Abstract: Wajid’s presentation is weirdly titled, “Is Combustion a Dirty Word?” a question that challenges the combustion engineers like himself. In the presentation he will share the experiences from his work at National Research Council Canada and Virginia Tech. Specifically, drawing examples from his contributions to the National Jet Fuel Combustion Program, he will touch upon the dynamics of liquid-fuel combustion in a gas turbine engine and the key fuel properties that significantly affect the combustor performance and emissions characteristics. He will also present his view on the future needs and opportunities with respect to liquid fuels and combustion.

Biographical Sketch: Wajid is a Program Director at the National Research Council Canada. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a MSE in Aerospace Engineering from University of Michigan and an MBA in Finance from University of Karachi. Wajid has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of gas turbine maintenance, repair and overhaul, combustion research and teaching. He has authored many well-cited publications and is a member of a number of national and international professional committees and societies. His research interest is on the dynamics of droplets and bubbles, as applicable to aero-engines and many other engineering disciplines. In the last six years, Wajid has held senior management positions directing applied research in the fields of energy and aeronautics and managing technology transfers.

 

Abstract: Tendon and ligament injuries account for 20-30% of all musculoskeletal disorders and are the most common form of non-fatal occupational injury resulting in over 420,000 days away from work each year. A primary cause of tendon degeneration is overuse (i.e., fatigue loading), which produces repeated microscale damage of the load-bearing collagen fibrils as well as the accumulation of atypical matrix components (e.g., cartilaginous, fat, and calcium deposits) that further weaken the tissue and drive the progression of degeneration. Production of these atypical matrix deposits requires the synthetic activity of cells with abnormal (i.e., non-tenogenic) phenotypes. Previous in vitro experiments demonstrate that endogenous tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) are multipotent and undergo non-tenogenic differentiation in response to mechanical stimuli. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the atypical matrix deposits observed in degenerated tendons are produced by endogenous TSPCs in response to tendon fatigue loading. However, in vitro mechanobiology studies of isolated TSPCs on artificial substrates do not replicate the mechanical stimuli, cell-matrix interactions, and cell-cell communication that are present in the native tendon microenvironment. As a result, there is a fundamental lack of knowledge regarding the response of TSPCs to the local tissue damage induced by tendon fatigue loading.

In this talk, I will present our work investigating how tendon microscale mechanics are altered with tissue damage. I will then discuss how these changes alter the biophysical stimuli (e.g., topography, modulus, strain) presented to tendon cells and how this may affect stem cell behavior. Finally, I will introduce our current work developing an ex vivo model of fatigue-induced tendon degeneration. This model will enable us to identify how TSPCs respond to fatigue damage and altered biophysical stimuli within their native microenvironment. Ultimately, this information will help determine the mechanisms driving tendon degeneration and develop novel treatment strategies to promote tissue repair.

Biographical Sketch: Dr. Szczesny is currently an Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania State University with a joint appointment in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation. He completed his postdoctoral training in 2017 as an NIH NRSA F32 Fellow and obtained a PhD in Bioengineering in 2015 at the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to his doctorate, Dr. Szczesny developed medical implants as a Design Engineer for Aesculap Implant Systems and as a research assistant at the Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Technology in Aachen, Germany. He obtained a MS in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2005 and a BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003. In recognition of his contribution to the field of soft tissue biomechanics, Dr. Szczesny was an ORS New Investigator Recognition Award Finalist, won 1st place in the SB3C PhD competition (twice), and received the Acta Student Award. Dr. Szczesny’s current research examines how cells in tendon sense the mechanics of their local microenvironment (e.g., strains, stiffness) and how their response drives changes in tissue mechanical properties during tendon degeneration, repair, and development. The ultimate goals of this work are to identify the causes of tendon pathology, discover novel therapeutic options, and direct the design of biomaterials that can recapitulate the behavior of native tissue. Furthermore, his research will produce fundamental knowledge regarding the feedback loop between local tissue mechanics and cellular mechanobiology, which is an important contributor to numerous diseases outside orthopaedics, including aortic aneurysms and fibroproliferative disorders.

Abstract: Clinicians and scientists working in the field of regenerative engineering are actively investigating a wide range of methods to promote musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. Small-molecule-mediated tissue regeneration is emerging as a promising strategy for regenerating various musculoskeletal tissues and several small molecule compounds have been recently discovered as potential signaling molecules for skeletal tissue repair and regeneration. However, a major challenge associated with utilizing these small molecules to regenerate a specific tissue/organ is the delivery of the therapeutic compounds directly to the target site to minimize potential systemic side effects. The presentation will focus on our recent work with small molecules that have the capacity to promote osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. Several proactive controlled delivery approaches have been developed in order to minimize off-target side effects of small molecules and will also be discussed.

Biographical Sketch: Dr. Kevin Lo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at UConn Health and an Affiliate Faculty Member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Institute of Materials Science at UConn. He also serves as the Assistant Director of Education for the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at UConn Health. In addition, he has held editorial positions on several prestigious international peer-reviewed journals including PLoS ONE and Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. His broad research interests are regenerative engineering, drug delivery, biochemistry and cellular molecular biology. He has authored more than 45 publications in these areas. Research grants from NIH, NSF, State of Connecticut, UConn School of Medicine, and private foundation have supported his work in the institute. His current research programs include musculoskeletal regeneration using inductive small molecules and osteotropic nanoscale drug delivery systems. He is a board member of the Regenerative Engineering Society of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Dr. Lo has led a NSF-funded summer research program to recruit a number of under-representative students to the Connecticut Convergence Institute for hand-on research experience in the areas of biomedical engineering. Dr. Lo is very active in community engagements. He has organized the Kavli Science Café and the Aetna Health Café monthly seminar series programs which aim to bring science and novel healthcare concepts to the local underserved community groups in Connecticut. 

Abstract: Rechargeable batteries function by reversible ion shuttling between the electrodes through the electrolytes. However, large amount, high rate ion diffusion and insertion induces large deformation in constituent materials in battery cells, leading to material failure, and consequently irreversible capacity decay and poor cyclability. How do mechanics and electrochemistry reciprocally influence one another in battery charge-discharge cycling? How might the mechanics-electrochemistry coupling be harnessed and regulated for energy storage and energy harvesting, and how might it be unharnessed and dysregulated in battery degradation? These questions have been stimulating new understandings at the interfaces of mechanics, materials, and electrochemistry. In this talk I will highlight a set of exciting electro-chemo-mechanical phenomena, enabled by advanced in-situ transmission electron microscopy and rationalized by multiscale, multiphysical modeling. Emphasis will be placed on the fundamental principles of mechanics and electrochemistry that underlie materials, designs, and devices. 

Biographical Sketch: Dr. Sulin Zhang received his PhD from the Department of Engineering Mechanics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 2002. He then worked as a postdoctoral fellow in Northwestern University. He is currently a Professor in Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and Department of Biomedical Engineering at Penn State University. Dr. Zhang’s research has been focused on the roles of mechanical forces and stresses in materials, biology, chemistry, and medicine. He is the recipient of the Early Career Development Award from National Science Foundation in 2007, the PSEAS Outstanding Research Award in 2016 from Penn State. Dr. Zhang is severing as an Associated Editor for Extreme Mechanics Letters, and an editorial board member for Nature Partner Journal-Computational Materials.

Join us at our Department at our ME Lightning Talks to learn about the exciting research that some of our ME Faculty and their groups are involved with!  Pizza will be provided.  Since space is limited, this event is limited to ME graduate students and faculty, and a limited number of ME undergraduate seniors.