Associate Professor
Biomedical Engineering
University of Rochester

Bio:
I received my undergraduate degree in Physics from Haverford College in 2001 and earned my PhD in Physics from Cornell University in 2010. Following postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, I joined the faculty of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester in 2013.

Who have been your mentors?
I have been extremely fortunate to have supportive and knowledgeable mentors throughout my career. My undergraduate research advisor, Jerry Gollub, my PhD co-advisors, Itai Cohen and Larry Bonassar, and my postdoctoral advisor, Lou Soslowsky, have all provided invaluable guidance. I have truly learned from the best!

What are your specific research areas and expertise?
The primary focus of my lab is soft tissue biomechanics. In general, we are interested in understanding what happens to the tissues in our bodies as a result of the forces they feel. To tackle our research projects, my lab uses a variety of experimental, theoretical, and computational tools including microscope-interfaced mechanical testing platforms, ultrasound elastography, fundamental theories and principles of mechanics (especially viscoelasticity and poroelasticity), and finite element modeling.

What are you currently working on?
At the moment, about a third of my lab is dedicated to ocular biomechanics, another third is dedicated to cartilage biomechanics, and the remaining third is dedicated to tendon biomechanics. Our tendon project aims to elucidate the biomechanics and mechanobiology of tendon impingement, with the long term goal of identifying new targets for treating impingement-associated tendinopathies.

What has been the biggest challenge for you in your research?
I often get excited about new ideas and feel the temptation to start new projects before ongoing studies are complete. This tendency can spread my lab’s resources too thin and impact the quality of our work. Through experience, I have had to learn the hard lesson that practicing patience and prioritizing the completion of ongoing projects ultimately leads to better research.

What project(s) are you looking forward to in the near future?
We have several exciting new studies underway. For example, we recently started a project with the goal of evaluating a new surgical tool design aimed at minimizing damage to donor grafts during tissue transplantation procedures.

What do you want to do next in your career?
This past semester, I had the opportunity to develop and teach a new course called “Scientific Communication for Community Outreach.” It was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of my career but this inaugural course offering was limited to graduate students from my department. Moving forward, I am hoping to expand this course to reach more students and incorporate more outreach programs.

What advice would you give young investigators in the field?
Our field is full of extremely talented and creative young investigators, and I cannot wait to see what they accomplish in the future. My advice to these young researchers is to not be discouraged by the constant rejections that are so common in our profession. Dealing with rejected papers, grants, and job applications can be tough but it’s important to never stop believing in yourself and your ideas.

When you’re not in the lab, what do you like to do for fun?
I love solving (or at least trying to solve) challenging crossword puzzles, playing basketball, fly fishing, and going on bike rides along the Erie Canal with my wife and three children.

What resources would you like to see available from the ORS Tendon Section?
I would love to see undergraduate research sessions at ORS Tendon Section Meetings and perhaps resources that help connect graduate students in the tendon field with investigators looking for postdocs.

How can we follow you?
Lab Website