Are you interested in helping the health and lives of others? Have you ever wondered how prosthetics, pacemakers, or hip replacements were designed? Learn from Professor Billiar about the field of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and some of the research that is being done at WPI to further advance our understanding biology and medicine.
Understanding the mechanisms by which mechanical forces regulate the development and healing of connective tissues and the pathogenesis of disease is becoming one of the foremost problems at the intersection of biomechanics and cell biology—it has spawned the field of mechanobiology. In our lab we use precisely engineered, two-dimensional and three-dimensional constructs as model systems to study the effects of external internal (cell-generated) forces on cell behavior, matrix biochemistry, and the biomechanics of soft tissues and biomaterials. We have developed many innovative systems to modulate the cells’ mechanical environment by applying external multiaxial strain fields, creating compliant tissue boundary conditions, and controlling the surrounding matrix stiffness. Learn more.
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