BME Graduate Program Trainers
BioMedical Engineering
Click on a faculty member's name to access their full profile or follow the links to the right for more options
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- Roy Aaron
- Professor of Orthopaedics
- Clinical interests center on joint diseases and bone circulation, in OA and osteonecrosis. Recent studies have involved delineating the role of arthroscopy in OA, elucidating the role of bone marrow edema in joint pain, and studying the more>> use of anti-resorptive therapy in osteonecrosis.
In the laboratory, Dr. Aaron is investigating aspects of the
pathophysiology of OA focusing on circulatory disturbances in subchondral bone and the relationship of bone and
cartilage abnormalities.
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- Elaine Bearer
- Professor
- Living cells are dynamic—transporting components inside, changing their shape, and locomoting. In the central nervous system, this dynamic behavior establishes, maintains and modifies neuronal connections. We use a range of more>> microscopic imaging and molecular techniques to understand the mechanisms of these dynamics using model systems, including squid giant axon, transport of Herpes simplex virus, and human blood platelets. These studies address fundamental questions pertaining to learning and memory.
I also direct a medical clerkship in Guatemala, and hold an appointment as a composer in the Music Department. Please see the links below my photo for more information.
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- Kenneth Breuer
- Professor
- Fluid mechanics, covering a wide range of topics including the physics of micron and nanoscale flows, the mechanics of animal locomotion, specifically, mammalian flight, and bacterial motility, the behavior and control of turbulent shear more>> flows and renewable energy technologies
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- Deborah Ciombor
- Associate Professor (Research)
- Dr. Deborah McK. Ciombor's research focuses on cell-based tissue engineering to create a transplantable biocomposite cartilage replacement that may be able to restore function lost to trauma or disease. A stem cell population has been more>> identified in joint lining tissues (synovium) that can be differentiated into cartilage cells by exposure to specific sequences of growth factors.
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- Robbert Creton
- Assistant Professor (Research)
- Our laboratory is interested in the molecular and cellular physiology of early embryonic development. The main line of research is focused on calcium signaling in the developing zebrafish brain. A second project examines the effects of more>> environmental exposures on zebrafish brain development and behavior. Obtained results may provide new insights in the origin of human birth defects.
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- Joseph Crisco
- Professor of Orthopaedics
- Our work is focused on the in vivo study of the normal, pathological, and healing musculoskeletal joint. Measurement of biomechanical variables such as 3D kinematics, ligament strain, and joint contact are performed with our novel in vivo more>> methods using sequential CT scans. Earlier studies on ligament impact biomechanics and muscle contusion injuries examined the basic science of injuries. Applied work on injuries has led to the development of a telemetry system for measuring head acceleration in athletes and to a study of the performance differences between wood and aluminum baseball bats. Current studies are aimed at in vivo cartilage strains, mechanotransduction of chondrocytes, and the multi-directional biomechanics of the spine.
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- Eric Darling
- Assistant Professor of Medical Science
- The goal of the Darling lab is to understand the relationship between the biological function of cells and tissues and their micro/nano-scale mechanical properties. We investigate these characteristics via atomic force microscopy, a more>> technique that allows high resolution imaging and force measurements. Recent findings suggest that cells exhibit distinct mechanical biomarkers, which could help identify specific cell types within heterogenous populations (i.e. metastatic cancer cells, stem cells).
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- Braden Fleming
- Professor of Orthopaedics
- Primary research interests focus on knee and soft tissue biomechanics and biomedical instrumentation. Recent projects include the in vivo strain measurements of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the development and application of more>> an experimental model to investigate ligament and graft healing, the progression of osteoarthritis following ACL injury/reconstructionl, the biotribology of articular cartilage, and enhanced healing in ACL repair and reconstruction.
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- L. B. Freund
- H. L. Goddard University Professor and Professor of Engineering
- Freund's derivation of the equations describing the propagation of cracks in an elastic body has led to the understanding of dynamic fracture that is now widely used in such critically important applications as the safety of gas pile lines more>> and the safety of nuclear containment vessels. Professor Freund's research is concerned with mechanical phenomena in solid materials, focusing on the relationship between the overall mechanical state of a deformable solid and the localized physical processes of material deformation and failure.
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- Pradeep Guduru
- James R. Rice Associate Professor of Engineering
- Professor Guduru's research focusses on several aspects of Experimental Mechanics, with emphasis on phenomena at micro and nano length scales. The current active areas of research are: biologically inspired contact mechanics, adhesion and more>> friction; developing nanofabrication strategies by means of guided self assembly using electric and magnetic fields; mechanics of carbon nanotubes: experiments and modeling; and mechanical behavior of biological tissues; and mechanics of energy storage materials.
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- Leigh Hochberg
- Associate Professor of Engineering
- Our Laboratory for Restorative Neurotechnology focuses on developing strategies to restore communication, mobility, and independence for people with paralysis or limb loss. In addition to endeavors related to the pilot clinical trial of more>> the BrainGate2 Neural Interface System, we are interested in understanding human intracortical neurophysiology during the planning and production of voluntary movement, and understanding neuronal ensemble function in a variety of neurologic diseases or injuries.
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- Diane Hoffman-Kim
- Associate Professor
- The goal of the Hoffman-Kim laboratory is to understand axon guidance in complex environments and inform biomaterial and tissue engineering strategies for promoting nerve regeneration. We apply engineering techniques to biological systems more>> in vitro to challenge growing neurons with multiple guidance cues, including diffusible factors, substrate-bound molecules, electrical cues, and topographical surface features.
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- Robert Hurt
- Professor
- Professor Hurt's research focuses on nanotechnologies and their environmental and biological applications and implications. His group synthesizes carbon, silver, and selenium-based nanomaterials through colloidal and supramolecular more>> routes, and tailors their surface chemistry to promote or suppress interactions with biological structures. Current emphasis is on nanotoxicology, the formulation of safe nanomaterials, graphene and carbon nanotube processing, and nanomaterial-based technologies for the capture of environmental toxicants.
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- Gregory Jay
- Professor
- Dr. Jay has investigated the lubricating properties of synovial fluid and what role it may play in degenerative joint diseases. He confirmed that lubricin is a mucinous glycoprotein and showed that the glycosylations on this molecule more>> provide for a lower coefficient of friction between both biological and non-biological rubbing surfaces. He is interested in more immediate translational studies in the areas of automated pulsus paradoxus monitoring in emergency medicine. He has developed and/or tested a portable hyperbaric chamber system, bedside co-oximetry, and other novel devices.
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- Agnes Kane
- Professor
- My research focuses on the potential health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to asbestos fibers,metallic nanoparticles, and carbon nanomaterials. My laboratory has also developed a murine model of asbestos induced more>> malignant mesothelioma that reproduces the morphologic and molecular characteristics of the human disease. This murine model will be used to develop new strategies for prevention and treatment of asbestos-related cancer.
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- Edith Mathiowitz
- Professor
- Research in our laboratory focuses on the polymer science-medicine interface. Areas of interest include development and modeling of novel drug delivery systems, particularly for the release of insulin and growth factors; designing more>> small-diameter vascular grafts with better compliance; development of novel bioadhesive polymers for oral delivery systems; liquid crystals as smart sensors; the use of nanoparticles as novel therapeutic delivery systems (nanomedicine), tissue markings, DNA delivery.
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- Jeffrey Morgan
- Associate Professor of Medical Science and Engineering CoDirector Center for Biomedical Engineering
- Research in the lab is focused on understanding the molecular and cellular biology of the skin with an eye towards new therapeutic approaches to wound healing, the repair of the skin and the improvement in the performance of percutaneous more>> medical devices. We are also working on novel devices containing living cells to profile gene expression, monitor the toxicity of nanomaterials, and to study the dynamics of the cell adhesion process.
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- Arto Nurmikko
- Professor
- Professor Nurmikko carries out research in experimental laser sciences, nanophotonics, active electronic nanomaterials, and neuroenginering/neurotechnology. Topics of interest range from basic semiconductor physics, to the development and more>> application of new optoelectronic devices (such as ultraviolet semiconductor sources, and development of new approaches to neural signal detection from the brain and neural stimulation.
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- G. Tayhas R. Palmore
- Professor
- My research interests lie at the intersection of materials science, electrochemistry, and biology, with broad interests in the areas of biomaterials, bioelectronics, and biocatalysis. Research projects in my laboratory include the more>> synthesis of new biocomposites (biocatalysts/conducting polymers/nanofibers) for use in batteries, fuel cells, and biomedical applications (e.g., biosensors, tissue engineering); and the design and fabrication of devices that use these new materials.
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- Thomas Powers
- Associate Professor of Engineering
- Professor Powers' research interests include molecular and cellular biomechanics, the physics of soft matter, and nonlinear dynamics.
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- Thomas Roberts
- Associate Professor
- My research uses the tools of biomechanics and functional morphology to study how animals move. Among vertebrates, the mechanical behavior of muscles, tendons, and bones is quite conserved at the tissue and cellular levels. The diversity more>> of locomotor performance results in large part from the arrangement and interaction of these components. I investigate the integrated function of muscles, tendons, and skeletal lever systems to better understand the evolution of musculoskeletal design.
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- Sharon Swartz
- Associate Professor
- My primary research interest is the function and evolution of the vertebrate skeletal system. I seek to better understand and interpret the tremendous diversity and range of adaptation in design of vertebrate, particularly the mammalian more>> skeletons.
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- Jay Tang
- Assistant Professor
- Professor Tang's lab is currently involved in a new research program of molecular biophysics. The main research goal is to understand the mechanisms and properties of protein assemblies. In particular, the Tang lab studies the assembly more>> of the so-called cytoskeletal proteins, such as actin and tubulin, which form long filaments. Higher levels of assembly occur in solutions of these filaments, including isotropic networks, liquid crystalline phases, and densely packed lateral aggregates. We seek to elucidate interactions that govern the formation of these states, predict and manipulate transitions among them, and explore biomedical applications.
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- Anubhav Tripathi
- Assistant Professor of Engineering
- My research focuses on understanding biochemical and biomolecular processes in microchip environments. Projects include: developing continuous flow DNA and RNA amplification processes, rapid identification of Influenza subtypes, fast more>> screens for protein folding and unfolding buffers, separation of protein isoforms, developing micro-bubble shells for detecting pathological conditions, and developing nanoparticle induced pathogen lysis.
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- Herman Vandenburgh
- Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (Research)
- Autologous adult human skeletal muscle cells have numerous potential cell transplantation applications, including regenerating heart and skeletal muscle, and for therapeutic protein delivery when genetically engineered to express a more>> recombinant protein. Our research examines the survival and functionality of human muscle cells transplanted in vivo for the development of improved methods for the treatment of numerous endocrine, neuromuscular, and cardiovascular disorders.
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- Thomas Webster
- Associate Professor of Engineering
- Prof. Webster directs the Nanomedicine Laboratory which designs, synthesizes, and evaluates nanomaterials for various implant applications. Nanomaterials are central to the field of nanotechnology and are materials with one dimension less more>> than 100 nm. Tissues investigated include bone, bladder, vascular, cartilage, dental, and the nervous system.
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- Jimmy Xu
- Professor
- Professor Xu's interests include nanoscale science and technology, quantum photonics, aperiodic optics, semiconductor lasers, molecular electro-optics, and collective behaviors of large coupled systems. His ongoing research includes more>> carbon nanotube structures, Silicon lasers, synthesis and non-lithographic fabrication and sciences of quantum-arrays made from metals, superconducting, molecules and semiconductors, DNA conductivity, physics of redox processes in proteins and cells, and sensing and high speed electronics.
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Biomed Division
MPPB Faculty
Providence, RI 02912