************************************** NCOR2 represses MHC class I molecule expression to drive metastatic progression of breast "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-72168-3"] Ticha P, Northey JJ, Narain R, Sharma S, Lakins JN, Gonzalez H, Kersten K, Ironside AJ, Dr Tsai KK, Chen YY, Shenderov E, Weaver VM. Nature Communications. (2026) Epub ahead of print. Clinically Silent Local Recurrence of Breast Cancer Detected in a Mastectomy Scar During D Reconstruction: A Case Report [ URL "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ccr3.7270 Tesina D, Herma T, Bayer J, Matej R, Sukop A, Ticha P. Clinical Case Reports. (2026) 14:e72701. Multiscale, interspecies evaluation of parameters affecting alveolar bone repair [ URL "ht aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/JPER.24-0594"] Ticha P, Joshi A, Dworan JS, Armaro M, Arioka M, Xu Q, Pilawski I, Liu Y, Chen CH, Pei X, H, Erdogan Y, Helms JA. Journal of Periodontology. (2025) 96:1400-1412. Patient-reported outcomes in bilateral prophylactic mastectomy with breast reconstruction: review [ URL "https://www.thebreastonline.com/article/S0960-9776(23)00728-2/fulltext"] Ticha P, Sukop A Breast. (2024) 73:103602. Novel patient-reported outcome measures for the assessment of patient satisfaction and hea quality of life following postmastectomy breast reconstruction [ URL "https://link.springe article/10.1007/s00266-022-02985-6"] Ticha P, Wu M, Bujda M, Sukop A Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2022) 46:1588-1599. Animal Models Used in the Research of Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer: A Systematic Revie www.journalofsurgicalresearch.com/article/S0022-4804(21)00686-7/abstract"] Stanek K, Jonas F, Ticha P, Molitor M, Mestak O Journal of Surgical Research. (2022) 272:1-8. Early postoperative complications of breast reconstruction by history of radiotherapy and approach [ URL "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00238-021-01918-x"] Ticha P, Mestak O, Wu M, Sukop A European journal of plastic surgery. (2022) 45:429-437. Multiscale analysis of craniomaxillofacial bone repair: A preclinical mini-pig study [ URL aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/JPER.21-0426"] Ticha P, Pilawski I, Helms JA Journal of Periodontology. (2022) 93:1701-1711. Evaluation of the Number of Follow-up Surgical Procedures and Time Required for Delayed Br Reconstruction by Clinical Risk Factors, Type of Oncological Therapy, and Reconstruction A "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00266-021-02580-1"] Ticha P, Wu M, Mestak O, Sukop A Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2022) 46:71-82. A novel cryo-embedding method for in-depth analysis of large mini pig bone specimens [ URL www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-76336-3"] Ticha P, Pilawski I, Yuan X, Pan J, Tulu US, Coyac BR, Hoffmann W, Helms JA Scientific Reports. (2020) 10:19510. Patient-reported outcomes of 3 different types of breast reconstruction with correlation t data 5 years postoperatively [ URL "https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00266-020-0 Ticha P, Mestak O, Wu M, Bujda M, Sukop A Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. (2020) 44:2021-2029. Interspecies Comparison of Alveolar Bone Biology, Part I: Morphology and Physiology of Pri "https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2380084420936979"] Pilawski I, Tulu US, Ticha P, Schüpbach P, Traxler H, Xu Q, Pan J, Coyac RB, Yuan X, Bahat Y, Chen J, Erdogan Y, Arioka M, Wu M, Helms JA JDR Clinical and Translational Research. (2020) 6:352-360. Interspecies Comparison of Alveolar Bone Biology: Tooth Extraction Socket Healing in Mini [ URL "https://aap.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/JPER.19-0667"] Pan J, Pilawski I, Yuan X, Arioka M, Ticha P, Helms JA Journal of Periodontology. (2020) 91:1653-1663. Wnt-Responsive Stem Cell Fates in the Oral Mucosa [ URL "https://www.cell.com/callback?red %2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2589004219303955%3F_returnURL%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Flinkinghub.elsevi %252Fretrieve%252Fpii%252FS2589004219303955%253Fshowall%253Dtrue&code=puoPhA7ZR- N4SXkkHYwSTJQdcAbhVg2e9bM5v0Rf&state=17649540908"] Yuan X, Xu Q, Zhang X, Van Brunt LA, Ticha P, Helms JA iScience. (2019) 21:84-94. ****************************************************************************************** * Opportunities ****************************************************************************************** We are always looking for enthusiastic and highly motivated individuals to join our lab. W applicants from diverse scientific backgrounds, particularly biology, bioengineering, and medicine, who are excited to work across disciplines and bridge fundamental biological res clinically relevant questions. If you are fascinated by tissue mechanobiology, biomaterial reconstructive surgery and would like to pursue undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral r in our laboratory, please send your CV and a cover letter to pavla.ticha(zavinac)lf3.cuni. "pavla.ticha(zavinac)lf3.cuni.cz"] .