"You Are a Machine! - Computational Musculoskeletal Biomechanics Across Length Scales"
Speaker: Dr. Benjamin Wheatley, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Bucknell University
Day and Date: Friday, November 9th, 2024
Time: 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Location: HST 101
Abstract:
The human body is comprised of complex biological tissues that interact in a multifaceted fashion to enable movement and maintain healthy tissue structure. Despite these complexities, the mechanical function of the human body is dependent on the same principles that govern the design and function of mechanical systems. In this talk, I will provide specific examples of how mechanics and computational modeling can be used to study human and animal musculoskeletal systems across different length scales, ranging from tissue microstructure to whole body gait. My overall goal is to provide different examples of successful musculoskeletal biomechanics research that is ongoing at Bucknell University in my laboratory, which primarily involves undergraduate research students.
Specific areas of study include microstructure-function mechanisms of skeletal muscle tissue, the effect of lower extremity joint torsion (toe-in/toe-out stance) on joint mechanics, and bioinspired mechanisms from bighorn sheep ramming. Each of these project areas leverage physics-based computational modeling – finite element analysis and rigid body musculoskeletal modeling – to provide key insights into the mechanical function of the musculoskeletal system. Additionally, these projects include numerous contributions from undergraduate students, clinical collaborations, and various experimental methods used for model calibration and validation.
Themes of this talk include interdisciplinarity, collaboration, and stories of student development. In addition to technical content, I hope that students will come away from this talk with a greater appreciation of the importance of a core skill set and a mindset towards broad applications. Additionally, I hope to foster collaborative relationships between Bucknell and Lehigh and bring awareness to interesting topics such as muscle microstructure and stiffness, bighorn sheep ramming, and emerging technologies in the characterization and analysis of human gait.
Personal Bio:
Dr. Wheatley is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Bucknell University, where he has been faculty since 2017. Prior to starting at Bucknell, he completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University in 2017 and received a BS in Engineering from Trinity College (Hartford, CT) in 2011. Dr. Wheatley has published thirty peer-reviewed journal articles and received more than $500,000 in external funding. At Bucknell, Dr. Wheatley leads the Mechanics and Modeling of Orthopaedic Tissues laboratory, which is an interdisciplinary, primarily undergraduate research laboratory that performs musculoskeletal biomechanics research across multiple length scales. Dr. Wheatley’s group emphasizes external collaborations, computational methods, and is funded by multiple National Science Foundation awards and the Bucknell-Geisinger Research Initiative. The group seeks to elucidate structure-function mechanisms in musculoskeletal soft tissues, determine neuromuscular and mechanical contributions to lower extremity joint pain, and leverage biomimetics to design improved safety mechanisms. He has advised more than thirty students in his research laboratory and in the last two years, three of these students have won the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program award. Dr. Wheatley regularly attends the American Society of Biomechanics, the Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference, and the Orthopaedic Research Society annual meetings.
Dr. Wheatley teaches engineering design, computational modeling, and solid mechanics at Bucknell. In collaboration with two other faculty across the College of Engineering to redesign Bucknell’s cornerstone first-year common engineering course, he received the Outstanding Contributions to Enhance the Engineering Educational Experience Award in 2024. For his efforts towards inclusivity and diversity in this group, he was awarded the President's Diversity and Inclusion Award in 2023. His outreach efforts include the Lewisburg Children's Museum, Girls on the Run, and Bucknell Engineering Camp. Dr. Wheatley directs Bucknell’s Engineering EXCELerators program for incoming engineering students and runs a bioinspired design project through this program. Dr. Wheatley was selected as one of three inaugural Faculty Health Fellows at Bucknell towards the formation of an interdisciplinary health initiative.
View Dr. Wheatley's resume here!
This event is free and open to the public. Please reach out to the Department of Bioengineering (inbioe@lehigh.edu) w ith any questions or comments.