Philipp Leucht, MD
Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery and Cell Biology
Dr. Leucht received his medical degree in 2002 at the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany. He then started an orthopaedic residency at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Dr. Leucht started his clinician-scientist career in 2004, when he joined the laboratory of Dr. Jill Helms at Stanford University. He concentrated his research efforts on three major areas:
The cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern skeletal development and adult fracture healing
The effect of mechanical stimulation on bone regeneration
Stem-cell based tissue engineering strategies to enhance bone regeneration
our team
Sophie Morgani, PhD
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Sophie is originally from the UK and completed her PhD with Prof. Joshua Brickman at the University of Edinburgh, where she studied how signaling pathways influence early embryonic pluripotent cells. She held a joint postdoc at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with Prof. Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis and the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute with Prof. Jenny Nichols, developing organoid systems to investigate cell differentiation and tissue organization. In the Leucht lab, she is exploring how aging affects skeletal progenitor cells, funded by a New York Stem Cell Foundation Druckenmiller Fellowship. Outside of research, Sophie is passionate about fitness and art.
Kevin Leclerc, PhD
Senior Research Scientist, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Hailing from Miami, Kevin developed a keen interest in embryonic development and regenerative biology during his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He went on to complete a PhD in Genetics and Development Columbia University studying kidney development, where a particular interest in cell fate specification solidified. He now investigates the influence of the positional memory of skeletal stem cells on bone regeneration. His interests outside the lab include traveling unbeaten paths, urban photography, linguistics, and dancing.
Margaux Sambon, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Margaux obtained her PhD in biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Liège, Belgium. During her thesis in the laboratory of Pr. Lucien Bettendorff, she studied the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of dibenzoylthiamine, a synthetic precursor of vitamin B1. She joined the laboratory in May 2022 after a post-doc at Mount Sinai in Neurosciences. Margaux studies the signaling pathways responsible for aging and which can serve as a target for better bone healing. When she's not in the lab, she enjoys exploring New York, hiking, discovering new museums or cafes.
Matt Rytel, BS
MD-Ph.D Student, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Matt returned to his hometown after graduating from Brown University to work in Dr. Mo Ebrahimkhani’s lab at the University of Pittsburgh. There, Matt developed a strong interest in regenerative medicine while working with liver organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells. He also worked on developing synthetic signaling pathways between cells to program differentiation. Matt joined the Leucht Lab to combine his research interests in regenerative medicine and stem cell biology with his clinical interests in orthopedic surgery. Outside of the lab he enjoys running, cycling, skiing, and playing guitar.
Rohan Phadke, BS
Research Assistant, Department of Orthopedic Surgery
Rohan is originally from Houston, Texas and developed an interest in musculoskeletal research and medicine during his undergraduate years studying biochemistry at Texas A&M University. He is a former SURP student in the lab from 2023 where he investigated the effects of aging on periosteal skeletal stem cells. He now investigates how aging, genetics, and novel treatments affect skeletal stem cell character and bone regeneration. Outside of the lab, Rohan is passionate about sports, fitness, travelling, and eating lots of good food.