People

Karen L Troy, PhD

 

Courses Taught:

  • BME 1001 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
  • BME 3503 Skeletal Biomechanics Laboratory
  • BME/ME 4504 Biomechanics
  • BME 553 Biomechanics of Orthopaedic Devices
  • BME 593 Scientific Communication

Karen L. Troy directs the Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Laboratory, where she investigates questions related to musculoskeletal health and structure, physical activity, and biomechanics, in healthy and clinical populations. She has expertise in computational biomechanics and finite element modeling, aging and fall avoidance, and medical imaging. She has worked on clinical trials targeting bone health in both healthy women and people with spinal cord injury. She collaborates with physicians in the areas of orthopaedic trauma, radiology, rheumatology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Graduate Students:

 

Julia M. Nicolescu, MEng

PhD Candidate

jnicolescu@wpi.edu

Julia is a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at WPI. She graduated from Union College in 2022 with her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and a minor in Spanish. During undergraduate studies, Julia’s research focused on the biomechanics of heart and brain development of embryos. Her current work focuses on the use of various computational models to understand physiological loading impacts on bone during running. Outside of research Julia enjoys working out, reading, cooking, and spending time outside with her dog, Winnie.

 

Emma Slavin

PhD Student

epslavin@wpi.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Emma is a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering at WPI. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2024, where she researched the role of Proteoglycan-4 in aged bone. She is interested in studying how the forces transmitted to bone during running can lead to imbalances and injury. In her free time, Emma enjoys long-distance running, cooking, and reading. 

 

Kristina MacLeod

Master’s Student

kcmacleod@wpi.edu

Kristina is a Master’s student in Biomedical Engineering. She graduated from WPI in 2025 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering and a focus in biomechanics. Kristina’s current research is focused on the development of code to preform regional analysis of bone microstructures taken from high resolution pQCT images and their application to fracture prediction. Kristina was a member of the WPI Swimming and Diving team at WPI and enjoys running and hanging out outside in her free time. 

 

Febi Sarah Binu

Master’s Student

fbinu@wpi.edu

Febi is a first year Master’s student in Biomedical Engineering with a focus on biomechanics. Her current research explores the best predictors of fatigue failure in metatarsals. Outside of academics, she enjoys exploring new places, spending time with family and friends, and pursuing her hobbies, which include cooking, sketching, and listening to music.

 

Abby Belding

Undergraduate Student

abelding@wpi.edu

Abby is a second-year undergraduate student studying Biomedical Engineering with a focus in biomechanics at WPI. Abby is currently working on analyzing and collecting data from tibia scans of numerous studies taken from a high resolution pQCT scanner. In the future, Abby will be working on a study analyzing the effects of differing types of footwear on bone strength and structure within the foot and tibia. Abby is a current member of A Moment of Magic on campus and enjoys reading (with her favorites being dystopian and fantasy series), skiing, and hanging out with friends and family, preferably with good food.

 

 

Collaborators

  • Amy Lenz, PhD
  • Paolo Bonato, PhD
  • W. Brent Edwards, PhD
  • Irene Davis, PT, PhD
  • Adam Tenforde, MD
  • Rebecca Fellin, PhD
  • Ellen Gravallese, MD
  • Anjana Jain, PhD
  • Leslie R. Morse, DO
  • Ara Nazarian, PhD
  • Thomas J. Schnitzer, MD, PhD
  • Jessica Ventura, PhD
  • Jack Wixted, MD
  • Jodi Dowthwaite, PhD

 

Lab Alumni