Kristen L. Billiar
Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
kbilliar@wpi.edu
Personal Homepage
Phone: +1-508-831-5384
Fax: +1-508-831-5541
B.S., Cornell University;
M.S., University of Pennsylvania;
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Billiar operates the Tissue Mechanics and Mechanobiology (TM2) Laboratory within WPI's Biomedical Engineering Department. The lab's research goal is to broaden the understanding of the influence of mechanical forces on the growth, development, and healing of connective tissues (i.e., mechanobiology). Billiar and his team utilize engineered two- and three-dimensional constructs as model systems to study the effect of multiaxial stimulation on the cell physiology, matrix biochemistry, and biomechanics of soft tissues and biomaterials.
Changes in cell phenotype are assessed by physiological, immunohistological, and biochemical markers. Biomechanical evaluation includes subfailure and failure micromechanical characterization and constitutive modeling, including biaxial testing. Also being studying are the mechanics and composition of native collagenous connective tissues and how they are affected by processing prior to being used as implantable biomaterials. Knowledge gained from these studies will be applied to the study of normal and pathological tissue growth and development, wound healing, and the creation of bioartificial tissues in vitro (i.e., functional tissue engineering and regenerative medicine).
In a complementary effort, the researchers are investigating the macro-scale mechanics of fracture fixation with collaborators at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The aim is to aid in the assessment and development of devices and methods for more rapid and complete healing of boney fractures.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: July 09, 2008 10:15:31