Congrats to Jessica, Ishita, and Kalina who all had great posters at the ACCESS Symposium!
PEOPLE
Principal Investigator
Claire Acevedo, PhD
Biography: Claire Acevedo’s background and expertise is at the interface between mechanical behavior of materials, biology, and experimental high-energy x-ray physics. Her research goals are directed toward understanding the mechanisms of deformation, fracture, and the biological responses at multiple length-scales (from molecular to macroscales). During her PhD study at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), she worked on the influence of residual strains on fatigue resistance of metallic connections using high-energy neutron diffraction instruments. Following her PhD, her postdoc studies at UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab centered upon the hierarchical organization and deformations of collagen and mineral nanocomponents to create specific macroscale mechanical properties and resistance to fracture. In biomechanics, she is developing an understanding of the role that osteocyte-mediated remodeling plays in affecting bone quality and how it can be degraded with bone fragility diseases.
Research: My research focuses on fatigue and fracture mechanics, biomechanics, bone, tissue engineering, synchrotron based techniques, multi-scale approaches and biomaterials. (Google Scholar)
Teaching: Introduction to Continuum Mechanics (ME EN 5530/6530), Statics (ME EN 2010), Strength of Materials (ME EN 3300)
Graduate Students
James Rosenberg
James is a Ph.D student studying fragility diseases, fatigue life, and mechanical properties of bone. He graduated from the University of California Merced with BS in Material Science and Engineering with an emphasis in Nanotechnology. He interned for two summers at NASA Langley where he worked on boron nitride nanotube composite materials. His other interests include photography, biking, skiing, and cooking.
Email: u1214872@utah.eduWilliam Woolley
William Woolley graduated back in France with a Master of “Training, Biology, Nutrition, and Health” and then he obtained a second master’s degree in “Bioengineering of Tissue and Implants”. He joined the University of Utah in 2019, first as an intern, then stayed to pursue his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. His research interest is assessing the effect of bone quality on the mechanical properties of bone. Specifically, he is working on the effect of high fracture risk diseases, such as diabetes, on collagen. In his spare time, William enjoys the outdoors and many different sports such as biking, skiing, and tennis.
Email: u6023925@utah.eduYoshihiro Obata
Yoshihiro (Yoshi) Obata is a Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student who joined the Fracture and Fatigue of Skeletal Tissues Lab in 2019. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a BS in Aerospace Engineering. During this time, Yoshi interned at NASA Langley Research Center where he developed a passion for fracture mechanics research. At the U, he works primarily with synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (SRuCT) datasets to understand how changes in bone quality and bone fragility are related. His other interests include climbing, running, biking, and listening to music.
Email: u1268059@utah.edu
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8iPEZHYAAAAJ&hl=en
Personal Page: https://yoshihiroobata.github.io/
Michael Sieverts
Mike is studying bone through image data such as μCT and microscopy. After graduating with a BS in Biological Engineering from Utah State University, Mike went on to work in biotechnology where he gained experience with Raman spectrometry, computed tomography, and data science. Now pursuing a PhD at the U, he is interested in using bone imaging techniques, data science, and machine learning to understand how bone is damaged by disease at the micro- and nanoscale. Outside of research, Mike likes climbing, biking, snowboarding/skiing, and spending time with family.
Email: u0626735@utah.edu
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Aez8GEoAAAAJ&hl=en
Personal Page: https://sievertsm.github.io/
Ihsan Elnunu
Ihsan is a Mechanical Engineering M.S. student who joined the lab in 2021. He graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah in 2021. Ihsan enjoys research in the solid mechanics field and he was an undergraduate researcher for the High-Strain Rate lab at the University of Utah. Ihsan is passionate about biomaterials, and his goal is to contribute to people having better lives through his contribution to the field. Outside of academia, Ihsan enjoys lifting, ping pong, soccer, traveling, and spending time with his family.
Email: u1248321@utah.edu
Undergraduate Students
Katy Martin
Katy Martin is a senior in the Biomedical Engineering department at the University of Utah. She is studying to get her BS degree in Biomedical engineering with a minor in chemistry. Her research is in the quality of bone and its effect on the mechanical properties of bone.
Email: u0683446@utah.edu
Ishita Juluru
Ishita is an undergraduate freshman at the University of Utah studying Computer Science who joined Dr.Acevedo’s lab Fall of 2022. She is currently working on image processing and deep learning of the project, lacunar canalicular network connectivity response to diabetes, with her mentor Michael Sieverts. Ishita enjoys playing tennis, photography, and dancing in her spare time.
Email: u1404273@utah.eduJessica Redmond
Jessica is a freshman at the University of Utah, currently pursuing a degree in chemical and mechanical engineering. Her research interest involves studying the changes in mechanical properties of bones with higher fracture risks with her mentor, William Woolley. In her free time, Jessica enjoys rock climbing, woodworking, and crocheting.
Email: u1345942@utah.eduKalina Manova
Kalina is an undergraduate Biomedical Engineering student at the University of Utah who joined Dr. Acevedo’s lab in January of 2023. She is currently working on a holistic review of osteocyte and organ-on-a-chip related research, as well as learning bone-cell culturing techniques and applications. Outside of research, she enjoys spending time in the outdoors, reading, and playing the piano.
Email: u1188826@utah.edu